Maritime

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy. The best dust jacket ever with a facsimile period map on the reverse from Flinder’s Journal Atlas.

Robert Purdie was a young surgeon who was wrecked on HMS Porpoise on a reef off the Queensland coast (to become known as “Wreck Reef’’). This was the vessel originally taking Matthew Flinders back the England having completed his coastal survey of Australia, confirming the entirety of the land mass. Purdie’s account had been published anonymously in The Naval Chronicle in 1807/07. He had been a junior officer on the Investigator and was among those that stayed on the reef whilst Flinders and others rowed back to Sydney to successfully mount a rescue.

The narrative is lively, informative and readable … here well presented with an excellent introduction and notes by Matthew Fishburn.

Matthew Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$30.00

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Gunfire in Barbary – Perkins and Douglas- Morris

Admiral Lord Exmouth’s battle with the Corsairs of Algeria in 1816

First edition, published by Kenneth Mason, Havant, England. Octavo, 199 pages, slightly toned, very good complete dust jacket a good copy of a most interesting book.

The combined English and Dutch fleets bombarded Algiers with all their might. The objective was to destroy the Corsairs who for near three hundred years had kidnapped masses of white Christians to become slaves to their Moslem captives. The slave markets of Algiers was a busy place. Admiral Lord Exmouth was successful but not without significant losses [greater than Nelson at Trafalgar].

Exmouth deals with the Barbary Corsairs

$30.00

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Sea Dangers [The Affair of the US Brig Somers] – Philip McFarland

First edition, published by Schocken, New York in 1985. Large octavo, 308 pages, a little age to jacket otherwise a very good copy.

In 1842 on the American Brig “Somers” a young officer and two seamen were hung for mutiny, a court martial followed for the commanding officer. A very well researched and written book.

Formed the basis of “Billy Rudd” by Herman Melville.

American Mutiny … or was it?

$25.00

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Raymond Howgego’s Monumental reference on the Exploration of Australia and Beyond.

Four Massive volumes which we regard complete, as they contain all the factual works [Howgego also produced a book on fictional travel]. Published progressively by Hordern House.

Land and sea exploration from the earliest days to circa 1940. Over four thousand pages in all with surely every event and fact worthy of mention. In pristine condition, weighing over 11 kgs so postage will be circa $80.00 at cost.

Raymond Howgego was teacher of physics before he gave that up to become a full-time traveller and travel writer. Possibly put down more words than any other living person. Seemingly can handle almost all European languages and Arabic and probably a few others. He still has an interest in amateur radio and fixing electronic items … we withhold his call sign, but you can find it if you try.

As new comprehensive definitive history of Exploration.

$580.00

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1600 Years Under the Sea – The Quest for a Sunken City – Captain Ted Falcon-Barker

Scarce unusual book. Published by Frederick Muller, London in 1960. Octavo, 225 pages, the odd mark, fading to board edges faded, cocked but excuse it, endpaper maps, better dust jacket than usual.

Ted Falcon-Baker was a most mysterious figure. Born in France in 1923 to a diamond prospector father and Cuban mother. He skipped school at fifteen and ran away to Australia [people grew up more quickly then!].

When WII broke out he joined the army and in Europe became a spy, spending time in Damascus. He was still only twenty-one when the war ended. He bought a yacht [after other adventures], learned to dive and set off on the adventure recorded in this book to find Epidarous a legendary submerged city in the Adriatic – they found … along with a few unexploded WWI ordinance.

Actor Jon Pertwee was one of his backers although commitments meant he makes a brief appearance … all this before Doctor Who.

Epidarous found by the mysterious and adventurous Falcon-Baker

$35.00

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Antarctica – a Traveller’s Tale – Jean Bailey

First edition published in 1980 by Angus & Robertson. Tall octavo, 182 pages, well illustrated from the author’s couloured photographs and charcoal drawings by Lorraine Hannay. Good condition.

Jean Bailey is neither and adventurer or a scientist, which makes this book a bit different for the subject matter as easy going informative travel books on the Antarctic don’t come along very often.

She did the Argentinian route … around the Falklands [Islas Malvinos] then down through the Scotia Sea south of the South Shetlands and into true Antarctic waters, Anvers Island and Palmer Station through the Lemaire Channel and beyond the “Circle” proper to Adelaide Island. Deception Island with all its history follows … before making north across Drake Passage to Ushuaia.

Like we say written in a familiar story telling style with some gritty elements such as the tussle for the Falklands … not sure whose side she is on?

Antarctica a more relaxed, still informative approach.

$30.00

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Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie, Surgeon’s Mate of HMS Investigator [A Matthew Flinders Item]

Gunfire in Barbary – Perkins and Douglas- Morris

Sea Dangers [The Affair of the US Brig Somers] – Philip McFarland

Raymond Howgego’s Monumental reference on the Exploration of Australia and Beyond.

1600 Years Under the Sea – The Quest for a Sunken City – Captain Ted Falcon-Barker

Antarctica – a Traveller’s Tale – Jean Bailey

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