Shipwrecks

White Blackfellows – Charles Barrett

Published in 1948 by Hallcraft, Melbourne. Octavo, 261 pages, well illustrated. A very good copy in a nice albeit chipped dust jacket.

We recognise that the title of the book is unacceptable. Accept the book though for the history within. Sixteen different histories from all over Australia. Many of these have inspired other works – Patrick White etc. And, quite a few appear in longer form within the Voyager collection – but in no other place do we have a balanced presentation of so many.

Mrs Fraser, William Buckley, James Murrells, Barbara Thompson etc and the dubious Louis de Rougemont

$40.00

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Tek Sing Shipwreck Treasure – Rare “Hare Bowl” – 1822

Qing Dynasty decorated bowl recovered by Mike Hatcher from the Tek Sing shipwreck. A special example.

In our view one of the more interesting Tek sing bowls with the rather cute Hare image to centre. Large and deep by comparison with others – 16.2cm by 5.8cm deep. The decorative rim with three panels of scrolls or net-like design. Chrysanthemum design and bamboo leaves underneath. and bamboo. Very good condition given its 200 plus years and most of that time underwater. Retains the Nagel auction and catalogue stickers underneath for provenance.

Price $290.00
A Tek Sing special – Nice strong and uncommon Hare decoration.
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The Tek Sing Shipwreck – Background

The Tek Sing (Chinese for “Bright Star”’) was a large Chinese Junk which sank in 1822 in the South China Sea at the Belvidere Shoals. She was 50 meters long, 10 metres wide and weighed a thousand tons. Manned by a crew of 200. The great loss of life has led to the Tek Sing being referred to as the “Titanic of the East”.

Sailing from the port of Amoy (now Xiamen), the Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, with a cargo of porcelain goods and 1,600 Chinese immigrants. After a month of sailing, Captain Lo Tauko took a shortcut through the Gaspar Straits and ran aground on a reef and sank in 100 feet of water.

The next morning and English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl sailing from Indonesia to Borneo passed through the Gaspar Straits. He found debris from the sunken Chinese vessel and survivors. They managed to rescue 190 people.

In 1999, marine salvor Mike Hatcher discovered the wreck. His crew raised what has been described as the largest cache of Chinese porcelain ever recovered. It was auctioned by Nagle in Stuttgart, Germany the following year

$290.00

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Headhunters of the Coral Sea – Ion Idriess – 1955

Idriess scarcity a tale for the young or the “young at heart”. Based on the true story of two young lads captured in the Coral Sea and their subsequent adventures. Based around the shipwreck of the Charles Eaton.

This is the new edition of 1955. Published by Angus and Robertson, octavo 207 pages, plus a list of the passengers and crew of the Charles Eaton and a chart of the cruise of the Isabella rescue ship. Within the text a chart of the Coral Sea – where the boys were wrecked.

Idriess – stories based on truth always have a special interest

$40.00

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Mysteries of the Bass Strait Triangle – Jack Loney

A first printing 1980 of shipwreck expert Jack Loney’s work on the deadly Bass Strait Triangle.

Not just the ships lost but also some early aeroplanes disappeared.

UFO’s are more frequently seen in this area than anywhere else in Australia.

The photograph of the weird large blobs of light emerging from the water are shivering stuff.

Softcover, 112 pages, thoroughly researched as expected of the author and well illustrated

Not to be read on the Ferry!

$25.00

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The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

True first edition published by subscription only. With maps, portraits, engravings and the splendid decorated cloth covers which make the book a treasure. A hint of even toning, inner hinges tender, otherwise a very good copy in bright and clean decorated boards.

Longer title … “Our Lost Explorers: The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition as related by the Survivors, and in the Records and last Journals of Lieutenant De Long, Revised by Raymond Lee Necomb, Naturalist of the Expedition. Also, an Account of the Jeannette Search Expeditions etc.”

Set out from San Francisco in July 1879 with supplies for three years sponsored by the owner of the New York “Herald” who also sponsored Stanley to search for Livingstone. The objective was to approach the North Pole through the Bering Straits.

She was lost for two years caught in ice near Wrangel Island and eventually crushed. The crew escaped but 13 survived out of 33.

Three new islands were discovered and named although they have always been regarded as Russian territory.

The Janette lost in the Arctic in the 1880’s

$190.00

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Relic from the Otago – Skuttled in the Derwent, Tasmania – Past Captain being the Distinguished Author Joseph Conrad.

A solid piece of wood with some remnant attached claimed to be from the vessel “Otago” which was sunk in the Derwent before bits were reclaimed – in particular scrap metal which went to Japan much to the chagrin of the locals.

18cm by 13cm by 3cm.

The inscription reads “Otago 367 ton Barque – 1869 Built Glasgow – 1900 Used as a coal hulk, Hobart – 1931 Stranded, Otago Bay Derwent River, Tasmania. – She was the only command of the Author Joseph Conrad”.

See also our scarce publication by Crowther relating to the Otago hatch in the Hobart Maritime Museum … perhaps the best Museum in Australia! .

Conrad’s Otago – A remnant – and an unusual artifact with a literary connection.

$60.00

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White Blackfellows – Charles Barrett

Tek Sing Shipwreck Treasure – Rare “Hare Bowl” – 1822

Headhunters of the Coral Sea – Ion Idriess – 1955

Mysteries of the Bass Strait Triangle – Jack Loney

The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

Relic from the Otago – Skuttled in the Derwent, Tasmania – Past Captain being the Distinguished Author Joseph Conrad.

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