Travel & Exploration in China, Voyages, Rare & Out-of-Print Books

Rare, antiquarian, used & out-of-print books on travel in China, for sale at Horizon Books.

ANON, ; The Columbian Atlas of the World containing Large-scale Colored maps of each State and Territory in the United States, Provinces of Canada, Every Foreign Country, the Continents and their Subdivisions. Buffalo, NY, Garretson, Cox and Company, 1897, , folio [37 x 31 cm or 14.5 x 12 inches]; 159 pp, 156 pages of colored maps, charts, including many double page, title printed in red and black, original blue pictorial gilt and blind-stamped cloth, gilt title lettering on cover, a little worn at spine ends, corners, very good+ clean and sound copy.

This is not to be confused with the Columbian World's Fair atlas nor the Columbian Atlas of the World We Live In, which was in much smaller format. This atlas is quite large and filled with very detailed colored maps, starting with fine double-page maps of the world and of North America. The maps of the USA include the whole country, individual states and city maps showing streets (Boston, NY city, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. Louis, St. Joseph, Kansas city, New Orleans, San Francisco from Rand McNally Co, plus others as insets). Canadian maps include country, provinces and territories, some provinces showing counties. Other maps include: Mexico, Central America, West Indies, South America (plus other maps of regions of South America), Europe and individual countries, Polar area, Asia, double-page of Palestine with Jerusalem inset, Turkey and its provinces, Indochina, India, Japan, Persia, double of Africa showing colonial borders, South Africa, Egypt with Cairo inset, North Africa, Abyssinia, Australia, New Zealand, etc, plus other charts. Maps have city, province, county indexes in margins.

US$120. bookID # 12789

BISHOP, William Henry; Mexico, California, and Arizona being a New and Revised Edition of Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1889, First edition thus, being a revision with expanded material, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; xii, 569, [6, publisher's ads] pp, frontis map, over 100 illustrations including many full-page, maps including one of the railroads of Mexico and southern US, portraits, index, original red pictorial cloth, gilt lettering on spine and cover, spine worn but intact, spine ends chipped, name on endpaper, internal hinge cracked but firm, interior is clean and very good in good cover, sound.

Cowan p. 19 (1900 edition), Eberstadt 157: 32. Welch p. 153. Cole 50 (1889 edition). Six Guns 215. Not in Sabin or Howes. Part I is an account of travel in Mexico while part II is an account of travel in California and Arizona (with mention of the OK corral, Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, Tombstone, etc). There are many interesting illustrations including of downtown San Francisco, China town, Los Angles and other towns. Well illustrated. This expanded version has an additional 50 pages.

US$50. bookID # 12066

BURNABY, Fred; A Ride to Khiva: Travels and Adventures in Central Asia. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1877, First American edition, 8vo [19 x 13 cm]; 403 pp, 3 folding colored maps in pockets, tables, appendices, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt picture on front cover, gilt spine & cover title lettering, decorations in black, expertly rebacked preserving original cloth, some map folds split, internal hinge repaired, some marginal pencil notes, very good, sound.

A classic travel account through central Asia, Burnaby being the first to make this journey, traveling by horse, sleigh and camel through the dead of winter. He provides a rare glimpse of the Russian Empire in the making and received immediate acclaim going through 11 editions in the year of publication. The maps are of Turkestan, Russian and China with the routes in red and Central Asia. Many of the later editions omitted much of the material included here. Ghani p. 59. Yakushi B301.

US$160. bookID # 11019

COOPER, R. E. et al (ed); Man Hunts and Plant Hunts, Being the Adventures of George Forrest, V. M. H. Explorer and Botanist who by his Discoveries and Plants Successfully Introduced has greatly enriched our gardens, 1873-1932. Edinburgh, The Scottish Rock Garden Club, [1935], First edition, there was a reprint in 1973, 8vo [23 x 17 cm]; 89 pp, frontis (port), numerous plates from photos, bibliog, original green cloth with gilt title lettering on spine, dj (spine worn and chipped, tears), name on endpaper, else near fine and clean copy in worn dj (which is often absent).

Forrest collected plants in Western China, Upper Burma and Eastern Tibet from 1904 to 1932 and introduced many new plants, especially rhododendrons and primulas, but many others. He made seven expeditions to Yunnan and he died during the seventh. 'George Forrest was the first man to bring business methods into the pursuit of plant collecting' (Cox, Plant Hunting in China). An interesting and important book on one of the most significant plant collectors of the 20th century. Some of the material has been extracted from periodicals that Forrest contributed to, a list of which is included at the end of the book, and some of the material has been contributed by The Scottish Rock Garden Club, which did the editing.

US$60. bookID # 13890

CORDIER, Henri; Bibliotheca Indosinica. Dictionnaire Bibliograpique des ouvrages relatifs á la Péninsule Indochinoise. Mansfield Center, Martino Fine Books, nd [2000], limited edition of 100 copies, reprinted from the original, 8vo [21.5 x 15 cm]; 5 volumes in 3 with 3,030 pages plus 309 pages of indexes, a complete set, original cloth, gilt spine title letting in gilt borders, fine, clean and unmarked, the set is complete and as new.

This is the most important bibliography describing about 20,000 items covering all fields and was the pioneer work in the field and still the standard bibliography of Indochina. The main arrangement is by country (Laos, Siam, Assam and Burma, Malaya, French Indochina and Cambodia) but also with subject divisions, such as languages, customs, history, geography, government, religion, literature, etc. Besterman 3050. Sheehy DE212. Walford II: 278.

US$140. bookID # 13094

CORNEY, Peter; Voyages in the Northern Pacific; Narrative of Several Trading Voyages from 1813 to 1818 Between the Northwest Coast of America, the Hawaiian Islands and China, with a Description of the Russian Establishments on the Northwest Coast. Honolulu, H. I., Thos. G. Thrum, 1896, First separate printing, first edition was in the Literary Gazette of 1821, 12mo [18.5 x 12 cm]; x, [ii], 84, 74A-84A, 85-138, v [index], [i, ad] pp, irregular pagination but complete with chapter IX, with pages numbered 74A to 84A, original pictorial printed heavy paper wraps, chipped at spine ends & small chip to rear cover edge, front cover and endpaper with moderate foxing, touch of foxing on some other leaves, but clean, very good copy.

Hill p. 65: 'English firms fitted out the schooner Columbia for the fur trade between the northwest coast of America and China. Peter Corney sailed as first lieutenant on this voyage which lasted more than four years. The ship was finally purchased by King Kamehameha of Hawaii. The voyage provides much interesting information concerning Hawaii and the abortive Russian settlement on Kauai. Howes 785 describes the work as 'very rare'. The title continues: 'Early Account of Kamehameha's Realm; Manners and Customs of the People, etc, and Sketch of a Cruise in the Service of the Independents of South America in 1819, with a Preface and Appendix of Valuable Confirmatory Letters Prepared by Prof. W. D. Alexander'

US$300. bookID # 8587

COWAN, Dr. J. Macqueen; The Journeys and Plant Introductions of George Forrest. London, The Royal Horticultural Society, 1952, First Edition, 8vo [25 x 16 cm]; xi, 252 pp, frontis (port), numerous illustrations from photos and drwgs, 5 color plates, color folding map, appendix of his rhododendrons, index, original cloth, dj (chipped at spine end and corners), fine & clean in good+ dj.

Forrest collected plants in Western China, Upper Burma and Eastern Tibet from 1904 to 1931 and introduced many new plants, especially rhododendrons and primulas, but many others. E. H. M. Cox wrote the chapter on his journeys with a personal account of Forrest by Sir William Wright Smith. An interesting and important book on one of the most significant plant collectors of the 20th century.

US$25. bookID # 4427

COWAN, Dr. J. Macqueen; The Journeys and Plant Introductions of George Forrest. London, The Royal Horticultural Society, 1952, First Edition, 8vo [25 x 16 cm]; xi, 252 pp, frontis (portrait), numerous illustrations from photos and drawings, 5 colour plates, colour fldg map, appendix of his rhododendrons, index, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj (slightly soiled on rear, not price clipped), bookplate in endpaper else fine & clean in near fine dj.

US$40. bookID # 13891

COX, E. H. M.; Plant-Hunting in China; A History of Botanical Exploration in China and the Tibetan Marches. London, Collins, 1945, First Edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 279 pp, color frontis, 24 illus, index, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, spine faded, short tear, chip), near fine in good dj, book interior is clean and unmarked.

The author describes the history of plant hunting in the area, the source for much of today's nursery stock. He describes the exploits of major plant hunters including Fortune, Wilson, Forrest and Kingdon Ward, as well as many of the less known botanists, from Britain, America and Europe who travelled there. A readable yet detailed account by this important garden writer, who personally knew many of the important 20th century gardeners and plant hunters. Later editions did not have the frontis in color of the Primula Sinensis.

US$55. bookID # 13424

COX, E. H. M.; Plant-Hunting in China; A History of Botanical Exploration in China and the Tibetan Marches. London, Collins, 1945, First Edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 279 pp, colored frontis, 24 illustrations, index, original cloth, gilt lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, spine lightly faded few short tears), near fine & clean in very good dj, presentation copy to F. Cleveland Morgan, signed by author, on endpaper, with Morgan's small bookplate.

US$160. bookID # 13301

CUMMINS, J. S. (editor); The Travels and Controversies of Friar Domingo Navarrete 1618-1686. Cambridge, The Hakluyt Society, 1962, First Edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15 cm]; 2 volumes, cxx, 163, [i]; x, 165 - 475 pp, 18 plates and 6 maps, bibliog, index, orig cloth, gilt vignettes on front covers, gilt spine title lettering, dj's (spines slightly faded), fine & clean set, covers bright, a review copy with the review of David B. Quinn, noted scholar, that appeared in Quarterly Review, Liverpool University.

Navarrete was a Dominica missionary who traveled round the world but spent most of his time in China. This book is based on his published and manuscript writings and includes interesting accounts of Mexico, Philippines, Macao, China, India, Macassar, etc. An extensive introduction on Navarrete's life, character and writings, plus the original vivid style and interesting illustrations make this a useful account.

US$30. bookID # 12476

FARRINGTON, Edward I.; Ernest H. Wilson Plant Hunter, with a List of his Most Important Introductions and Where to Get Them. Boston, The Stratford Company, [1931], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; xxi, 197 pp, frontis (port), 33 illustrations mostly full-page, bibliog, chronology, index, original two-part green cloth with gilt lettering on front cover and spine, dj (chipped at spine ends, price clipped), slightly foxed at outer edge of text block, fine copy in good+ dj.

The author, who was a friend of Wilson, both professionally and socially, was able to write a biography of this famous plant hunter, the way few people can be able to. Wilson made seven plant hunting expeditions, to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Formosa, where he collected hundreds of new plants and trees new to science, many of which are not available at nurseries and might otherwise have been lost. The book includes a list of plants Wilson collected with descriptions as well as a bibliography of his articles and books. This copy includes a loose leaf from the publisher to the literary editor of the NY Herald Tribune asking for a review of the book.

US$40. bookID # 13278

FERGUSSON, W. N.; Adventure Sport and Travel on the Tibetan Steppes. London, Constable and Company, 1911, First edition, 8vo [24.5 x 17 cm]; xvi, 343 pp, frontis (portrait), numerous illustrations including many full-page from the author and J. W. Brooke, 2 folding colored maps, index, original green pictorial cloth with gilt spine title lettering, short tear at spine foot, edges a little worn, front internal hinge cracked but firm, signature, very good, interior clean.

Yakushi F 29. Cordier 4396. Marshall 2059. The author based the work on the diaries and journal of John Weston Brooke, and provides a detailed narrative of Brooke's journeys through western China and Tibet in 1906-1908, including a meeting with the Dali Lama, the first since being displaced by his avoidance of Younghusband's incursion in Lhasa. On Brooke's second journey he was accompanied by C.H. Meares, who later joined Scott's expedition to the South Pole. Brooke was murdered by Lolo tribesmen in 1908. An important description of the area and its peoples with excellent illustrations.

US$200. bookID # 8532

FLEMING, George; Travels on Horseback in Mantchu Tartary: Being a Summer's ride Beyond the Great Wall of China. London, Hurst and Blackett, 1863, First edition, 8vo [26 x 17 cm]; xvi, 579, [viii, ads] pp, color lithographed (chromolithograph) frontis, numerous engraved illus, folding partly colored map, index, original blue pictorial gilt cloth, picture of 2 men, horses, gilt title lettering on spine & cover, cover and some leaves with light stains, mostly marginal, spine ends worn, short split at joint, bookplate of Marquis L. Wood, Shanghai, goood copy.

Cordier 2747. The author and a companion traveled on horseback between Tien-Tsin and Moukden in 1861 and provide an interesting narrative of the Chinese military, the punishment of prisoners, the mutilated feet of women, customs, superstitions, the spy system, the Great Wall of China, veterinarians, topography, the people, etc.

US$800. bookID # 10006

FOLEY, Daniel J.; The Flowering World of "Chinese" Wilson. London, The Macmillan Company, [1969], First edition, 8vo [21 x 16 cm]; xv, 334 pp, frontis, plates from photos, bibliography, index, original 2 color, pictorial cloth with gilt lettering on spine, dj (price clipped, spine lightly faded), else a fine, clean copy.

Ernest Henry Wilson was one of the greatest plant hunters of his time, collected and introduced thousands of plants including lilies, rhododendrons, cherries, primroses, trees, etc based on his expeditions in China and Japan. We now take many of these plants for granted in our landscape. He later became the director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Foley provides a good biography, well-illustrated and with selections from Wilson's many books.

US$22. bookID # 13276

FORTUNE, Robert; Three Year's Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China, a Visit to the Tea, Silk and Cotton Countries with an Account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc. London, Mildmay Books [John Murray], [1987], reprinted from the 1847 first edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14 cm]; xvi, 406, [i] pp, tinted frontis, extra title page with vignette of Chinese wedding, 15 other illustrations including map and plates, original pictorial wraps, cover slightly rubbed at edge, but clean and near fine.

Fortune was the first plant collector to travel in China after the conclusion of the Opium War, as a botanical collector for the Horticultural Society of London starting in 1843. Travel was not allowed for more than 30 miles past Shanghai, but undaunted "he set off by boat from Shanghai, in Chinese costume complete with shaved head and pigtail" (see Coats p. 101-110 for details), and was the first westerner to reach Soochow and many other parts of China, collecting large numbers of plants and seeds. The book contains two chapters on the cultivation and manufacture of tea with suggestions on the possibilities of developing a tea industry in India, and contained new knowledge about the production and processing of tea. In fact, this book and his later books and plant collecting (as an employee of the East India Company) lead to the Indian tea industry. As a result of the travels described here he found numerous new plants including anemones, chrysanthemums, jasmine, forsythia, honeysuckle, etc. Besides plants and horticulture, the author also describes the people and geography. This was his first book. Cordier p. 2115. Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue p. 102. This is a nice production reprinting the first edition, which is very scarce.

US$50. bookID # 10034

FORTUNE, Robert; Three Year's Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China, a Visit to the Tea, Silk and Cotton Countries with an Account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc. London, John Murray [Time-Life Books], 1847 [1986], reprinted from the 1847 first edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; xv, 406, [i], [16 page John Murray's catalogue] pp, tinted frontis, extra title page with vignette of Chinese wedding, 15 other illustrations including map and plates, orig simulated brown leather, decorated in gilt and red, gilt lettering, a. e. g., marbled endpapers, original ribbon bookmark, very fine and clean, with the original publisher's prospectus containing a good historical introduction and a loose bookplate.

Fortune was the first plant collector to travel in China after the conclusion of the Opium War, as a botanical collector for the Horticultural Society of London starting in 1843. Travel was not allowed for more than 30 miles past Shanghai, but undaunted "he set off by boat from Shanghai, in Chinese costume complete with shaved head and pigtail" (see Coats p. 101-110 for details), and was the first westerner to reach Soochow and many other parts of China, collecting large numbers of plants and seeds. The book contains two chapters on the cultivation and manufacture of tea with suggestions on the possibilities of developing a tea industry in India, and contains new knowledge about the production and processing of tea. In fact, this book and his later books and plant collecting (as an employee of the East India Company) lead to the Indian tea industry. As a result of the travels described here he found numerous new plants including anemones, chrysanthemums, jasmine, forsythia, honeysuckle, etc. Besides plants and horticulture, the author also describes the people and geography. This was his first book. Cordier p. 2115. Massachusetts Horticultural Society Catalogue p. 102. This is a fine production reprinting the scarce first edition, with all the plates and text. A lavishly illustrated and historically accurate photographic reproduction of the original.

US$110. bookID # 11002

GILL, Capt. William, introduction by Col. Henry Yule; River of Golden Sand; The Narrative of a Journey Through China and Eastern Tibet to Burmah. London, John Murray, 1880, First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 2 volumes, 420; 453 pp, frontis in each volume, each volume with engraved vignette on title, half title in volume II, 10 maps and charts (folding), index, contemporary half red morocco, marbled boards, lightly rubbed, gilt spine title lettering, upper portion of margin of titles removed with loss of 'the', repair to map, else very good with only slight foxing on a few leaves.

Yakushi G57. Marshall 1343. The second edition was abridged from this first edition and had only two maps. The author was awarded the Royal Geographical Society gold medal for this journey and the mapping made. He was the first European to explore large parts of western China and Tibet, the book describes his travels in detail from Shanghai, Hong Kong up the Yangtze, through China and Tibet to Burma, the peoples, opium smoking, conditions, nature, cities, etc. The introduction by Yule adds a good historical perspective.

US$700. bookID # 10882

HUGHES, Therle; Cottage Antiques. New York, Frederick A. Praeger, [1967], First British edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; 219 pp, colored frontis, 48 plates, including many from early sources, index, original red cloth, gilt spine title lettering, fine, clean and unmarked condition.

Covering all aspects including chairs, settles, dressers, chests, cupboards, tables, clocks, spinning wheels, china, figures, copper, willow pattern, staffordshire, mocha, brass, copper, Georgian brass, ornamental brass, cottage lighting, pewter, coverlets, quilts, prints, English maps, etc.

US$2. bookID # 12127

HYAMS, Edward; A History of Gardens and Gardening. London, J. M. Dent & Sons, [1971], First edition, 4to [28.5 x 23 cm]; ix, 345 pp, numerous illustrations in color and black & white, bibliog, index, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (bit rubbed at edge, price clipped), else fine.

One of the better overviews of garden history covering all aspects, especially from a garden art point of view. Includes the development of gardens in early times, China, Greece, Japan, Islam, Middle Ages, Pre-Columbian Americas, France, England, English influence abroad, very well illustrated. The author is one of England's most respected and knowledgeable gardening writers.

US$25. bookID # 9422

IYER, Pico; Video Night in Kathmandu and Other Reports from the Not-so-far-East. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1988, First edition, 8vo [22 x 15 cm]; [vi], 376, [i] pp, original cloth-backed pictorial boards with gilt and bronze picture and title lettering, dj (slightly rubbed at edge, price clipped), near fine.

This popular travel writer describes his experiences in Bali, Tibet, Nepal, China, Philippines, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and Japan, both interesting and entertaining.

US$9. bookID # 8886

JAMES, H. E. M.; The Long White Mountain or a Journey in Manchuria with Some Account of the History, People, Administration and Religion of that Country. London, Longmans, Green and Co., 1888, First edition, 8vo [23 x 16 cm]; xxiv, 502 pp, color lithograph (chromolithograph) frontis after sketch by Younghusband, 9 other plates, other illustrations in text, folding hand-colored map, table, index, recent morocco-backed marbled boards, light foxing, very good solid copy.

Cordier Sinica 2748. Taylor 109. A narrative of the author's extensive travels in the area with detailed descriptions of the peoples including the smaller tribes, their customs, daily life, religion, productions, etc. One of the appendices is on opium and its use, another on official corruption. He describes the journeys of earlier explorers including De La Bruniere and Venault.

US$290. bookID # 7478

KERNER, Robert J.; Northeastern Asia: A Selected Bibliography - Contributions to the Bibliography of the Relations of China, Russia, and Japan with Special Reference to Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia and Eastern Siberia, in Oriental and European Languages. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1939, First edition, thick 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; 2 volumes complete, xxxix, 675; xxxi, 621 pp, indexes, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, library stamps on endpapers and title pages, spine number blacked out, text pages are clean and unmarked, still quite a good copy, sound and tight, of the original edition.

A massive work, over 1,300 pages, with reference to almost 14,000 works in all subjects, and a basic reference in this area. Includes extensive introductions in each volume.

US$65. bookID # 12900

KINGDON WARD, Capt. F. (Frank); The Romance of Plant Hunting. London, Edward Arnold, 1924, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x15 cm]; xi, 275, 12 [ads] pp, frontis, plates from photos, foldout map, general index, plant index, original cloth with gilt vignette and lettering on front cover & spine, lightly foxed on title page, fine, clean copy in very good dust jacket (light wear, small chip) with a loose extra 3-page appendix (about 6 x 4 inches, photocopy, from later edition.

The author, perhaps the most famous plant hunter of the twentieth century, describes his travels in Yunnan, Burma, China, Tibet searching for new plants but also describing the countryside and peoples and gives his own feelings and philosophy of plant collecting, travel, nature, etc. There was a later reprint but in reduced format compared to this first edition. Not usually found in a jacket.

US$200. bookID # 13316

KINGDON WARD, Captain Frank; The Mystery Rivers of Tibet; A Description of the little-known Land Where Asia's Mightiest Rivers Gallop in Harness Through the Narrow Gateway of Tibet, Its Peoples, Fauna, & Flora. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1923, First US edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 316, [iv, ads] pp, illustrations from photos, 4 maps including large folding map at end, index, original pictorial cloth, spine title lettering, tiny tear at spine end, but a fine and clean copy, covers bright and unworn pristine and fresh.

One of the greatest explorers of the early part of this century and, perhaps, the most famous plant hunter of all times, Kingdon Ward travelled extensively in Burma, China and Tibet. He introduced numerous plants to western gardens including the Tibetan poppy and rhododendrons. This is a detailed description of the area with much on the geography, the people, and the plants he found, including over 200 new species. It is one of his scarcest books. Coats (The Plant Hunters): 'His most important and interesting journey.' Schweinfurth IV. Marshall 2070. Yakushi K191.

US$300. bookID # 11286

KINGDON-WARD, Frank; Pilgrimage for Plants. London, George G. Harrap & Co., [1960], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; 191 pp, frontis (portrait), plates from photos, bibliog, index, endpaper maps, original green cloth, title lettering on spine, dj (large chip on rear panel, price clipped, light wear), light abrasion on title where label was removed, else clean, sound, near fine in good+ dj.

Kingdon-Ward, the last of the great plant hunters, describes his life and adventures, in this, the last of his books. He made 23 expeditions for plants, mainly in Assam, Burma, China and Tibet, over a forty year period, and is described in this book. Many species of plants have been named after him. William T. Stearn of the British Museum wrote a useful bibliographical introduction, including a year by year account of Kingdon-Ward's explorations, with references to the resulting publications. Stearn also compiled a list of all known publications of him, including periodicals and books. Yakushi K204. Schweinfurth 25. Marshall 27871.

US$30. bookID # 11058

KINGDON-WARD, Frank; Pilgrimage for Plants. London, George G. Harrap & Co., [1960], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14.5 cm]; 191 pp, frontis (portrait), plates from photos, bibliog, index, endpaper maps, original green cloth, title lettering on spine, dj (not price clipped, tiny tear), name on endpaper, else fine and clean in very good jacket.

US$45. bookID # 13313

LACOMBE, Sieur Jean de; A Compendium of the East being an Account of Voyages to the Grand Indies made by the Sieur Jean De Lacombe, of Quercy, Formerly Captain at Arms in the Service of the Company of the Indies of Holland. London, The Golden Cockerel Press, 1937, First edition, limited to 300 copies on hand-made paper, sm folio; 209, [i], double page plates, double page facsimile from orig manuscript, ep maps from contemp Mercator atlas, bibliog, glossary of place names, index, original quarter cloth and cloth decorated bds, slight wear at ends of spine but a fine clean copy.

This is the first publication, from the Bordeaux Manuscript of 1681 with an English translation from the old French by Stephanie & Denis Clark, with an introduction and notes by Ashley Gibson. Jean de Lacombe traveled through Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Ternat, Nambonne, Gounong Apy, Siam, Moluccas, China, etc, in the seventeenth century. The plates are from contemporary engravings of some of the principle places visited reproduced from Schultzen's Ost-indische Reyse, Amsterdam, 1676. A lovely production of this early and interesting travel narrative based on the manuscript discovered in 1937 with a useful introduction and bibliography.

US$200. bookID # 1612

LANCASTER, Roy; Travels in China; A Plantsman's Paradise. [Woodbridge, Suffolk], Antique Collector's Club, [1989], First edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; 516, [i, ad] pp, color frontis, over 400 color & 250 bw illus, maps, bibliog, index of plants, index of people, index of locations, index of gardens, glossary, colored endpaper maps, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj, fine, clean and unmarked.

After a useful introduction to plant hunting in China, with brief biographies of all the main collectors, the author describes his many travels in search of plants, which includes adventure as well as botany. China is one of the richest areas of the world for different plant species. The author is an acclaimed garden writer and plant collector. A beautifully illustrated work. This copy contains a four-page handwritten manuscript entitled 'New Treats from China by Roy Lancaster' dated March 8/90, which describes in some detail historical plant hunting in China and the plants found that are currently available in nurseries.

US$40. bookID # 12812

US$46. bookID # 13881

LATTIMORE, Owen; The Desert Road to Turkestan. Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1929, First American edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xv, 373 pp, frontis, numerous other illustrations from photos, endpaper maps with route in red, appendix on details of route, index, original cloth, spine lightly sunned but with the title lettering still clear, spine lightly worn, very good clean and unmarked copy.

An account of author's 1926 and 1927 travels on a 1,600 mile route, the Jao Lu, following the caravan trails through Mongolia from China to Chinese Turkestan. Bibliog. Mongolica 2282.

US$130. bookID # 9512

LEVIEN, Michael (edited and with introduction); The Cree Journals; The Voyages of Edward H. Cree, Surgeon R. N., as Related in His Private Journals, 1837-1856. Toronto, Nelson, [1981], First Canadian Edition, sm 4to [25 x 20 cm]; 276 pp, frontis (port), profusion of illus, mainly in color, many full-page, several folding color panoramas, including one 4-pager of Brunei, color maps, endpaper maps, original cloth, dj, fine, clean.

A fascinating travel account to many parts, especially Asia, Far East, China Sea, Hong Kong, etc, with excellent illustrations from period sources.

US$10. bookID # 9414

LUARD, Lt.-Col. C. Accord, H. Hosten; Travels of Fray Sebastien Manrique 1629-1643; a translation of the Itinerario de las Missiones Orientales with introduction and notes by Lt-Col. C. Edkford Luard, assited by Father H. Hosten. Oxford, The Hakluyt Society, 1927, First edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15 cm]; 2 volumes, lxvi, 450; xii, 481 pp, 25 plates, maps and plans including frontis in each volume, plate of original Spanish edition of 1649, errata for volume I in volume II as issued, detailed bibliog, vernacular index, index, original blind-stamped cloth, gilt vignette on each cover, gilt spine title lettering, clean, fine and bright copy, unmarked.

Volume I is on Arakan, volume II on China and India, etc, and is based on the narrative of Manrique's extensive travels through India, Burma, Afghanistan, Persia, Mesopotamia, Palestine, China, the Philippines, Java. The editor Luard, who died shortly after completing this work but just before its publication, provides a detailed description of the author and his work, the routes followed and geographical notes on the routes, which gives a good historical perspective. Cox i, 316. National Maritime Museum 426.

US$170. bookID # 10281

LYTE, Charles; Frank Kingdon-Ward; The Last of the Great Plant Hunters. [London], John Murray, [1989], First edition, 8vo [24 x 14 cm]; xvi, 218 pp, 26 illustrations from photos on plates including a sample of Kingdon-Ward's signature in his portrait plate, bibliog, index, original cloth, dj, fine and clean in dj (light crease, not price clipped).

Kingdon Ward is not only the most famous of the 20th century plant collectors but also the most prolific, having published 24 books, mostly on plant hunting, all of which are highly collected. He had travelled in China, Burma and Tibet primarily and introduced numerous new species. Lyte gives an excellent description of Kingdon-Ward's travels, listing his many expeditions between 1909 and 1938 and lists all of his books. This is the best and most comprehensive biography of him.

US$38. bookID # 13356

MACINTYRE, Major-General Donald; Hindu-Koh: Wanderings and Wild Sport on and Beyond the Himalayas. Edinburgh and London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1889, First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xx, 464, 24 [publisher's catalogue] pp, fine color lithographed (chromolithograph) frontis, tissue guard, 8 plates from drwgs and photo with tissue guards (one with letterpress key), other engraved illus, complete, original brown pictorial cloth with gilt mountain sheep in decorative border, gilt spine title lettering, spine ends chipped & worn, corner wear, internal hinges repaired, faint blindstamp on title margin & cancelled libr bookplate on verso, good, copy.

Yakushi, M23: 'The author traveled from Srina -gar to Leh, and then to Chang Chenmo, Lingzi-tang in 1871'. Interesting descriptions of the peoples, their customs, cities, religion, and of nature including tiger, bear, mahseer, pheasant, partridge, jurrow, leopard, hog, musk-deer, ibex, swamp-deer, elephant, surrow, stag, yak, ovis ammon, goa, burrell, hunting and fishing, Goorkas, etc. Extensive travels including Cashmere (Kashmir), Sind, Ladak, Tibet, parts of China, India, Himalaya foothills, etc, over a 30 year period beginning in 1853. The author was an officer with the Gurkhas and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Later printings did not have the frontis in color.

US$200. bookID # 9541

MALCOM, Howard; Travels in South-Eastern Asia, Embracing Hindustan, Malaya, Siam and China with Notices of Numerous Missionary Stations and a Full Account of the Burman Empire, with Dissertation, Tables. Boston, Gould, Kendall and Lincoln, 1839, second edition, 8vo [22.5 x 15 cm]; 2 volumes in 1, 272; 321 pp, 5 steel engraved plates, including 2 frontis & 2 plates not listed in list of illustrations, fldg map, other illustrations including full-page, 3 pages of music, glossary, index, plates with tissue guards, contemporary half leather, spine gilt-ruled, spine with black leather label with gilt title lettering, edges rubbed, corner wear, rear board with some paper worn off, 'library' written on title page, lightly foxed else a clean unmarked very good copy.

Interesting account of social, economic, political conditions and a description of natural resources, opium trade, agriculture, religion, slavery, etc, based on the author's three years of travels to Burma, Chittagong, Arracan, Andaman, Rangoon, Pegu, Irrawady, Ava, Calcutta, Madras, East Bengal, Nicobar Islands, Tristan de Cuhan, Malacca, Singapore, Siam, Macoa and China. Smith M42. Cordier 419. Kaul 336: "Gives details of commerce, population, religion, palaces, physical features, festivals, food, dress, currency, hospitials, customs, revenue, army, language, literature, etc". Nice large margins

US$200. bookID # 6809

NELSON, Wilfred; Five Years at Panama; the Trans-Isthmian Canal. New York, Belford Company, [1889], First edition, 8vo [20 x 14 cm]; xiv, 287 pp, folding map frontis, 24 plates (complete) from drwgs, tables, original blue decorated cloth, gilt spine title lettering, spine bit faded, spine end frayed, small stain on outer cover, interior very good and clean in good cover.

A nicely illustrated work showing old and new Panama City islands, towns, and good description of Colon, life and conditions, churches, ranchos, the gulf, whale fishing, seasons, statistics, commercial life, market, buildings, Chinatown, relation to Colombia, earthquake of 1882, Carthagena, forty-niners and California gold-rush, condition of the canal, etc. The author was a doctor and corresponding member of the Montreal Natural History Society. Welch 191.

US$130. bookID # 10280

OLIPHANT, Lawrence; Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan in the Years 1857, '58, '59. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1860, First American edition, 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; xvi, [17]-645, [i], 2 [ads] pp, color lithograph (chromolithograph) frontis of winter scene in Japan from Japanese painting, 61 engraved illustrations of which 10 are full-page, tables, original brown pictorial gilt cloth with gilt spine title lettering, spine ends chipped and repaired, cover lightly rubbed, bookplate removed from front endpaper, very good copy, clean interior.

Taylor 239. Cordier Sinica 2376. Cordier Japonica 1735. The diplomatic mission lasted over two years with the work describing the countries in detail, from the arrival in Hong Kong, up the Canton River to Pekin, Yedo, many other cities, side trips to Philippines, India, good descriptions of political and social conditions, productions, agriculture, military, geography, art, etc.

US$200. bookID # 8310

OSBORNE, Milton; River Raod to China; The Mekong River Expedition 1866-1873. New York, Liveright, [1975], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 14 cm]; xxii, 249, [i] pp, illustrations from early sources including full-page, maps, bibliog, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (price clipped), fine and clean, with a card from the publisher requesting a review.

A description of the first expedition up the Mekong river to its source, mapping 4,000 miles of previously unsurveyed territory from Saigon, Phnom Penh, through Vietnam, Cambodia, through south western China.

US$12. bookID # 10405

PIM, Bedford [Clapperton Trevelyan]; The Gate of the Pacific. London, Lovell Reeve & Co., 1863, First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xiv, 432 pp, complete with 9 plates of which 8 are colored lithographs with tissue guards, 7 maps including 2 folding and 1 colored, a folding map with small old repair on verso, original pictorial cloth, gilt spine title lettering, light wear at spine edges and corners, very good+ copy.

Sabin 62872. Palau 225979. Welch 63. Pim had been an Arctic explorer and sailed with Belcher in search of Franklin and later commanded the Banterer off the coast of China and commanded the Gorgon off the coast of Central America. Hill 539: 'He originated and surveyed the Nicaraguan Canal route across the Isthmus, through the Mosquito Coast and Nicaragua.' Grieb 526: 'includes analysis of the various canal and railroad schemes in the isthmus and denunciation of the British government for failure to stand up to the Yankee bullies who seek to control the region. He demonstrates the importance of a canal to world commerce'. This work provides good descriptions of Nicaragua and Panama and some on Honduras based on his extensive travels. The excellent colored plates are views and scenes including San Juan del Sur, Gorgon villa, port of Realejo, railway bridge over Chagres, eastern suburb of Panama, etc.

US$200. bookID # 12889

PIM, Bedford [Clapperton Trevelyan]; The Gate of the Pacific. London, Lovell Reeve & Co., 1863, First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xiv, 432 pp, 9 plates of which 8 are colored lithographs with tissue guards, 7 maps including 2 folding and 1 colored, folding map with split at folds, original pictorial cloth rebacked with new cloth spine preserving most of original spine and gilt spine title lettering, cover wear, hinge cracked but firm, rear endpaper lacking, light blind-stamp to title page, interior good in fair cover.

US$170. bookID # 12728

SEVERIN, Tim; The China Voyage. London, Little, Brown and Company, [1994], First edition, 8vo [24 x 15 cm]; [x], 317 pp, color illustrations from photos, numerous drwgs, double page map, original cloth, dj (short tear at edge), remainder mark at upper edge, pictorial endpaper, else fine and clean.

The author and his crew sailed a bamboo raft Hsu Fu from Hong Kong across the Pacific to test the theory that Asian raft sailors reached America some 2,000 years ago. They achieved a modern record for raft journeys in northern, hostile waters.

US$4. bookID # 7048

SEVERIN, Tim; The Sinbad Voyage. London, Hutchinson, [1982], First edition, 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; 239 pp, text illustrations from drwgs, numerous color illustrations from photos on plates, map endpapers showing route, original cloth, dj (not clipped), small remainder mark on lower edge of text block, fine and clean.

The author travelled from Oman on the Arabian Sea in a ship similar to those used 1,000 years ago in an attempt to follow Sinbad's voyages from "A Thousand and One Nights". He travelled to India, Sri Lanka and across the Indian Ocean to Sumatra and the Malacca Straits to the China Seas to Canton in a boat that was a replica of an Arab sailing ship that was used a thousand years ago. It is one of the most remarkable sailing stories of the twentieth century. This copy includes a copy of the author's article in National Geographic (July 1982), 'In the Wake of Sinbad', a 40 page article with many colored photos, map, and is complementary to the book. Its included as part of the entire issue of the National Geographic for that month.

US$16. bookID # 8922

SOTHEBY'S, ; Sammlung Rudolf Von Gutmann; including Chinese School Watercolours in Two Albums Containing Fine Landscapes and Interiors ( c. 1790); Melchior Pfintzing Teuerdank Printed on Vellum (1517) and the Talman Albums c. 1720. London, Sotheby's, 1993, First edition, 4to [27 x 21 cm]; 117, [x] pp, many illustrations, almost all colored, including many full-page, bibliography, index, original pictorial boards (hardcover), title lettering on spine and cover, fine, clean, unmarked and unused, with the original loose sheet of the prices realized.

A beautifully illustrated Sotheby's sale of important books, from the library of noted collector, describing the items in detail, very well-illustrated, sale held in London, 2 April 1993. A useful reference.

US$4. bookID # 13369

SOWERBY, R. R.; Sowerby of China; Arthur de Carle Sowerby. Kendall, Titus Wilson and Son, 1956, First edition, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; [viii], 58 pp, frontis portrait, plates from photos, drawing, folding genealogical table, bibliog, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (not price clipped, residue of price sticker removal, light wear at top edge), else fine and clean, unmarked.

A biography of scientist, explorer, writer, artist, author of Through Shen-kan; Fur and Feather in North China; A Naturalist's Holiday by the Sea; A Naturalist's Notebook in China, and many others. The work includes much on the Sowerby family, the Clark Expedition, the Shensi Relief Expedition, early collecting, the bandit situation in China, life in Shanghai, much on China including the Japanese occupation, etc.

US$55. bookID # 13127

TITLEY, Norah and Frances Wood; Oriental Gardens; An Illustrated History. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, [1992], First American edition, 4to [28 x 22.5 cm]; 128 pp, 120 illus, including full-page, from manuscripts and printed books in the British Library, bibliography, index, original blue cloth, gilt spine title lettering, pictorial endpapers, dj (price clipped), fine and clean.

An interesting survey of the gardens of Ottoman Turkey, Iran, India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

US$16. bookID # 9348

TREVES, Sir Frederick; The Other Side of the Lantern; an Account of a Commonplace Tour Round the World. London/Paris/New York etc, Cassell and Company, 1905, reprint, same year as first edition, 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; xvi, 424, 16 [ads] pp, 40 plates from photos by the author including frontis, index, original cloth, gilt lettering on front cover and spine, joints rubbed, hinges cracked but holding, slight foxing but a good clean copy.

The author's describes in some detail, his experiences in India, Burma, Ceylon, China, Japan with a brief mention of Hawaii. The frontis appears to by a photogravure. Despite the title the descriptions are quite good

US$10. bookID # 6270

WILSON, Ernest H.; Aristocrats of the Garden. Garden City, New Yorki, Doubleday, Page & Company, 1917, First edition, the limited edition of 1200 copies of which this is #168, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; xxv, [i], 312 pp, frontis, numerous plates from the author's photos, index, original cloth-backed boards, title lettering on spine paper label, top edge gilted, frontis margin a little rippled, else clean and near fine.

The author writes of roses, lilies, flowering trees, hardy climbing shrubs, ornamental fruit trees, hardy conifers, new trees from China, Japanese cherries, Asiatic crabapples, rhododendrons, Davidia, etc. Wilson, who brought back thousands of plants from his plant collecting expeditions to China and Japan, many of which were new to science, and who became Keeper of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, writes with considerable knowledge of the origin, history, propagation and usefulness of some of the best garden plants. He describes some of the new plants he introduced.

US$140. bookID # 11541

WILSON, Ernest H.; China Mother of Gardens. Boston, The Stratford Company, [1929], First Edition, the author's signed edition, large 8vo [26.5 x 18 cm]; [vi], x [i] 408 pp, frontis, plus 60 plates, folding map partly colored at end (short tear at stub), index, title page printed in red and black, original decorated cloth, gilt spine title lettering, top edge gilted, cover lightly rubbed, interior near fine and clean copy, signed by author on the half title plage.

Wilson was one of the prime botanical collectors in China and Japan in the early 1900's, introducing many species. Besides his descriptions of the plants he found, including some fascinating adventures in little explored places, he describes the geography, the native peoples and tribes, temples, timber trees, cultivated gardens and fruits, agriculture plant products, tea and tea-yielding plants, etc, during his extensive explorations, including Szechuan, Ancient Kingdom of Pa, Sungpan Ting, the Chino-Tibetan border area, Tachienly, Omei Shan, Laolin. 'He crossed the Laolin from north to south, probably the only European to have done so' [Coats - The Plant Hunters, p. 120]. There is also a much more common unsigned edition printed at the same time.

US$250. bookID # 13031

WILSON, Ernest H.; Plant Hunting. Boston, The Stratford Company, 1927, First edition, the special autographed issue with author's signature, 8vo [24 x 17 cm]; 2 volumes, xxix, 248; ix, 276 pp, 127 plates from photos, map endpapers, index, original green cloth with gilt title lettering, edges lightly rubbed, near fine set, interior is clean and unmarked, the dust jacket for volume I is present (bit chipped at spine end, small hole, not price clipped) & is scarce.

Wilson, originally worked for Kew and later became the keeper of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, was one of the most important plant collectors of his time, having traveled extensively in China and Japan, where he found many new species which were introduced to the west for the first time. These included lilies, rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangea, cherries, jasmine, etc. This work surveys his many travels, including Africa, Australia and New Zealand, the tropics of America, China, Japan. He provides excellent descriptions of plant life including orchids, as well as natural history, the people he encountered, and a good overview of previous plant exploration. This copy also includes the loose article, "On the Trail of E. H. Wilson", Eliot Tozer, extracted from Horticulture, November 1994, which describes Wilson's progress as a plant hunter, from the beginning of his carreer through his many discoveries, including of the regal lily, numerous new rose species, over 5.000 species of plants and seeds of over 1,500 other plant species, including 2,000 new to science. The article contains several illustrations, including his portrait.

US$200. bookID # 13279

WILSON, Ernest H.; Plant Hunting. Boston, The Stratford Company, 1927, First edition, 8vo [24 x 17 cm]; 2 volumes, xxix, 248; ix, 276 pp, 127 plates from photos, map endpapers, index, original green cloth with gilt title lettering, spine a little faded, interior is clean and fine, in very good covers.

US$150. bookID # 10797

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