Travel & Exploration

Interesting sammelband relating to the struggle between the Portuguese and the Dutch over the trading posts in West Africa and it’s profitable slave trade

First edition, a remarkable collection shedding valuable light on the commercial conflicts between Portugal and the Dutch trading companies in West Africa during the early 18th century, the present memorandum concerns a renewed dispute between Portugal and the Dutch East India Company over claims to the territory of Guinea and its profitable slave trade. Although the work claims to be the first Portuguese edition, no earlier edition of this text is known in any language, neither Sabin nor Alden-Landis record a Portuguese edition, nor is any other text by this author known.

Early edition, commissioned by Hakluyt, of the first complete English translation of Martyr’s history of the New World

Second edition, extremely rare, here with the five final books translated into English (not present in Eden’s translation of 1555) commissioned by Hakluyt; the first edition of this work was published in 1612, and it was the first complete edition in a vernacular language. “The first, and for many years the only, history of the New World ... in many respects the sole contemporary source of information concerning the discovery and conquest of America” (Church). The commissioning of the translation has been attributed to Hakluyt; “is in his pattern of emphasizing Spanish imperialism as an example to the English” (Parker, p. 209).

The unusual first edition, published in Habana, of this landmark album of views of Cuba, arguably Cuba’s iconographic masterpiece of the 19th century

First edition, the exceptionally rare original edition printed in Habana of Miahle’s views of Cuba, more commonly known for its reimpression in Berlin by May.

Goes’ definitive Humanist Chronicle validates the Portuguese Empire in India

First edition, one of the rarest and most important Chronicles of the Portuguese expansion and discoveries in India, Asia, and Brazil, a fine copy preserving all title pages; this history of King Manuel, written by Portugal’s eminent humanist and chronicler Damian de Goes, is a monumental work, much of what we today know of his reign, arguably Portugal’s Golden Age of expansion, is based on this Chronica. A beautiful copy, bearing the author's signature on title-pages.

Extremely rare Dutch collection of Voyages, including Pelsaert’s account of Australia

First edition, an exceptionally rare collection of Dutch Voyages to the East Indies, here housed in its contemporary binding, and with the complete complement of engraved views and maps. These early voyages of discovery and expeditions in the late 16th and early 17th centuries laid the foundation for the Dutch expansion and successful trading activities in the Far East and the establishing of the Dutch seaborne empire. This collection of voyages, brought together by the Amsterdam publisher Joost Hartgers in 1648, ranks among the best, albeit not the earliest, collections printed in the first half of the 17th century. This collection contains, amongst many important travels, the journals of Bontekoe & Raven and Pelsaert (numbers 10 and 11), on Australia.

The best printed source on Santo Domingo and its population issue and the need for African slaves, complete with the rarely-seen large map

First edition, large-paper and exceptionally rare complete copy, including the normally missing large map in two sheets by Lopez; this is the best printed source on Santo Domingo of the 18th century, written by the first Santo Domingo-born author.

One of the great accounts of travel in Asia printed in today´s China, the only Sino-European secular book to have been printed in Macao in the 18th century

Extremely rare first edition of this account of Antonio de Albuquerque Coelho’s (1682-1745) eventful journey from Goa to Macao in 1717-1718, in many ways the first of its kind, and the only Sino-European secular book to have been printed in Macao in the 18th century. The Jornada is one of the mere 11 books printed in Macao between 1662 and 1718, and as aforementioned, the only one of a secular nature.

The only complete Portuguese incunable to come to market in living memory, the only of a non-Hebrew nature, the book that helped Columbus discover America and Vasco da Gama plan the route to India

First edition, a landmark Portuguese work of science, exploration, and printing, the book that aided Portuguese exploration and Spanish exploration of the world, in the impossibly rare first edition, printed in Portugal.

Early Illustrated edition of the first account of European colonization in India

The first account of European colonization in India, a fine and early illustrated edition, printed three months after the first edition (printed in Rome).

The official decree regulating commerce between Spain and her new territory of Louisiana, excluding all commerce with France and her colonies

First edition of this royal decree attempting to regulate commerce between Spain and her new territory of Louisiana, by excluding all commerce with France and her colonies

The voyage of Mendana and Quiros to explore the Pacific

First edition, first issue, one of the first works to give an account of Mendana and Quiros’ monumental voyage to explore the Pacific and the discovery of the Marquesas and Salomon Islands, in all, a primary source for the history of Pacific exploration; the work also contains accounts of piracy in Chile and Peru (including relations of Drake, Cavendish and Hawkins), and an important account of the Spanish wars against the Chilean Indians. This is the Brasseur de Bourbourg–Pinart copy.