South Australia. Its History, Resources, and Productions
London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1876.
Octavo, xvi, 432 pages plus 66 engraved plates, a folding table and 2 folding maps bound in towards the rear (South Australia, 795 × 545 mm and Australia, 320 × 400 mm).
Original quarter brown cloth and papered boards slightly bumped at the corners; the small amount of cloth on the two covers is a little flecked; first and last pages discoloured by the acidic endpapers; leaves near the folding maps a little creased by the bulk of the folded paper; a tiny tear near the stub of each map expertly sealed; an excellent copy.
An undervalued work: the plates (wood engravings from photographs) are a major pictorial record, and there are two supplementary chapters on the Northern Territory and Central Australia. 'In the chapter on the Northern Territory, I have incorporated some useful papers written by residents there, and prepared for publication by Mr J.G. Knight'. The chapter on Central Australia is even more important: 'Since the foregoing was in type, the following interesting and well-written account of Central Australia, along the line of telegraph, has appeared in the "Register". The writer, Mr J.A. Giles, is well acquainted with the whole of the country which he describes. It is the best and most trust-worthy account of Central Australia which has yet been published'. The entire chapter is devoted to the article, which refers on occasion (and thus eliminates any misattribution) to Alfred Giles, the explorer with strong telegraph line credentials. Ferguson 10233 (not recording the maps or this quarter cloth binding. Copies in full cloth are also in stock; please enquire).
Item #84142
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