Prestige Items

History of The Colony of Queensland From 1770 to the Close of the Year 1881 – William Coote – Rare First Edition 1882

Published in Brisbane by William Thorne Edward and Adelaide Streets in 1882. Octavo, 256 pages.

Nicely re-bound with deep blue cloth covered boards with gilt lettering on spine. Internally some ageing to Title and the very last page otherwise sound and clean 256 pages. The folding map of Queensland at front at the date of separation 1859 appears to be a quality facsimile.

The full title of this book anticipates covering the period up to 1881 on two volumes. Sadly Coote died having only completed this volume I which takes us up to the separation of Moreton Bay from New South Wales and its constitution as a new colony in 1859.

A very scarce and well written text on the history and development of Queensland.

Published Brisbane 1882 – Scarce as they get

$340.00

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Cook the Discoverer – George Forster

Small quarto, number six in the prestigious Maritime series published by Hordern House in 2007. Limited to 1050 copies, 276 pages, bound in quarter tan kangaroo with speckled papered sides. Fine condition as new.

The book includes a facsimile of the original book published in the German language with a new English translation to follow. Copious notes and a good bibliography the whole supported by an excellent introduction by Nigel Erskine, Curator of Explorations at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

It was eight years after the death of Cook that Forster completed his essay on the great man Cook der Entdecker (Discoverer). Partly written as an introduction to Forster’s own translation of Cook’s Third Voyage. Foster had participated in Cook’s second Voyage along with his father who had taken over as naturalist with Joseph Banks dropping out. Forster displays a true understanding of the character of Cook and that alone makes his viewpoint worthy of this sumptuous presentation by Hordern House.

Forster required reading for all Cook followers

$190.00

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The Works of Andrew Marvell. Poetical, Controversial and Political, containing many Original Letters, Poems, and Tracts, never Before Printed. With a New Life of the Author, by Capt. Edward Thompson. 3 Quarto Volumes 1776

Three Volumes, large quarto, 648, 583 and 559 pages after preliminaries. Printed by Henry Baldwin for the Editor Captain Thompson. Bound in full leather with decorated spines. Some loss of leather but still an attractive antiquarian binding. Marbled endpapers, generally clean internally. A nice set of a scarce and valuable work. Substantial weighing in at 5.4 kgs. Carries the bookplates of Reg Ellery and Arthur Kay.

Reginald Spencer Ellery (1897-1955) was a distinguished Melbourne based psychiatrist and writer. He opened the first private psychiatric facility in Victoria, was communist sympathiser and influenced Sidney Nolan by providing him with drawing made by his patients. He is described as having been rather Bohemian and more a fit with Oxford than Melbourne. He had a great love of poetry, so this set of Marvel’s Works would have been very precious to him.

The Editor Captain Edward Thompson (1738-1786) rose the rank of Commodore. Well known as a literary figure and was known as “Poet Thompson’ in the navy. He also wrote sea songs including “Loose every sail to the Breeze” and “The Topsail shivers in the Wind”’ … which it does.

List of subscribers totalling circa 170 with many dignitaries (Duke [Brother of King George III] and Duchess of Cumberland and Duke and Duchess Northumberland), David Garrick (of the Theatre), Voyager hero The Hon Admiral Byron (of the Wager and Grandfather of the Poet); various members of the distinguished Luttrell Family … Temple Luttrell as MP supporting the American cause in the War of Independence and unusually General Charles Lee who at the time of publication was waging war against the British in America and about to be captured and imprisoned. And many more … the nature of which says a lot about the writing of Andrew Marvell.

An earlier volume of Marvell’s Works was published in 1726 edited by Cooke. They were deficient of the Prose Works and Many Letters and Pamphlets included here, including the Life of Marvel by Thompson. Complete, elegantly printed with broad margins.

Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) is described as being a metaphysical poet, satirist and politician. He was great friend of John Milton. Yorkshire born he went to Hull Grammar and at 13 went to Trinity College, Cambridge … his portrait by Kneller is in the College collection. He then travelled on the Continent … according to Milton, Marvel mastered French, Italian and Spanish. On return he became tutor to the daughter of Lord General Thomas Fairfax. During this period, he wrote perhaps his most famous poem “To His Coy Mistress”. During the Anglo Dutch War of 1652, he wrote several satirical poems attacking the Dutch character. In 1653 he moved into the realm of Cromwell, wrote several poems in praise of Cromwell, and worked with a took over from Milton (who was going blind) as expert all things Latin.

A taste of “To His Coy Mistress” …

Had we but world enough, and time,
This Coyness, Lady, were no crime
We would sit down and think which way
To walk and pass out long love’s day.
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side
Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood,
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.

Much quoted … a later line “deserts of vast eternity” is used by Woolf in Orlando. Hemingway in a Farewell to Arms quotes “But at my back I always hear – Time’s winged chariot hurrying near” … and even Stephen King makes reference in Pet Sematary.

Marvellous Marvell Complete and in Good Form

$790.00

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The Bridgewater Treatises: Including Rev William Buckland on Geology and Mineralogy, Charles Bell on the Hand, Whewell on Astronomy etc – Finely Bound – (1833-1845)

Eight works in 11 volumes, published in London by William Pickering, mixed editions various dates 1833 – 1845.

Bound in full contemporary polished calf, boards gilt ruled, the spines with gilt lined raised bands, altered direct and dated at the foot of spine. Very good copies with an occasional mark externally and a faint damp stain to the uncoloured geology plates, outer corner. The famous massive folding coloured plate is in fine condition. Each volume carries the bookplate of Maximillian Dudley Digges Dalison.

Francis Henry Egerton, 8th Earl of Bridgwater, a gentleman naturalist and scientist, commissioned the Bridgewater Treatises to be written on his death bed. He died in February 1829. Eight thousand pounds was given to the President of the Royal Society for this purpose. In turn the President appointed leading authorities in key fields to write works with reference to Natural Theology.

The Voyager Treatise comprise Thomas Chalmers – The Adaption of External Nature to the Moral and Intellectual Condition of Man; John Kidd – The Adaption of External Nature to the Physical Condition of Man; William Whewell – Astronomy and General Physics; Sir Charles Bell – The Hand, Its Mechanism and Vital Endowments as Evincing Design; Peter Mark Roget – Animals and Vegetable Physiology; William Buckland’s – Geology and Mineralogy; William Kirby – On the History, Habits and Instincts of Animals and William Prout – Chemistry, Meteorology and the Function of Digestion.

The ninth and final Bridgewater Treatise – Charles Babbage – A Fragment is not included in the run.

Many of the volumes stand alone as important works … Sir Charles Bell on the Hand, Astronomy by Whewell etc. It is the Rev Buckland that produced a truly remarkable work in the field of Geology. The second of two volumes contains all the 87 plates required all finely engraved and the large folding hand coloured plate is something very special.

Rev William Buckland (1784-1856) was an exceptional individual – a Fellow of the Royal Society, President of the Royal Geological Society. His interest in geology and palaeontology led him to write the first full account of a fossil dinosaur which he named Megalosarurus. He discovered the Kirkdale cave and concluded that it had been a prehistoric hyena den – for which he was awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society. This work was written just prior to his awakening that certain geological structures and fossil remains were a result of glaciation and not the effect of floodwaters from the great deluge. Buckland was a friend of a young Charles Darwin – there must have been some very interesting conversations.

Important Georgian/ Early Victorian intellectual works by leading academics of the day

$980.00

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Captain Woodes Rogers Voyage – Cruising Voyage Round the World: First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and Homewards by the Cape of Good Hope – 1718

This the scarce second corrected edition. Published by Andrew Bell, London in 1718. Octavo, with five folding maps including frontispiece map of the World showing the track of Woodes Rogers vessels the Duke and the Duchess. The remaining four maps represent a continuous chart from Chiloe Island (Chile) to Mexico and are derived from Spanish manuscripts taken during the voyage.

Finely bound in contemporary style in full leather with paneled boards, raised bands to spine with gilt lines and separate black leather title label.

A buccaneering classic to was taken on board and often referred to in journals of subsequent important circumnavigations. William Dampier who was pilot onboard and expert all things Pacific.

The voyage took place between 1708-1711 with a mandate to raid Spanish possessions on the Pacific Coast of South America and the famous attack on the Acapulco Galleon. During the voyage they also rescued Alexander Selkirk from Juan Fernandez Island. Selkirk having been left there at his own request during a previous voyage captained by Dampier (Selkirk believing the vessel unseaworthy). It is well know that the account of Selkirk was the inspiration for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

The chart of the world has a number of curiosities of the period. California is shown as an island. Nothing is known of North West America. Australia (New Holland) represents the Portuguese and Dutch understanding with the Cape of Carpentaria connect to New Guinea and nothing known of the East Coast being well before James Cook. Tasmania reflects the knowledge acquired by Tasman on his voyager of 1642.

Rare sought after fundamental voyage account

SO SORRY SOLD – A BEAUTY

$2,200.00

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McKinlay’s Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia (Burke & Wills relief expedition with three large folding maps) – First Edition 1863

First edition published by F.F. Bailliere, Melbourne in 1863. Octavo, 126 pages, plus advertisements, cased in blind stamped maroon cloth covered boards and with the three large maps in the pocket at the rear. Spotted in the text due to the poor nature of the paper … rare and described by Wantrup (page 243) as “virtually unprocurable in fine, clean condition”. All up we believe we have a very good copy.

South Australia chose John McKinlay to lead their sponsored relief expedition to find the lost Burke and Wills. Setting out in August 1861 from Kapunda they reached Cooper’s Creek by that October. From their base at Lake Buchanan they made numerous excursions and on one found what they believed to be a grave of one of the Burke and Wills party. He sent advice back and the return instructions advised them that King had been found and Burke, Wills and Gray were dead. McKinlay continued to explore the country north of Lake Eyre and in December set out north for the Gulf of Carpentaria to meet up with the Northern Relief Party. He made it to the Albert River, in May 1862, running desperately short of supplies. The Northern Party had already left in the vessel Victoria … so McKinlay decided to head east to Port Denison some 500 miles. They made it there safely but exhausted at the end of August.

On return to Adelaide in October McKinlAy handed his journals over to the Government who recorded the events in Parliamentary Papers. The first full publication was this Bailliere issue of the following year

First Edition 1863 – Fundamental Burke & Wills – McKinlay Relief Expedition with Maps

SO SORRY SOLD ON THE TOP SHELF

$440.00

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History of The Colony of Queensland From 1770 to the Close of the Year 1881 – William Coote – Rare First Edition 1882

Cook the Discoverer – George Forster

The Works of Andrew Marvell. Poetical, Controversial and Political, containing many Original Letters, Poems, and Tracts, never Before Printed. With a New Life of the Author, by Capt. Edward Thompson. 3 Quarto Volumes 1776

The Bridgewater Treatises: Including Rev William Buckland on Geology and Mineralogy, Charles Bell on the Hand, Whewell on Astronomy etc – Finely Bound – (1833-1845)

Captain Woodes Rogers Voyage – Cruising Voyage Round the World: First to the South-Seas, thence to the East-Indies, and Homewards by the Cape of Good Hope – 1718

McKinlay’s Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia (Burke & Wills relief expedition with three large folding maps) – First Edition 1863

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