item number |
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| 1. | Alcock, Rutherford. THE CAPITAL OF THE TYCOON: A NARRATIVE OF A THREE YEARS’ RESIDENCE IN JAPAN. NY. 1868. b/w plates, folding maps. 2 vols. xxvii, 407; x-436 pp. Alcock was a British diplomat in China who became one of the first into Japan after its opening to the west. His detailed comments include material on China was well as Japan and the west, local customs, and his impressions of American diplomacy. A clean set. 2 vols. VG $200 |
| 2. | Anderson, Florence Bennett. A GRANDFATHER FOR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Bos. 1940. b/w maps and plates. 462 pp. Sounds like a puff piece but it’s really interesting Nantucket history, dealing with Franklin’s Nantucket ancestry. With vintage Nantucket photos evoking ancient times. First ed. Crosby p. 160. Light cover wear, VG. $50 |
| 3. | Anderson, G.W. (editor). A NEW, AUTHENTIC AND COMPLETE COLLECTION OF VOYAGES ROUND THE WORLD... Lon. 1784. b/w plates and maps. Folio. 655, (5) pp. An important early compilation of Cook’s three voyages, plus Byron, Wallace, Carteret, Mulgrave, Anson, etc. Death of Cook plate lacking, as is often the case, otherwise this is a lovely copy, with 155 full page maps and plates clean and fresh, as is the text. See Beddie 17. Hill 18. First edition, bound in contemporary calf, rebacked to match. A beautiful copy. See Illustration $2500 |
| 4. | Anderson, Robert. THE GENUINE USE AND EFFECTS OF THE GUNNE AS WELL EXPERIMENTALLY AS MATHEMATICALLY DEMONSTRATED. Lon. 1674. b/w folding plate. Sm. 4to. (6), 36, 64 pp. According to the catalog of Selected Pre-1700 Imprints in the Navy Department Library, “Robert Anderson was a weaver by trade, but skilled in mathematics and its application to gunnery. In 1674 he published this treatise on gunnery which was to serve as a standard reference for the next generation.” Thomas Streete was an astronomer who used his skills to compile the 60-odd pages of tables essential to 17th century gunnery which follow Anderson’s treatise. Adams & Waters 46. Wing 3104. Bound in full contemporary calf, rebacked, with spine label. The folding plate after p. 36 is complete but has been printed over the edge of the paper, with loss of the plate mark on the outer edge. Pages clean and binding sound. An excellent copy of a rare book. $2500 |
| 5. | Andrews, William A. A DARING VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. NY. n.d. (1880).. b/w plates. 151 pp. plus 15 page publisher’s catalog. The Andrews brothers sailed from Boston to England and then to France in a 20 foot Gloucester dory built by Higgins & Gifford in 1878. Andrews made a total of 5 small boat voyages. In 1901 he and his second wife attempted a honeymoon voyage and were lost. First American edition, and quite scarce. A London edition was printed the same year and this book is bound up from the same sheets. Morris & Howland p. 5. Toy 486 (citing reprint only). VG in plain buckram with title printed on backstrip. Owner’s bookplate on front pastedown, but probably originally from a library, as rules for circulation of books are glued onto back pastedown. See Illustration $300 |
| 6. | Anon. A COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. Phila. 1787. 12mo. 130 pp. Includes “The Voyage of Peter Kolben, A.M. to the Cape of Good Hope,” “A Voyage to China, by Lewis Le Compte,” and ”Anecdotes of the Elephant, from Wolfe’s Travels.” Quite a scarce little American compilation of earlier travel accounts. Evans 20444. Only five holdings on Worldcat. Bound in original calf, show some binding wear. Last page worn at outer margin with loss of a couple of letters. $350 |
| 7. | Anon. MAPS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. n.p. 1926. Color maps. Sm. folio. (7) 20, 8 pp. Tables of areas and population, 20 full page colored maps of the islands, and an index. Bound in blue cloth. Backstrip lacking, else VG. An old Johnson or Mitchell colored atlas map of the West Indies (with Bermuda inset and South America on the back) is laid into the book. Both items. $250 |
| 8;. | Anon. YE PREPOSTEROUS BOOKE OF BRASSE... n.p. 1937. Color frontis. 55 pp. “...which includes Divers Strange & Surprising Vituscan Voyages, Learned Discourses, Pious Anecdotes, Missionary Pilgrimages, Merry Tales snd Histories & a fulle & complete historie of Ye Plate of Brasse set upon our fair shores by Ye Antient Buccaneer Francis Drake.” A high falootin’ sendup of the scholarly to-do surrounding the supposed discovery of Drake’s plate of brass, itself a hoax perpetrated in 1936. A VG copy in pseudo “brass” covers. Scarce and fun. $100 |
| 9. | “Artemas Ward.” COLUMBUS OUTDONE. AN EXACT NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE OF THE YANKEE SKIPPER CAPT. WM. A. ANDREWS. NY. 1893. b/w plates. 198 pp. This is one of the daffier, and rarer, single handed transatlantic accounts. It concerns Andrews’ 1893 voyage in a 14 foot canvas-covered folding sneakbox, from Atlantic City to Palos, Spain. This took place during the World’s Fair. Its purpose was to promote Sapolio, a cleaning product. Toy 486, citing a modern reprint containing this narrative. Quite scarce in this first edition, and this copy is even scarcer because it contains a four line inscription from Andrews, signed by him. VG in original illustrated cover. See Illustration $500 |
| 10. | Balch, Thomas Willing. THE ALABAMA ARBITRATION. Phila. 1900. 150 pp. History of the prolonged arbitration arising from England’s liability in having knowingly built and launched the Confederate raider. This includes a narrative of the Alabama’s adventures and a parallel documentary history. Bound in half red morocco over marbled boards. a Fine copy. $150 |
| 11. | Barton, E. H. THE CAUSE AND PREVENTION OF YELLOW FEVER AT NEW ORLEANS AND OTHER CITIES IN AMERICA. NY. 1857. b/w folding map, charts. 17, vi-48, xviii, vi, (5), 282 pp. Third edition of a scarce and fascinating work. Barton, in the service of a misconception that yellow fever resulted from the putrefaction of the earth, assisted by particular meteorological conditions, inadvertently provides us with a very close description of port towns such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Wilmington, Delaware, Columbia, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia in the mid-19th century. He gives histories of epidemics and relates them to local canals, wharves, etc. He also provides a large folding “Sanitary Map of the City of New Orleans” as well as several folding charts illustrating the fluctuations in meteorological conditions. His theory was incorrect, but the incidental material he marshals to support it is still valuable. Newspaper articles, some pertaining to New Orleans, pasted to front blanks. Some foxing throughout, map complete but torn along one short fold. Bound in original cloth. Ownership signature of “C.B. White, Asst. Surgeon, USA.” See Illustration $750 |
| 12. | Bookends. WHALE BOAT BOOKENDS. Two brass bookends, about 8” tall, reproducing the famous New Bedford monument. These bear the legends, “A Dead Whale or a Stove Boat” and “In honor of the whaleman whose skill hardihood and daring brought fame and fortune to New Bedford and made its name known in every seaport of the globe.” See Illustration $400 |
| 13. | Broadside. THE DYING WORDS OF CAPT. ROBERT KID, A NOTED PIRATE WHO WAS HANGED AT EXECUTION DOCK. Single sheet, 9 1/2 x 11 inches. This is a broadside ballad celebrating, in over 100 lines of verse in two columns, the career of a variant pirate whose exploits match those of the famous buccaneer William Kidd. How the name transferred from “William” to “Robert” is unknown, but the broadside itself is rare enough, showing only one library holding it on OCLC. This listing dates the piece between 1820 and 1829 and attributes it to one Christopher Brown of New York. This agrees with the line at the bottom of the sheet stating, “Priuted and Suld (sic), wholesale and retail, by C. Brown, 211 Water-street.” $1250 |
| 14. | Broadside. U.S.MARSHALL’S SALE... PUBLIC AUCTION THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 1906... THE BARGE ADENIKE,” HER TACKLE, ETC. “Sale to take place on board said barge, at Arnott’s Stores, foot of 28th Street, Brooklyn... Joseph Shongood, Auctioneer. Wm. Henkel, U.S. Marshall... New York, December 13, 1906.” Sheet measures 12 x 9 1/2 inches. Some soiling in lower margin. Text in bold wood block type. $125 |
| 15. | Bromfield, M. A BRIEF DISCOVERY OF THE TRUE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS OF THAT MOST REIGNING DISEASE THE SCURVIE. n.p. (1672) (1), 30 pp. Of interest as an example of how little was known about scurvy in the century before its cure was discovered. Bromfield was a pill pusher, and this little treatise is no more than an extended advertisement for his “Infallible PILL.” Scurvy, he says, “doth chiefly proceed from Melancholy, bred by distemper of the Stomack, or spleen.” He describes the symptoms accurately but suggests that “in some the Scurvy is hereditary.” He then moves on to a discussion of venereal diseases and dropsy before returning to scurvy as it occurs among mariners, “and such as travel by sea, to whom the Scurvie, and many other diseases are very incident, partly from bad airs, sea-fogs, sudden heats and colds, much salt and bad diet...” assuring us that his Pill is always the best cure. This is followed by some testimonials and some recipes for medicines to supplement the Pills. One of the testimonials is dated 1672. This is certainly a rare little pamphlet. There are several titles by Bromfield on OCLC, none quite conforming to this one. Each of those was held in only one library. Bound in modern boards. Not in wing or Adams and Waters. $1500 |
| 16. | Bywater, Hector C. THE GREAT PACIFIC WAR. Bos. 1932. ix, 321 pp. This is something of a cult book; and quite a difficult one to locate. Mr. Bywater accurately predicts our naval war with Japan in WW II in his book published 25 years before the event. Minor cover wear, a Good copy. $125 |
| 17. | Chamisso, Adelbert von. A SOJOURN AT SAN FRANCISCO BAY. 1816 San Francisco. 1936. Color plates. Folio. 16 pp. In 1816 Kotzebue’s ship Rurick sailed into San Francisco Bay.n Among her crew were the talented naturalist Adelbert Chamisso and the artist Louis Choris. the party spent a month before sailing on to Hawaii, and during this time Chamisso wrote and Choris drew. The results are reproduced here in a lovely piece of fine printing by the Book Club of California, featuring 7 plates by Choris. One in a limited edition of 250 copies. Glue mark from former owner’s bookplate on front pastedown, faint sunned spots at head and tail of backstrip, else a VG copy in original plain dustwrapper. $250 |
| 18. | Chart. A NEW CHART OF NOVA SCOTIA & BAY OF FUNDY (WITH) CONTINUATION OF THE COAST FROM CAPE ENSUME TO MIRAMICHI. The main chart is a blueback measuring 75 1/2 x 32 inches, showing the coast down east from Plymouth, Mass. to Cape Breton. The “Continuation” measures 26 x 16 inches, and was originally glued to the upper right border of the main chart, where it continued the coast north of the tip of Cape Breton. Both charts by Blatchford. The main chart is dated London, 1845, the continuation 1837. Insets are of Chaleur and Miramichi Bays, and Boston, Shelburne, St. Johns, Halifax and the Canso Cut. These were of obvious interest to fishermen, and Cashes, Jeffreys, Le Have, Roseway and Sable Island banks are clearly delineated, with soundings and shoals. Charts were probably often paired in this manner, but I’ve never seen such a pairing that has survived in such excellent condition as these. Visually striking, and conveying a wealth of maritime history. $1250 |
| 19. | Chart. A NEW CHART OF THE GULFS OF MEXICO AND FLORIDA INCLUDING THE WINDWARD PASSAGE... A wonderful chart showing the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Cuba and the islands. With insets showing harbors of Port Royal, Belize, Laguna de Terminos, and Vera Cruz. Done by Imray, London, 1850. Surface wrinkled and creased in places. Backed on a beautiful patterned fabric. Overall a Good copy of a great chart. $950 |
| 20. | Chart. ELDRIDGE CHART. EASTERN CANADIAN WATERS. Linen backed chart measuring 66 x 21 inches showing all of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with inset harbor views of Canso, Halifax, Miramichi, St. Johns, and a large section showing Nova Scotian waters from Cape Canso to Pictou. Some damage in lower left of chart, where paper has come loose from backing. Some tears but no loss. Undated, but probably late 19th century. $200 |
| 21. | Chart. ELDRIDGE’S CHART FROM CAPE COD TO BELLE ISLE. Linen backed chart measuring 65 x 19 1/2 inches. Proceeds down east from Cape Cod. “Including the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Banks of Newfoundland...” With insets showing “From Scatari Island to Sydney Harbor” and “St. John’s Harbor.” Dated 1873. Some spotting on right edge, staining on left with one small tear. A Good chart overall. $250 |
| 22. | Chart. GEO. W. ELDRIDGE’S CHART F: KENNEBEC RIVER TO DEER ISLE. Chart on heavy paper. Boston, 1897. A few marginal spots and wrinkles, but a very attractive chart of the Maine coast, in excellent condition. $800 |
| 23. | Chart. GEO. W. ELDRIDGE’S CHART G: PENOBSCOT BAY TO MACHIAS. Chart on heavy paper measuring 57 x 34 inches. Printed in Boston, with “1898” stamped under title. Lights are hand colored. a Very nice chart. $750 |
| 24. | Cheyne, Andrew. SAILING DIRECTIONS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES TO CHINA AND JAPAN. Lon. 1857. (2), 212 pp. “Including the whole islands and dangers in the western Pacific Ocean, the coasts of New Guinea, and the safest route through Torres Strait.” This book includes a useful index and vocabularies of the Lifu, Uea, Vaati, Stewart Islands, Eddystone Island, Bonabe, Yap, and Pallou Islands languages. It is a rare book, OCLC showing only a single holding - in the Smithsonian library. Cheyne was a British merchant captain at the height that nation’s expansion into the Pacific, and he wrote from his deep store of personal knowledge as well as “the most authentic sources.” He also published a “Description of Islands in the Western Pacific” in 1852. He was murdered by natives in the Palaus in 1864 or 1865. See Morrell’s “Britain in the Pacific Islands.” This is a very nice copy in original boards, in much better condition than such hard-used works are usually found. $1000 |
| 25. | Cilley, Jonathan Prince, jr. BOWDOIN BOYS IN LABRADOR. Rockland, ME. n.d. (ca. 1900) 71 pp. “An account of the Bowdoin College scientific expedition to Labrador led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee...” In fact a summer adventure aboard the schooner Julia A. Decker. The trip consisted of a lot of sailing, hiking and camping. The members of the expedition mapped and photographed prehistoric Eskimo settlements, collected fish specimens, and discovered plants previously assumed to have never existed in the area. The Bowdoin College library writes, “The expedition may be best known, however, for the discovery of Bowdoin Canyon and the Grand Falls of the Hamilton River by four Bowdoin students... Due to the loss of their canoe, they were forced to walk most of the three hundred miles on their return trip back to the expedition settlement, barely escaping with their lives.” Various phases of the journey are written up by the Bowdoin boys, of whom Cilley, the editor, was one. Scarce, not in Toy. $150 |