Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - September - 2011 Issue

The Great South Land from Hordern House

Batavia mutineers are hanged, while their leader first has his hands cut off.

Batavia mutineers are hanged, while their leader first has his hands cut off.

Item 84 offers some of the first looks at Australia, though this early landing was entirely unintentional. The Dutch title is Ongeluckige Voyagie, Van't Schip Batavia… by Francois Pelsaert. It is one of the rare pre-1650 editions, published in 1649. Pelsaert commanded the Batavia on its maiden voyage, a rather standard transport of jewels and goods from the Netherlands to the city of Batavia (today's Jakarta) for trade. However, some mutinous crewmen deliberately steered the ship off course, and it struck a reef along islands off the west coast of Australia. Pelsaert and some loyal crewmen explored the coast of the largely unknown continent for food and water, and being unsuccessful, headed off to Batavia in their small boat to seek rescue. When they and the rescuers returned, they discovered the mutineers had murdered many of the innocent passengers. The guilty were quickly hung, their leader, Jeronimus Cornelisz first having his hands chopped off to reinforce their displeasure with his actions. This book provides the first illustrated scenes of Australia. It also includes a second eyewitness account by Gijsbert Basiaenz, a survivor whose family was murdered by the mutineers. AU $145,000 (US $150,169).

 

You may reach Hordern House at +61 (02) 9356 4411 or books@hordern.com. Their website is found at www.hordern.com.

 

Rare Book Monthly

  • ALDE, Mar. 11: AUGUSTIN (Saint). De civitate Dei. Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. [Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes… Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: TRITHÈME (JEAN). Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique. Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: CAUS (SALOMON DE). La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs. Londres, John Norton, 1612.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: VONTET (JACQUES). L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits… S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques. Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). Les Chats de Gachet (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes… Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). Le Café-concert. Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TERRY (EMILIO)]. Projet de fontaine. Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.

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