Forum Rare Books

Essential information for navigating the coasts of Africa, South America and the islands
in the expansive South Atlantic Ocean

PURDY, John (Alexander George FINDLAY ed.). The new sailing directory for the Ethiopic or Southern Atlantic Ocean; including the coasts of Brasil, etc., to the Rio de La Plata, the Coast Thence to Cape Horn, and the African Coast to the Cape of Good Hope, etc.; including the islands between the two coasts.
London, printed for R.H. Laurie by J. Rider, 1844. 8vo. With Lauries RHL device on the title-page, and 32 small images in the text, mostly coastal profiles. The title-page includes some lines in sans-serif capitals. Half cloth. XLIV, 472 pp. Full description

€ 1,950

Brazil Latin America Navigation South America

Surprisingly rare trilingual nautical dictionary

REEHORST, Karel Pieter ter. Woordenboek der zee-, stoom- en scheepsbouwkundige-termen, in de Hollandsche, Fransche en Engelsche talen. - Dictionnaire Français-Hollandais, des termes techniques employés dans la marine à voiles et à vapeur, dans l'architecture navale et commettage. - Dictionary of nautical-, steam- and shipbuilding-terms, in the English and Dutch.
Amsterdam, widow of G. Hulst van Keulen, 1845[-1847]. 3 volumes. 8vo. Contemporary blue stiff paper wrappers. [4], 159, [1 blank]; [4], 118, [2 blank]; [4], 112; 8 pp. Full description

€ 850

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Maritime biographies

[RICHER, Adrien]. Vies des plus célebres marins.
Paris, Berlin, 1789. 13 parts in 11 volumes. 18mo in 6's. With 10 engraved frontispiece portraits. Original blue boards. Ca. 250 pp. each vol. Full description

€ 3,250

Bibliography & Biography Naval History

Rare inventory for New Bedford whaling ships in the 19th century,
used to prepare the four-year whaling expedition of the "Hibernia"

RITCHIE, Edward Samuel [and Robert GIBBS]. Catalogue of articles for a whaling voyage.
New Bedford, Massachusetts, E.S. Ritchie, dealer in ship chandlery, and importer of hard-ware. Rodman's Buildings, no. 61 North Water Street, [ca. 1849]. 18mo (16 x 10 cm). The work is printed on blue paper. Original quarter leather and printed stiff paper wrappers. 32, [8 blank] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Australia Fishery & Whaling Naval History North America Pacific Islands Travel & Voyages Australia Travel & Voyages Pacific

Fantastic (partly true?) adventures in Ottoman Africa,
by an English merchant captured by Barbary pirates in 1648

ROBERTS, A. The adventures of (Mr T. S.) an English merchant, taken prisoner by the Turks of Argiers, and carried into the inland countries of Africa: with a description of the kingdom of Argiers, of all the towns and places of note thereabouts. Whereunto is added a relation of the chief commodities of the countrey, and of the actions and manners of the people. Written first by the author, and fitted for the publick view by A. Roberts.
London, Moses Pitt [printed by William Wilson?], 1670. Small 8vo. With 2 decorated woodcut initials and decorative bands of cast fleurons. Blind- and gold-tooled calf (ca. 1800). [8], "252" [= 254], [2] pp. Full description

€ 9,500

Mutiny, Piracy & Shipwrecks North Africa Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Middle East Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Rare abridged Robinsonade: French captain Viaud is shipwrecked
and stranded on islands off the coast of Florida

[ROBINSONADE]. [Captain Pierre VIAUD]. Der französische Robinson. Oder außerordentliche Schicksale des französichen Kaptain Viaud nach seinen eigenen Berichten. Aus dem französischen.
Prague, Johann Herrl, 1795. 8vo. Contemporary blind-tooled half calf, red speckled paper sides. 122 pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Imaginary Voyages & Utopias Mutiny, Piracy & Shipwrecks

Reflections on seafaring by a Dutch minister on his way to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies

ROMAN, Johannes. Scheeps-bedenckingen, gevallen over verscheyde saken die den zee-varenden plachten te ontmoeten ...
Haarlem, Adriaen Roman, 1649. 4to. With a large woodcut printers device on the title page, a large woodcut portrait of Laurens Janszoon Coster (printer's device of A. Roman, dated 1630 in the block) on the final page, 3 decorated woodcut initials, and a woodcut tailpiece. Later black and orange painted paper wrappers showing a floral design. [1], [1 blank], [2], 23, [1] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Broadsides, Ephemera & Pamphlets History / 17th Century Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Naval History VOC

22 excellent watercolour views of rocky sea-coasts in New Caledonia & Peru

ROMIEUX, Osmond. [Watercolour views of sea-coasts in New Caledonia and Peru].
[New Caledonia & Peru], [1855/60?]. Album: full-sheet leaves (oblong 1mo) (39.5 × 52.5); drawings: oblong folio and oblong 4to. An album with 21 watercolour drawings on paper with views of sea coasts from the shore (24 × 31 cm to 29.5 × 46.5 cm), one with a 22nd watercolour drawing on the back with a similar view, and one with about 15 human figure drawings in graphite pencil on the back. All bear the artists stamp on the front (Lugt 3703) and 4 are signed or initialled by the artist. Richly gold- and blind-tooled green goatskin morocco, white watered silk endleaves. 21 album ll. with 1 drawing mounted on each recto. Full description

€ 18,000

City Plans, Topography & Views Latin America Pacific Islands Peru South America

First and only publication of the original text of the primary logbook of the first Dutch expedition
to the Arabian Gulf by Cornelis Cornelisz Roobacker

[ROOBACKER, Cornelis Cornelisz.] A. HOTZ (publ.). Cornelis Cornelisz Roobacker's scheepsjournaal Gamron-Basra (1645); de eerste reis der Nederlanders door de Perzische Golf. Uitgegeven, met inleiding en noten, door A. Hotz.
In: BEEKMAN, A.A. etc. (eds.), Tijdschrift van het Koninklijk Nederlandsch Aardrijkskundig Genootschap gevestigd te Amsterdam. Tweede serie Deel XXIV. No. 3 (15 Mei).
Leiden, Brill, 1907. 8vo. One folding table and 3 folding maps (1 belonging to another article in the journal). Brown paper wrappers, with title information of the journal on the front and spine, and the contents on the back wrapper. 289-405 [=117] pp. Full description

€ 750

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Iran / Persia Kuwait Navigation Travel & Voyages Middle East VOC

A compendium for sailing the Indian Ocean, with three charts, second copy located

ROSSER, William Henry. Short notes on the winds, weather, & currents, together with general sailing directions and remarks on making passages; to accompany a chart of the Indian Ocean. With two[=three] illustrations.
London, James Imray and son, 1866. 8vo. With 3 folding lithographed charts (the first as frontispiece and the third possibly extra added). Modern brown cloth, spine with a long vertical leather title-label. [4], 64 pp. Full description