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.
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.
