Items 101-110
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101. Vernon, Edward, and Thomas Wentworth. AUTHENTIC PAPERS RELATING TO THE EXPEDITION AGAINST CARTHAGENA: BEING THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCILS OF WAR ... Lon. 1744. 100 pp. In 1741 British and American colonial troops led by admiral Edward Vernon, launched a massive attack against Carthagena, Columbia. His fleet included 186 ships and 23,600 sailors, and 12,000 infantry against only 6 Spanish ships and less than 6,000 men, in an action known as the Battle of Carthagena de Indias. The siege was broken off by the start of the rainy season and the onset of yellow fever. Smollet served in the British Fleet during this engagement and left us “Roderick Random” as a result. Vernon’s defeat was critical, in that it resulted in Spain holding power in the area. However, George Washington’s brother fought with Vernon and was so impressed by him that he named Mt. Vernon after him. This is the official presentation of contemporary documents relating to the siege. Sabin 24456. Fairly scarce in the trade. The last copy to appear at auction was disbound and brought $500 in 1991. This copy is in good condition in old blue paper wrappers. $450 |
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102. Wallace, Frederic William. RECORD OF CANADIAN SHIPPING. Lon. (1929) b/w plates. xv, 302 pp “A list of square-rigged vessels, mainly 500 tons and over, built in the eastern provinces of British North America from the year 1786 to 1920.” VG, clean and bright. $125 |
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103. Warburton, A.F. (Stenographer). Nelson and Shipman, Judges Presiding. TRIAL OF THE OFFICERS AND CREW OF THE PRIVATEER SAVANNAH, ON THE CHARGE OF PIRACY. NY. 1862. xxii, 385 pp. This is the transcript of the trial of sailors who manned the Confederate privateer Savannah. It reveals all the details of the operations of this “piratical vessel.” The trial revolved around the distinction between pirates and privateers and, surprisingly, the proceedings ended in a hung jury. The government decided not to initiate a second trial, and the crewmen became simply prisoners of war. Original cloth binding with paper label, light wear. $200 |
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104. (Washington Irving). AN ACCOUNT OF THE FUNERAL HONORS BESTOWED ON THE REMAINS OF CAPT. LAWRENCE AND LIEUT. LUDLOW, WITH THE EULOGY PRONOUNCED AT SALEM, ON THE OCCASION, BY HON. JOHN STORY. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, AN ACCOUNT OF THE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE CHESAPEAKE AND SHANNON, WITH DOCUMENTS RELATIVE TO THE SAME, AND BIOGRAPHICAL AND POETICAL NOTICES. “A NATION'S TEARS BEDEW THE HERO’S GRAVE."” Bos. 1813. 64 pp. The biography on pages 17-32 is quoted from the “Analectic Magazine” for August 1813, and is the first separate printing of Irving’s “Biography of James Lawrence,” preceding the New Brunswick edition of the same year by exactly one month. A woodcut illustrating the coffins for the bodies of Captain Lawrence and Lieutenant Ludlow, and positions and identities of the pallbearers is included on page 38 of the text. Joseph Story’s Eulogy is printed on pages 41 through 55. With the contemporary signature of Sam’l Adams Jun. above the title. This is Blank’s State B, with the letter on page 40 addressed to a committee of seven and the grave marker tailpiece on the final page (p. 64). Jacob Blank rediscovered this contemporary account of the engagement between the Chesapeake and Shannon and of Lawrence’s funeral in the 1950s. His “Bibliography of American Literature” (BAL) describes two states. Although Howes (I-82) lists Irving's 1813 “Biography of James Lawrence,” (New Brunswick, 28 September, 1813), he does not list this earlier account. Moebs 61; Eugene Pool’s “Don’t Give Up the Ship” p. 70. A tall, uncut pamphlet; stitched as issued. Protected in a navy blue, gilt-decorated custom clamshell box. $1500 |
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105. Whaling Manuscript. WHALING LETTERS OF CAPT. SHADRACH R. TILTON, BARK VALPARAISO, TO AGENTS HATHAWAY & LUCE, 1852-1862. Nine pages manuscript. The Valparaiso sailed from New Bedford Oct 14, 1852 and returned May 19, 1856 with 535 sperm, 768 whale oil, and 1400 pound bone, having sent home 373 sperm and 9631 bone - a busy and prosperous trip. In these six letters Tilton writes his agents about taking command, recruiting a crew, progress of the voyage (three of the letters are from Honolulu, describing it as the “Damest of all places,” and concerning crew trouble, losses and fatalities). The last letter is from 1862 and concerns a suit brought against Tilton by a crewman who was flogged. A fascinating lot. $950 |
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106. Wheeler, Daniel. EFFECTS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF ARDENT SPIRITS & IMPLEMENTS OF WAR, AMONGST THE NATIVES OF SOME OF THE SOUTH-SEA ISLANDS & NEW SOUTH WALES... (BOUND WITH) GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING ARTICLES IN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF NATURAL HISTORY... LYCEUM, NEW BEDFORD MASSACHUSETTS TO THE ATTENTION OF TRAVELLER, SEA-FARING MAN...” Lon. 1839. (and) New Bedford 1837. 21 (and) 8 pp. Daniel Wheeler was a British Quaker missionary who preached in and wrote about the Pacific Islands. This interesting treatise was extracted from Wheeler’s letters and journals, which were also published in 1839, the year of his death. (See Forbes 1184.) It is a fairly scarce book, Worldcat showing holdings in only six libraries outside Australia. The second title is genuinely rare. According to Worldcat only the AAS holds a copy. The members of the Lyceum (listed here) give recipes for preserving things, and specific directions for preserving various kinds of animals, plants and minerals. How these two disparate items came to be bound together is beyond me, but so they are, in modern half black morocco over marbled boards. $500 |
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107. Whitney, Marvin E. THE SHIP’S CHRONOMETER. Cinn. (1985) b/w plates, ills. 4to. viii, 499 pp. plus errata page laid in. Thorough study of the subject, from its beginnings and including both European and American developments, by a chronometer maker and watch expert who worked at the US Naval Observatory. This is the first edition, with errata slip, and scarce thus. About Fine in dj. $150 |
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108. Wilkes, Charles. NARRATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION DURING THE YEARS 1838...1842. Phila. 1845. b/w plates, charts, atlas. 5 vols., various paginations, plus atlas. This is the official record of the major US exploring expedition of the 19th century. “Six ships were commissioned for the voyage... the expedition visited... South America... the Samoa Islands and New South Wales. From Sydney, Wilkes sailed into the Antarctic Ocean and along the Antarctic Continent... reporting land at a number of points in the region now known as Wilkesland. He visited Tonga, the Fiji group, and the Hawaiian Islands in 1840, and in 1841 explored the west coast of North America... ”—Hill 1867. This is the first “popular” edition, preceded only by the rare Official and 4to editions (totaling about 250 copies). It has been completely reset, with some revisions to the text. The plates are the same as those in the first two issues, but have been slightly rearranged by the binder. Of this edition, Wilkes himself said, “the paper and execution fully equal and, in some respects (are) to be preferred to the 4to edition.” Haskell 2b. Howes W-414 “aa.” Hill 1867. Spence 1262. Bound in government cloth with gold cover and spine decorations. This is the finest set I’ve ever had - clean, fresh, and crisp, with the original bindings in a fine state of preservations. The maps in the atlas volume are much fresher than usually found, with little offsetting and almost no tanning. This is the copy of American artist Francis Boardman Crowninshield, with his ownership signature, dated 1845. A splendid set. $9500 |
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109. Williams, Mark. F/V BLACK SHEEP. Glo. MA. 2006. 339 pp. Collection of shoot-from-the-hip stories about the Gloucester fishing industry. National Fisherman called it, “gut-wrenching, life-affirming and frankly amusing.” Sadly, just as the book was catching on, Williams died of a heart attack. His untimely death was followed by a squabble over book and movie rights that only enhanced interest in the original - Williams has been the subject of several newspaper articles. There are used and ex-library copies available, but none are Fine copies, signed by Williams, as this one is. $75 |
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110. Wood, C.F. A YACHTING CRUISE IN THE SOUTH SEAS. Lon. 1875. b/w prints. 221 p. A witty and informative look at the South Seas, and cruising as it was practiced in the Victorian era. Wood stopped at Rotuma, the Fijis, the Solomons and the Carolines, among other places. Toy notes that he was a stout champion of the natives and opposed to the destruction of their way of life by “missionaries, traders, blackbirders and other ‘agents of so-called civilization.’” Toy - 693. Illustrated with 6 autotype photos. Scarce in this first edition. Binding broken, but clean inside, with photos bright. $50 |
List 187 Table of Contents