SOLD leather-bound books

The Asian Series (big-game hunting)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS SET OF BOOKS

Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon

by S.W. Baker, Esq.

Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, London, 1855. First edition, first printing

Quarter-leather and marbled boards, gilded page edges

With ALL 6 of the color lithographs.

The first editions are not very common at all.

TRAVELS INTO SOUTH AFRICA by Francoise Le Vaillant

London, Robinson, 1790, FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH

Three of the original illustrations (Caffre woman, and male & female giraffe) are present, but all others are missing but provided in facsimile, including 2 folding illustrations. The books have been used and enjoyed for 235 years but were recently rebound by hand. Original pages have some stains, wear, tears, missing pieces (see photos). The last page of Volume 2 is also provided in facsimile. I felt compelled to salvage this set, despite its defects, and get it into a state whereby it could be enjoyed for another 235 years!Francois Le Vaillant (also Levaillant) wished to undertake a major journey to a region that had not yet been studied by an ornithologist. In July 1780 he left Paris to visit the owners of natural history collections in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam he met Jacob Temminck, bird collector and treasurer of the Dutch East India Company, who played a role in his decision to go to the Cape of Good Hope and helped in the preparations for the journey. Le Vaillant left in December 1780 (a day before war broke out between England and the Netherlands) and arrived in Cape Town on 14 April 1781. During his stay at the Cape Le Vaillant made two extensive journeys into the interior. The first, from December 1781 to (probably) October 1782, proceeded eastward via Swellendam and Mossel Bay to the vicinity of George, across the Outeniqua Mountains to the Langkloof, eastwards beyond the Sundays River, and past present Somerset East to the Great Fish River near Cookhouse.His second major journey, from about June 1783, proceeded northwards via Piketberg, Heerenlogement (where he engraved his name, "Vailant" on the cave wall), Koekenaap (with a diversion to the mouth of the Olifants River), the Kamiesberg, and Simon van der Stel's* copper mine to the Orange River at Goodhouse and Ramansdrift. Returning to Cape Town he stayed with Colonel Gordon again. He left the Cape in July 1784, arriving in Holland in November. After his return to France Le Vaillant spent years organising his collection and writing up an account of his travels. A description of his first expedition in South Africa, Voyage de M. Le Vaillant dans l'interieur de l'Afrique par le Cap de Bonne-Esperance, dans les annees 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84, & 85, edited by his father, was published in Paris in 1790 (2 vols). The exciting adventures and romantic style made it an immediate success. An account of the second expedition, Second voyage dans l'interieur de l'Afrique, par le Cap de Bonne-Esperance, dans les annees 1783, 84 et 85 (Paris, 1795, 3 vols) proved equally popular. It was edited by C. Varon, who seems to have taken some romantic liberties with the text. English translations, titled Travels into the interior parts of Africa... and New travels into the interior parts of Africa... were first published in 1790 and 1796 respectively. The books did much to draw international attention to the Cape.

London, Longman, 1835, 2-volume First Edition set

Beautifully rebound by hand (so expect imperfections, not machine-perfect results) in soft full leather. Each volume has a frontispiece and engraved title page. Illustrated with steel engravings on plates and a folded map at the end of volume 1. The text pages are generally creamy white and for the most part free of foxing. The illustrated plates, as is common with this edition, have foxing. In Volume 1, pages 7-10 and the plate at page 10 are in facsimile. In Volume 2, the plates at pages 46, 55 and 112 are in facsimile.

A narrative of Steedman's travels during his ten years of residence in the Cape during which he explored most of the Cape Colony and Kaffraria. The work also gives an overview of many early expeditions in South Africa with sketches of native races and their history and wars, the pioneer colonists of Natal. Steedman was a keen collector and naturalist, his name being given to a species of meerkat: Cynictis Steedmanii. During his travels Steedman collected over 300 animals, including some that had not yet been described, as well as ethnographic specimens. In 1833 he returned to England and arranged an exhibition of his animals in the Colosseum, Regent's Park, London. The Appendices (213 pages) include a letter and journal by Mr. A. G. Bain, who accompanied Dr. (afterwards Sir A.) Smith's expedition into the interior as far as Philippolis, and gives an account of the journey, and much valuable matter respecting the Kat River and other settlements in Kaffraria, and the Kaffir outbreaks and wars up to this period. There is also an account of the wreck of the Grosvenor in 1782. The narrative contains much information respecting the wreck of the vessel, the expeditions in search of the survivors, the descendants of shipwrecked Europeans on the Caffrarian Coast, there is also a steel engraving of the disaster, from a painting by Smirke. (Mendelssohn, Royal Geographical Society of London)

$399 -

Travels in South Africa Undertaken At the Request of the Missionary Society, Being a Narrative of a Second Journey in the Interior of That Country

Reverend John Campbell

Francis Westley, London, 1822. First edition, first printing

With a hand-colored aquatint frontispiece to each volume, 9 additional hand-colored aquatint plates (the 10th is a facsimile)(12 total plates), and large folding map (facsimile).

Rebound by hand (so expect imperfections, not machine-perfect results) in soft full leather.

The facsimile plate, see last photo

Rebound New Edition dated 1870. The first edition was published in 2 volumes in 1866, and again in 2 smaller volumes in 1867. This is the First 1-volume 1870 edition, 3rd overall edition.

February 15, 1863:

When I first met [Speke and Grant] they were walking along the bank of the river towards my boats. At a distance of about a hundred yards I recognised my old friend Speke, and with a heart beating with joy I took off my cap and gave a welcome hurrah! I hardly required an introduction to his companion, as we felt already acquainted.

At the first blush on meeting them I had considered my expedition as terminated by having met them, and by their having accomplished the discovery of the Nile source; but... Speke and Grant with characteristic candour and generosity gave me a map of their route, showing that they had been unable to complete the actual exploration of the Nile, and that a most important portion still remained to be determined... The natives and the King of Unyoro (Kamrasi) had assured them that the Nile from the Victoria N'yanza, which they had crossed at Karuma, flowed westward for several days' journey, and at length fell into a large lake called the Luta N'zige; that this lake came from the south, and that the Nile on entering the northern extremity almost immediately made its exit, and as a navigable river continued its course to the north. Both Speke and Grant attached great importance to this lake Luta N'zige, and the former was much annoyed that it had been impossible for them to carry out the exploration. As it happened, it was impossible for Speke and Grant to follow the Nile from Karuma:—the tribes were fighting with Kamrasi, and no strangers could have got through the country. Accordingly they procured their information most carefully, completed their map, and laid down the reported lake in its supposed position, showing the Nile as both influent and effluent precisely as had been explained by the natives.

Speke expressed his conviction that the Luta N'zige must be a second source of the Nile, and that geographers would be dissatisfied that he had not explored it. To me this was most gratifying. I had been much disheartened at the idea that the great work was accomplished, and that nothing remained for exploration; I even said to Speke, "Does not one leaf of the laurel remain for me?" I now heard that the field was not only open, but that an additional interest was given to the exploration by the proof that the Nile flowed out of one great lake, the Victoria, but that it evidently must derive an additional supply from an unknown lake as it entered it at the NORTHERN extremity, while the body of the lake came from the south.

February 20, 1863:

On the 20th February [the Pethericks] suddenly arrived from the Niambara, with their people and ivory and were surprised at seeing so large a party of English in so desolate a spot.

On the 26th February, Speke and Grant sailed from Gondokoro [to England].

* SOLD *

TEN YEARS IN SOUTH AFRICA:

Including a Particular Description of the Wild Sports of that Country

by Lieutenant J.W.D. Moodie (21st Fusiliers)

Facsimiles of the Richard Bentley, London, 1835 First Edition: 2 volumes: bound in navy blue, marbled end papers. A handsome set, as-new and unread, well-made and ready for your reading pleasure and collection.

The original first editions are extremely rare, and as of this listing, I could not find any sets available for sale anywhere. These facsimile volumes are the next best thing to owning the first editions.

Dictionary of South African Biography, volume 3, page 626: Moodie arrived in South Africa to join his brother Benjamin who was farming at Grootvadersbosch near Swellendam. In 1821 he obtained land at Sir Rufane Donkin's abortive Fredericksburg settlement but the following May found himself to be almost the last person left there. It was a plan of which Lord Charles Somerset had thoroughly disapproved and with Moodie's departure the scheme came to an end. He went to join Benjamin on Long Hope, the latter's new property on the west bank of the Lower Bushman River. In 1828 he tired of farming and set out on a long journey through Kaffraria before settling in Grahamstown, leaving South Africa in 1832. A prolific writer, Moodie vividly describes his various activities and travels and in, 'Ten Years in South Africa', leaves an important record of the country at that time.’

by Walter Montagu Kerr

Facsimile reprints of the Sampson Low, London, 1886 First Edition: 2 volumes: bound by hand, with hand-marbled end papers. Sepia-toned color frontispiece portrait of Kerr tipped-in, as well as a large facsimile fold-out map; facsimile of original cloth front cover also tipped-into each volume. Since the volumes are hand-made they have imperfections, so expect such.

The original first editions are scarce and expensive, so this facsimile reprint is the next best thing.

An account of Kerr's journey from Cape Town through the Transvaal, Matabeleland and Mashonaland to the south shore of Lake Nyassa and the Livingstonia Mission, which he found deserted.
"Fans of F.C. Selous know that Kerr was one of Selous' favorite hunting partners. Kerr is further credited by historians with being the first white man to actually traverse the central and equatorial lake regions of Africa. His book spurred many, including Selous, to hunt in these regions. A deservedly sought after title." (Herring)
"Kerr traveled to the South African diamond fields to seek his fortune. He met Frederick Selous, the pair venturing into the interior of Matabeleland. In the river country leading to the Zambesi, he hunted elephant with his .500 Henry rifle which he fondly refers to as 'C.L.K' after his father's initials carved into the stock. There are instances of hunting lion near the Matua River, buffalo near Lake Nyassa, and more elephant on the Shire River." -- Czech

Google Sites

Report abuse