Exploration

James Cook’s Second Voyage – A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Around the World – Large Scale Facsimile in 2 Volumes

Facsimile of James Cook’s Second Voyage – Towards the South Pole – 2 Volumes. Magnificently illustrated as the original with numerous folding charts and plates.

A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World Performed in His Majesty’s Ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774 and 1775. In which is included Captain Furneaux’s Narrative of his Proceedings in the Adventure during the Separation of the Ships: By James Cook Commander of the Resolution.

Illustrated with Maps and Charts, and a Variety of Portraits of Persons and Views of Places, Drawn during the Voyage by Mr. Hodges, and Engraved by the Most Eminent Master.

This is the account of Cook’s second voyage. The success of Cook’s first voyage led the Admiralty to send him on a second expedition to circumnavigate the globe as far south as possible in search of any southern continents. Cook proved that there was no Terra Australis which supposedly lay between New Zealand and South America, but became convinced that there must be land beyond the ice fields. Cook was the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. Further visits were made to New Zealand, and on two great sweeps Cook made an astonishing series of discoveries and rediscoveries including Easter Island, the Marquesas, Tahiti and the Society Islands, Niue, the Tonga Islands, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, and a number of smaller islands. Rounding Cape Horn, on the last part of the voyage, Cook discovered and charted South Georgia, after which he called at Cape Town. William Hodges was the artist with the expedition. This voyage produced a vast amount of information concerning the Pacific peoples and Islands, proved the value of the chronometer as an aid in finding longitude, and improved techniques for preventing scurvy.

Also, includes the account of Captain Furneaux in the Adventure during his time separated from the Endeavour.

Originally published by Strahan & Cadell, London in 1777. This edition in two volumes by the Libraries Board of South Australia in 1970.

Complete with facsimile images – portrait frontispiece (Basire’s engraving of Cook from the painting by William Hodges) and 63 plates, charts and portraits, many folding. Light beige canvas cloth covered boards, separate title labels to spine. Very clean internally, high quality paper. A super set.

The second Voyage of James Cook to seek out the Great Southern Land – and to do so much more.

$260.00

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

Another well produced book by the distinguished Hakluyt Society and in our view one of the better ones for its special illustrations and fold out maps.

John Byron of Wager fame (the poets Grandfather and Voyager hero) came in for some criticism regarding his circumnavigation of 1764-1776. The were some controversies and there were “secret instructions”.

Sent by the Admiralty in HMS Dolphin to search for Pepys’s Island and the Southern Continent and then up to the North Pacific 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 to go in a more direct route and hence all around the globe back to England..

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, as mentioned, 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 in the Dolphin; one of the great naval heroes of the 18th Century.

$50.00

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Shipwreck and Discovery of the Pelew Islands – First Edition 1788

An Account of the Pelew Islands situated in the Western Part of the Pacific Ocean, composed from the Journals and Communications of Captain Henry Wilson, and some of his Officers who, in August 1783, were there Shipwrecked in the Antelope … George Keate – 1788

Published by G Nicol, Booksellers to His Majesty the King, Pall Mall, LonDon in 1788. Quarto, xxvii, 378 pages. Bound in half leather over marbled papered boards, spine in compartments with gilt titles, author, date [1788] and fouled anchors to compartments. Binding a little rubbed to edges but still strong and impressive, internally a little age and occasional foxing and the odd stain, overall a good to better copy complete and worthy in any collection.

Frontispiece and sixteen magnificent engravings 8 of which are folding. Frontispiece of Wilson and an important folding map of the islands and their relationship with The Philippines, also a three-fold plan or view of the islands.

Composed from the journals and communications of Captain Wilson and his Officers who in 1783 were shipwrecked in the Antelope a packet belonging to the Honourable East India Company. They hit a reef near one of the Palau (Pelew) Island, a previously unexplored group. The entire crew managed to get ashore safely, where they were well treated by the natives and eventually managed to build a small vessel from the wreck in which they reached Macao. They took Prince Lee Boo, one of King Adda Thulle’s sons, with them to England, where he made a very good impression. Unhappily despite of precautions he died of smallpox. Keate was the author of numerous books of poetry, history, and letter, and counted Captain Wilson as well as Voltaire amongst his friends.

First Edition 1788 – An important Account with an interesting, readable narrative and impressive plates and maps.

$790.00

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Wai-Wai [Through the Forests North of the Amazon] – Nicholas Guppy.

Important book about the little known Wai-Wai from the border of Gayana and Brazil. Nicholas Guppy was an incredible individual – he died in Bali in his 80’s having gone there to alleviate the effects of hookworm which found their way into his system during these adventures. We strongly recommend reading his obituary in the London Telegraph … too much and too interesting to paraphrase here.

Thick octavo, 374 pages, first edition published by none other than John Murray, London in 1958. Chips to dust jacket as seen in the image but still a very good copy of a must have book.

A useful map near the front provides an overview of the travels first by light aircraft, then foot and canoe over very difficult terrain and waters. Guppy a botanist was sent to secure rare specimens but foremost in his mind was finding the elusive Wai-Wai. The travels were arduous; finding sufficient food along the way was problematic – particularly as the gang of native helpers he used appeared to regard him [his body] as back-up should provisions be depleted! Eventually he meets his Wai-Wai … a most unusual group, completely unaffected by western life. He came to love and admire them – reflected in this book and from what we read his conversation throughout his life.

We wish we could say more and maybe be more precise about this work – it is more than worthy.

Adventurous Guppy meets his Wai-Wai and they get along well.

$50.00

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A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan: including and Account of Magindono, Sooloo and other Islands … performed in the Tartar Galley, during the years 1774,1775 and 1776 – Thomas Forrest -First Edition 1779

A rare first edition published by Robson, Donaldson et al London 1779. Quarto, 388 pages, and with 32 copper engraved maps and plates, many double page or folding. Offsetting to plates, as usual. A good copy in original full calf re-backed and re-cornered to style.

Scottish born Thomas Forrest (1729-1802) was a brilliant sailor and navigator. He was a midshipman by sixteen and soon spent most of his time in the “Indian waters”. He was commissioned by the British East India Company in 1762. By 1770 he was engaged in forming a new settlement, Balambangban, Borneo … an idea fostered by Alexander Dalrymple.

He was soon involved in plans to explore the islands to the east in the direction of New Guinea. He sailed on 9^th December 1774 in the Tartar a garay boat from Sulu of about ten tons. His crew comprised two English officers and eighteen Malays. He was accompanied part of the voyage by two even smaller boats. The expedition, the subject of this book pushed as far as Geelvink Bay, New Guinea having explored and charted the Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao, Mandiolo, Batchian and Waiego, returning to Achin in the March of 1776.

This volume with its sumptuous array of plates was produced to a very high standard. A well written account published quite speedily after the events reflects the support and standing offered the author Forrest.

Forrest went on to publish further works relating to navigation in the east such as “A Treatise on the Monsoons in East India”.

Forrest exploring and charting the eastern islands of the East Indies and Northern Coastline of New Guinea.

$1,280.00

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The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido for the Suppression of Piracy with Extracts from the Journal of James Brooke, Esq of Sarawak – Captain Henry Keppel – Two Volumes -1847

A third edition set of this Borneo classic published by Chapman and Hall, London in 1847 the year after the first. Preferred for the additional details particularly the new chapter on recent intelligence by Walter Kelly.

It is the second half of the title that explains the importance of these volumes. Brooke had suggested the first part as the principal title maybe to underplay his hand.

James Brooke (1803-1868) was an extraordinary individual born into a colonial family and generally describe as soldier and adventurer. He was given the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo, by the Sultan of Brunei, as a reward for quelling an uprising and driving pirates from the region. He ruled with an iron fist from 1842-1868. There is much more to his story than can be written here … he knew Alfred Russell Wallace and influenced his decision to conduct extensive natural history researches in the region culminating in the evolutionary evidence giving rise to the naming of the “Wallace Line”.

James Brooke is behind the character in Joseph Conrad’s “Lord Jim” and the “White Rajah” of Nicholas Monsarrat. Charles Kingsley dedicated “Westward Ho” to the man and Errol Flynn planned to star as Brooke in a film written by himself although it was never made.

The author of this work, Captain Henry Keppel had sailed the Dido to Borneo in 1843. His crew became heavily involved in resisting attacks by Lanoon pirates.

Two royal octavo, volumes, 429 and 315 pages after preliminaries. Bound in morocco with separate title and volume labels gilt on black leather, raised bands etc. Nicely illustrated with 11 tinted lithographic plates, 6 folding maps and a chart. A little pale foxing otherwise very good copies of this interesting account. Carries the bookplate of Walter Jeffrey, early writer of maritime novels and historical accounts.

The Dido in and Around Borneo and the Journals of Adventure and first Sultan of Sarawak – James Brooke

$590.00

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James Cook’s Second Voyage – A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Around the World – Large Scale Facsimile in 2 Volumes

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

Shipwreck and Discovery of the Pelew Islands – First Edition 1788

Wai-Wai [Through the Forests North of the Amazon] – Nicholas Guppy.

A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan: including and Account of Magindono, Sooloo and other Islands … performed in the Tartar Galley, during the years 1774,1775 and 1776 – Thomas Forrest -First Edition 1779

The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido for the Suppression of Piracy with Extracts from the Journal of James Brooke, Esq of Sarawak – Captain Henry Keppel – Two Volumes -1847

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