Oceánica

Christchurch, New Zealand: Pegasus, 1958. Second. Cloth. Good/Good. Janet Frame's first novel, Owls Do Cry draws on many details of her own life. Her childhood was shadowed by poverty, sickness, and accidental death, and shaped by the power of the spoken and written word. At twenty-one, she was institutionalized in a mental hospital and later saved from a threatened lobotomy only by her achievement as a writer. Owls Do Cry explores the life of the Withers family in a New Zealand town "halfway between the South Pole and the equator." Poverty and a reputation for strangeness exclude the Withers from the hollow conventions and artifacts of suburban life. They do not possess revolving clotheslines, walkie talkie dolls or uncomfortable chairs, yet the children's lives are rich in "wonder currency:" rhymes and rituals, play and dreams. Twenty years later, this currency is subsumed for each of them into vivid, haunted inner lives. Owls Do Cry lyrically evokes "the private and lonely night, with a room of… Leer más

John Stockdale, Piccadilly, London, 1801. Hardcover. Very Good. John Stockdale, 1801, v-xix, 443pp. 6 plates (3 other illustrations, map of Tobago, and large folding map of St. Domingo). Contemporary gray-green boards. Clean, unmarked pages. No foxing present. Spine lettering damaged. Book plate inside cover. Vol III of Edward's History of the West Indies. Sabin [21895] and 2190 (Yes, we have 2 copies in stock. This is the better one)

Honolulu: Bishop Museum Pr, 1975. First edition thus. Trade softcover. Combined edition, 3 volumes in one. Published Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1975, first printing. Thick, small 4to. wrappers, 7 1/4" x 10 3/4" xvii+454pp; vi+342pp; ii+88pp., profusely illustrated with b/w photos, drawings and reproductions. Definitive monograph, originally published 1936-1938 in three volumes: Vol.1. The Canoes of Polynesia, Fiji & Micronesia. Vol.2. The Canoes of Melanesia, Queensland and New Guinea. Vol 3. Definition of Terms, General Survey, and Conclusions. A very good, clean, attractive copy. . 1st. Soft Cover. Very Good/No Jacket, As Issued. 4to.

Honolulu: Advertiser Publishing Co., Ltd, 1936. Limited Edition. Octavo. Limited to 600 sets published for subscribers. A set of the memoirs of Sanford B. Dole and Lorrin A. Thurston published by the Advertising Publishing Company. This set is numbered 187 with the limitation slip mounted on the lining papers of each volume. Originally written for joint serial publication with Lorrin A. Thurston's memoirs in the Honolulu Advertiser. Thurston's chapter begins with Jack London's arrival on his yacht Snark in 1907. Thurston provides interesting details about London's fixed writing routine, his despising of what today would be called "political correctness" on the racial issues inherent in Hawaii, followed by Thurston's defense. The set is comprised of: Vol. I, Writings of Lorrin A. Thurston, 166p. index; Vol. II. Lorrina A. Thurston, Memoirs of the Hawaiian Revolution, 664p.; Vol. III Sanford Dole, Memoirs of the Hawaiian Revolution, 188p. index. From the controversy of Queen Lili'uokalani's authorship… Leer más

This is an early, original edition of "The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, For the Year 1796" published by "Order of the Commissioners of Longitude." Printed in London by C. Buckton. Though the Almanac is for the year 1796, the year stated on the bottom of the title page is 1790. "Thirtieth impression" (as stated in the Preface). The Nautical Almanac was first published in 1767. Leather-bound (original leather binding with no repairs).At the back of the book is a section titled "Tables to Improve and Render More General the Method of Finding the Latitude, by Observing Two Altitudes of the Sun, and the Interval of Time Between" by John Brinkley, A.M., Andrew's Professor of Astronomy, Dublin.From the Preface by Nevil Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal:"A Work which must greatly contribute to the Improvement of Astronomy, Geography, and Navigation. This Ephemeris contains every thing essential to general Use that is to be found in any Ephemeris hitherto published, with many other useful and… Leer más

1840 1st ed Voyages of Dourga Dutch Australia Molucca South Pacific MAPS English
The 'Voyages of the Dutch brig of war "Dourga"' is an important source regarding the exploration of the South Pacific Islands. After the establishment of a British outpost on Melville Island and its subsequent massacre by the natives, the Dutch man of war the "Dourga" was dispatched to re-assert government authority on the island.

Kolff wrote of explorations made in the Molucca and Java Seas to Timor, the Serawatti Islands, Lakor Island, the Arru Islands, the Tanimbar Islands, and New Guinea. The first edition, in Dutch, was published in 1828. Although written with the expected reservations of a Dutch naval officer, Kolff's account nonetheless describes indigenous island cultures of the Moluccas in some detail, recording lifeworld's now long since passed.

This rare 1840 first English edition of Kolff's book includes an engraved map frontispiece 'The Adafura Sea' by George Windsor Earl and a folding engraved map 'The… Leer más

1789 George Keate Account of Pelew Islands Philippines War Palau South Pacific

George Keate's "Account of the Pelew Islands" is a rare 18th-century description of the Pelew people and Oceania regions of the South Pacific including the Philippines and other Pacific islands. Keate wrote this work was based on the account of Henry Wilson, an English sailor in the East India Company. His ship, the Antelope, was shipwrecked off the Palau islands. Following the premier in 1788, this book became immensely popular to readers in England, a book in which Keate described the local Pelew people as savages and drew in audiences with descriptions of unknown and unfamiliar lands.

Keate's 'Account' gives descriptions of coral Reefs, manners and customs of the natives, details of battles and local wars, weapons and military tactics, canoe making, and more.

This 1789 edition includes a section on the vocabulary of the Pelew language.

Item number: #9541
Price: $1250
KEATE, George
An account of the Pelew Islands:… Leer más

Chart Details:
black and white engraving, navigation lights marked with red and yellow, blue backed
Blue ink stamp next to title block: "Imray & Son London 1878"
Publisher's original paper label glued to back of chart
condition: as found rolled, top left corner approx. 2" piece missing that includes some of perimeter printed border of chart, overall a clean chart with some spotting on edges, some spotting in vicinity of title block, paper toned along right vertical edge chart, edges overall in good condition, this chart was used to plot several voyages and has manuscript pencil notes with dates

1889 1ed Queensland Cannibals Lumholtz Australia Aborigine Illustrated Maps

The Norwegian, naturalist, anthropologist and explorer Carl Lumholtz spent four years in Australia from 1880. Lumholtz' expedition to Australia was partly paid at the expense of the University of Christiania, to collect zoological and zootomical material for the museums of the University, and research the manners and anthropology of the natives, and among the cannibals. Lumholtz succeeded in securing a large collection of zoological specimens and discovered four new mammals - a tree kangaroo and three opossums, which are depicted in the colored lithographed plates. He collected four new species of mammals with his account of his travels, Among Cannibals, containing detailed observations of Aboriginal life.
This 1889 first edition includes 2 folding colored maps, 29 plates including frontispiece portrait and 4 colored lithographs, and numerous in text illustrations.
Item number: #13415
Price: $499
LUMHOLTZ, Carl
Among… Leer más

Bruxelles: Librairie historique-artistique, 1843. First edition. 4 large in-8 volumes, (270 mm x 170 mm). Midnight blue half-sheepskin binding, embossed percaline covers, spines have gilt titles and decoration. Illustrated with hand coloured / hand finished engraved plates. These were created by the leading illustrators of the time, including Duverger, L. Markaert, R. King. The bindings are in very good condition, with a little rubbing to the edges only. Inside, the text and plates have light foxing throughout, but are overall in very good condition. Each copy online offers a different number of plates for each of the four volumes - but our copy seems to match the maximum collation for each variation (so seems complete.) The index is of limited use, as it only lists a proportion of the plates. In addition to the four title vignettes, we have: Europe (1844). 364 pages, 49 plates; Asie (1845). 592 pages, 82 plates; L'Afrique et l'Amérique (1844), 368 pages, 43 plates; l'Océanie (1845) 368 pages… Leer más

Pamphlet, 1825, Andover, Mass. Early edition. Condition is Fair: wraps show significant general wear, top outer corner of blank and last wrap missing causing loss of part a letter. Interior has ownership inscription on front blank with date of 1827, old prior seller's price on blank. No other writing or markings. Spine reinforced with paper in distant past. Paginates: wraps, blanks, 48. Illustrations included in pagination. Complete as issued. This edition is uncommon. WorldCat locates ~15 copies. See OCLC: 34635134 & 22449258; Rosenbach 681. Harlan Page is the engraver, author is unknown. Please see images of the book you will receive. Notes: identification of edition priority is a challenge. The undated New-York Religious Tract Society is generally considered the true first. The sources on this make conclusory statements and there is reason to doubt them. I put together a summary of my research for those who are interested.[Indigenous, South Pacific, theology]

Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea: Printed for Private Circulation, 1896. Illustrated with a large folding map frontispiece (with, as usual, a slight tear at the upper join), nine large full-page plates on heavy card. many small text images from photographs, quarto, pp 219, slight age-toning and marking, a little foxing on the last few pages, slight marking along the top of the title page, original decorated cloth with paper inlay, bevelled edges, a bit rubbed and marked, the spine dull and age-toned, the upper cover unevenly age-toned, recently re-cased with new endpapers. [In October 1891 Veitch embarked on a tour of inspection of the great Botanic and Public Gardens maintained by governments in various countries as well as visiting many private horticultural establishments, to endeavour whether the Veitch gardens and nurseries might be enriched by further additions. He set off by way of Rome and Naples to Ceylon, thence overland from Tuticorin to Lahore. He continued to Calcutta and on to the Straits… Leer más

London: Robert Hardwicke for The Ray Society [1866 - 1868]. Three volumes. Volume I - octavo, pp viii, 612, top edge gilt, a little age-toned throughout, later green cloth in good condition, a duplicate from King's College Library with discard stamp on the title page and two earlier stamps of the London Institute, ( devoted to Geographico-Botanical and Structural & Physiological Memoirs]. Volume II - Octavo, pp viii, 786, a little used and marked internally, the first few pages slightly foxed, otherwise sound and tight, original cloth rubbed, faded and slightly worn [Systematic Memoirs and Contributions to Systematic Works]. Volume III - Atlas of Plates, folio, pp 15 + 38 fine litho plates (some folding), many by Ferdinand Bauer, slight foxing, some hinges cracked and weak, and one plate nearly detached, original cloth-backed boards, a little worn and marked. A heavy set - extra postage may be needed. RARE. [Robert Brown, 1773 -1858, was a Scottish botanist and paleobotanist who made… Leer más

Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1928. Volume I Third Edition, 1928; Volume II Fourth Edition 1933. Both volumes with ownership signature and Washington, D.C. address of famed Australian navigator Harold Gatty, and both SIGNED AND INSCRIBED by Gatty to F. Dana Coman, starting at bottom of front paste down Vol. I -"Dedication is in the other end - as usual with me barse ackwards (nautical palaver)", continuing on to rear paste down "To Dana Coman A.B. from Harold Gatty 2nd mate dedicated and given for reasons in Vol. II", and on rear end page "Stand Back ! you shallow water men - and let a deep sea wave go by !". The inscription at front end page Vol. II reads " To Dana from Harold Gatty (D.C. address lined out but legible) So that he may become well acquainted with our future roaming grounds". Harold Gatty (1903-1957) is best known as the navigator, along with pilot Wiley Post, of the flight starting 23 June 1931 which set the record for… Leer más

Summary of contemporary high-performance surfing circa 1982, with chapters on Hawaii, California, Australia and Bali and profiles of leading surfers of the day like Shaun Tomson and George Greenough.Author Grissim is a veteran of the surfing genre, having edited the Australian magazine Tracks and written for many American publications including Surfing and Surfer Magazines.