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BOTTIGELLA, Giovanni Matteo; & Roberto Sanseverino.
Viaggio in Terra Santa. 1459
£475,000
EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT ITALIAN/LOMBARD LANGUAGE MANUSCRIPT of a little-known pilgrimage to the Holy Land made from Venice to Jaffa by sea in 1458-9, containing "the most...
Quarto (220 × 155 mm), 133 unnumbered leaves written in a professional scribal hand in ink, about 29 lines per page on lined vellum, with contemporary annotations... Read more
SHARPE, Bartholomew, & William Hack.
To the Serene Mai.ties of Charles; the second. King of great Britaigne, France and Ireland. This following Journall of our transactions in the South Seas is humbly presented by your Ma:ties ever loyal c.1682
£75,000
An important manuscript journal of the buccaneer Bartholomew Sharpe's expeditions on the coast of South America from 5 April 1680 to 28 January 1681/2, identified as part of a royal...
Small folio (305 ×193 mm). Near contemporary mottled calf, central double fillet gilt panels, red morocco label to the spine, lettered "Sharpe south sea 1680",... Read more
MEDINA, Pedro de.
L'Arte del navegar, in laqual si contengonolere gole, dechiarationi, secreti, & avisi, 1554
£15,000
First edition in Italian, first issue with title dated 1554. First published in Valladolid in 1545, Medina's Arte del navegar was the first practical treatise on navigation and the...
Small quarto (215 x 149 mm). Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine, lacking ties, remnants of paper label at bottom of spine. Housed in a black quarter... Read more
FRUNEAU, René.
Collection of six scarce works on navigation, hydrography, meteorology, and astronomy published at Nantes. 1829-33
£6,000
First editions of a group of rather eccentric theoretical papers on a range of matters maritime by an "ancien marin Nantaise", based in his experiences as a ship's captain in the...
Octavo (198 × 124 mm). Contemporary quarter calf, imitation tree calf boards, black morocco label, edges stained yellow. Folding lithographed map and 3 folding... Read more
DISTON, John.
The Seaman's Guide, 1783
£1,250
ESTC records only BL copy of this edition. RLIN adds John Carter Brown Library, which is also bound in sail-cloth. The earliest edition recorded by ESTC is the "new edition" of 1779,...
Landscape octavo. Original sail-cloth over light card wraps. Endpapers a little browned, the occasional spot of foxing, but overall a very good copy. Read more
MOORE, Sir Jonas.
A Mathematical Compendium; 1705
£1,250
Fourth edition. Moore had been involved with the management of the Royal Mathematical School at Christ's Hospital; his notes were edited by his Ordnance second clerk, Nicholas...
Duodecimo (132 × 79 mm). Contemporary dark calf sewn on four cords, blind-panelled sides, red speckled edges. Folding plate, engravings in text, mathematical... Read more
MULLIGAN, P.
The Independent Navigator, or Mariner's Best Companion. 1828
£1,000
First and only edition. As suggested by the sub-title, Mulligan - who styles himself "Teacher of Navigation and Mental Astronomy, by a New and Approved System" - suggests that he has...
Octavo (214 × 132 mm). Original publisher's half sheep on reddish boards, paper label to the upper board. Folding table laid on linen as frontispiece, tables to... Read more
PURDY, John.
The Brasilian Navigator; or Sailing Directory for all the Coasts of Brasil, etc. 1851
£850
First edition 1838. Uncommon, just 12 copies of various editions between 1838 and 1862 on OCLC, just two of the present one. These coastal pilots were for shipboard use, and are...
Octavo. Original grey card wraps, printed paper label to the upper panel, rebacked in close to matching paper. Coastal profiles to the text. Wraps worn and soiled,... Read more
PITOT, Henri.
The Theory of the Working of Ships, applied to Practice. 1743
£600
First published in French in 1731, Pitot's contribution to the scientific analysis of ship-handling won him election to the Royal Academy of Sciences. His most famous inventiion was...
Octavo (187 × 117 mm) Contemporary sprinkled calf, rebacked in sheep with red morocco label. 7 folding tables, 22 tables. Somewhat rubbed, corners through, some... Read more
[STEEL, David]
The Art of Rigging; 1796
£350
First edition thus, plates from the 1794 Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship. Near contemporary purchase inscription to the front free endpaper, "Henry Eldredge's Book....
Octavo. Twentieth-century cloth-backed marbled boards, leather label to the spine. Engraved frontispiece & 9 other plates, all but one of them folding, numerous... Read more
BRADFORD, John Service.
Atlantic Coast Pilot - Eastport to Boston. 1879
£350
A revised and corrected edition, following the first of 1871. Founded by an act of 1807 "to provide for surveying the coasts of the United States," the Office of Coast Survey is the...
Quarto (295 × 193 mm). Original half skiver on marbled boards, title gilt to the spine, marbled edges and endpapers. 24 folding harbour charts and 31 folding... Read more
MARGUET, F.
Histoire de la longitude a la mer au XVIIIe siècle en France. 1917
£125
First edition. This masterly study of French efforts in the struggle to establish longitude at sea won Marguet the Académie des sciences Prix Binoux, and a gold medal from the...
Octavo (253 × 158 mm). Later tan buckram, title gilt to spine on red faux label, original wraps, upper wrap guarded, bound in front and back. Illustrations to... Read more
BARLOW, Roger.
A Brief Summe of Geographie. 1932
£50
First edition. First publication of Barlow's translation, with additional material on navigation, of Enciso's Suma de Geographia, an English attempt to pre-empt the project for a new...
Octavo. Original blue cloth, title gilt to the spine, both boards with gilt block of a galley within elaborate blind panels. Photogravure frontispiece and 2 similar... Read more
