Maritime

The Discovery of the Torres Strait; Arctic Glacier Cap; Crete and the Gulf Stream – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – August 1941.

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, November 1914, containing an important paper by “A.R.H.” regarding the discovery of the Torres Strait.

In 1928 Sotheby had sold a collection of Spanish manuscripts one being .. a “Relacion sumaria of the discovery begun by Pero Fernandez de Quiros and completed for him by Captain Don Deiego de Prado with the help of Captain Luis Baes de Torres … a document in Prado’s handwriting .. and a document that turned out to change the then held view.

Also, we have an excellent nicely illustrated paper on the Arctic Glaciers .. the West Ice of North East Land … including the Franklin Glacier.

A travel account relating to Crete takes us back to warmer weather.

Usual blue wrappers period adverts etc, illustrated with maps and images from original photographs.

The Prado manuscript changed it all re the discovery of the Torres Strait

$70.00

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Tall Ships and Sailormen – A Concise Survey of Victoria’s early Maritime History – J. K. Loney.

Self published by the irreplaceable Jack Loney who knew everything maritime everything shipwreck there was to know.

Soft cover, 100 pages with an unusual unpaginated inset of 18 pages with images from photographs .. this may be an addition to the book … printed on smaller paper stock. Bar that, further illustrations, maps, charts etc.

The usual Loney comprehensive approach covering … Bully Forbes; Lure of Gold; Steamships; Tragic Loch Line; Mosquito Fleets; Hulks and Lighters. And, under “Making History” … Sealing and Whaling; Ghosts at the Rip; West Coast Mysteries; Smugglers; Shenandoah Incident etc etc.

Even to keep you going for a few wintery nights and at least one round of “Mastermind”

Loney summarising Victoria … and there is a lot of it!

$30.00

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Richard Siddins of Port Jackson [Australian Maritime History] – Lyndon Rose.

Published by Roebuck in 1984 a nice production, larger format, 152 pages, Illustrated, end paper maps. A very good copy.

Richard Siddins was a merchant sea captain who sailed out of Port Jackson from 1804 to 1822. He operated sealing expeditions to the Antarctic Oceans; gathered sandalwood; carried cargo to India and China. Within all this he experienced more adventure seeking gold from a wrecked privateer; taking care at a cannibal feast; chased by Tongan war canoes; wrecked off Macquarie Island … it was all in a day’s work for Captain Siddins.

Hinted above amongst all this was an important early voyage to the South Shetland Islands.

Early Australian Maritime History.

$35.00

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Cook’s Final Voyage – The Journal of Midshipman George Gilbert – Introduced by Christine Holmes.

Published by Brian Clouston, Caliban Books in 1982, a first edition in this form. Also published in Hawaii.

Large octavo, 158 pages, nicely illustrated. A near fine copy.

Yet another source of exceptional information on the third, final and fateful voyage of James Cook. Due to James Cook’s discipline the Midshipman on his voyages kept impeccable journals. With a focus on the Central Pacific and up into the Arctic searching for the North-West Passage from the other side.

The Third Voyage through Gilbert’s Eyes

$40.00

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Captain Caution – Kenneth Roberts – First UK Edition 1949

First UK edition published by Collins, London in 1949.

American historical adventure writer Roberts highly regarded at the time compared, by some, with Dumas and Victor Hugo … high praise indeed.

Octavo, 255 pages with the super period dust jacket. A fine copy the condition surprising considering age and time of printing.

In the main concerning the American War of Independence. Our hero Captain Marvin stocks it up the British but not without a period of imprisonment in the hulks … escapes and takes a prize in true Hornblower fashion. He escapes to France and is victorious in a thrilling naval battle off Madeira.

Captain Caution is not so Cautious.

$25.00

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Polar Gleams – An Account of a Voyage on the Yacht “Blencathra” [An Arctic Voyage] – Helen Peel – First Edition 1894

The author Helen Peel was the granddaughter of Sir Robert Peel, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

With a Preface by Arctic voyager The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava and contributions by Joseph Wiggins and Frederick G. Jackson.

A first edition published in the same year in the UK and the USA. This is the American first by McClurg, Chicago, 1894.

Large Octavo, 211 pages, cloth covered boards with bright silver gilt titling to front and spine, with walrus head design on spine. Burgundy end paper, portrait frontispiece with signature facsimile. 15 other illustrations and two maps – the Sea Route to Siberia and the Great Siberian Railway. Re-cased expertly by Roger Perry, original spine laid down, very clean inside a nice copy of a very rare item.

The acknowledged adventurer the Marquess of Dufferin was the godfather of the adventurous Helen Peel. He admired her vigour and abilities in putting together this account of the Arctic voyage of the Blencathra that he provided his esteemed and thoughtful Preface.

From Britain through the northern Norwegian waters, the Barents and Kara Seas, up the Yenisei River to Gol’chikha and back to Archangel in the farthest reaches of Siberia… much interaction with Laps and Samoyeds.

The Blencathra (then named HMS Newport) was built in 1867 in the Pembroke Dockyard. Part of the Philomel class – a wooden screw gun vessel, with a single two-cylinder single expansion, single screw steam engine. She was the first ship to pass through the Suez Canal. She was bought by F.W. Laybourne-Popham in 1890 as a yacht. He had an interest in Arctic waters and appointed Joseph Wiggins as Captain for a voyage, the subject of this book. The whole exercise turned into a commercial one with the organisation of support vessels and the transport of rails for the Trans-Siberian Railway. Later the yacht was used by William Speirs Bruce and new owner Major Andrew Coats to cruise the Arctic as far as Novaya Zemyla and Kolguyev and then Spitzbergen. It was later purchased by the Russians who lost it near Franz Josef Land.

Rare Arctic Voyage – Unusual Author and Pedigree – Hard Working and Fated Polar Vessel.

$260.00

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The Discovery of the Torres Strait; Arctic Glacier Cap; Crete and the Gulf Stream – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – August 1941.

Tall Ships and Sailormen – A Concise Survey of Victoria’s early Maritime History – J. K. Loney.

Richard Siddins of Port Jackson [Australian Maritime History] – Lyndon Rose.

Cook’s Final Voyage – The Journal of Midshipman George Gilbert – Introduced by Christine Holmes.

Captain Caution – Kenneth Roberts – First UK Edition 1949

Polar Gleams – An Account of a Voyage on the Yacht “Blencathra” [An Arctic Voyage] – Helen Peel – First Edition 1894

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