Maritime

King Island and the Sealing Trade 1802 – Helen Micco

An important work regrading Tasmania’s King Island and the sealing trade at the very beginning of the 19th century.

Put together by Helen Micco and published by Roebuck as part of their historical series. A first printing of 1971. Small quarto, 51 pages after preliminaries, 7 full page plates not included in the pagination. A particularly good copy. Carries the nicely style bookplate ex libris Gisborne Park, carefully affixed only at the top so as not to actually intrude on the endpaper map.

Based around extracts from Francois Peron’s account of the Baudin voyage in Le Geographe and Le Naturaliste from 1800-1804 during which they visited King Island.

After a description of the original documentation an outline of the voyage we have a translation of Peron’s work … “King Island: The Hunter Islands: The northwest part of Van Diemen’s Land. From 18th November to 27th December” 1802. And .. “History of the Sea Elephant or Trunked Seal: English fisheries in Southern Lands … the advantages that the English derive from the Seals of the Southern Lands.

There follows a tribute to Peron and a series of Appendices including to and from Baudin and Governor King. Finishing with a useful note by Isobel Bennett of the Department of Zoology, Sydney University regarding the Australian wildlife mention in the voyage with reference to the illustration by Lesueur of which Voyager often has examples.

King Island a magnificent place and an important part of its history.

$40.00

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A Solomons Sojourn: J.E. Philp’s Log of the Makira 1912-1913

A limited edition of 500 available copies published in 1978 by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association and one of their best efforts.

Octavo, 208 pages nicely illustrated from period photographs and with useful maps of the region. A very good copy.

John Ernest Philp was a Tasmanian shipping clerk. Likely seeking greater adventure he served for two year on the Makira as engineer, mate and then captain of the vessel in and around the Solomons. His log reproduced here is an important contribution to the somewhat scant detail available regrading activities during the pre WWI colonial era. His crew drawn from native stock were special to him and his warmth comes through in his writing. Tragedies such as murder and cannibalism arise and are recorded with precision.

Nicely edited by Richard Herr and Anne Rood and a helping hand by Dan Sprod, of course, to get it through the Press

Detailed account of a trading ketch in the Solomons when it was pretty lively.

$40.00

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The Voyage of the “Scotia” – Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration in the Antarctic Seas By R.N. Rudmose Brown, J.H.H. Pirie and R.C. Mossman

A facsimile of the rare first published by Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh in 1906. This edition by MacClelland and Stewart, Toronto 1978.

The original small quarto this octavo, 375 pages with numerous illustrations and a chart of the track of the Scotia; a map of Laurie Island South Orkneys and a large folding chart at the rear … Bathymetrical Survey of the South Atlantic Ocean and the Weddell Sea. A fine copy. The piper on the front is naturalist Burn Murdoch … the first person to play the bagpipes on the Antarctic … and also in the Arctic … quiet an achievement.

With an additional forward by Sir George Deacon which adds greatly to our understanding of the expedition leader William Spiers Bruce and his colleagues who were joint authors of this account

William Spiers Bruce (1867-1921) was born in Edinburgh and was Scotland’s greatest polar scientist and oceanographer. His greatest accomplishment is recorded in this account, leading the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-1904) to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea, where they conducted the first oceanographic explorations and discovered the northern part of the Caird Coast. They established the first permanent weather station in the Antarctic. Bruce would not write the popular account of the expedition so it fell to his three lieutenants to write this much admired work.

Bruce had previously been on the Dundee Whaling Expedition (1892) having given up medical studies to participate. In between he participated in Arctic Voyages to Novaya Zemlya, Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land. He wanted to joined Scott’s Discovery Expedition but it is said that he fell out with Markham and therefore organised his own Scottish expedition. He was a good friend of Mawson and provided gear towards Mawson’s later expedition.

The Scottish expedition, and early one with significant achievements often overlooked.

$120.00

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Historic Sail – The Glory of the Sailing Ship from the 13th to the 19th Century – Wheatley

A massive production principally by Joseph Wheatley as this is a most visual work … text by Stephen Howarth.

Squarish folio, 33cm by 32cm, 206 pages, published by specialist Greenhill Books, London in 2000.

With 91 colour plates of historic vessels with accompanying text page. A quality production and a very good copy. Probably too big for an overseas purchase (and our scanner) .. please enquire though.

Presented in chronological order with the Danish 13thC Cog and then the Cinque Ports Cog and Venetian Merchantman. Along the way we have Carricks and Caravels before the 16thC Galleys and the Flemish Warships. Some specifics … the Revenge and the San Martin and the Golden Lion. The Armada vessels and the Dutch and the mighty Sovereign of the Seas. Gun ships and the first yachts … HMB Endeavour an to finish a Scottish Tea Clipper.

At the time of publication Joseph Wheatley was part of the crew on the replica Endeavour … half your luck … one of the images is that magnificent converted collier.

A special book for grown up Boys who like the Sea.

$50.00

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Maps of the Canary Islands Published before 1850 – C Broekema

The Map Collectors’ Circle publication published Nos 74 by C. Broekema in 1971. Very good condition with T.M. Perry, Australian map expert’s stamp on the front cover.

147 maps identified over 24 pages plus 13 plates of prime historical and decorative examples. Very good condition and a hard one to find.

The Canaries has always held a special place in hearts of travellers and cartographers. Known in antiquity and actively visited by Europeans from the 14thC. Appears on the Medici Portlan map of 1351. On the Hereford Mappamundi it is named “Insulae fortunatae sancti Brandani” … the “Fortunate Isles” moniker dates back to Hesiod, who spoke of the islands where perpetual summer reigned.

Canary Islands more than just a holiday. Perry’s copy.

$25.00

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Bluenose II: Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners – L.B. Jenson

A highly respected work published by Nimbus, Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1994.

Landscape 36cm by 28cn perfect bound soft cover with illustrated card covers. 125 pages magnificently illustrated throughout, minimal creasing lower right from pages turning, otherwise a very good copy.

The original Bluenose Schooner was designed by W.J. Roue and built in 1921 at the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard, Lunenburg. It was a cracker. In 1962 the Oland family commissioned the building of Bluenose II, a replica, and one of the last two-masted schooners.

L.B. Jenson, a noted marine artist and historic illustrator produced this dedicated work. Measured drawings have been carefully reproduced and checked whilst Bluenose II was fully rigged and a working vessel. We have her decks, fittings and housings … booms, gaffs, bowsprit, rigging etc. Supported by illustrations of the vessel under sail. Drawings of the hull, masts and sails, nothing left out for the marine enthusiast. Additionally, Jenson has provided an illustrated history of the fishery.

Bluenose II a dying breed – beautifully described and drawn.

$60.00

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King Island and the Sealing Trade 1802 – Helen Micco

A Solomons Sojourn: J.E. Philp’s Log of the Makira 1912-1913

The Voyage of the “Scotia” – Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration in the Antarctic Seas By R.N. Rudmose Brown, J.H.H. Pirie and R.C. Mossman

Historic Sail – The Glory of the Sailing Ship from the 13th to the 19th Century – Wheatley

Maps of the Canary Islands Published before 1850 – C Broekema

Bluenose II: Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners – L.B. Jenson

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