Prestige Items

Narrative of a Voyage, in His Majesty’s Ship Alceste, to the Yellow Sea, Along the Coast of Corea to the Island of Lewchew; with an Account of Her Subsequent Shipwreck. – McLeod John

Published by John Murray London 1818. Second and improved edition in good condition. 8vo, 323 pp – Expedition of 1816-17 to Deliver the Amherst Embassy to China and Explore the China Sea with extended visit to Lewchew (Okinawa). Frontispiece black and white lithograph of Captain Murray Maxwell, and five exceptional hand coloured aquatint plates drawn by WH Dwarris and engraved by I Clarke. Half calf and marbled boards. Gilt titling on red leather label to spine. McLeod was the Surgeon of the Alceste.

The body of the book deals with the expedition (February 1818 to August 1817) of the British naval ships the Alceste and the Lyra under the command of Captain Murray Maxwell. The voyage included a call at Rio de Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope, Manila and Java, Batavia, China, surveyed the coast of Korea and the Ryukyu Islands. The visit to Lewchew was the first by Europeans. The ship was wrecked on a reef in the Strait of Gaspar of the coast of Sumatra, all hands survived to be menaced by Malay pirates but eventually rescued by the East-Indiaman Ternate. The plates include images of Islanders, Corean Chief and Attendants, Lewchewan Chief, Garden of Temple of Lewchew, Fort Maxwell, several showing local costume

The book contains five appendices. The first pertains to the court-martial following the loss/sinking of the Alceste. The other four relate to the Lewchew Islands – a chronological list of the Kings of Lewchew from AD 1187, the names and situation of the numerous islands constituting the Lewchew Islands, Lewchewan words and the English equivalent and numerals up to 100 and a poem “The Farewell” by Mr Gillard on leaving Lewchew. On the journey home Captain Maxwell in the company of Lord Amherst met with Napoleon Bonaparte who was then exiled at St Helena – the recorded interchange is most interesting.

Published in London 1818 – five beautiful coloured plates

$490.00

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Scarce Important Astronomical Atlas – Atlas Celeste – Ch Dien and Camille Flammarrion – 1877

This is a third edition of the superb star atlas sometimes referred to as the Flammarion Star Atlas. Published in Paris by Gathier-Villars. A folio production of grand scale (51cms x 35 cms) with 28 steel engraved star charts some double page.

Several introductory pages are followed by a double page engraving of the Northern Hemisphere with stars to magnitude 6 noting simple, double, triple, variable etc the Milky Way Nebulae, Galaxies and the Constellations drawn in the Classical Manner. To the same standard the Southern Hemisphere as a double plate. Followed by 23 single page plates of highly detailed night sky segments by reference to noted constellations. Then another double of the Southern Hemisphere based on the significant “Brisbane Atlas” of serious Australian interest. A two further double plates of the Northern Hemisphere – a plate concentrating on multiple stars and a coloured plate of Nebulae in all their then known forms.

All fine plates clean and with a strong plate impression.

The original blood red cloth boards have been professionally re-backed by Roger Perry. A couple of the preliminary pages have edge repairs but as stated the star charts are near pristine. The gilt “Atlas Celeste” motif to the front is still fine and the whole binding is now strong and useable.

Likely the most important Star Atlas of the late Victorian period

$1,290.00

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A letter to Captain Philip Parker King from his son Philip Gidley King regarding the first explorations of the land that was to become “Gidleigh” signed and dated 17th August 1836 with an affectionate note to his Mother

A letter to Captain Philip Parker King addressed his property Dunheved at Penrith from his son Philip Gidley King regarding the first explorations of the land that was to become “Gidleigh” signed and dated 17th August 1836

On the same sheet – a note to his Mother – the whole written on blank space remaining on two pages extracted from an accounts ledger

My Dear father

I have just a word to say as the day will be so long on the road. I have sent down the material for making a kind of a plan for Gidleigh – but as I only had a compass it will not much better than a corrected sketch. And the kind of country is very bad for that sort of thing, however it will be an amusement and I know almost every gully round about – I have protracted it unto here but as I have not a straight ruler or a sheet of paper large enough I shall do it over again. I have also made a sketch or two which I have sent down.

We were disappointed in the post today but we must not expect every time – will you send the xxx letter when you send yours to Wickham

Pray give my love to all and believe me ever your affectionate Son Philip Gidley King

We have had bad weather for the last three days – a succession of Thunderstorms – with very vivid lightening. Wind hard from WNE to WNW –
Today however has been very warm and fine –

Wednesday August 17th/36

My Dear Mother

I am afraid you will think we have almost forgotten you – but I trust you will give us more credit – I hope all has been going on well at home and that poor little Libby’s finger is quite well. Pray give her my love. I have sent Bob a couple of geological specimens – for his collection – we have no news from this part of the world. I hope that Mr Cookey has been going on all right since we left. Pray remember me over at Albemington and with love to all believe me so

Yours Affectionately So
PGK

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Philip Parker King (1791-1856) was the son of Philip Gidley King (snr) and Anna Josepha Coombe. Philip Parker King joined the navy in 1807. In 1817 he married Harriet Lethbridge. In 1826 he sailed in command of HMS Adventure in company with HMS Beagle (and Charles Darwin) to survey the southern coast of South America. He settled in Sydney in 1832 where he owned land at St Mary’s which with his mother’s farm, became known as Dunheved. His sister Mary married Harriet’s brother Rev Robert Lethbridge and his sister Anna Maria married Hannibal Macarthur.
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This letter is part of an archive of items connected to the Parker King Lethbridge families and is not currently available for sale as a discrete item. Enquiries regarding the whole collection are welcome. The collection is being researched and documented.

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Two Years in New South Wales – Cunningham – Surgeon RN – 1827 First Edition – Scarce

A very scarce first edition of the early two volume account of New South Wales by surgeon of the Royal Navy, Cunningham. A varied work with details of arrivals in Hobart and Sydney; the situation in the bush of New South Wales up to Moreton Bay; potential for minerals and metals; the customs of aboriginals; emigration and hints for settlers; convict servants – their management and maintenance; bushrangers; female convicts –their general behaviour and thoughts relative to their future disposal and reform; the formation of the Australian Agricultural Company and the benefits likely to result. Half calf bindings with fresh later calf spine with separate red leather title and volume labels amongst fine gilt work. A very good and handsome set of a very scarce early record.

Contains the first reference to fly fishing in Australia … “The perch are caught with bait or fly, the red worm answering best in spring, and the grasshopper, or locust, in summer. They often take best after dark, but they are as capricious as those in England. I have caught as many in less than an hour in Hunter’s River as made both my arms ache in carrying homewards but a short quarter of a mile…”

Convict Surgeon’s Views on New South Wales

$490.00

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Mann’s Australian Provinces – First Edition 1839 – Montgomery Martin’s Copy

Mann’s Australian Provinces – Six Years Residence in the Australian Provinces Ending in 1839; Exhibiting their Capabilities of Colonisation and Containing the History, Trade, Population, Extent, Resources etc of New South Wales, Van Diemen’s Land, South Australia and Port Philip, with an Account of New Zealand

Published by Smith Elder & Co London 1839 first edition and in good condition. In original green cloth binding with gilt title and kangaroo and platypus motif to spine (very rare in original binding). 360 pages plus adverts and folding map coloured in outline at front.

Mann wrote his comprehensive account of his Australian visit on his voyage back to England. It includes a number of matters of historical interest including dealings with the last of the Tasmanian aborigines and very forthright views on the position and operations of The Van Diemen’s Land Company and The Australian Agricultural Company.

Montogomery Martin’s copy with his bold full signature – note this book published the same year as Montgomery Martin’s “History of Australasia” as part of the British Colonial Library series. See Voyager’s good copy of that book on this website.

An important and rare early record in original binding and with exceptional provenance.

$690.00

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Original Anthropological Work – Some Aspects of Time Reckoning Among Selected African Tribes – James PhD Oxford 1956

Original Anthropological Work – Some Aspects of Time Reckoning Among Selected African Tribes – Greta James – PhD Thesis Oxford 1956

This is a superb PhD thesis the author gaining a Oxford doctorate 1956. A near unique work (one copy only in the Bodlean Library). Contains 245 typed pages (one side) with tables, maps, bibliography etc.

A major work on the significance of the sense of time, the calendar, cosmology, western influences, lunar zodiacs of various African tribes including those from the West, East and Southern Bantu. From the time of day measured and described by reference to cattle activity, the lunar cycle and the best and worst times for initiation or making spears, the zodiac and the bearing of the Pleiades in planting and harvesting crops to the naming of years gone such as “Blades of Herbs” (1867), “Year of the Ostrich” (1888) and sadly “Smallpox” (1894) and “Venereal Disease” (1903)

A most interesting and valuable work on African tribes

$170.00

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Narrative of a Voyage, in His Majesty’s Ship Alceste, to the Yellow Sea, Along the Coast of Corea to the Island of Lewchew; with an Account of Her Subsequent Shipwreck. – McLeod John

Scarce Important Astronomical Atlas – Atlas Celeste – Ch Dien and Camille Flammarrion – 1877

A letter to Captain Philip Parker King from his son Philip Gidley King regarding the first explorations of the land that was to become “Gidleigh” signed and dated 17th August 1836 with an affectionate note to his Mother

Two Years in New South Wales – Cunningham – Surgeon RN – 1827 First Edition – Scarce

Mann’s Australian Provinces – First Edition 1839 – Montgomery Martin’s Copy

Original Anthropological Work – Some Aspects of Time Reckoning Among Selected African Tribes – James PhD Oxford 1956

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