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Rare Travel Books Page 4


1.  Edward BROWN.
A brief account of some travels in divers parts of Europe, 1687
viz. Hungaria, Servia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Thessaly, Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and Friuli.
Through a great part of Germany, and through the Low Countries. Through Marca Trevisana, and Lombardy on both sides of the Po. With some observations on the gold, silver, copper, quick-silver mines, and the baths and mineral waters in those parts. As also. the description of many antiquities, habits, fortifications and remarkable places.
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Published in London,  by Benj. Tooke, 1687. Second edition, "with many additions," Folio, pp. [4], 222, [4] Index, [2] ads; 16 engraved plates (13 folding), plus 8 engravings in the text; Original full leather binding with re-backed leather spine, with a green label and gilt lettering to the top of the spine, & decorations along the spine. Five plates are reproduced in stunning copies..other than that all the plates, including the fold-out plates are present. This as an early travel book into europe, highly collectable,

 The first edition of 1673 had only 144pp. and 9 plates and to this is added in this edition the author's An Account of Several Travels through a Great Part of Germany (1677), and with the addition of "A Journey from Venice to Genoa" (pp. 194-222). Brown (1644-1708) describes his observations of 'all objects natural and historical, as well as everything bearing on his profession' as a physician. During 1668-9 Brown was in Vienna and undertook the journeys he describes. Like his near contemporary and fellow physician Martin Lister (1638-1712), author of A Journey to Paris (1698), Brown discourses on the geography,social customs and history of the areas in which he traveled.

2. Doomsday Book for Berkshire
A printed copy in original language of the time of William I. of the County of Berkshire;- Published in 1820?;- An Elephant Folio, pages 56 to 63;- so early edition. Brown Cloth covers in fine condition, no other copies to be found world wide...Rare/Scarce.
Price : $250 Buy now

Domesday Book

The Domesday Book is one of Medieval England’s  greatest treasures. The Domesday Book is closely linked with William I The Conqueror’s attempt to dominate Medieval England. Along with a string of  Castles throughout England, the Domesday Book was to give William huge authority in England. 

To further extend his grip on England,William I  ordered that a book be made containing information on who owned what throughout the country. This book would also tell him who owed him what in tax and because the information was on record, nobody could dispute or argue against a tax demand. This is why the book brought doom and gloom to the people of England - hence "Domesday Book". The decision of what someone owed was final - rather like Judgement Day when your soul was judged for Heaven or Hell.

 William I ordered the survey of England to take place about twenty years after the Battle of Hastings. The Saxon Chronicle states that it took place in 1085, while other sources state that it was done in 1086. The whole survey took less than a year to complete and the books can be found in the Public Records Office.

The Domesday Book forms a remarkable record of the state of England in the mid-1080's. A sample of the questions asked is found at Ely Cathedral;

3. Camden's Cornwall Devon 1806

A printed copy in original language of the time of William I. of the County of Berkshire;- Published in 1820?;- An Elephant Folio, pages 56 to 63;- so early edition. Brown Cloth covers in fine condition, no other copies to be found world wide...Rare/Scarce.
Price : $750 Buy now

4. 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, A Packet Belonging to the Honourable East India Company By Captain Henry Wilson
Price : $500 Buy now

A Very Good copy of the Third Edition Folio of 1789, being the First Corrected Edition;-        Printed For Captain Wilson and Sold by G.Nicol, London 1789;-re-bound in elegant calf tan-leather with original black letter label to  the spine, internal -  Keate's popular account of the Antelope's wreck and the rescue of its crew, the ship having been wrecked in 1783 on a reef near one of the Palau (Pelew) Islands, a previously unexplored group. The crew were treated kindly by the natives and then managed to build a new vessel out of materials salvaged from the Antelope's wreck, in which "new" vessel they then sailed to Macao. This is a beautiful copy, complete with all maps and plates;- the fold-out map and 4 plates are copies of the original plates done very professionally  and reinserted into the rebound book. A Very Good Rare copy. Third Edition, being the First Corrected Edition.

5. THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND 1797
From The House of Stuart to Mary - 2VOLS.
by John Pinkerton
Price : $350 Buy now

Published in London: Printed for C. Dilly, In The Poultry, 1797. First edition. hardcover. Very Good. Original dark brown leather spine to both copies and leather corners, red marbled paper to the centre of both covers. Black labels to both spines, with gilt lettering. Highly collectable.  Portrait of John Pinkerton frontis. Contains appendixes of original papers. Two volumes complete. RARE.

6. The History of Scotland 1760
during the Reigns of Queen mary and of King James VI. till his Accession to the Crown of England. With a Review of the Scottish History previous to that Period; and an Appendix containing Original Papers.                    
by William Robertson
Price : $375 Buy now

Published by A. Millar in the Strand 1760 - An exceptionally handsome 2 Vol. set of the third edition of an essential historical accounting of the reign of Queen Mary and King James. Printed for A. Millar in the Strand in 1760. Original binding, contemporaneously and laboriously in  brown leather covers with lettered in gilt on the spine. William Robertson (1721-1793) was a friend of Hume's and one of the most prominent exponents of the Scottish "philosophical history", developed during that country's enlightenment. The first edition of this work was published in 1759. He also wrote important historical works on America, India etc., all of which were translated into several languages and published in many editions. A beautiful set of a highly collectable work.

7. History of Scotland : 1845
Volumes 1 to 7 Complete
by Patrick Fraser Tytler
Price : $350 Buy now

Published in Edinburgh -  by William Tait, 1845 Book.  Brown leather bindings with gilt tooled designs and lettering to spines and smart red and black labels to all 7 VOLS. of the spine.   Patrick Fraser Tyler married Anastasia Jessey, daughter of Thomson Bonar, Esq. , (1780-1828) of Campden, Kent, by his spouse Anastasia Jessey, daughter of Matthew Guthrie of Halkerton, M. D. Tytler is most noted for his literary output. He contributed to Allison's Travels in France (1815); his first independent essays were papers in Blackwood's Magazine. His great work, the History of Scotland (1828-1843) covered the period between 1249 and 1603. While occupied on this work Tytler removed to London, and it was largely owing to his efforts that a scheme for publishing state papers was carried out. Tytler was one of the founders of the Bannatyne Club and of the English Historical Society. He died at Great Malvern on 14 December 1849. His life (1859) was written by his friend, John W Burgon, dean of Chichester. Its a very good set of 7 VOLS. in very fine condition. A very nice collection. $350

8. A Tour in Scotland, 1769  
and Voyage to the Hebrides  1772   
 Complete in Three Volumes.
by Thomas Pennant
Price : $425 Buy now

Published in London by Benj. White 1790 Warrington:  Original brown marbled leather to all 3 volumes. Gilt to the covers and spine with black labels to all VOLS.  Quarto, with engraved title page and 21 plates as called for, including one folding plate; vol. II: pp. (2), 8, 379, (1), with 44 plates as called for (plate 39 bound in at p.288 rather than p. 314); vol. III: pp. (2), 4, 481, (1), 34, 47 plates complete as called for plus large folding map of Scotland. Many of the plates are folding. Altogether 112 plates plus map and engraved views on title pages. The third volume continues the voyage to the Hebrides begun in the middle of the second volume. There is nothing missing.  Some of the plates are from drawings by Joseph Banks, to whom the third volume is dedicated. RARE in this very fine condition. Highly collectable 

9. Souvenir of Scotland:
Its Cities, Lakes, and Mountains.
One Hundred and Twenty Chromo Coloured Views.
Price : $150 Buy now

Published in  London:  by T. Nelson & Sons, 1890. Frontispiece and sixty pages of chromolithographed plates, two per page, of views of Scotland. Original gilt embossed front decoration on light blue cloth covers . Gilt decorations and lettering along the spine;- A coloured frontispiece of the Forth Bridge;- A List of plates to the front pages;-  A fine copy of a very collected book, all coloured present.  This work was apparently first printed in 1889. Several other editions appeared between that date and 1897. Rare in such fine condition;-

10. Mungo Park;-
The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa: Performed in the Year 1805;-  By Mungo Park;- Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the same Mission. To which is prefixed An Account of the Life of Mr. Park.  
Price : $1,650 Buy now

The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa: Performed in the Year 1805;-  By Mungo Park;- Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the same Mission. To which is prefixed An Account of the Life of Mr. Park.  Published in  London: By John Murray 1815;-   1st. Edition small Folio;-  With a large folding engraved map to illustrate the journal,  three-quarter contemporary calf over blue marbled paper-covered boards, the spine, with gilt lettering to the top;- Highly Collectable 1st. edition of this Scarce & Rare, Early Travel book of Africa;-  Mungo Park, a Scottish surgeon and explorer, was sent out by the 'Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior of Africa' to discover the course of the River Niger. Having achieved a degree of fame from his first trip, carried out alone and on foot, he returned to Africa with a party of 40 Europeans, all of whom lost their lives in the adventure.Born: 1771, Foulshiels, Selkirk, Scotland, Died: 1806, Bussa Rapids, (now under the Kainji Reservior, Nigeria) The Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa, of which Banks was treasurer and unofficial director, had previously funded (for a pittance) the exploration of an Irish soldier, Major Daniel Houghton, based at Goree on the west African coast. Two important questions dominated discussions about the interior of west Africa in the drawing room of the African Association: the exact site of the semi-mythical city of Timbuktu, and the course of the River Niger. Exploring the River Niger: In 1795 the Association appointed Mungo Park to explore the course of the River Niger -- until Houghton had reported that the Niger flowed from West to East, it was believed that the Niger was a tributary of either the river Senegal or Gambia. The Association wanted proof of the river's course and to know where it finally emerged. Three current theories were: that it emptied into Lake Chad, that it curved round in a large arc to join the Zaire, or that it reached the coast at the Oil Rivers.Mungo Park set off from the River Gambia, with the aid of the Association's West African 'contact', Dr Laidley who provided equipment, a guide, and acted as a postal service. Park started his journey dressed in European clothes, with an umbrella and a tall hat (where he kept his notes safe throughout the journey). He was accompanied by an ex-slave called Johnson who had returned from the West Indies, and a slave called Demba,who had been promised his freedom on completion of the journey. Mungo Park was the original lone explorer of West Africa. The first European to reach the Niger, record its flow direction and return alive, he was considered a hero on his return. He died during his second exploration attempt inland along the Niger to discover the city of Timbuktu. Published posthumously in 1815 by the African Institution, which had sponsored his journey, a biography, personal letters and the account of the rescue team sent to discover his fate accompany Park's own journal of the expedition. The journals and letters are a fascinating description of the constant dangers and thrill of the age of exploration. Battling adverse weather, local hostility, tropical diseases and the death of nearly all his party including his brother-in-law, Park writes 'I would still persevere; and if I could not succeed in the object of my journey, I would at least die on the Niger.

11. Washington IRVING,
The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus
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London: John Murray 1830. Abridged. 24mo. Three quarter leather with marbled paper-covered boards. 2 Fold-out maps within rear of the West Indies, and adjacent coast of South America showing the tracks of Don Chirstopher Columbus. Engrave frontispiece of Columbus and a portrait of Amerigo Vespucci within;- Plus Spanish Galley in the title page. & Sketch of a galley coasting the Island of Hispaniola; All plates and maps present;- Rare complete. Fine condition of a collectable books.

12. Mary Fawler Maude
Extracts from the Works of Travellers, 1841
Illustrative of Various Passages in Holy Scripture
Price : $200 Buy now

Published in London - by John W. Parker, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1841 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. First edition. A scarce 1st. Edition of this intriguing and beautifully presented work, which explains unfamiliar Oriental customs mentioned in the Bible, based on travelers' observations. Featuring numerous illustrations within text;-  In Original green embossed decorated cloth, with gilt lettering to the spine.  Scarce/Rare and highly collectable.  A fine copy;-  An Index to the back pages

13. BERLIN -
ANSICHTEN VON BERLIN MIT DER GEWERBE-AUSSTELLUNG 1896.
Price : $50 Buy now

Dresden, Art Institute of lithography and lithography M. Zobel, 1896. Cross-8vo (approx. 18: 23.5 cm). Bl 34 m. 42 lithographic views of Berlin and the pavilions of the exhibition industry. Embossed gilt lettering & decorations to front cover of a red leather covers. early Photos of Berlin 1899.

14. Joshua Toulmin Smith;-
The Discovery of America by the Northmen in the tenth century.
Comprising translations of all the most important original narratives of this event together with a critical examination of their authenticity to which is added,
an examination of the comparative merits of the Northmen and Columbus
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Published by William S. Orr & Co.,;-  London 1842;- Second Edition;-  - 348 pages, including an Index to the back pages;- 2 Fold-out maps and engraved plates within. The Maps and plates are complete and in fine condition;- Re-bound in tan leather to spine and brown marbled paper to the covers;- Gilt lettering and lines to the top of spine;- A highly collectable copy of early American Travel;- In very fine condition.

15. N. G. Van Kampen / W. H. Bartlett
The history and topography of Holland and Belgium.
Translated by William Gray Fearnside.
Illustrated with Splendid Engravings by W. H. Bartlett.
Price : $200 Buy now

Published by George Virtue, London;-  circa 1830. 61 beautiful full page engravings;- Including Two title pages, with a frontispiece within the first title page of ‘The Spanish Houses in Ghent’ All the Illustrations are present and with tissue guards; Original binding, with brown leather to both the spine and corners, brown marbled paper to the covers;- Gilt decorations & and lettering to the spine;- Gilt lines to the edges of both the spine and leather corners. This Rare book is complete and in fine condition;- Highly Collected early travel to Europe;-

16. Arktis - Nansen, Firdtjof
In Nacht und Eis. Die Norwegische Polarexpedition 1893 - 1896. Mit einem Beitrag von Kapitän Sverdrup.
Price : $100 Buy now

In Night and Ice. The Norwegian Polar Expedition 1893-1896. With a contribution by Captain Sverdrup. 211 illustrations, 8 Chromolithotafeln and 4 (unfold) cards. Fifth Edition. 3 volumes. (Volume III, Supplement: Bernhard Nordahl: We Framleute; Hjalmar Johansen Nansen and I at 86 ° 14 'Second edition with 57 illustrations [on tablets] and 3 Chromotafeln..).

Published by Brockhaus, Leipzig 1922. X, 527 pp. VIII, 539 p 358 p 2 volumes;-  large 8 °. Original paper bindings with back-u. Cover titles, each one mounted cover illustration, colored head sections. Very well preserved, fine collectable copies ;- All plates and maps present.

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