Journal of the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1891-2. Under Command of D. Lindsay

Adelaide: C. E. Bristow, Government Printer, 1893. First edition. Paperback. Very good. The expedition, funded by Sir Thomas Elder and led by David Lindsay, was intended to explore western South Australia and Western Australia, in order '... to fill up the Map of Australia, that purpose will not be fulfilled if any appreciable area anywhere, be omitted.' By the end of the expedition, which included 14 men and 44 camels, 80,000 square miles of land had been charted, but only traces of water and good grazing land were found.
The expedition collected 150 new species of insects and 19 new species of plants which were part of the 700 specimens collected; in addition, mollusks, lichens, fungi, birds, mammals, reptiles, rocks & minerals were collected. The Journal includes Lindsay's final report and journal (160pp), the journal of Wells, and vocabularies collected from the "Pidong" tribe who inhabited the mouth of the Murchison River in WA.

8vo, 207pp, staplebound, in pale blue paper wraps, front paper cover lacking. With 2 large folding maps in separate pale blue folder. Folder strenghened with tape on spine and the cloth ties are missing. Map folder with sml lib stamp at front cover; two sml surplus Library of Congress stamps internally. Library stamp to verso of one of folding maps and inside cover of accompanying map folder. Ferguson 9409a; Wantrup 208.