Non-fiction

Buffon’s Natural History – 180 Hand Coloured Plates in 31 Volumes – Paris 1827

Oeuvres Completes de Buffon – Mises en order er Precedees d’une Notice Historique Par M.A. Richard Professor Agrege a la Faculte de Medecine de Paris; Suives de Deux Volumes sur les Progress des Sciences Physiques er Naturelles Depuis la mort de Buffon par M. le Baron Cuvier Secretaire Perpetuel de l’Academie Royale des Sciences.

Published by Chez Baudouin Freres and Chez N Delangle Paris in 1827. A full set less volume 8 which is purely narrative – all of the 180 magnificent hand coloured plates are present.

Lavishly bound in full polished tree calf with wide gilt floral design around front and back boards, gilt rolled on board edging, gilt design to spine, with each volume carrying separate black leather title and volume labels themselves gilt styles, marbled endpapers.

Some scuffing and wear to the leather boards and internally occasional foxing and browning and offsetting. On the whole, a handsome set with superior shelf presence – see images – more can be supplied in request – no issue.

Buffon with every hand coloured plate present

$1,590.00

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Diamond River [Venezuela] – Sadio Garavini Di Turno

First published in Italy – this the super English translation published by the Travel Book Club, part of Hamish Hamilton, London in 1963.

Octavo, 208 pages, dusty edges otherwise a very good copy.

An exploration, adventure book with a touch of the “Wild West” but set in the jungles and rivers of Venezuela.

The author one very tough cookie smelled diamonds in and about the remote river known as Liparu by the natives. Encounters with the Taurepan Tribe, Mundo and the beautiful Lolomai. Potent aphrodisiacs are offered and Turno describes the effect and provides the recipe.

Diamonds found and Turno devises his ambitious plan and sets up a mining camp with all the necessaries attracting wayward prospectors under his terms.

May and may not be the way to go about it!

Venezuela adventure with a bag of diamonds to prove it.

$40.00

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The Lure of The Amazon – Eduardo Barros Prado

First published in Spanish, this the first English edition published by the superb Adventurers Club, London in 1959.

Octavo, 175 pages, illustrated from expedition photographs. A little age – still a very good copy.

Prado already had a reputation as a guide to the Hamilton Rice expedition. In this ‘adventure’ he traces the Amazon tribe of women once regarded as mythical. Hunting jaguar seems like an everyday activity – but comes with its own obvious dangers. Then there are the cannibal Indians – best avoided. And, the girl with the red hair and the man who made “special coffee”.

The Amazon much more than an online mass market retailer of unwarranted unwanted goods.

$40.00

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Secret Classrooms – An Untold Story of the Cold War – Elliot and Shukman

A fascinating story and one that surprised Voyager who had never heard of the Secret Classrooms – I guess they were “Secret”.

Published by St Ermin’s Press, London in 2002. A first edition hardback, octavo 246, illustrated from relevant period photographs. Slight even toning otherwise an excellent copy in likewise dust jacket.

The British secretly formed the Joint services School of Linguistics [JSSL] which pushed circa 5,000 clever young individuals through intensive training as translators and interpreters to meet the ballooning needs of the Intelligence Services.

The system operated for nine years with “training” camps in Surrey, Cornwall and Scotland. Cambridge University and London University were involved. Students were not only immersed in the language but the Russian way of life, arts, theatre etc.

The diversity of those selected includes a who’s who of to be professors, ambassadors, actors and playwrights – the latter including Dennis Potter and Alan Bennett

Another secret curiosity of the Cold War and fear of Russia.

$35.00

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A Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Frigate Pandora – George Hamilton

The Pandora was sent to recover the Bounty and bring back the Mutineers. The voyage is an extraordinary story told with a light and readable touch by George Hamilton, surgeon onboard. After having recovered some Mutineers the Pandora was wrecked on the Barrier Reef approaching the Torres Straits.

One of a limited edition of 950 copies published by Hordern House in 1998. Octavo, 37 pages plus 164 pages illustrated. Spotted to edges otherwise very good. Bound in quarter cherry calf with marbled paper covered boards, separate black leather title label to spine gilt lines.

A faithful facsimile of the Voyage of the Pandora a rare 1793 publication connected to Bligh’s Mutiny on the Bounty.

HMS Pandora was a sixth rate Porcupine class naval vessel. She was commissioned in May 1779, built by Adams & Barnard, Deptford. Pandora saw action in the war against France in that year and in the American War of Independence. She was then mothballed from 1783. In 1790 having heard of the Bounty Mutiny, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Chatham despatched her, under Captain Edward Edwards, to recover the Bounty and capture the Mutineers. When they arrived at Tahiti, they found that a group of fourteen mutineers had broken away from Fletcher Christian and returned there. Some surrendered themselves, including Peter Heywood, others proved more difficult, but eventually all fourteen were captured and locked in a cell on board … known as Pandora’s Box. The Pandora visited numerous islands looking for the others … but only managed to lose some of their own crew to desertion. They headed west for home, but the ship ran aground on 29^th August 1791 on the outer Great barrier Reef. She soon sank with 35 men lost including 4 of the Bounty Mutineers. The survivors made for a sand cay and two days later sailed in four open boats for Indonesia.

The wreck was found in 1977 jointly by John Heyer and Ben Cropp, after much competition to be the first to the spot. The Queensland Museum excavated the wreck under a team led by Peter Gesner who wrote the forward to this book.

HMS Pandora … the recovery of the Bounty Mutineers and its Shipwreck on the Barrier Reef.

$90.00

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A Voyage Round the World – Mary Ann Parker – The First Account of the Colony to be Published by a Woman

First published in 1795, reissued with a commentary by Gavin Fry of the Australian National Maritime Museum. Sydney Horden House 1991.

Octavo, hand bound in half maroon Scottish calf over marbled boards, 34, xxxi, 150 pages. With 2 illustrations and 3 facsimiles. (Australian Maritime Series No 1). Very good condition.

Mary Ann Parker was the wife of Captain Parker of the Gorgon – she accompanied him out to Australia and back in 1791/2. The voyage also carried Gidley King and his new wife Anna – the only other woman. Approximately a third of the book is taken up by goings on in Port Jackson.

The book is known not only for it being the first female account of such travels to and from Port Jackson but for its full, lively and positive content … nothing dour here.

Limited edition of 750 copies.

$120.00

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Buffon’s Natural History – 180 Hand Coloured Plates in 31 Volumes – Paris 1827

Diamond River [Venezuela] – Sadio Garavini Di Turno

The Lure of The Amazon – Eduardo Barros Prado

Secret Classrooms – An Untold Story of the Cold War – Elliot and Shukman

A Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Frigate Pandora – George Hamilton

A Voyage Round the World – Mary Ann Parker – The First Account of the Colony to be Published by a Woman

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