Aboriginal

The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

A self-published pamphlet by Georgina King of work previously published in the “Sunday Times”. Printed by William Brooks, Sydney and issued in 1924.

Octavo, 23 pages, soft wrappers as issued, three illustrations in the text regarding aboriginals. Some age from use still a very good copy.

The articles are as per the title … The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – Two Stone Ages in Australia; The Discovery of Gold and How it was Found in Payable Quantities; Magnetism – terrestrial and Universal; Diamond and Their Origin.

A most usual body of work. Georgina King (1845-1932) was an amateur geologist and anthropologist. As a woman she was excluded from the “professional” category e.g. she was not allowed to read her own paper at the Royal society of NSW. Her ideas were rather whacky though and make for interesting reading … they did not stop her becoming a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Society. The daughter of Rev George King she was advised by him and naturalist Bennett not to marry if she wanted to get on in her chosen filed. She corresponded with Robert Logan Jack regarding geology and Huxley on natural sciences. In her eccentricity she blamed other for stealing her ideas, including Edgeworth David on her radical concepts of the earth’s formation and Einstein on the theory of relativity. She believed diamonds were fossilised marine organisms … quoting from the paper contained here …

“Diamonds existed as marine organisms. They are composed of pure carbon, containing only a little hydrogen, and the most minute particles are often found in what were small cavities, perhaps their breathing apparatus; some were like feathers. The cleavages of the diamond were the gills of those marine organisms …”

Her article of the aborigines is a lot more grounded. She was a friend of Daisy bates and provided financial support to Bates for her work among aboriginal people.

Georgina King isolated Australian Scientist with some wild ideas and some interesting ones.

$50.00

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A Journal of the Endeavour Voyager – James Magra

This is a fine facsimile published by Israel Amsterdam in 1967. Note titles “Cook” by Israel but not the author.

The original account … A Journal of a Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Ship Endeavour, in the Years 1768,1769,1770 and 1771 etc published by Becket and Hondt in the Strand in 1791. Quarto, 130 pages plus 3 pages of vocabulary of the language of Otahitee.

Published two years before the official Hawkesworth account in 1793 and now generally attributed to James Magra.

James Magra was a New Yorker and American sympathiser and accordingly to James Cook a man of dubious quality. Almost impossible to find in original form … this was the first published book describing the East Coast of Australia and includes for example reference to Stingray Bay the name given to Botany Bay by James Cook before the latter was adopted sometime before Hawkesworth.

Magra’s account and essential Cook ingredient

$80.00

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The Voyage of the Brig Mercury – Including Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land

Full title … Observations and Remarks made during a Voyage to the Islands of Tenerife, Amsterdam, Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land; Otaheite, Sandwich Islands, Owhyhee, the Fox Islands on the North West Coast of America, Tinian, and then to Canton, in the Brig Mercury, Commanded by John Henry Cox …

Illustrated with a Sketch of the Island of Amsterdam, a Plan of Oyster Harbour at the Maria Islands, with some views of the Land; a Curious Medal; and a Club accurately engraved.

Originally published for the author Lieutenant George Mortimer of the Marines, T Cadell in the Strand et al. in 1792.

This fine facsimile published by Israel, Amsterdam in 1975. Small quarto, 73 pages with the charts faithfully reproduced. A clean crisp copy.

The original account of this voyage difficult near impossible to obtain. Mortimer suggests that the Voyage was chiefly undertaken from motives of curiosity by Mr Cox, the fur trade on the North West Coast of America was the ultimate objective.

Mortimer’s narrative is a pleasing and easily read account. The visit to Amsterdam Island well to the South in the Indian Ocean, nearly Antarctic, is important to cold weather island enthusiasts. Cox had planned to call in at Adventure Bay in Van Diemen’s Land but missed it and ended up at Maria’s Island … he named Oyster Bay and the charts produced is of historical value. The progression across the Pacific to the North west Coast of America has unique elements and interesting encounters with Russians in the locale.

Mortimer on Cox’s Voyage .. important Tasmanian content

$60.00

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An Introduction to Social Anthropology – Ralph Piddington – Two Volumes

Two volumes published by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh 1957. Octavo, 442 pages and 443 to 819 pages both after preliminaries and including a useful index. No dust jacket but very good condition. Illustrated mainly with tables and diagrams assisting the text.

Ralph Piddington was Professor of Anthropology at Auckland University and his “Introduction” is now regarded as a modern classic in anthropology.

For some reason this book set is rarely found as a pair which may explain the confusing publishing date with one volume 1963 and the other 1957 although they look a perfect pair.

Volume I covers – primitive culture; a cook’s Tour of Africa and America, and Asia and Oceania (includes Australia); social organisation; cultural analysis; food, wealth, primitive law, religion and magic.

Volume II deals in part with field work, contact and trends. Both nicely illustrated with appropriate photographs and competent diagrams and charts of a high standard.

Rare as a pair – Piddington on People

$40.00

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Prints and Print Makers of Australia (1788-1850) – the Antipodes Observed – Cedric Flower.

This is the hard back version of the very good compilation of key prints and their makers in the years up to 1850. Published by MacMillan, Melbourne in 1975. Landscape quarto, 139 pages heavily illustrated, obviously! Pretty good condition in a complete protected dust jacket.

And what an extraordinary record they are … where would we be with only the narrative? Every State and subject is covered selecting the very best items.

The images that go with the story!

$40.00

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Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

A special book, in the French language, published by Imprimerie Nationale, Paris in the year 2000. Large octavo, 467 pages original illustrated softcover. Very high standard of colour illustration.

Illustrations include 2 sketch plans, 2 maps, 4 charts and 10 facsimiles of original manuscripts, plus 96 colour plates with 195 illustrations – including 5 insects, 5 animals, 96 fish and marine animals, many relating to Australia. Also some views and many coastal views and 10 magnificent portraits of aboriginals. Very good near fine condition.

The journal of Baudin commences in March 1800 at Le Harve. Baudin had been given command of an expedition to map the South West and South coast of Australia. He had two ships, Geographie and Naturaliste the latter captained by Hamelin. They had a total of nine naturalists on board. By May 1801 they has reached the West Coast of New Holland. Moving east they famously met Flinders at Encounter Bay. They sailed to Sydney and down to Van Diemen’s Land and reached the d’Entrecasteaux Channel and then Maria Island by November 1801. It is claimed that more than 2,500 new species were discovered on the voyage.

Incidentally, it is now claimed that naturalist Francois Peron later wrote a report for Napoleon on ways to invade and capture the British Colony at Sydney Cove.

Even if you have limited French this book is worthwhile for the magnificence of the illustrations.

Baudin his Journal in French as it should be …

$80.00

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The Antiquity of the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania – The Discovery of Gold – Magnetism etc – Georgina King FRASA – Sydney 1924

A Journal of the Endeavour Voyager – James Magra

The Voyage of the Brig Mercury – Including Maria’s Islands near Van Diemen’s Land

An Introduction to Social Anthropology – Ralph Piddington – Two Volumes

Prints and Print Makers of Australia (1788-1850) – the Antipodes Observed – Cedric Flower.

Mon Voyage Aux Terres Australes – Journal Personnel du Commandant Baudin illustre par Lesueur et Petit

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