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Exploration & Travel

Rare books and manuscripts of Exploration and Travel across the world. From first editions of Captain Cook to works signed by Ernest Shackleton, and from the plains of India to the deserts of the Sahara, these works chart the history of mankind recording the places and people they saw.

See: Africa, Antarctica, Arabia & the Middle East, Arctic, Australasia, the Pacific & Voyages, Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Greece, Turkey & the Ottoman Empire, Mountaineering, Russia & the Caucasus, South Asia, Southeast Asia, The Americas

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  • First edition of the The Lushai Expedition by RH Woodthorpe, a first hand account of the punitive Lushai Expedition of 1871-1872 in retaliation for several border raids and abductions from the hill tribes of Northeastern Assam.
    First edition of the The Lushai Expedition by RH Woodthorpe, a first hand account of the punitive Lushai Expedition of 1871-1872 in retaliation for several border raids and abductions from the hill tribes of Northeastern Assam.

    WOODTHORPE, R.G.
    The Lushai Expedition. 1871-1872. 1873.
    £400.00

  • A first English edition of The Silk Road by Sven Hedin, which deals with the exploration of the region around Lop-Nor in Eastern Turkestan; Hedin travelled by car across the Gobi Desert along the Imperial Highway.
    A first English edition of The Silk Road by Sven Hedin, which deals with the exploration of the region around Lop-Nor in Eastern Turkestan; Hedin travelled by car across the Gobi Desert along the Imperial Highway.

    HEDIN, Sven.
    The Silk Road. 1938.
    £125.00

  • The People of Tibet, an excellent account of Sir Charles Bell, a British political representative in Tibet, Bhutan, and Sikkim, describing people, customs, and everyday life. First edition.
    The People of Tibet, an excellent account of Sir Charles Bell, a British political representative in Tibet, Bhutan, and Sikkim, describing people, customs, and everyday life. First edition.

    BELL, Sir Charles.
    The People of Tibet. 1928.
    £275.00

  • Scarce souvenir book of Colorado and related Western imagery including several panels of indigenous American peoples, Buffalo Bill, Navajo Jack, Denver, Colorado Springs, and much more.
    Scarce souvenir book of Colorado and related Western imagery including several panels of indigenous American peoples, Buffalo Bill, Navajo Jack, Denver, Colorado Springs, and much more.

    [COLORADO; NATIVE AMERICANS].
    Out West. c.1897.
    £250.00

  • First edition of V.C. Scott O'Connor's beautifully illustrated The Silken East. A Record of Life and Travel in Burma, an account of two residences there, the first from 1891 to 1896; the second in 1899.
    First edition of V.C. Scott O'Connor's beautifully illustrated The Silken East. A Record of Life and Travel in Burma, an account of two residences there, the first from 1891 to 1896; the second in 1899.

    O'CONNOR, V.C. Scott.
    The Silken East. A Record of Life and Travel in Burma. 1904.
    £750.00

  • A first edition of Rosita Forbes' photographic travel journal, From Red Sea to Blue Nile, Abbysinian Adventures, in the scarce dust jacket.
    A first edition of Rosita Forbes' photographic travel journal, From Red Sea to Blue Nile, Abbysinian Adventures, in the scarce dust jacket.

    FORBES, Rosita.
    From Red Sea to Blue Nile. 1925.
    £200.00

  • First edition of Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan by Charles Masson, one of the most captivating firsthand accounts of the 'Great Game'.
    First edition of Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan by Charles Masson, one of the most captivating firsthand accounts of the 'Great Game'.

    MASSON, Charles.
    Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, 1842.
    £3,000.00

  • First edition of Journal of a West Indian Proprietor by Matthew Gregory Lewis, an account of two journeys to Jamaica in 1815 and 1817, published posthumously.
    First edition of Journal of a West Indian Proprietor by Matthew Gregory Lewis, an account of two journeys to Jamaica in 1815 and 1817, published posthumously.

    LEWIS, Matthew Gregory, M.P.
    Journal of a West Indian Proprietor, 1834.
    £850.00

  • First collected edition of The Voyages of William Baffin, edited by Clements Markham, of all five voyages by Baffin to find the Northwest passage.
    First collected edition of The Voyages of William Baffin, edited by Clements Markham, of all five voyages by Baffin to find the Northwest passage.

    MARKHAM, Clements R. (editor).
    The Voyages of William Baffin, 1612-1622. 1881.
    £500.00

  • First edition of Iceland by Ebenezer Henderson, a scarce description of the island by a scottish missionary and talented linguist.
    First edition of Iceland by Ebenezer Henderson, a scarce description of the island by a scottish missionary and talented linguist.

    HENDERSON, Ebenezer.
    Iceland; 1818.
    £350.00

  • Gerrit de Veer's The Three Voyages of William Barents follows the expeditions of William Barentsz, Dutch navigator, cartographer, and arctic explorer, who sought a Northeast Passage in the far north.
    Gerrit de Veer's The Three Voyages of William Barents follows the expeditions of William Barentsz, Dutch navigator, cartographer, and arctic explorer, who sought a Northeast Passage in the far north.

    DE VEER, Gerrit.
    The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic regions, 1594, 1595, and 1596. 1876.
    £500.00

  • First edition signed by famous mountaineers.
    First edition signed by famous mountaineers.

    HILLARY, Edmund.
    High Adventure. 1955.
    £1,000.00

  • Complete set of the memorial edition of Richard Burton's works, edited by Leonard Smithers and Lady Burton, with her new preface.
    Complete set of the memorial edition of Richard Burton's works, edited by Leonard Smithers and Lady Burton, with her new preface.

    BURTON, Richard Francis.
    The Memorial edition.... 1893-1894.
    £2,500.00

  • First English edition of a A Voyage to Senegal by Michel Adanson, the important account of Michel Adanson's famous botanical exploits in Senegal.
    First English edition of a A Voyage to Senegal by Michel Adanson, the important account of Michel Adanson's famous botanical exploits in Senegal.

    ADANSON, Michel.
    A Voyage to Senegal, the Isle of Goree, and the River Gambia. 1759.
    £850.00

  • A beautifully printed edition of <em>Varthema's Itinerary</em>, describing the first recorded visit by a European to Mecca
    A beautifully printed edition of <em>Varthema's Itinerary</em>, describing the first recorded visit by a European to Mecca

    VARTHEMA, Ludovico de.
    The Itinerary Ludovico de Varthema of Bologna from 1502 to 1508. 1928.
    £300.00

  • One of the pioneers of alpinism and alpine painting, Bourrit (1739-1819) accompanied de Saussure on his first ascents of the Alps.
    One of the pioneers of alpinism and alpine painting, Bourrit (1739-1819) accompanied de Saussure on his first ascents of the Alps.

    BOURRIT, Marc-Theodore.
    Nouvelle description générale et particulière des glaciers, 1787.
    £3,750.00

  • Collection of photographic plates shot in Ottoman-Empire-ruled territories of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey by the pioneers of orientalist photography - Dumas, Bonfils, Bergheim, Arnoux and Quarelli.
    Collection of photographic plates shot in Ottoman-Empire-ruled territories of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey by the pioneers of orientalist photography - Dumas, Bonfils, Bergheim, Arnoux and Quarelli.

    DUMAS, Tancrède; BONFILS, Felix; BERGHEIM, Peter; ARNOUX, Hippolyte; QUARELLI, F.
    Four albums of photographs of Ottoman Empire: c. 1860-1880].
    £15,000.00

  • The Deluxe issue of the first edition, with the plates hand-coloured, of The Unknown Horn of Africa by Frank Linsly James.
    The Deluxe issue of the first edition, with the plates hand-coloured, of The Unknown Horn of Africa by Frank Linsly James.

    JAMES, F[rank] L[insly].
    The Unknown Horn of Africa: 1888.
    £1,250.00

  • Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia.

    LORIMER, John Gordon.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia. 2003.
    £4,000.00

  • John Lorimer's Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, one of the most important primary sources for the study of the Gulf.
    John Lorimer's Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia, one of the most important primary sources for the study of the Gulf.

    [ARABIAN GULF]. LORIMER, John Gordon.
    Gazeteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia. 2003.
    £4,000.00

  • First edition of Jean de la Roque's Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, a description of the Kingdom of Yemen and Moka, and a treatise of coffee including three attractive plates of the coffee plant.
    First edition of Jean de la Roque's Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, a description of the Kingdom of Yemen and Moka, and a treatise of coffee including three attractive plates of the coffee plant.

    ROQUE, Jean de la.
    Voyage de l'Arabie Heureuse, 1716.
    £2,500.00

  • The enlarged and expanded second edition of A Voyage Towards the South Pole, by James Weddell, with additional
    The enlarged and expanded second edition of A Voyage Towards the South Pole, by James Weddell, with additional

    WEDDELL, James.
    A Voyage Towards the South Pole, 1827.
    £6,500.00

  • A first edition of The River War by Winston Churchill.
    A first edition of The River War by Winston Churchill.

    CHURCHILL, Winston.
    The River War. 1899.
    £3,750.00

  • First edition of Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands, his classic narrative of his time spent amongst the Bedouins of South Arabia.
    First edition of Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands, his classic narrative of his time spent amongst the Bedouins of South Arabia.

    THESIGER, Wilfred.
    Arabian Sands. 1959.
    £500.00

  • First edition of the 1941 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
    First edition of the 1941 issue of the The Straits Times Annual of Singapore, profusely illustrated and revealing life in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

    [SINGAPORE].
    The Straits Times Annual Singapore 1941. 1941.
    £950.00

  • First edition of Aurel Stein's On Alexander's Track to the Indus, his passion project on the routes and battlefields of Alexander's campaign in the east.
    First edition of Aurel Stein's On Alexander's Track to the Indus, his passion project on the routes and battlefields of Alexander's campaign in the east.

    STEIN, Sir [Marc] Aurel.
    On Alexander's Track to the Indus. 1929.
    £1,250.00

  • The 1942 edition of the Persian Gulf Pilot, with the 1948 supplement, a scarce pilot guide of the Persian gulf describing Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and numerous other villages and towns along the Arabian coast.
    The 1942 edition of the Persian Gulf Pilot, with the 1948 supplement, a scarce pilot guide of the Persian gulf describing Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and numerous other villages and towns along the Arabian coast.

    [ARABIAN GULF].
    Persian Gulf Pilot 1942.
    £3,500.00

  • First editionso of Views in Palestine and Views in the Ottoman Empire by Luigi Mayer, often found together, with 48 impressive coloured plates showing the Holy Land and the Ottoman Empire.
    First editionso of Views in Palestine and Views in the Ottoman Empire by Luigi Mayer, often found together, with 48 impressive coloured plates showing the Holy Land and the Ottoman Empire.

    MAYER, Luigi.
    Views in Palestine, 1804, 1803.
    £3,750.00

  • First edition of Nineveh and Its Remains by Austen Henry Layard, of his first expedition to Iraq and Mosul.
    First edition of Nineveh and Its Remains by Austen Henry Layard, of his first expedition to Iraq and Mosul.

    LAYARD, Austen Henry.
    Nineveh and Its Remains: 1849.
    £500.00

  • A rare and important record of Hamilton's voyage across Egypt to Sudan and the Hedjaz, with a dedicated chapter on Islam and the life of the Prophet.
    A rare and important record of Hamilton's voyage across Egypt to Sudan and the Hedjaz, with a dedicated chapter on Islam and the life of the Prophet.

    HAMILTON, James.
    Sinai, the Hedjaz, and Soudan: 1857.
    £5,500.00

  • First editions of Garstin's 1901 and 1904 Reports on the Irrigation and Basin of the Upper Nile, from the noted collection of Humphrey Winterton, one of the greatest collectors of East Africa in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
    First editions of Garstin's 1901 and 1904 Reports on the Irrigation and Basin of the Upper Nile, from the noted collection of Humphrey Winterton, one of the greatest collectors of East Africa in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

    GARSTIN, Sir William.
    Despatch from His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Cairo, 1901; 1904.
    £2,750.00

  • First edition of Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim by WJ Buchanan, a scarce example of local Indian printing in Darjeeling for the express purpose of encouraging tourism to Sikkim State.
    First edition of Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim by WJ Buchanan, a scarce example of local Indian printing in Darjeeling for the express purpose of encouraging tourism to Sikkim State.

    BUCHANAN, Lieut.-Col. W. J.
    Notes on Tours in Darjeeling and Sikkim. 1916.
    £1,500.00

  • First edition of this celebration of the first seven years of the United Arab Emirates, with text by Peter Hellyer and photographs by Pier Giorgio Sclarandis.
    First edition of this celebration of the first seven years of the United Arab Emirates, with text by Peter Hellyer and photographs by Pier Giorgio Sclarandis.

    HELLYER, Peter; SCLARANDIS, Pier Giorgio (photographer).
    United Arab Emirates. 1978.
    £550.00

  • First trade edition of A Pilgrim in Arabia by Harry St John Philby, the account of Philby's Hajj in 1930, in the scarce dust-jacket.
    First trade edition of A Pilgrim in Arabia by Harry St John Philby, the account of Philby's Hajj in 1930, in the scarce dust-jacket.

    PHILBY, Harry St. John B.
    A Pilgrim in Arabia. 1946.
    £375.00

  • An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts.
    An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts.

    [CAMPBELL, John].
    An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America. In Four Parts. 1762.
    £2,500.00

  • Moorcroft's travel narrative traces the journey of the author and Trebeck from Bareilly to Bokhara in the years 1819 to 1825.
    Moorcroft's travel narrative traces the journey of the author and Trebeck from Bareilly to Bokhara in the years 1819 to 1825.

    MOORCROFT, William; TREBECK, George.
    Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab; 1841.
    £5,000.00

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