Religion

Snapshot from the North Pacific [British Columbia] – Rev Ridley – Edited Alice Janvrin

Scarce. Published by the Missionary Society, London in 1904. Octavo, viii, 192 pages, illustrated throughout.

Essentially a travel account of Northern British Columbia from 1880 onwards by Rev Ridley who had the task of “converting” heathens indigenous and otherwise. When not doing that he travelled extensively by sea and land. His account if very interesting and the descriptions of the people he met along on the way priceless. Illustrations from early photo graph or sketches therefrom very good … we particularly like the Medicine Man and the Two Chiefs.

Over time he covers from the ease of Vancouver Island … the Skeena River; Massett; Metlakatia in the very north; meets the Kwaguti; visits Alert Bay; Aiyansh and Kitkatia. He sails to Dolphin island to meet to the Kilkatla or Gitxaala Nation … the first native people to take up arms .. encouraged by passing English. We like these people … Gitxaala translates to “People of the Open Sea” .. there are not many of them but they are proud people … we understand that they have currently suspended Treaty negotiations with the Canadian Government … we hope it works out for them.

Rev William Ridley religious but informed …

$90.00

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More than Half a Century of Colonial Life (South Australia) – Henry Hussey

Title continues … “and Christian Experience, with Notes of Travel, Lectures, Publications etc”

Henry Hussey (1825-1902) was an Evangelist, Printer, Historian who recorded his life an travels and published the work in 1897. It is full of colonial detail on many subjects.

The Adelaide’s Library Board selected the work for their magnificent facsimile series, published by them as no 203 in 1978.

Octavo, 504 pages, bound in tan in their normal style. A fine copy.

Interesting that the original was published by Hussey & Gillingham, Adelaide … the authors jointly owned business.

Hussey emigrates to South Australia and recounts his early days; visits Launceston and Sydney. Has various occupations and commercial failures and “disasters”. Commenced business as a printer, distracted by gold discovery in Victoria; recommences business …saves the “Observer”. Travel to America via Tahiti and Panama with “incidents” … a tour Baptised at Bethany … to England and back home to Adelaide. A History of Sa … Secretary to Angus … etc

A fine copy of a book about a fine man in fine times in Australia.

$30.00

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The Hand its Mechanism and Vital Endowments as Evincing Design – Sir Charles Bell – 1833

Published by William Pickering, London in 1833. A second printing same year as the first, revised and expanded.

Octavo, 314 pages with numerous engravings throughout the text. Bound in contemporary half calf, spine gilt ruled with raised bands and separate leather title label. A very nice copy of an important fundamental work.

Constituted the fourth volume of the remarkable Bridgewater Treatises (See our other listing).

A landmark book by Scottish Surgeon Sir Charles Bell (1774-1842). He was the first Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the London College of Surgeons and established the Medical School at the University of London where he headed up the Surgery Department.

Medical Classic by Sir Charles Bell

$180.00

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The Journals of Thomas Williams Missionary in Fiji 1840-1853 – 2 Vols – G.C. Henderson – First Editions1931

A fine first edition set published by Angus $ Robertson, Sydney in 1931. Large octavo, 278 and 279- 606 pages. Very good if not fine condition. With an annotation of the free endpaper by the author “With the Author’s compliments to his fellow Sabbath-breaker on the xxx links 20/11/31”

Carries the heraldic bookplate of Sir Howard Watson Lloyd, Bank of Adelaide etc and old boy of St Peters surely Australia’s best school.

Thomas Williams recorded in the finest and most intimate detail his observations of and interactions with native Fijians in the first half of the 19th Century. His manuscript accounts are held in the Mitchell Library. The author Henderson a noted expert on Fiji trawled over these difficult to read documents and other related items held in London to produce as complete a work as possible.

Starting from his humble home in Horncastle, England Thomas Williams set out across the world … after a lengthy introduction which deals with this background and a few brief notes on the voyage out we find him on the Fijian Island of Lakemba and then Somosomo and Mbua Bay. Thomas Williams was by no means a brilliant artist, but he left many sketches now in the Michel which have been used as illustrations and bring the narrative alive. The whole embellished with maps, charts and later photographs of localities.

Included a couple of ephemeral scraps in the authors had writing … one has written “Quite recently the British Admiralty has paid me two very gratifying compliments in the publication of their Fijian charts: following certain information given in my last book” … nice work.

Henderson on Williams essential Fiji – Nice copies with author inscription.

$120.00

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Fiji and The Fijians (1835-1856) – G.C. Henderson

A first edition on Henderson’s book on Fiji and the Fijians a volume published to elucidate the Journal of Rev Thomas Williams who has spent the period !840-1853 as a Missionary in Fiji. Williams being regraded as the principal authority on the state if society among Fijians when European first came upon them.

Published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1931.

Large octavo, 33 pages nicely illustrated throughout with images from early engravings, early photographs and charts. Very good condition and with the author’s “Compliments”’ stamp on the end paper ad his manuscript note “To dear old Jeff – from the Author”

A very useful Preface sets the scene and purpose for the book. The first chapter proper refers to the “Mitchellian Manuscripts” the Williams Journal and paper held at the Mitchell … and other primary materials held elsewhere including in the UK. Very good chapters on the Discovery of Fiji … the Duff, James cook and often overlooked Bellingshausen among them. The Bellingshausen journals had yet to be translated to English at the date of this book. The work then moves on to a description of the archipelago, centres of interest and the people. Mission work, medical practices and a chapter on Ono-I-Lau first visited by Calvert. Language and literature etc etc.

Well written account regarding an important historical period. A very good copy.

$120.00

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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 book.

$60.00

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Snapshot from the North Pacific [British Columbia] – Rev Ridley – Edited Alice Janvrin

More than Half a Century of Colonial Life (South Australia) – Henry Hussey

The Hand its Mechanism and Vital Endowments as Evincing Design – Sir Charles Bell – 1833

The Journals of Thomas Williams Missionary in Fiji 1840-1853 – 2 Vols – G.C. Henderson – First Editions1931

Fiji and The Fijians (1835-1856) – G.C. Henderson

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

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