Rare books from Rachel Smith Books

IRBY, CHARLES and MANGLES, JAMES.
Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria, and Asia Minor; during the years 1817 and 1818.
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. London. 1823. PRESENTATION COPY. Quarto. First Edition, [xxxiii], Errata, 560pp. Engraved folding map, 3 plans (2 folding), 6 lithographed plates. Contemporary half calf, (Atabey 606, Blackmer 860). Inscribed to: "Louisa Norris from Captain Mangles". Occasional slight spotting, map with some offsetting and short tear. Binding has scuffing on both covers. Otherwise a very good copy with no markings and mostly a clean and tight text. "This privately printed work takes the form of six letters: the first from Cario dated 1817 and the last from Cyprus dated 1818. Irby and Mangles assisted Belzoni in his excavation at the site of Abu Simbel, an independent account of which is given in the letters. From there, they journeyed through the desert to Gaza, Jaffa, Beirut and Tripoli; thence to Baalbek and Antioch; and reached Aleppo where they were among the… Read More

Desert, Marsh and Mountain Ltd. EditionThesiger, Wilfred. 1979, The first Deluxe Ltd. Edition published by Collins, London.
The Ltd.edition was published in 160 copies and is signed on the title page by Thesiger. This copy is number 65 and is in FINE condition as is the slipcase. Quarto (215 x 275mm). Many fine photos taken by Thesiger, some double page, 304 pages of photos, text, maps, prologue, epilogue, glossary of foreign terms and an index. The title comes from his Desert travels in his first and second crossings of the Empty Quarter, his time spent living with the Marsh Arabs, and his journeys in various unfrequented mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush and Karakorams. Also covered are travels in Iraqi, Kurdistan, Iran, and the Yemen. "One of the last in a great British tradition of individual and often eccentric travellers". Original binding in ½ brown Morocco with beige cloth boards. All edges are gilt and the spine is with gilt lettering. The slipcase is original cloth with a… Read More

M'Clure, Robert. Osborn, Sherard, ed. The Discovery of the North-West PassageLondon, 1856 first edition, Octavo 21.5 x 13.5 cm. Longman, Brown [&c.]. 406 pages with 26 pages of advertisements dated March 1856. Folding engraved hand-colored map, 4 lithograph plates, original blue cloth with gilt lettering on spine, terracotta end papers with printed advertisements. The text is clean and tight without any markings. The fold out map is in fine condition with no tears and is properly folded. The binding is unmarked with no fading, spine lettering is bright, slight possible repair to the head of the spine otherwise a FINE copy.Robert M'Clure was a British naval Captain who is best known for his discovery of the course of the Northwest passage. He commanded the H.M.S. Investigator and along with Captain Richard Collinson in the H.M.S. Enterprise, they were sent in 1850 by the British Admiralty to the Arctic to search for the lost Franklin expedition. Their approach was to be from the West through… Read More

Goodsir, Robert AnstrutherAn Arctic Voyage to Baffin's Bay and Lancaster Sound, in Search of Friends with Sir John Franklin.London. Presentation Copy, First edition. 1850. 12mo, viii, 152pp., [8]. Tinted lithograph frontispiece, folding map. Original blue blind stamped cloth. Gilt lettering on the spine. Skillfully recased. Library stamps of the Medical Society Edinburgh of which Goodsir was a member. A book plate "from the Travel Library of Beekman Pool" on inside the front cover. Folding map of Baffin Bay. Three pages of the publisher's advertisements are bound in at the end. Text is clean except an unfortunate old ink spill affecting 5 pages with no loss of text, Binding has some fading to the spine, and slight surface scuffing and discoloration to boards. Otherwise a very good copy in the scarce original binding.The presentation inscription reads: "For the Library of the Royal Medical Society from the Author."
Goodsir's brother was missing from the Franklin expedition and this is the… Read More

Malay Archipelago The Land of the Orang-Utan, and the Bird of Paradise.Alfred Russel Wallace. London, Macmillian, 1869. First Edition, Fine Condition. Two volumes, 8Vo. Publisher's original green cloth, the spine and covers with decorative gilt. Pages: xxiii, 478, [2], 51, [1]. Vol 2, [4], 524.
Consisting of: two frontispiece, six engraved plates, nine maps (2 folded), forty three illustrations in the text body, fifty four pages of advertisements with the early date of Dec. 1868.
The covers are in Fine condition. The gilt is bright and not showing any wear. The only shelf wear is the bottom cover of volume one shows the slightest bit of scuffing from being pulled from a shelf. Both volumes front endpapers have the interesting bookplates of Robert Blagden Hale and Hale Aderley.
The text block is a "Fine minus" because of the following: The title page of volume one has a spot of off-setting from the tissue guard (see photo). Page 20 upper left side has a faint finger smudge. Page 49 has a short… Read More

HUTTON, WILLIAM, "VOYAGE to AFRICA including a Narrative of an Embassy to One of the Interior Kingdoms, in the year 1820; with remarks on the course and termination of the Niger and other Principal Rivers in the country".London, Longman, 1821. First edition, 8vo. pp. 488, 2 folding maps, 4 aquatint plates, slight offsetting and browning to the hand-colored plates and the 2 foldout maps. Otherwise text is without markings or inscriptions and is clean with a tight text block. Modern full calf with green Morocco labels and bright gilding.Hutton, spent 11 years serving as an officer in the British African Company of Merchants. He made four voyages to the Gold Coast, and for a time served as acting consul for Ashantee. Along with his experiences encountered in the Gold Coast, he describes the fauna and flora, the medicines used by the natives, and the diseases of the area. Also he mentions weather data and various minerals and fossils that he collected. There is a chapter devoted to the Fantee… Read More

Royal Geographical Society Journal volume number 2. Published 1832. 3/4 calf with marbled boards and the original spine laid down. Eleven maps, some folding of various places of interest to the Geographical Society. They include North Africa, Australia (southeaster part), Egypt, Maldives, Mouth of Ganges, New Zealand, Anegada, The Nile River, British Guiana, West Coast of Africa, and "Western Australia from the latest documents received by the Colonial Office, 1832." This volume contains many reports pertaining to the maps listed. See photo of table of contents for the complete listing.This is an attractive copy of the second journal published by the Society. It has the bookplate of "The Geographical Society of New South Wales" on the inside cover and it was "Presented by Angus & Robertson Ltd.". The text is clean and tight with some spotting from offsetting of the maps. The maps are in V-G condition with only one small tear in a margin (1"). The marbled boards have some f shelf ware, and the… Read More

Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger. Longman, London, 1959, first edition with Dust Jacket. A very attractive signed copy of his very popular account of his explorations in Arabia. "The book covers the five years ending in 1950 which, with the exception of brief interruptions only, Thesiger spent in and around the Empty Quarter, the half million square miles of one of the cruelest deserts of the world.", (from back jacket).This copy is signed on the title page by Thesiger. The folding map of the Empty Quarter is in the rear pocket and except for my inspection it appears to have never been opened. The condition of the book is near Fine with the detractions limited to some tape residue on the front end paper that probably held a newspaper clipping, and a previous owner's signature on the same endpaper. There is no fading to the dust jacket or the book. The dust jacket would rate a VG+ and is not price clipped. There is some shelf wear in several places but no tears or nicks.

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

Buckingham, James Silk
Travels in Palestine, through the Countries of Bashan and Bilead, East of the River Jordan: Including a Visit to the cities of Geraza and Gamala, in the Decapolis.London, Longman, Hurst…, Second Edition, 1822. Two volumes, 8vo. Pp. [iii], xxxviii, [2], 402; iv, 474, 2, (adverts). Period diced calf, spines blind stamped and with new red Morocco letter pieces stamped in gilt. Skilfully rebacked using the original spines. Frontis portrait of Buckingham in Volume I. Six folding plates of plans, 2 engraved folding maps, 28 vignettes (most are full page).Inscribed by Buckingham to his sister. To Mrs. Philp, with the sincere regards of her affectionate brother- J.S. Buckingham August 1826.A very good and attractive set. The bindings have slight shelf wear and some scuffing around the edges. The original gilt floral border is intact except for a very few places (see photos). The marbled endpapers have the bookplate of R.K. Philp (Robert Kemp Philp a Unitarian minister in Falmouth).… Read More

Boucard, A.Travels of a Naturalist. London 1894. Published by the Author. First edition 8vo., viii, ii, 204 pages. Publisher's Brown Pebbled Cloth. Frontispiece portrait of Boucard, Half Titles. Boards are in Fine condition with no scuffing, fading or wear. SIGNED inscription by Boucard to Edmound Perrier, Director du Museum de Paris. Text block is in Fine condition without any markings, or discoloration, and is bright, clean, and tight. A very attractive copy is seldom found in commerce in this condition. With ALS to Perrier, and a 24 page pamphlet by Boucard titled OBJETS EXPOSES published for an International Exposition in Paris, 1889.Boucard was noted for his extensive travels and adventures as a Naturalist. His travels are best described by the title as: A Record of Adventures, Discoveries, History and Customs of Americans and Indians, Habits and Descriptions of Animals, Chiefly Made in North America, California, Mexico, Central America, Columbia, Chile, Etc., During the Last Forty-Two Years.

Cunynghame, Arthur
An Aide-de-Camp's Recollections of Service in China, a Residence in Hong-Kong, and visits to other islands in the Chinese seas.
London, Saunders and Otley. 1844, 2 volumes, First Editions. Binding is the original publisher's Duck-Egg Blocked Cloth. 8vo., pp. xi, [1], 311, [1]; viii, 332, [8]. Aquatint frontispiece in both volumes, and 7 aquatint plates and 15 line illustrations in the text. Several of the plates have spotting (mostly in the margins). The volume 1 frontispiece has a small damp stain. The upper boards have a pictorial in gilt, and the spines are lettered in gilt. The covers are a little soiled with a few marks and are sunned along the spines. The corners are lightly bumped. The text block is clean and bright aside from the spotting on the frontispieces and several plates. A good + sound set, seldom at auction (auction records show only 1 copy in 1974), and uncommon in the original cloth.A first edition of Cunynghame's account of his service in China and Hong… Read More

Knollys, HenryIncidents of the China War of 1860. Complied from the Private Journals of General Sir Hope Grant G.C.B.William Blackwood. Edinburgh. 1875, 8vo. Pp 2, ix, 264, 62."Sir Hope Grant has…been persuaded to intrust to me his private journals and his correspondence relating to the China War of 1860, and has allowed me to publish such portions as appeared to me to merit special attention…it has appeared to me desirable to make further public the little-known incidents of the war, and the little-realized successes then achieved by our troops, ere an additional lapse of years shall have entailed on the subject the proverbial indifference belonging to the fears of a bygone age." The"present diary was no after-thought composition. Day after day events of the preceding twenty-four hours were committed to paper while fresh in the writer's memory." Henry Knollys, Captain Royal Artillery. Condition is very good. The original blue cloth binding has slight fading on the spine and the spine ends… Read More

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.

A. E. I. ARABIA EGYPT INDIAIsabel Burton. Signed inscription by Isabel Burton.London: William Mullan, Near Fine, 1st. Edition, 1879, 8vo. Viii, 488 Pp. Frontispiece colored map showing the route from London to India. Colored foldout map of the route through India, 12 plates. The original binding is near fine save for the corners being slightly bumped, and a small tear at the top of the spine (see photo). The text is Fine, and is clean, tight, bright, with no markings and probably unread since a few of the pages are uncut. Inscribed by Isabel Burton to her cousin: "To George Smart..with Kindest Regards…from his affectionate cousin…Isabel Burton..March 1879". "The rarest of Isabel Burton's books. Near Fine condition and extremely bright gilt cover. This book was in essence and account of Isabel and Richard's Tour of India in the late 1870's. It includes political observations written by Richard but purporting to be Isabel's views on the partition of Turkey. The original source documents for this… Read More