Pacific Islands

George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

A very good first edition of this well researched and written book on Bass.

Published by the Oxford University Press Melbourne in 1952. Octavo, 171 pages with illustrations and a fine dust jacket.

The author Keith Macrae Bowden was the author of the official Australian Dictionary of Biography re Bass and therefore holds a certain authority on the subject explorer.

After various introduction we have a family history and the first naval activity on HMS Shark and HMS Reliance. Off to Australia and the exploratory adventures on the Tom Thumb before a trip to South Africa. Time in Port Jackson and the discovery of coal before the “Discovery of the Bass Strait” and the final whale boat voyage. Plans for a fortune and his Pacific voyages and on to South America and his disputable fate.

Nice appendices on the Tom Thumb; Source of Information and a succinct listing of the subjects achievements.

George Bass a fairly full life

$50.00

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Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons – Part I. Dampier to Cook.

Hordern House have done a number of similar works. This by far the best. Published in 2005.

English born David Parsons was educated at Corpus Christi, Oxford. He spent his adult life in the USA where applied his mathematical skills as a top actuary. The collection written up by the House was the first of two parts (see our copy of Part II sold separately), the most important works we would say in chronological order up to Cook.

Parsons had decided to focus in on early Spanish/ Portuguese exploration. The proceeds from this magnificent collection would have provided a pretty healthy budget.

Octavo, unpaginated, circa 125 pages, magnificently illustrated. Contains all of the key works one would expect, often of super quality or special provenance. Generally organised as follows … Dampier to Swift; The Anson Expedition; The South Pacific before Cook; The North Pacific before Cook; Cook. As always an excellent description of content and relevance of each work with a helpful selection of images

Super reference of a collection to envy for sure.

$60.00

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Trimaran to Tahiti – D.E. Barry-Evans

Doug Barry-Evans preferred to be called DE. A WWII naval aircraft pilot born in the UK but spent most of his life in New Zealand.

A First edition 1978, published by Richards o Auckland, NZ. Small quarto, 216 pages plus appendices. Really well illustrated and with really good technical information regarding the boat in the back section. A very good copy

From New Zealand to Tahiti an 1,800 mile there and back voyage with lots of excitement and adventure along the way.

A special sailing adventure with good detail on the islands visited

$30.00

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The Story of the Pacific – Van Loon – 1940

First Edition published by George Harrap, London 1940.

Octavo, 315 pages, illustrated from the authors sketches (his usual style) and with end paper maps. Gift inscription across front map otherwise a very good unjacketed copy.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon (1882 -1944) was a prolific Dutch / American writer of historical works. His language is really good and he gets to the point … the publishers of Roget’s Thesaurus specifically honoured him in publications after his death as being the person that most communicated new entries to them… quite an honour.

Here he is writing about the Polynesians and how they came to be in the Pacific … the places they went to and the places they avoided. Amongst all that is elements relating to the discovery of Australia … an interesting and of overlooked work.

The Van loon theories regrading the populating of the Pacific.

$40.00

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Unexplored New Guinea Wilfred Beaver – First Edition 1920

A scarce first edition… a record of the travels, adventures and experiences of a resident magistrate amongst the headhunting savages and cannibals of the unexplored interior of New Guinea.

Beaver was twenty-seven years resident magistrate in the Western District.

Published by Seeley, Service & Co, London in 1920. Thick octavo, 320 pages. Nicely illustrated with 34 photographs taken by the author and 4 maps. With a focus on the extreme West – the Fly River, Kiwai Island, The Girara Tribes, The Bamu, Gama and Turama. Much on religious beliefs and practices. A very good copy.

Another rare PNG book at Voyager – Beaver up the Fly

$160.00

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Among Papuan Headhunters – E Baxter Riley – First Edition 1925

A very good copy of Riley’s Papuan classic about the people of the Fly River.

The long subtitle says it all – “An account of the manners and customs of the old Fly River head-hunters, with a description of the secrets of the initiation ceremonies divulged by those who have passed through all the different orders of the craft, by one who has spent many years in their midst.”

Published by Seeley, Service & Co, London. Thick octavo, 316 pages. Extremely well written in depth with very good photographic images … the head being treated perhaps the most confronting. 50 illustrations and 2 maps one folding. A hint of an old embossed stamp on title, the odd superfluous mark, otherwise a really nice copy.

Edward Baxter Riley (1868-1929) was put in charge of the Fly River Mission on the island of Daru in 1901. This followed the death of the great James Chalmers who was killed and devoured in the region. Riley, originally a pharmacist became an expert in Papuan languages, particularly Kiwai and, has since been highly regarded for the work put into this classic anthropological account.

Scarce essential Fly River extensive work

$160.00

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George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

Rare Pacific Voyage Books from the Collection of David Parsons – Part I. Dampier to Cook.

Trimaran to Tahiti – D.E. Barry-Evans

The Story of the Pacific – Van Loon – 1940

Unexplored New Guinea Wilfred Beaver – First Edition 1920

Among Papuan Headhunters – E Baxter Riley – First Edition 1925

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