Papua New Guinea

A Naturalist in Cannibal Land – 1913 – Arthur Stewart Meek

Meek (1871-1943) was born into a Natural History family. Before he was twenty he was at Coomooboolaroo Station in Queensland collecting for the great Lionel Rothschild for his zoo at Tring. He then travelled New Guinea and the Solomons for both Tring and the Natural History Museum. This is a second impression in very good condition.

This is the book on his travels. Amongst his great finds were the holotyoe and paratype of the Woodlark venomous snake, rare there are still only twelve specimens known. In 1906 he discovered (and shot) the first specimen of the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly … the largest in the world.

Many species are named after him … a crested pigeon, lorikeet, pygmy-parrot, crow, dwarf kingfisher etc and several butterflies and moths.

Meek a fearless Natural Historian who made his mark in New Guinea and the Solomons

$160.00

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Patrolling in Papua – 1923 – First Edition W.R. Humphries

Extremely rare London First 1923. Very good condition bar some occasional foxing. Bright and tight boards as published.

W.R. (Dickie) Humphries arrived in Papua in 1917 and took over an ambitious patrolling plan under the guidance of Hubert Murray. This excellent book records in detail a number of exploratory expeditions. Taking in Nepa, Tiveris, Kerma and Christmas on the Lakekamu, the Kukukukus and their raids on Nepa. Off into the unknown … ascending Mount Chapman and to the valley at Kwolum, friendly natives (rare) at Biaru and gigantic cigars. Ascending Mount Waria and a close shave. At Dunai-ia strange graves and thumb nails and to Boli, Nele and Morobe before turning back to Kokoda. Nicely illustrated with unique with over 40 photographic images. In 1924 Humphries escorted Frank Hurley on his famous photographic expedition into the Mount Yule area.

Scarce as they get patrolling expeditions immediately post WWI

$190.00

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Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

Published by John Murray, London in 1912. The greatest travel and adventure publisher of all time.

A very interesting a quite early book on the authors travels. Whilst published in 1912 it contains accounts, primarily from his detailed letter from 1885 onwards. Some of the illustrations are from his watercolours for which he apologises regarding quality. He need not as they are really quite good. There is some mild foxing which is usual for this book as it is printed on that spongy paper of the period.

Nice images and content on the Torres Straits islanders, of Kerapuna in New Guinea and the birds of paradise, the Solomon Islands and New Britain under German rule.

The last 70 pages of 190 are devoted to Java and Sumatra similarly written as if in the moment and with numerous relevant images.

A valuable New Guinea and broader book from the pre WWI era.

The author Campbell Duncan Mackellar (1859-1925) was born in Australia. Little is know of his early life. He wrote novels of which only one was published in Austalia … the rest in England and the USA. This, and one other was his only non-fiction works. In his later life in England he became quite a celebrity through [Unusually} his interest in Balkan politics. He amassed some wealth and was a sponsor to Shakleton’s Nimrod Expedition (1907-1909) and Mawson’s Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914). As a result he got a mountain named after him by the former and a group of islands by the latter.

$90.00

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The Cruise of the Marchesa – Guillemard (engravings by Whymper) -1889

Published by John Murray, London 1889.

The magnificent account of the voyage of the schooner yacht Marchesa from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1881 first to Ceylon, then via Singapore to Formosa and the Liu-Kiu islands to Japan. She left Yokohama for Kamschatka returning three months later, thence to China and Hong Kong at the end of March 1883 from where the Sulu islands were explored and then the Celebes and on to New Guinea.

Many maps and special Whymper illustrations. One of the most interesting Victorian travel accounts. Very good condition.

Superb voyage and natural history account

$180.00

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Tropical Diseases – Patrick Manson

A pristine copy of Manson’s “Manual of the Diseases of Warm Climates”.

A superb facsimile of the 1898 original but in a deluxe binding from the Classics of Medicine Series. Published 1984, 608 pages after preliminaries. Superb full leather with elaborate gilt work to front, back and spine. All edges richly gilt. Illustrated as per the original. Gift condition.

Sir Patrick Manson (1844-1922) was a Scottish physician who made important discoveries in parasitology and was the founder of the filed of tropical medicine. He discovered that filariasis in humans in transmitted by mosquitoes – his discovery directly invoked the mosquito-malaria theory

Tropical Diseases in Luxury Binding … postage included

$70.00

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New Guinea, Annual Report – 1890 – (Includes exploration of the Fly River, Daumori Regions and Misima Island with Maps and Extensive Analysis of Language and Dialect)

The nicely bound edition of the Annual Report on British New Guinea, from July 1889, to 30th June 1890, with appendices. A very early and comprehensive report.

Over approximately 140 pages, and with several accompanying fold-out maps, this annual report examines the year from a number of perspectives including; legislation re ordinances passed and their detail; administration of justice, including courts constituted and remarks on some cases dealt with by the Central Court; administrative visits of inspection, including the ascent of the Fly River, visit to Island of Daumori and a visit to Misima and Tagula; government property, including purchases and acquisitions; establishments, including officers and their salaries; trade, exports, shipping and postal; mission work; land, including a specific European settlement strategy; finance, revenue, expenditure and balance to credit of Protectorate; native dialects, including, amongst many others, Kiwai and Boigu, Misima, Tagula, Sariba and Awaiama, and; scientific results including botanical, zoological, ornithological and coleopterae.

This plethora of vital contemporary information is accompanied by; a large fold-out sketch map of Cloudy Bay; a large fold-out sketch map of Kiwai and adjoining islands of the Fly River; a large fold-out detailed map of the Fly River; a large fold-out rough sketch of 200 miles of the western portion of British New Guinea, including rivers, compiled from surveys and exploration by the Government of British New Guinea, 14th February to 17th March, 1890; a very large fold-out rough sketch plan of St. Joseph District, British New Guinea, from a map by Bishop Verjus, Admiralty charts and observations in the district, and; a large fold-out rough sketch plan of Hall Sound & Yule Island, showing mouths of St. Joseph and Bioto Rivers.

An incredibly in depth examination of New Guinea in 1890.

$340.00

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A Naturalist in Cannibal Land – 1913 – Arthur Stewart Meek

Patrolling in Papua – 1923 – First Edition W.R. Humphries

Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

The Cruise of the Marchesa – Guillemard (engravings by Whymper) -1889

Tropical Diseases – Patrick Manson

New Guinea, Annual Report – 1890 – (Includes exploration of the Fly River, Daumori Regions and Misima Island with Maps and Extensive Analysis of Language and Dialect)

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