Pacific Islands

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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Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

Another well produced piece of work put out by the Hakluyt Society.

John Byron of Wager fame (the poets Grandfather and Voyager hero) has come in for some criticism regarding his circumnavigation of 1764-1776. Hard to understand considering he is in the all time top 20.

Sent by the Admiralty to search for Pepys’s Island and the Southern Continent and then around in the Pacific north to find the “other end” of the North West passage. He re-discovered the Falkland Islands (but was beaten by Bougainville) and when in the Pacific decided for his own reasons (quite valid) to go in a more direct route and all around back to Blighty.

His journal is at the mecca of all journals marine, the National Maritime Museum, London. And, here it is published with super supporting items by editor Robert Gallagher. Much about the giants of Patagonia.

Printed by the Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society in 1964. Octavo, 230 pages with numerous illustrations and maps and charts many folding or multiple folding. A particularly good thoroughly clean copy.

John Byron first the Wager then the Circumnavigation on of the greatest naval heroes of the 18th C.

$50.00

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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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A Narrative of a Voyage to New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land by Amaso Delano

Published by the Cat & Fiddle Press, Hobart, Tasmania in 1973. One of 500 copies and a fine example of a special work.

Octavo, with dust jacket, unpaginated but complete.

A facsimile extract from a Narrative of Voyages and Travels in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres Comprising Three Voyages Round the World Together with a Voyage of Survey and Discovery in the Pacific Ocean and Oriental Lands.

Set out in two parts.

Part One: Remarks upon a voyage to the South Sea by way of the Cape of Good Hope – King Island – Straits between New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land – Settlements on New Holland and van Diemen’s Land … and,

Part Two: Transactions at New Holland, Van Diemen’s Land, and Bass’s Strait – Letter to Philip Gedney (sic) King, Governor General of New South Wales – remarkable Accident of the Pilgrim’s boat being sunk – Departure from Bass’s Strait – Description of the Snares – Bounty Islands – Passage across the south Pacific Ocean – Rendezvous with the ship Perseverance.

Amas Delano – a rare account brought to life by the Cat & Fiddle.

$50.00

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The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

Well certainly not a rare book, probably the biggest selling modern maritime adventure book. But a very good copy.

A 1959 edition by which time it had already run to 23 impressions. Octavo, 235 pages with eighty odd photographic images.

Thor Heyerdahl set off on the most amazing raft voyage with five companions determined to prove his migration theories. This account, praised by Somerset Maugham as “an incredible adventure which happens to be true. It would be a very dull reader who did not admire and envy the courage of the six men who took part in it”. Very good copy.

We also have what appears to be an original photograph of the raft on its way … the camera work is rather shaky so clearly taken from another vessel.

Leaving Callao in Peru for Tahiti, they almost made it running aground on the Raroia Reef were the raft was smashed to smithereens.

Kon-Tiki nice copy with photograph.

$30.00

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The Cruise of the Dream Ship – Ralph Stock (1950 Edition in Complete Dust Jacket)

First published 1921, this is the 1950 edition same publisher, Heinemann, London.

Octavo, 265 pages, numerous from period photographs. Super dust jacket for seventy years old, a few spots to top edge and a little aged in the ends, internally very clean and bright, rates as a very good copy.

The Dream Ship was originally designed as a lifeboat for the North Sea fishing fleet. Forty-seven feet with a fifteen foot beam and eight foot draught … to start there was no money to buy here … but these obstacles are often overcome. Purchased, converted and fitted out we are off to the Pacific … first down to Vigo, the Canaries and over to the West Indies and Barbados. Through the Panama and to the Galapagos and then the Marquesas and the Paumoto Islands, Tahiti (its pleasures and problems). Moorea, Palmertson (almost a Hurricane), Savage, Friendly and on to Thursday Island … Finally some advice to “Dreamers of Dream Ships”

Sailing fantasy fulfilled on the Dream Ship

$35.00

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

Byron’s Journal of His Circumnavigation 1764-1766 – Edited by Robert E. Gallagher

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

A Narrative of a Voyage to New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land by Amaso Delano

The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

The Cruise of the Dream Ship – Ralph Stock (1950 Edition in Complete Dust Jacket)

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