The King and Queen of Hawaii were depicted in a less than flattering manner.
Speaking of Captain Cook, item 10 is a note written by him circa 1765 when he was still charting the coast of Newfoundland. He wrote information about the local tides on the back of a letter he received from his friend John Caddy dated October 25, 1765. Caddy was requesting Cook bring him back "two kentles of fish" (about 440 pounds). Paper was evidently short onboard Cook's ship so he jotted his observations on the back of Caddy's letter. AU $85,000 (US $77,678).
Item 16 is John Gould's spectacular three-volume, imperial folio The Mammals of Australia. Gould is best known as an ornithologist, and he traveled to Australia in 1838 primarily to collect and observe its birds. However, he was amazed by the mammalian life he found there. After returning to London in 1840, he began work on his book on Australian birds, but once that was mostly complete, he began this publication on its mammals. These three volumes were published from 1845-1863, and they contain 182 hand-colored lithograph plates. AU $295,000 (US $269,550).
In 1824, the King and Queen of Hawaii paid a visit to England. It must have been cultural shock to both sides, but the visitors were treated like royalty, as well they should be. King Kamehameha and Queen Kamamalu visited Westminster Abbey and were guests in the royal box at the Drury Lane theater. However, as the cartoon above shows (click the thumbnail image to enlarge), not everyone in England treated the royal couple respectfully. The image, published by S.W. Fores on June 16, 1824, is captioned, Robeing Royalty, a treat for the Sandwichers, at the sign of the Hog in Armour. It would prove even more tasteless when the King and Queen and their entourage all died within a month, victims of measles for which they had no immunity. Item 18. AU 13,500 (US $12,327).
You may reach Hordern House at +61 (0) 2 9356 4411 or rare@hordern.com. Their website is found at www.hordern.com.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
