Travel & Voyages

The Yellow Joss [Coral Sea, Cape York, Torres Strait] – Ion Idriess – 1942

Selection of tales from Cape York, Coral Sea and Torres Strait based on fact. Great photographs.

An early edition published in 1942 by Angus and Robertson, Sydney. Octavo, 266 pages, some age, the odd spot but overall a very good pre-war edition with a nice dust jacket – we love the design. Illustrated throughout from relevant period photographs

Idriess tales of adventure in the very North

$60.00

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Two Against the Ice [the “Alabama” Expedition, 1909-1912] Ejnar Mikkelsen

Scarce Travel Book Club publication by Rupert Hart-Davis published London, no date but 1950’s. Translated from Danish by Maurice Michael. Octavo, 224, map of North-East Greenland the location of the adventure. Dust jacket has age, edge tears, some age, generally pretty clean inside a good copy.

One of the great Arctic adventure accounts. The purpose of the expedition was to map out the northeast coastline of Greenland and to recover the bodies of Mylius-Erichsen and Hoeg-Hagen.

Mikkelsen and his engineer Iversen wintered on Shannon Island. Their ship, the Alabama, got trapped in the ice and the rest of the party returned home on a whaler. The pair succeeded after a series of hazardous sledge journeys in recovering the lost records of the missing party and disproving the existence of Peary Channel. On returning to base and finding the crew gone they erected a makeshift hut from salvaged timbers and spent two winters there before being rescued. It got a bit frayed between the two of them, but they made up in the end – this book is dedicated to Iversen.

Classic Arctic adventure in North-east Greenland

$60.00

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Lord Howe Island – Jean Edgecombe.

A first edition softcover published in 1987. Published by Australian Environmental Publications, Mullens Street, Balmain [effectively self published].

151 pages, heavily illustrated, including some good images in colour from relevant photographs. Large, detailed fold out map provided separately. A very good copy.

Jean Edgecombe was indeed the best writer on Lord Howe and Norfolk Island. Starts with a good history re discovery and early settlement before excellent work on the geography and abundant natural history. Dick Smith’s foray to top Ball’s Pyramid gets an airing.

Lord Howe another special island location

$25.00

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Solitaire Spirit – Three times around the world single-handed – Les Powles

Scarce narrowly circulated account.

Les Powles did what Dampier did (3X) but on his own. He had eight hours sailing experience before he set off the first time. The many adventures and hardships along the way – landing in the wrong continent, storms nobody should experience, given up for dead. A sometimes funny account filled with detail … makes you want to get off your ars..!

Paperback, only form published, by Adlard Nautical, London 2012. Typed up by his friends. Images from personal photographs. Very good condition.

Les Powles would be a man to know for sure …

$25.00

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Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992 [Large Version]

An interesting medallion for historians and the cartographically inspired. Produced for the Trust Bank of Tasmania.

48 mm diameter, 42 gm, intricately engraved on one side with gum leaf design on reverse.

The intricate design has a map of the central west coast of Tasmania noting Zeehan, Queenstown and Strahan; a nice image of Tasman’s vessel and a compass rose. Narrative details of the sighting 24th November 1642 and the landing at Tasman Bay on the East side on the 3rd of December 1642.

Tasman – first European sighting commemorated

$70.00

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A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

John Gladwyn Jebb led as an adventurous life as could be possible. This book was compiled by his widow and carries the introduction of none other than possibly the greatest adventure writer H Rider Haggard.

English born Jebb’s adventures began as a military man in India. Soon he was conducting privately funded explorations into Central and Southern America. Involved in numerous business dealings… helped to start White Line … was in involved in armaments. He moved to the US and the Wild West … bear hunting, gold mining and a few conflicts with local bandits and Indians. Off to Mexico to make his fortune gold mining (made it and lost it) and much of the later part of the books is about his times in Mexico padded a bit with history of the region.

Published by Blackwood, Edinburgh in 1895 octavo, 271 pages, frontispiece of the great man, illustrated by John Wallce. Pictorial boards nice but a little rubbed especially at the tips. Overall, still a particularly good copy of a rather hard to find book.

Inspiration for Rider Haggard – John Jebb Adventurer

$50.00

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The Yellow Joss [Coral Sea, Cape York, Torres Strait] – Ion Idriess – 1942

Two Against the Ice [the “Alabama” Expedition, 1909-1912] Ejnar Mikkelsen

Lord Howe Island – Jean Edgecombe.

Solitaire Spirit – Three times around the world single-handed – Les Powles

Abel Tasman Medal – 350th Anniversary of the Discovering of the West Coast of Tasmania 1642-1992 [Large Version]

A Strange Career – The Life and Adventures of J. G. Jebb [South America and Mexico] – 1895

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