Pacific Islands

The Wild White Man of Badu – Ion Idriess

Second printing of the first edition published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1951.

Tall octavo, 232 pages, well illustrated with images from photographs, maps of the islands, end paper maps etc. A very good copy in an even better dust jacket.

The incredible true story of a convict escaping from Norfolk Island and becoming the Chief of Badu. See map on rear end papers for some clues.

Strange and exciting Farthest North.

$50.00

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The Search for the Islands of Solomon 1567-1838 – Colin Jack-Hinton.

A first edition of this substantial book [size and depth of content] published by the Clarendon [Oxford University] Press, Oxford in 1969.

Large scale royal octavo, 411 pages, illustrated very nicely with maps and charts. Good condition, some marks to page edges and title otherwise clean . A heavy book not really suitable for Overseas postage.

Starting with the Spaniard Mendana’a expedition and taking in several later voyages of discovery the Solomon Islands were finally understood from a geographical form point of view in the first half of the 19^th Century.

The author not only undertook painstaking research of manuscripts, early volumes and charts but also set out himself to understand this elusive group first hand.

The Solomon Islands probably the best in depth book on the early adventurous explorations that put the islands on the map.

$80.00

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Manga Reva – The Forgotten Islands – Signed by Author Robert Eskeridge – First Edition 1931

A Voyager favourite and the book about Manga Reva the largest island within the Gambier Group.

The Polynesian Gambier group are tiny with a total population of around 1,400 people mostly on Manga Reva. The total area is about 30 square km. At one time the islands supported several thousand but over logging ruined the islands position in Polynesian trade routed and they fell into decline before stabilising in the late 19th century. It is an important link to anyone wanting to travel to the Pitcairn Islands and also, unfortunately, has been affected by French nuclear testing in the Pacific.

Published by Bobbs-Merrill in 1931, a first edition. Large octavo, 286 pages, original blue cloth covered binding. Good to better condition some evidence of a damp mark in against the spine, bar that very clean and readable.

Signed by the author Robert Lee Eskeridge (1891-1975) a very talented American artist, and the book contains many illustrations based on his superb paintings, as well as his photographs. It is not clear how long he spent on the island but it was quite some years based on the relationships he formed and the depth of his observations.

Unique book on Manga Reva – Signed by the author

$70.00

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The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

James Alexander was the son of Hawaiian missionary William P Alexander. Published by the American Tract Society, New York in 1895. A substantial work, octavo 503 pages and appendices. Illustrated throughout with nice pictorial covers in good condition.

After three chapters of general introduction there are discrete chapters on The Society Islands, Austral Islands; Peal Islands; Hawaiian Islands; The Marquesas; Harvey Islands; Samoa; Micronesia; Tonga; New Zealand; Fiji; Melanesia; Pitcairn and Norfolk. An interesting chapter in retrospect on the “Future of the Pacific Ocean”.

The appendices provide good information on the Ancient Polynesians, Languages, European Appropriations and a list of active Missionaries and where they were. The seventy illustrations include simple but useful maps, and images form early photographs albeit sometimes posed.

Alexander covers some ground … and some ocean … in this well structured and full of content book.

$70.00

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The Journals and Life of Captain James Cook complete in Five Volumes with Addendum and Portfolio of Charts and Views – J [John] C Beaglehole [and Skelton] – The Hakluyt Edition

A full set of the prized Hakluyt set put together by the unrelenting John Beaglehole recognised surely as the world authority on James Cook.

Five thick royal octavo books and portfolio of charts and maps published progressively.. The Voyage volumes were technically published by the Cambridge University Press for the Hakluyt Society; the Life of Cook was published directly by the Hakluyt Society having been printed by A C Black. As a bonus, a small one, we have the addendum to Volume II “Cook and the Russians”, again a Beaglehole work, of only nine pages, in Hakluyt blue wrapper published in 1973.

Volume I – The Voyage of the Endeavor 1768-1771 – 1968 Edition – 696 pages.
Volume II – The Voyage of the Resolution and Adventure 1772-1775 – 1969 edition – 1,028 pages
Volume III in Two Parts – the Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1967 edition – Part One 718 pages and Part Two 719-1,647 pages … plus addendum on the Russians.
Volume IV – The Life of Captain James Cook – published in 1974 – 760 pages

A heavy set which would require a sizeable overseas postage supplement. Said that we do our best to minimise postage.

Each volume illustrated with reproduction of images, charts etc on thick wove paper, many folding.

All of the above edited etc. by John. Beaglehole. The portfolio of Charts and Views was edited by cartographic supremo R.A. Skelton, with content reproduced from the original manuscripts – all present in the original portfolio with Cook emblem to front.

All bound in original Hakluyt style, blue cloth covered boards each with their original dust jacket – showing a little age but now protected in removable Brodart.

Internally a little age, and a hint of eau de library. Otherwise, a worthy complete set … getting hard to find all in original dust jackets.

Original owner A [Tony] W Sweeney who headed up the Australian Military Malaria Research Unit … his letter of acknowledgement of receipt but awaiting one volume included. Maybe a interesting context.

Beaglehole the definitive reference on James Cook and his Voyages – Complete over 4,000 pages – should be enough!

$890.00

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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

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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The Wild White Man of Badu – Ion Idriess

The Search for the Islands of Solomon 1567-1838 – Colin Jack-Hinton.

Manga Reva – The Forgotten Islands – Signed by Author Robert Eskeridge – First Edition 1931

The Islands of the Pacific – from Old to New – James Alexander – First Edtion 1895

The Journals and Life of Captain James Cook complete in Five Volumes with Addendum and Portfolio of Charts and Views – J [John] C Beaglehole [and Skelton] – The Hakluyt Edition

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

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