Travel and Topography

Editor (1857-1921) of the manuscript newspaper 'Congo Mirror', who 'drew attention to irregularities in Congo Free State, 1886; [...] and accused Congo officials of murders and atrocities; with help he carried on the agitation until the Congo Reform Association was formed; in a series of letters to the African Mail entitled the Lower Congo he pointed out the injustice of the French rule and the concessionnaire system in Congo Francais' (Who's Who). Three pages, 12mo. On grey paper. Very good. Docketed in pen and green pencil.

48pp., 12mo, unopened save title, original green wrappers, chipped, good condition"Yr Ail Argraffiad" (Second edition - no record found of a "First"). The author, in a "Notice" (the only English in the work), says "I have disposed of my Book called "The American," to Mr. J. Jones Printer, Llanrwst, and grant to him all the right and Claim to the same. / B.W. Chidlaw, A.M. / Paddy's Run, Ohio. / Llanrwst Decr. 25, 1839. The purpose of the pamphlet is to encourage Welsh emigration to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois at an interesting time.

Traveller in Spain and elsewhere, and author. 2-4pp., 8vo. He discusses extensively his work on "a Handbook on Russia & Great Britain in Central Asia", giving a resume of chapters and asking for copies to be sent to various places. "No question is more important at present". FOUR ITEMS,

(1788-1883) Arctic explorer, soldier, astronomer and magnetic surveyor. Three pages, 8vo, good condition, date "1825" written in pencil. Text as follows: "Copies of my book have been ordered by the Board of Longitude to be sent to Members of the Board, and to Institutions, in different parts of the United Kingdom. Perhaps if the eleven copies, addressed as on the following page, are sent to you, you will have teh kindness to frank them to their several destinations. I shall call at the Admiralty myself with this note to spare you the trouble of writing an answer.

Fifty-two long lines of text, on one side of a single piece of parchment, roughly inches by. '[...] Between John Guscotte of No. 19 Essex Street Strand [...] and Alexander Brown of No. 342 Strand in the County of Middlesex aforesaid Book Seller'. A ten-year lease for a consideration of sixty pounds and yearly rent of one hundred and four pounds. Includes conditions relating to the upkeep of the premises, whitewashing of the walls, display of advertisements, etc.

Naturalist and miscellaneous writer. One page, 8vo. He says that he is about to leave for the Sudan and apologises for his discourtesy in not replying sooner. With: holograph list, 2pp., 8vo, of works by Robinson and key dates, events, and positions in his life, including a professorship in India, work for newspapers, authorship of a fishing brochure. His adventurous life was thought to have ended in the bush on Cuba where he was to have reported on the Spanish-American War.

Linguist, writer and traveller (1792-1872). One page, octavo. Lightly creased and with a few closed tears. Reverse adhering to page from autograph album. Reads 'My dear Sir | Herewith the promised letters - | Yours most truly | John Bowring'. Docketed on reverse.

English ecclesiastic (1778-1858). Two pages, octavo. Creased, and with one edge of verso adhering to leaf from autograph album. 'I hope you will excuse the great liberty I take in asking you to help me a little in finishing the Marbling, Enclosing, Ventilating &c of the Cathedral | I have been robbed of 20,000 by the Union Bank, so that I am compelled to solicit aid from the Congregation & kind friends in my extremity'. Signed 'D Calcutta'.

Two sides of postcard, in French, in a difficult hand, probably sent in 1913, the year in which this French Societe awarded a medal to Amundsen (GRADE MÉDAILLE D'OR DES EXPLORATIONS - of the south), text clear and complete. He is discussing the arrangements for the visit of Amundsen, saying initially that they cannot be changed (date, hour, "sejour"). He refers to the receptions involving "les membres du gouvernement" ("sont ]prevues?] du 22 [jour?] de son arrivee . . . Peut-etre le 29 deviendra-t-il libre, maiscela depend ni de la Societe de Geo.

Bathurst (1790-1863), an alumnus of Christ Church, Oxford, was Lord of the Manor of Lidney. One page, 12mo. Good, on creased, grubby and discoloured paper, with traces of mount adhering to reverse. Begins 'I send you a Pamphlet, which I dare say began in my brain in the cotyledonous or radicle state as early as when we bothered at Usk Sessions, one day or other you will perhaps read it'. Ends 'I am glad to find you are better than at the beginning of the Circuit'. There is no record of Bathurst's pamphlet in the BL.

Two pages, folio. Good, but on discoloured and lightly creased paper, with remains of stub adhering to one edge of verso. In English, with illegible signature. Begins 'The State Office of Statistics appreciating fully the great importance of an exact information of the British publicity of the conditions in the Czechoslovakia has the honour to send you simultaneously her following publications.' Five items listed.

British geographer and Labour politician (1911-94), son of the antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. One page, quarto. Very good. Folded three times. Docketed in red ink. He must decline the invitation to become a Fellow of the Society. 'It is certainly an honour and I would have liked to accept this invitation, but I have lately had to cut down on the membership of various societies since, as you can imagine, the subscriptions do mount up. This is frankly the reason, for I have become very well aware of the importance of the work of the Royal Society of Arts.'

Miscellaneous writer and traveller in Greece and the Far East (1758?-1841), DNB. Two autograph letters signed, edges discoloured, texts clear and complete. (7 March) "Sir/ I yesterday received your new Catalogue in which I find two articles which I am desirous of having No 2634. Belon (Pierre) & 3440 Ranwolfs Travels. provided they are in pefectly good condition [underlined from "as"] [.] I possess a copy of the same edition of Belon, but it [superscript] being very much stained I should be glad to get another that is perfectly well preserved.

Trimmed note laid down on card with added margin with Ellenborough's details (name and rand as Lord Chief Justice). "Lord Ellenborough presents his Comps. to Sir Wm Curtis & the Gentlemen of the Committee of the Corporation of London, & shall be very happy to have the honor of attending them at the opening of His Majesty's Statue at Guildhall on Saturday the 3d of June & afterwards at dinner, if his engagements of public business shall allow of his doing so." Text followed by place and date as above.

English linguist and traveller (died 1923), founder (in 1893) and president of the Anglo-Russian Literary Society. One page, 16mo. Very good. Bearing the Society's stamp. 'I thank you for your kind invitation for the 28th Inst, of which I will be pleased to avail myself, if able to go to London. Has our old friend, your predecessor, resigned the Secretaryship, & is his address the Liberal Club as before? If you and any friends care for music, I enclose a Card.' Signed 'Ed. A. Cazalet'.

English educationalist (born 1900) and authority on West Africa. Various formats from 12mo to quarto. Very good. Some items stamped or docketed. Mainly relates to a lecture to the Society by Ward, provisionally entitled 'Mass education in the colonies'. Letter of 1 November 1948: 'I am leaving for Beirut in a fortnight to attend the UNESCO conference, and am straining to get the next issue of 'Overseas Education' off to the press before I go.

Scottish nobleman (1726-1803). Ross (1742-1827; DNB), with Dundas, negotiated the surrender of Yorktown on Cornwallis's behalf. Two pages, quarto. Text entirely legible, but in poor condition, on stained, discoloured paper frayed at edges. Competently repaired with archival tape. Some loss to second leaf of bifoliate caused by breaking of seal. Unusually entertaining request in favour of his nephew, Lieut McCulloch of Bengal.

British soldier and colonial official (1869-1933), Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate, 1920-7. All three items very good. Both letters one page, quarto; both bearing the R.S.A. stamp, and one docketed. All three items signed 'C. A. Armitage'. LETTER ONE: Thanks the R.S.A.

South African author and journalist (1898-1950), Public Relations Officer at the South African High Commission. One page, octavo. Very good if somewhat grubby. Docketed and stamped. 'Herewith the translation by a colleague, as asked for in your letter dated September 9. I hope "Here are South Africans" does not bore you too much!'

Offprint of pp.247-77. Small 8vo. 4 plates, 3 of them folding. Foxed, loose copy with closed tear and crease to first leaf. In original light-brown printed wraps, which have become detached.. Presentation copy, with inscription to 'Mr. Edward Lynam from the writer' on front wrap. Manuscript annotation in pencil, presumably by Lynam.

British colonial administrator and politician (1849-1940). Dimensions of card four and a half inches by three and a half inches. Bearing postmark and stamp. Docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. Good, but with creasing and closed tears along foot of card, affecting signature. Reads 'May I ask you kindly to send me a spare copy of the Journal for September. 21st. 1917 no. 3383 - giving the concluding portion of Professor lecture on Architecture - also the next number if not concluded in that.' Signed 'Chas. E. Yate'.

Anglo-Irish author (1794-1860) and art critic. Paper dimensions roughly four and a half inches by two inches. Very good. From autograph album. Mounted on larger sheet of paper. Reads '[...] Oxford Street London for the next 3 weeks - Ever yours truly & affecly - | Anna Jameson'. Docketed in pencil at foot '(Legendary Art etc) | Written to my Mother - S[arah]. E[lizabeth]. S[iddons]. M[air].'

Wraps, illustrated, 5 June 1961, inscribed by the scholar C.E. Wright who has noted prices and purchasers beside 9 items which interested him. He also notes that Cherry-Garrard originally paid £5000 for a missal. A flick through the pages throws up Back, Bligh, Dalrymple, Scoresby for polar exploration.

Authority on the Balks, etc. (DNB). Fragment of a letter, c.6" x 2", laid down on slightly larger card from album, good condition. Text: By the time I leave, I hope we shall have our Serbian expedition virtually ready. The great trouble is to find a means of transit: it is hoped to get out all the way by ship. I will write agin: this has to catch the post."

Three pages, 8vo, conjoint leaves, wear at spine, not affecting text. "After many wanderings your letter of Feb 13th. has caught me here. I have been out of England since the middle of January,/ Your letter refers to a previous one wh. I have never received. / I am afraid that I cannot throw much light on the subject wch you refer. There is a big monument on the tope of Spion Kop, a column, wh. may be in the form of an obelisk but it is to the memory of the men who fell then generally, though I think, if I remember rightly, there are a number of individual inscriptions.

Clerk to the Privy Council (1794–1865) and noted diarist. Items clearly disbound from volume, with minute foliated '84'. The Order in Council is three pages, folio, on two leaves of gilt-edged laid paper. Good, though slightly discoloured, dusty at head, and with several closed tears and stab marks along one edge. Small square cut away from corner of second leaf (not affecting text). Entirely legible in a clear neat hand.

English politician (1762-1847). One page, 4to. Stained, and with several closed tears and one small hole at foot; traces of previous mount adhering to blank reverse. Formal letter in the third person. 'Lord Harrowby presents his Compliments to the Lord Mayor Elect and the Sheriffs and is sorry that his absence from London will prevent his having the honour of attending the dinner at Guildhall on Monday the 9th of November.'

Architect and engraver (1839-1922). One page, 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, but with evidence of previous mounting on brown paper on reverse. Addressed to 'Dear Doctor'. He thanks him for his 'kind care of us' ('your crippled patient gave you much trouble') and asks him to accept a copy of his 'Belgium' ('Etchings in Belgium. With descriptive letterpress', 1878), which he is sending through the '' and 'will probably arrive someday'. Signed 'Ernest George'. Docketed in ink on reverse.

Commissioner of Customs (circa 1775-1853), husband of Lady Anne Wellesley. The recipient is Emmanuel-Louis-Henri de Launay, Comte d'Antraigues (1753-1812). Two pages, 12mo. Folded twice. Somewhat grubby and discoloured with age, but in good condition overall. He was directed by the Marquess Wellesley to request that the Count call on him that day, in order to 'satisfy the object of your recent communications'.

8 leaves, 8vo, paginated [5-6] 7-19 [1]. Stitched: in contemporary brown plain wraps. In good condition, though folded in half lengthwise and with wraps rather grubby. Inscription reads 'Dr Tyndall FRS &c &c | from J P G'.