Search Results: Titles starting with N from Rachel Smith Books

Wolff, Joseph
Narrative of a Mission to Bokhara, in the Years 1843-1845, to Ascertain the Fate of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly. Edinburgh & London. William Blackwood & Sons. 1848, 5th. Ed. Octavo, XXV, 1 429, 1, pp. Presentation copy Inscribed by Wolff to " Robert Adam Christopher" and below this an inscription in Arabic. Christopher was a FRS, PC, and MP over a long career in British politics. Original publisher's cloth, lettered in gilt. Some fading to the spine and wear along the edges of the covers. The text is free of markings and spotting, and is tight and clean. Wolff was commissioned to discover the fate of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly after they failed to return from a mission in Central Asia. Wolff returned to England after his own dangerous exploits with the news that they had been executed by beheading at the order of the Emir of Bukhara, Nasrullah Khan in 1942.

King, Richard.Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Arctic Ocean, in 1833, 1834, and 1835; under the Command of Capt. Back.Two volumes, 8vo., pp vol 1: iii, xv, [1 blank], 312, vol 2: viii, 321, [1 imprint]. Two engraved frontispieces, one lithographic map, and one engraved plate. The map has light spotting and the engraved plates have damp-marking. Two pages in vol. 2 have a stain probably from candle wax (photo). Otherwise the text is very clean except for the aforementioned. Contemporary full blue/green calf, letters on the spine in gilt on Morocco labels. Scuffing and some wear on the bindings with a small missing piece of leather on each copy (see photos). Ownership signatures of Mathew King in a 19th century hand, in both copies. Richard King was the surgeon and naturalist on the Back voyage searching for Sir John Ross. A very good copy of a scarce voyage of Arctic exploration.

Laird, Macgregor & R.A.K. Oldfield. Narrative of an Expedition Into the Interior of Africa, By the River Niger, In the Steam-Vessels Quorra and Alburkah, in 1832, 1833, and 1834. This copy has the ownership signature of a future explorer of the Niger: J. O. McWilliam.London. Richard Bentley, 1837. First edition, two volumes, octavos, 451, 447 pages. Contemporary ¾ calf binding with lettering on the spine in gilt. Boards are a textured grey-black book-cloth. Textblock is in good condition except for minor foxing in prelims, and light toning to some plates; marbled endpapers with one in the first volume just holding, and in the second volume one is detached. Covers are in very good condition with very little shelfware. Set is complete with six engraved and aquatint plates, and a litho map of the river Quorra from the town of Rabba.Richard and John Lander had led an expedition to the lower Niger River in 1831, and afterwards there was enough interest for another expedition to develop commercial… Read More

HOLBERG, LudvigNicolai Klimii iter Subterraneum Novem Telluris Theoriam (The Subterranean Voyage of Nicolas Klim).Copenhagen and Leipzig, 1741. First edition, 380 pages, Complete with three plates counting the Frontispiece. Text is clear with no signatures or markings except for slight spotting on the plates (see photos). Contemporary 3/4 calf with marbled boards. The top board hinge is starting but still solid and holding. A good + collectible copy of this early science fiction journey into a fifth underground continent.

CHARLES BABBAGE
THE NINTH BRIDGEWATER TREATISE. A FRAGMENT
John Murray, London 1838. 2nd edition. pp vii, [1], xxii, [1], 24-270, [12 adverts]. The advertisements were published in February 1838. Original publisher's brown pebbled cloth with paper label on the spine. Re-backed with the original spine laid down. Paper label in poor condition with piece missing (see photo). Binding is good +, but lightly scuffed and has two corners bumped. Front end paper is Inscribed by Benjamin Herschel Babbage, (the author's son), to "Oscar Clayton from his sincere friend Benjamin Herschel Babbage July 1838". The text is bright and clean with no discoloration. Seven pages have a few comments by the reader in pencil, otherwise the text is unmarked. A very good family copy inscribed by Benjamin.