Maritime

Bass and Flinders – Circumnavigation of Tasmania – 200th Anniversary Medal

Together Matthew Flinders and George Bass were the first to circumnavigate Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), in HM Sloop Norfolk, in 1788/89.

This large fine limited run medal was produced in Tasmania to celebrate the 200th anniversary i.e. 1998/99.

Only 120 were produced in this form, this being number 53, marked to the rim. Cast in white metal, 800 mm diameter, 115gms weight. Strong deep profile, fine condition.

Carries the bust of both Flinders an Bass either side of the sloop’s mast, with descriptive text. On the reverse a map of Van Diemen’s Land with the route taken marked and a fine and substantial depiction of the vessel fully rigged.

Limited numbered run of important maritime celebration.

$150.00

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Farthest North [The Voyage of the Fram] – Fridtjof Nansen – 1898

Farthest North: Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96, and of a Fifteen Month’s Sleigh Journey by Dr Nasen and Lieut Johansen.

Two volumes large octavo 480 pages and 456 pages after preliminaries before advertisements etc, large folding coloured map at rear of Volume I, coloured plate illustrated with a multitude of photographs and sketches by Nansen.

Published by George Newnes, London in 1898. A second edition after the first in 1897 but our preferred as there was a switch to these stunning pictorial covers are a hallmark of this set. Internally some insignificant marks and some rubbing to the cover spine ends and tips, hinges a trifle loose. On the whole the covers still remarkably bright, overall a very good set.

Nansen undertook this expedition to prove his theory that a drift current moved across the northern polar regions from the Bering Straits and New Siberia Islands towards the Greenland Coast. The theory had been supported by finding, near Greenland, parts of the ship Jeannette which was wrecked in 1881 in the Bearing Straits. Nansen’s ship, the Fram, was designed specially to cope with the risk of being crushed in an ice-pack. Built in Scotland the theory was that the Fram would be deliberately frozen into the ice and the design would lift the boat higher rather than crush it from the sides. They set off in June 1893 and successfully achieved this primary objective, the ship returning to Norway in 1896. Meanwhile, Nansen and Johansen had left the ship with husky drawn sleds in an attempt to reach the North Pole. They failed in this endeavour, as their dogs deteriorated, but still managed to reach the point “Farthest North” yet attained by man.

Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was a very talented individual. He held a doctorate in zoology, contributed to the field of neurology, worked a a museum curator and a was great athlete. Prior to this expedition he was the first to explore the interior of Greenland on skis

Nansen’s Farthest North in our favourite Pictorial Bindings

$420.00

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Francois Valentjin’s Description of Ceylon – Translated and Edited by Arasaratnam

Francois Valentijn (1666-1727) was a Dutch scientific theologian and author of “Oud en Niew Oost-Indien” [Old and New East-India] a rather comprehensive history of the Dutch East India Company and the Far East.

Valentijn spent 16 years in the East employed in a ministerial capacity by the VOC … he returned to Dordrecht where he compiled the massive work, containing over one thousand plates and maps … he clearly had access to the VOC archives.

The translator and editor of this work Sinnappah Arasaratnam had thought for some time that a work, relating to Ceylon, based on Valentijn was a worthy endeavour. The original rather repetitive and encyclopaedic in form required a special talent to product a modern readable effective translation. Arasaratnam found the Hakluyt Society the ideal partner to assist in achieving his objective and the result is something special.

Octavo, 374 pages, illustrated and with large folding map at rear. A very good copy bar without dust jacket.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) as described by Valentjin from VOC records in modern readable form by Hakluyt

$40.00

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The Expedition of the St Jean-Baptiste to the Pacific 1769-1770

A most interesting Hakluyt production. This expedition, conducted at the time of Cook’s first voyage, had dropped off the radar until the brilliant John Dunmore produced this work based on the journals of Captain Jean de Surville and First Officer Guillaume Labe.

Published by Hakluyt in 1981, octavo 310 pages illustrated with maps, facsimile pages from journals etc. Original blue cloth covered boards with gilt design, dust jacket, a very good copy.

Jean- Francois- Marie de Surville (1717-1770) was a merchant captain with the French East India Company. This was his only exploratory endeavour. He died in Peru without having completed his objective. In 1769 he was given command of the Saint Jaen-Baptiste to look for trading opportunities in the Pacific. He entered the Pacific from the north west and rediscovered the Solomon Islands, then on to New Zealand where he missed crossing paths with James Cook by a matter of days. Crossing the Pacific to Peru was confident in having dismissed the existence of David Land. His crew were in a most unhealthy state with the scurvy and other ailments. He decided not to call at Juan Fernandez and sailed straight to Chlica to get help. The ocean was rough and Surville set off in a small boat which capsized, and he drowned. Command was transferred to Labe. The ship however was seized by the Spanish and held for two years before the vessel and the remaining crew were let go. Roughly one third survived to return to France.

Despite these difficulties (understatement) the journals contain valuable information on the Solomons, observations on pre-colonial Maori society, and extraordinary picture of the hardships endured.

Jean Surville on the St Jean Baptiste

$40.00

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Whalers of the Midnight Sun – Alan Villiers [A Fiction Based on His Experiences] – 1964

Maritime hero Alan Villiers brings his undoubted experience to this adventure book aimed at young boys.

A new edition and first of its type, Angus and Robertson 1964. Octavo, 248 pages with ten full pages illustration from woodcuts by Charles Pont. A little aging to page edges and gift inscription back of half title, nice bright jacket, all up a pretty good copy.

Endpaper maps of the voyage from Hobart, Tasmania down to Macquarie Island; the Balleny Islands; the Ross Sea; Grahams Island before heading north to Montevideo.

A Norwegian expedition picks up some extra crew at Hobart, a motely band of youths and a stow away, little Alfie, who appears at Macquarie Island. Adventure ensues.

Alan Villiers, a yarn about Whaling, from personal experience.

$35.00

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Miniature Antique Maps – Geoffrey King – Second revised edition 2003

The definitive reference on miniature antique maps and a special instruction on the development of the decorative map over the centuries.

A second revised and final edition of Geoffrey Kings work. Published by Tooley Adams & Co, Oxfordshire. Octavo, 223 pages with hundreds of illustrations.

Starts with a useful forward by London miniature map specialist, Graham Franks, acknowledgments, introduction and bibliography before the detailed chronological guide, attendant notes, and index of names.

A unique work to the field and a must have for a collector. Unfortunately, copies are hard to come by, particularly this revised edition.

King – the definitive reference on miniature antique maps.

$160.00

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Bass and Flinders – Circumnavigation of Tasmania – 200th Anniversary Medal

Farthest North [The Voyage of the Fram] – Fridtjof Nansen – 1898

Francois Valentjin’s Description of Ceylon – Translated and Edited by Arasaratnam

The Expedition of the St Jean-Baptiste to the Pacific 1769-1770

Whalers of the Midnight Sun – Alan Villiers [A Fiction Based on His Experiences] – 1964

Miniature Antique Maps – Geoffrey King – Second revised edition 2003

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