Exploration

A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

John Gladwyn Jebb led as an adventurous life as could be possible. This book was compiled by his widow and carries the introduction of adventure writer H Rider Haggard.

Jebb’s adventures began as a military man in India. Soon he was conducting privately funded explorations into Central and Southern America. Involved in numerous business dealings… helped to start White Line … was in involved in armaments. He moved to the US and the Wild West … bear hunting, gold mining and a few conflicts with local bandits and native Americans. Off to Mexico to make his fortune gold mining (made it and lost it) and much of the later part of the books is about his times in Mexico.

Published by Blackwood, Edinburgh in 1895 octavo, 271 pages, frontispiece of the great man, illustrated by John Wallace. Pictorial boards nice but a little rubbed. Overall, still a particularly good copy of a rather hard to find book.

Inspiration for Rider Haggard – John Jebb Adventurer

$50.00

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Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

Few know that this is quite a controversial book. Irish born Roger Therry [1800-1874] had arrived in New South Wales in 1829. For the next thirty odd years he served various Governor’s with distinction and praise. He rose to be a Judge of the Supreme Court and had served at both Sydney and Port Phillip. He retired back to England in 1859 and wrote this long and readable account.

This is a true first edition [a re-run included a small map] very thick octavo, 514 pages after preliminaries. Bound in original heavily embossed full deep red cloth covered boards. Original spine relayed, new end papers by Perry. A little age but really a nice copy of this scarce work.

Re the controversy. Therry had 100 copies made up and sent 300 to New South Wales. Unfortunately, some did not like his references and it soon became a talking point for the wrong reason. The book no doubt contains some factual errors [there are a lot of facts] but it was the pseudo slander that got under the skin of some. Therry re-purchased the remaining Australian stock!

“Judgely” writing may not sound entertaining, but this book is easily read and full of facts and stories that make it more interesting the more you get into it. We may all know about Hargraves and the discovery of gold in 1851, but did you know it was really Strezelecki in 1839 and with Clarke in between. The didn’t announce the earlier discoveries lest it would cause a stampede and riot among the convict class.

Therry writes in a compassionate way – his account of the discovery of a massacre of an aboriginal group suggests many new settlers were horrified and the culprits were brought to justice.

John McCarthur had a hand in the editing which is why his family are treated well and add to the supposed factual errors

Therry looking back over the important goings on over thirty years in Australia.

$180.00

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The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

Published by Hutchinson, London 1n 1965, a first edition. The author Charles Boxer was the Professor of Portuguese at Kings College, London at the time – he would likely have been the Dutch Professor also .. if they had had one.

Large octavo, 326 pages, illustrated throughout, very good dust jacket, a lightly embossed stamp on title,. A very good copy of a special work now hard to find.

Not your usual narrative, this book looks at the reasons behind the rise of the Dutch as a major seafaring nation from the mid 1600’s for over a century. Peace was signed after an eighty year war with Spain in 1648 and for the Dutch the seagoing expansion was near to phenomenal in terms of speed and ambition. Useful appendices include a chronology 1568-1795 which provides a framework …

The author Charles Boxer was an incredibly colourful character. Born into a military family (although his mothers family had been early sheep farmers in Tasmania). He enlisted and found himself in Japan in the 1930’s. Then a full blown spy in Hong Kong at the beginning of War II, imprisoned by the Japanese for three years. He married the most beautiful woman in Hong Kong , Ursula Tulloch, but left her for a life with the equally glamorous American writer Emily Hahn. Back in England his depth of knowledge was recognised in receiving the Lisbon sponsored Professorship which he made is own.

The Dutch … their power at sea and what was behind it …

$40.00

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Special Polar References – Bonhams Polar Sale[s] Catalogue[s] of 2012

Over the years Christies and Bonhams have fought it out as to who could gather and catalogue the best of the best books, maps, objects of interest, letters, logs etc relating to the Polar exploits of the Golden Age of Exploration.

Our view, and many others, is that the Bonhams “Scott & Amundsen Centenary Sale” of March 2012 was the winner. This was followed by Polar II in December of that year.

They are superb references in their own right and should be part of any Polar Collection.

Both perfect bound and in super condition – catalogue I, 188 pages near a thousand of illustrations; catalogue II 78 pages many illustrations. Bonhams went to town with the production and photography.

Hard to pick our favourite item … an absolute smorgasbord.

Bonhams Polar Reference – Impossible to match – rare to get them tog

$140.00

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Travel and Sport in Turkestan [Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and a few more Stans] – Captain J.N. Price Wood – First edition 1910

First US edition published by Appleton, New York in 1910.

An adventure indeed in 1907 through Turkestan to the Thian [Tien] Shan Mountains on the borders of Mongolia taking in modern day Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and, as we say, a few more Stans.

Royal octavo, original gilt decorated red cloth covered boards, top edge gilt. 202 pages after xx preliminaries,100 illustrations from original photographs, two to a full-page plate. Folding map of the region. Previous owners name to front end paper, a little toned at the end papers, otherwise a very good copy.

Wood was stationed at Ambala in the Punjab from 1902 after the 12^th Lancers were posted there following the Boer War. He had plan to explore and hunt in Central Asia. However, a pass was required to use the Gilgit Road – any other route making the planned journey far too long. It already was 2,500 miles. Eventually his pass came through and he set off in 1907 – departure still had to be tuned as he had to make the Burzil Pass at 13,500 feet which could only be done between May and October.

Whilst there are guns going off at game [not really our cup of tea] the travel elements of this book make it more than worthy. Great insight into the regions at that time – Huza, Mintaka, Shikari, Hadji Tombs, Kok Su, Tekkes Valley, Kulja, Gorge of the Arpalik, Aksu River etc etc.

The quality coloured map and the photographs help you along the way very nicely.

By pony, camel and yak 2,500 miles to the Thian Shan

$390.00

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Journal of Landsborough’s Expedition – From Carpentaria – in search of Burke and Wills – with a map showing his route – Rare First Edition 1862

First edition published in Melbourne in 1862.

Original papered boards, octavo, 128 pages, frontispiece, still with tissue protection, and the large (58 cm x 78 cm) folding map of Australia “Shewing the Routes of Explorers”. Spine re-enforced professionally with new ends, some age as usual, still a good to better copy.

The frontispiece is an engraving of the explorers and their trackers.

Landsborough oversaw the fourth expedition sent out to find Burke and Wills organised at Brisbane by direction of the Royal Society of Victoria.

The Brig Firefly was chartered in Melbourne to take Landsborough from Brisbane to Carpentaria setting sail on the 24^{th of} August 1861, the beginning of a quite remarkable exploration.

A key exploration account in the cannon of the Burke & Wills rescue atte

$480.00

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A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

Reminiscences of Thirty Years’ Residence in New South Wales and Victoria – R Therry – First Edition 1863

The Dutch Seaborne Empire 1600-1800 – C.R. Boxer

Special Polar References – Bonhams Polar Sale[s] Catalogue[s] of 2012

Travel and Sport in Turkestan [Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and a few more Stans] – Captain J.N. Price Wood – First edition 1910

Journal of Landsborough’s Expedition – From Carpentaria – in search of Burke and Wills – with a map showing his route – Rare First Edition 1862

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