GILES (Ernest)

Geographic travels in central Australia from 1872 to 1874.

First edition, folding map, original red cloth, gilt block on front cover, by W. Detmold of Melbourne, with his label on rear pastedown (binding worn and soiled, joints splitting); inscribed by Charles French (1842-1933, naturalist) to Alfred Russell Wallace in Melbourne in 1876) “best compliments and kind regards”, Melbourne, the author, 1872.

£1,250.00

Published with assistance from Ferdinand von Mueller who contributes an introduction, and a list of the plants collected at the end. French was a life long friend and protege of Mueller, which explains why he was presenting the book. Wallace certainly read it since there is a pencil note in his hand on the flyleaf p. 204 Delicious horse dampers! where we read “The most favourite method of cooking the horse-flesh was by first boiling, then pounding with a shoeing hammer, then cutting it up into small pieces, wetting the whole mass and making it into the form of a damper…”. Ferguson 9912.

Stock No.
172848