Non-fiction

The Sarah Island Conspiracies – R. I. Davey

A super Tasmanian book by Richard Innes Davey. This is the hardback edition, most available are the earlier soft cover.

Published by The Round Earth Company, Tasmania. This the Second Revised Edition 2007.

Small quarto, 210 pages nicely illustrated and in fine condition with a fine dust jacket.

Sarah Island behind the Gates of Hell in Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania was home to the harshest penal establishment imaginable.

This well crafted book is based on the account of twelve Voyages made by a one G.K. (his name is not known) the Sarah Island between 1822-1833. G. K. was a clerk a minor bureaucrat and supposedly as shadowy figure. He observes the men banished to this desolate place and is gradually drawn into their world.

True life, mystery and intrigue at Sarah’s Island

A word about the author … Richard Innes Davey (1938-2013) what a character … he spent seven years as a Dominican monk before exploding a laboratory in Adelaide, met his wife Kathleen while recuperating. Much travel overseas and strange and artistic goings on followed. back in Australia (Perth) he expanded his artistic bent … sculpting, theatre directing and playwright, outback storytelling, remote communities etc. Moving to Tasmania with his own Round Earth Company he became the man of knowledge regarding Sarah Island. If you have been to Strahan you will be aware of his play “The Ship that Never Was”, our longest running play (Australia’s Mousetrap).

$40.00

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Down Channel – McMullen

This is a 1931 third edition of the classic Victorian sailing account by Richard Turrell McMullen. First published in 1869.

Recognised as one of the first true leisure sailing books and not your polished deck type. Described as a virile record of incidents and operations of sailing in small craft in all weathers and under all condition. With a special introduction by Dixon Kemp and a biographical foreword by Arthur Ransome.

Published by George Allen, Octavo, 418 pages well illustrated, including four fold out charts and fold out plans of the vessel Procyon. Rare to find it in its dust jacket albeit with a couple of marks to front … done a good job protecting the book which is in very good condition.

McMullen sailed a number of vessels during his time and the book takes us chronologically through Leo; Sirius; Orion and the experimental Procyon. Super writing entertaining and informative.

McMullen an early treasure of a pleasure sailor

$50.00

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Antique Maps of Europe, the Americas, West Indies, Australasia, the Orient – Douglas Gohm

A first printing published by Octopus Books, London and Sydney in 1972. Large quarto, 128 pages, profusely illustrated. A fine copy, in a fine dust jacket.

A very good book as an introduction to rare map collecting. A nice summary of the great cartographers and then a comprehensive array of some of the most attractive or intriguing.

Spot some of Voyagers favourites in here – such as the mysterious island of Juan Fernandez (page 95) also known as Robinson Crusoe’s Island. And the Tallis map of South Australia makes the front of the dust jacket.

Good map book nice images … educational content.

$50.00

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Early Thematic Mapping in the History of Cartography – Robinson (Perry’s Copy)

A first edition published by the University of Chicago Press in 1982.

Small quarto, 266 pages nicely illustrated as you would expect with the subject. Very good if not fine condition.

Published map expert Perry’s copy with his name neatly written on the end papers.

The author Arthur H Robinson was the Professor of cartography at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. He published several works on the broader subject.

Following a good “Guide to Notes, references and Illustrations” we have chapters on the Appearance of the First Thematic Maps; the New world and a New outlook; Single Maps and Thematic atlases; the Physical World; Maps of people and Their activities; the Social environment etc.

What makes this book special is the understanding of the development and scope of thematic cartography before the digital age … maybe we have lost something despite the obvious ease ..

Thematic maps … they inform and make you think

$45.00

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Tropical Africa – Henry Drummond – First Ed 1888

Published by Hodder and Stoughton London 1888, a first edition.

Octavo, 228 pages, bound in the original red cloth with coated black end papers. Gilt lettering to spine and an gilt insect stamped on the front board. Illustrated with 4 excellent coloured folding maps, all in fine condition, as well as several wood engravings. Covers a trifle aged internally very clean a very good copy

Scottish born Henry Drummond (1851-1897) was educated at Edinburgh University. He became a lecturer in Natural Science at the Free Church College. In 1880 he Became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposers included Lord Kelvin and Archibald Geikie. In 1883 he was invited by the African Lakes Company to conduct an expedition and study in Central Africa. From that effort this book was published in 1888.

Contents include chapters on the River Zambesi and Shire; Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa; the country and people of Central Africa; travelling on the Nyassa-Tanganyika Plateau; a study of Africa insects, geology and some political commentary. A most useful and interesting digest.

The four excellent maps include the Author’s route; a Slave Trade map (sadly there was a lot of it); a Geological sketch map and a Political Map showing European claims compared with Agreements … surprisingly different.

$80.00

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Proceedings and Debates of the House of Commons in 1620 and 1621 – Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt from a Period Manuscript by Sir Edward Nicholas – Two Volumes First Edition 1766

Title continues…. Collected by a Member of that House. And now Published from his Original Manuscript, in the Library of Queen’s College, Oxford.

Published by the Clarendon Press, 1766. Two volumes, octavo, 375 pages and 264 pages after preliminaries and with addendum. Complete, and bound in original mottled calf, spine gilt with raised bands and original red leather title labels. A little age, hinges tender but holding will. A genuine antiquarian look.

Edited by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt a classical scholar who had been educated at Eton and Queen’s College, Oxford. In 1756 he was under-secretary of war, and then in 1762 clerk of the House of Commons. The original manuscript is attributed to Sir Edward Nicholas, Member for Winchelsea in 1620/21.

A scarce and valuable source on the political history of James I. Parliament of the day was a source of funds for James and it did not sit for periods if it incurred his displeasure. The country was in a poor economic state. The period was one when patents were used to create monopolies and hence wealth. Conflict arose were the King who felt that allowing patents was a Royal prerogative and Members sought Parliament to control them for personal gain. There was even an attempt to patent Beggars meaning they would be licenced and have to pay an annual fee to the patent holder!

Serious history plays out … Edward Coke a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I speaks regularly. He had been England’s leading law maker … tried Raleigh and the Gunpowder Plot Accused. Here later in life he continues his hatred of Sir Francis Bacon (now Viscount St Alban). His investigations discover that Bacon had taken bribes and he was soon off to the Tower.

James in order to raise money through dowry was planning to marry Prince Charles off to a Spanish Princess. Coke campaigned against this preferring war with Spain. James had had enough and told Parliament that it was to wrap up before its term was due. Coke continued to argue and shortly after these journals he too finds himself in the Tower.

Floyd made rude remarks about the young Royals and found himself riding backward on a horse holding its tail to three different pillory sites … with a paper in his head defining his crime and then off to a place much worse than the Tower … the Fleet Prison.

Rare details of Parliamentary goings on when it was more interesting than today.

$290.00

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The Sarah Island Conspiracies – R. I. Davey

Down Channel – McMullen

Antique Maps of Europe, the Americas, West Indies, Australasia, the Orient – Douglas Gohm

Early Thematic Mapping in the History of Cartography – Robinson (Perry’s Copy)

Tropical Africa – Henry Drummond – First Ed 1888

Proceedings and Debates of the House of Commons in 1620 and 1621 – Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt from a Period Manuscript by Sir Edward Nicholas – Two Volumes First Edition 1766

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