‎Middle east‎

‎Hervás, Lorenzo, SJ.‎

‎Aritmetica delle nazioni e divisione del tempo fra l'orientali. Cesena, Gregorio Biasini, 1786.‎

‎Large 4to. 201, (1) pp. (including errata). With a folding engraved plate and a folding letterpress table. Contemporary carta rustica binding. First edition thus. A highly interesting work comparing the different numerical systems used by various languages and cultures: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, North and South American Indian cultures, Chinese, Japanese, Tamil, Coptic, Maori, etc. Separate chapters investigate the European adoption of the Arabic system of numerals. The engraved plate shows the shape of numerals throughout the world, while the folding table compares the pronunciation of the word for the number "6" in a wealth of languages. - The Spanish-born Jesuit Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro (1735-1809) counts as one of the most important authors of the Spanish Universalist School of the 18th century, an enlightened, global, comparative approach to historic and scientific theory. This work also appeared as volume 19 of the author's monumental 21-volume cosmographical treatise "Idea dell' Universo" (1778-87), being one of five volumes of the series to be issued separately. - Front inner hinge loosened. Untrimmed in the original carta rustica. An early and little-received work of comparative linguistics, pre-dating by many decades the works of Bopp and Schleicher. De Backer/S. IV, 319f., 2.XIX. Not in Riccardi.‎

‎Honorius of Autun (Honorius Augustodunensis).‎

‎De imagine mundi. [Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 1472].‎

‎Folio (310 x 220 mm). (46) ff., one final blank. Rubricated in red throughout and about half of the spaces left for initials filled in red by hand. 19th century red sheepskin, marbled sides. First edition of the popular "Imago mundi" of Honorius Augustodunensis (1080-1154), an incunabular encyclopaedia of popular cosmology and geography combined with a chronicle of world history, containing references to Arabia, Syria, Palestine, and the Saracens and thus providing one of the earliest mentions of Arabia ever printed. The monk Honorius takes the river Nile as the boundary between Africa and Asia (naming the latter continent in its entirety "India"). Arabia is described in the subsection on Mesopotamia. The description of this country, found along the Tigris and the Euphrates, also includes an account of the Kingdom of Sheba, home of the Queen of Sheba, and is said to be inhabited by the Moabites, Syrians, Saracens and others. After Mesopotamia we find Syria, including Phoenicia, which is followed by sections on Palestine and Egypt. - The "Imago mundi", which by scholarly consent was not published after 5 February 1473, exemplified the picture of Africa and the Orient prevalent in the West ca. 1100, which were perceived as lands full of marvels. It is one of the five earliest books printed by the great and prolific Nuremberg printer Anton Koberger. - Binding slightly rubbed; a few early manuscript annotations by a near-contemporary humanist in the margins. From the library of the Frankfurt physician Georg Franz Burkhard Kloß (1787-1854), also a noted historian of freemasonry, with his bookplate on pastedown; additional bookplate of Jean R. Perrette. Lacking the second of the two last blank leaves. A few wormholes, a couple of leaves attached to stubs, but otherwise in very good condition. Hain 8800. Goff H-323. GW 12942. BMC II, 411. Proctor 1974. Panzer II, 234.342. ISTC IH00323000. Not in Atabey or Blackmer.‎

‎Horsburgh, James.‎

‎The India Directory, or, directions for sailing to and from the East Indies, China, Australia, and the interjacent ports of Africa and South America [...]. Seventh edition. London, (Cox & Wyman for) Wm. H. Allen & Co., 1855.‎

‎Large 4to (23 x 28 cm). 2 vols. XII, XXXIV, (2), "681" [= 683], (1 blank) pp. VIII, 978 pp. Contemporary half calf, rebacked with the original backstrips laid down. Rare revised and expanded penultimate edition of a massive navigational directory, with exhaustive information on the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. Including detailed entries on Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi ("Abothubbee") and Bahrain, not only covering navigational details, but also the inhabitants, pearl fishery, geography, commerce etc., and shorter entries on islands such Sir Bani Yas, Zirku etc. For this edition expanded from the "extensive surveys along the N.E. coasts of Africa and Arabia, and into the Gulf of Cutch, compiled from the meritorious labours of Captain Haines, Carless, and Sanders, Commander Campbell, Lieutenant Grieve, and other officers of the East-India Company's Marine service" (preface). It was compiled chiefly from recent journals of ships employed by the East India Company, by James Horsburgh (1762-1836), hydrographer and chart maker to the Company. "As hydrographer Horsburgh was primarily responsible for supervising the engraving of charts sent back to London by marine surveyors in India and ordered by the company to be published, and for examining the deposited journals of returning ships for observations which would refine the oceanic navigation charts currently in use, besides other duties of provision of information laid on him by the court" (Cook). The book appeared in a total of eight editions between 1809 and 1864 before being superseded by Findlay's "A directory for the navigation of the Indian Ocean" (1869). - With the seller's ticket of George Sweetser, "dealer in sextants, quadrants, telescopes and compasses, nautical books & charts, …" and the early owner's inscription of "Wm. A. Ordway, Bradford, Mass.". Some browned corners in the opening leaves and some tiny waterstains in the head margin of volume two, otherwise in very good condition. Bindings rubbed and rebacked. Cf. Cat. NHSM, p. 73 (5th ed.); Sabin 33047 (5th ed.). For the author: Cook, "Horsburgh, James (1762-1836)", in: ODNB (online ed.).‎

‎Hunter, F[rederick] M[ercer] / Sealy, C. W. H. / Mosse, A. H. E.‎

‎An Account of the Arab Tribes in the Vicinity of Aden. Bombay, Government Central Press, 1909.‎

‎Large 8vo. 2 vols. (6), II, 356 pp. 14 genealogical tables (9 folding) & 3 hand-coloured folding maps. Original green cloth gilt. First and only edition of this excessively rare manual on the tribal structures in the very area where the region's biggest ongoing armed conflict started in 2011. Compiled initially in 1886, the text was brought up to date in 1907 by Captain A. E. Mosse. The authors provide a chronological breakdown of the events, relationships and hostilities of each of the 16 tribes in the Aden area. In addition, the work discusses the nature of each tribe (i.e. "a proud, warlike and independent race"), their income and their organisation, with notes on sub-tribes and their reigning families. The appendix includes copies of the treaties and agreements signed between local tribes and the British, many of which led to the establishment of the British Protectorate. - Aden was ruled as a part of British India from 1839 until 1937, when it became a Crown Colony. Its proximity to Zanzibar, the Suez canal and Mumbai made it an important strategic possession in the British Empire. Hunter wrote the first account of some of the tribes surrounding Aden in his work "An Account of the British Settlement of Aden in Arabia" (1877). - Slightly rubbed and spotted. Old library shelfmarks to upper covers; some contemporary underlinings in coloured pencil. The tables are at the end of the text volume, while the maps are stored loosely in a pocket in a separate volume. - Rare. Only two copies traced at auction within the last 50 years, one of which was lacking the maps showing the tribes of Yemen and the boundaries of the Aden protectorate. Not in Macro.‎

‎Hussein bin Ibrahim Al-Kitbi Al-Falak.‎

‎Astronomical manuscript. No place, [1929 CE =] 1345 H.‎

‎Small folio (205 x 282 mm). Turkish manuscript on paper. 113 pp., per extensum, with half-page illustrated headpiece and numerous tables. Black and occasional red ink on paper, text ruled in red and green ink throughout. Contemporary black half calf over cloth boards. Decorated paper pastedowns. A "brief account of knowledge of some constants" by Hussein bin Ibrahim Al-Kitbi Al-Falak, written in accurate penmanship and containing numerous astronomical tables in black and red ink. - Paper a little browned and brownstained. Bookplate on front flyleaf with printed portrait, dated 1342.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Aden Harbour. No. 3660. London, British Admiralty, 1937.‎

‎Standard issue, 698 x 1024 mm. Scale 1:6,120. Detailed nautical chart of the port of Aden, historically a major hub of transportation for the region, prepared by the British Admiralty. Undoubtedly one of the better antiquarian maps of Aden under British administration. - The chart details the port area, labelling the Hotel de l'Europe, churches, the post office, the American Consulate, Cunningham market, the Prince of Wales pier, coal wharfs and the Aden Coal Company, as well as Marbut Hill, Chapel Hill and Barrack Hill. It includes the mountainous Aden Peninsula and Gold Mohur Valley, as well as the quarantine station on Flint Island. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys between 1906 and 1936; it was first published in 1907 and saw several corrections up to 1937. - With a single fold. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso. Slightly brownstained near upper right corner and on lower right margin.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Gulf of Aden [...] Eastern Portion Including Socotra Island. No. 6a. London, British Admiralty, 1934.‎

‎Standard issue, 814 x 1006 mm. Scale 1:712,000. Nautical chart of the Gulf of Aden including the Horn of Africa and Socotra Island, prepared by the British Admiralty. With three panoramic views featuring Ras Jard Hafún and its neighbouring hills. - The chart details the Arabian and African coasts, Abd al-Kuri, and the Socotra Islands. Among the major labeled places are Ras-al-Kalb, Mukalla, Shihr, and Ras Kusa'ir on the Arabian coast, as well as Ras Adado, Bandar Kassim, Alula, and Hafun on the African continent. The chart shows geological features, marking several limestone formations including Jebel Warsangeleh, and warns mariners of the somewhat outdated rendering of Cape Guardafui, and of approaching the eastern point of Socotra island during the south-west monsoon. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after surveys by the Indian navy as well as Admiralty surveys between 1836 and 1927; it was first published in 1886 and saw several corrections up to 1934. - Small marginal tear in the centrefold, pierced in one place. Slightly brownstained. Two folds. A few manuscript notes and stamp "Increase 50%" near lower right corner. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Gulf of Aden. Sheet 2. Western Portion. No. 6b. London, British Admiralty, 1934.‎

‎Standard issue, 700 x 1025 mm. Constant ratio linear horizontal scale 1:800,000. Nautical chart of the Gulf of Aden with the Arabian and African shoreline, prepared by the British Admiralty. With a small view of Ras-al-Kalb mountain. The chart details the Gulf from the Red Sea and the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb in the west to the cities of Burum in Arabia and Bander Báad in Africa in the east. It shows Perim Island, the Gulf of Tajura, mountains like Jebel Arar and Jebel Fadthli, as well as tribal areas. Among the most prominent labelled cities are Mokka, Aden, Balhaf, Zeila, Berbera, and Las Khoreh. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys of 1836-48 and 1911; it was first published in 1888 and saw several corrections up to 1934. - With a single fold. A few manuscript notes. With a stamp "Increase 50%" near lower right corner. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso. Slightly brownstained.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Harbours and Anchorages in the Red Sea. No. 3047. London, British Admiralty, 1921.‎

‎Standard issue 516 x 688 mm. Scales 1:7,230 to 1:29,040. Nautical chart of ten of the principal harbours and anchorages of the Red Sea, prepared by the British Admiralty: Sherm Sheikh, Sherm el Moiyah, Mersa Diba, Sherm Habban, Omeider Island, Dahab, Sherm en Noman, Wasit anchorage, Akaba Bay, and Khor el Wahla. The chart of Akaba Bay shows Akaba City and the ruined fort as well as Victoria Pier and an observation spot. Several charts show dangerous coral reefs, including Harrier reef on the Khor el Wahla chart. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after surveys by the Austrian Imperial ship "Pola" in 1895-96, as well as an admiralty survey of 1918; it was first published in 1899 and saw several corrections up to 1921. - With a stamp "Increase 50%" near upper margin. Captioned in former collectors' hands on verso. Blueish smudge near upper margin; several small marginal tears, only one of which touching text.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Indian Ocean Western [and] Eastern Sheet. London, British Admiralty, 1867.‎

‎109,5 x 195 cm. Mounted on cloth. Large nautical chart of the Indian Ocean from the Cape of Good Hope to Australia. It combines the western sheet (Cape of Good Hope to Cape Comorin) and the eastern sheet (Cape Comorin to Australia) on a single map with two title vignettes. The chart details the Arabian Peninsula with the Red Sea and the Gulf, the eastern coast of Africa, Madagascar, India, parts of China, Indonesia, and the entire continent of Australia. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was first published in 1856 and saw several corrections up to 1867. - Some pencil notes. Cracked in several places; marginal flaws professionally repaired.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Jabal at Tair to Perim Island. No. 143. London, British Admiralty, 1935.‎

‎Standard issue, 1015 x 912 mm. Constant ratio linear horizontal scale: 1:96,660 approx. Detailed nautical chart of the Red Sea from Jabal al-Tair Island to the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, prepared by the British Admiralty. With an inset map of Khor Ghuleifakeh. - The chart pays particular attention to volcanic activity, labelling volcanic cones, lava hills, and active volcanos. It details islands in the Red Sea including Haleb, the Hanish Islands, and the Zubair Group, and includes warnings of strong currents as well as a note that the depths of the Red Sea were obtained via Echo Sounding. Labelled cities ashore include Mocca, Hodeida, and Loheiya on the Yemen coast, as well as Rehayto, Assab, and Baylul on the coast of Eritrea. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was compiled from information in the Hydrographic Department to 1930; a prior version appeared as early as 1882. - Small tear to left margin; two folds. A few manuscript notes. With a stamp "Increase 50%" at lower margin. Captioned in former collector's hand on verso.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Perim Island (or Meyún) and Bab-el-Mandeb Small Strait. No. 2592. London, British Admiralty, 1924.‎

‎Standard issue, 687 x 860 mm. Scale 1:17,980. Nautical chart of the southernmost part of the Red Sea with Perim Island, prepared by the British Admiralty. With a view of the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb near lower margin. - Perim Island, as a dependency of Aden, was part of the British Empire between 1857 and 1967. The island encloses a deep and comparatively large natural harbour on the southwestern coast. The chart labels the pilot's house, piers, coal stacks, the hospital, and the Lloyd's signal station. Other prominent places on the island include the fishing village of Meyun, Murray Point, William Bay, the old fort, and a parade ground. The chart includes the Arabian coast of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, detailing Sheikh Malu or Oyster Island, Ras Sheikh Syed, and Jebel Manhali. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys between 1874 and 1918; it was first published in 1874 and saw several corrections up to 1924. - With a single fold. Some manuscript corrections and a note in pencil: "Caution / The 2 Red Lights on Lloyd's Signal Station are now discontinued". With a stamp "Increase 50%" near lower right corner. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso. A large tear in the centrefold.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Port Sudan [and] Approaches to Port Sudan. No. 3492. London, British Admiralty, 1929.‎

‎Standard issue, 700 x 1024 mm. Scale 1:10,000 and 1:25,000. Detailed nautical chart of Port Sudan, the primary port of Sudan, prepared by the British Admiralty. Undoubtedly one of the best maps of the young city, which was built between 1905 and 1909 by the administration of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan to replace Suakin. Both the city of Port Sudan as well as the approaches to Port Sudan are combined on a single sheet. - The chart details numerous mooring posts, the port police, cranes and the customs office, as well as dangerous coral reefs stretching across the entire shore of Port Sudan. It includes landmarks such as churches and mosques, the Governor's residence, the public garden, school, and hospital, as well as sports clubs and the Polo grounds. Another interesting detail is the "pilgrim quarantine enclosure" to the south of the city, as well as the Atbara and Port Sudan railway. In addition, the Approaches chart displays offshore features like the Wingate Reefs and the North Towartit Reef. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The Port Sudan chart was composed after an Admiralty survey of 1904; it saw corrections in 1916 and 1920. The Approaches chart is the result of a 1927 survey carried out by HMS Endeavour. - With a single fold. A few manuscript notes; stamp "Increase 50%" to lower margin. Captioned on verso in two former collectors' hands.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Port Sudan. No. 3492. London, British Admiralty, 1918.‎

‎Standard issue, 687 x 1024 mm. Scale 1:8,100. Detailed nautical chart of Port Sudan, the primary port of Sudan, prepared by the British Admiralty. Undoubtedly one of the best maps of the young city, which was built between 1905 and 1909 by the administration of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan to replace Suakin. - The chart details numerous mooring posts, the port police, cranes and the customs office, as well as dangerous coral reefs stretching across the entire shore of Port Sudan. It includes landmarks like churches and mosques, the Governor's residence, the public garden, school, and hospital, as well as sports clubs and the Polo ground. Another interesting detail is the "pilgrim quarantine enclosure" south of the city, as well as the Atbara and Port Sudan railway. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys of 1904; it was first published in 1905 and saw several corrections up to 1918. - With a single fold. Captioned in a former collector's hand on verso. Two small marginal tears, hardly touching image.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Red Sea. No. 2523. London, British Admiralty, 1928.‎

‎Standard issue, 700 x 1020 mm. Constant ratio linear horizontal scale 1:2,189,000. General nautical chart of the entire Red Sea with the coastlines of Hejaz and Yemen, as well as Egypt, Nubia, Sudan, and Abyssinia, prepared by the British Admiralty. - The chart details the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, the Sinai Peninsula, the Strait of Jubal, and the open sea in its entirety, including several archipels like the Farisan and Hanish islands, concluding with the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and the westernmost part of the Gulf of Aden. It features many details ashore including the Hejaz Railway, the river Nile and the Nubian desert. Among the most prominent labeled cities are Suez, Yenbo, Jidda, Lith, Medina, Mokka, Aden, Khartum, and Port Sudan. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys up to 1884; it was first published in 1885 and saw several corrections up to 1928. - With a single fold. A few manuscript notes and a stamp "Increase 50%" near title. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso. Two tears in the left and right margin at the centrefold; remains of old adhesive tape in an attempt to repair the tear; a few smaller marginal tears.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Red Sea - Sheet 4. No. 8d. London, British Admiralty, 1936.‎

‎Standard issue, 710 x 860 mm. No scale information. Nautical chart of the Red Sea between Trinkitat in Sudan and Hodeida in Saudi Arabia, prepared by the British Admiralty. With three inset maps of Khor Nohud, Gizán, and the Disei Village Bay, as well as a view of Jabal at Tair Island. - The chart shows the Farasan Islands as well as the Dahlak Archipelago and the Zubair Group. Among the most prominent labelled cities are Loheiya, Hodeida, Gizán, and Massawa. Other interesting details include an Egyptian military station at Mount Keren, an Italian post near the Arafale craters, the Husna-l Majis Hill Fort, and the Sheikh's Tomb near Hali Point in Saudi Arabia. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys of the 19th century; it was first published in 1873 and saw several corrections up to 1936. - With a single fold. A few manuscript notes. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso. Brown smudge near left margin; faint marginal flaws.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb and Approaches. No. 3180. London, British Admiralty, 1936.‎

‎Standard issue, 700 x 1024 mm. Scale 1:175,000 approx. Nautical chart of a small portion of the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, prepared by the British Admiralty. It shows Perim Island and Halib Island, as well as Mokka as its northernmost city. Other notable places include Ras al Ara, Ras Bab-el-Mandeb, Khor Omeira, and the Jezirat Sowabih islands. The chart pays particular attention to geological features, labelling larger and smaller hills including the Jebel Arrar or Chimney Peaks, as well as dunes and sandy plains. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys of 1891, 1900 and 1901; it was first published in 1902 and saw several corrections up to 1936. - With a single fold. A few manuscript notes. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office].‎

‎The Red Sea (in Five Sheets). Sheet I. No. 8a. London, British Admiralty, 1931.‎

‎Standard issue, 710 x 864 mm. Various scales. Nautical chart of the northern Red Sea, showing the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, prepared by the British Admiralty. With 4 inset maps displaying the Tiran Island anchorage, Sherm Yahar, Sherm Jubba, and El Tor harbour. - The chart details major cities including Sharm-el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Aqaba, Magna, and Suez, as well as historic landmarks like Mowila fort. In addition, the chart warns the mariner of dangerous currents in the Red Sea as well as tidal streams in the Gulf of Suez. The inset map of El Tor harbour shows hospital buildings, a well of fresh water, pilgrims' baracks, mosques, ruins, and the camel track to Wadi Sillah. - With a small illustration of the Ashrafi lighthouse. - The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. The present chart was composed after Admiralty surveys of 1830-34 and 1911; it was first published in 1873 and saw several corrections up to 1931. - Small tear in lower margin, not touching image. Top margin slightly creased. A single fold; a few manuscript notes. With a stamp "Increase 50%" near lower right corner. Captioned in print and in a former collector's hand on verso.‎

‎[Hydrographic Office - Jeddah].‎

‎Jidda with its Approaches Surveyed by Commander W. J. L. Wharton, R.N. and the Officers of H.M.S. "Fawn," 1876. London, British Admiralty, 1927 (1930).‎

‎Engraved map. 1230 x 690 mm. Detailed British Admiralty chart of the approaches to Jeddah, present-day Saudi Arabia, with an inset chart of Jeddah Harbour and the city itself. - This is undoubtedly one of the better antiquarian maps of the gateway city to Mecca and Medina. Jeddah was an important diplomatic city when the map was made; illustrated are the consulates of Britain, Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, Egypt, and France. Numerous minarets of the old city are shown. The old city walls and the gates of Mecca, Cherif, and Medina are labeled. The Ummina Howwa (Eve's Tomb) is shown. - At the beginning of the 20th century, Jeddah was an important Red Sea port, but with many islands and much shoaling in the approaches, it was a dangerous one. The British Admiralty has produced nautical charts since 1795 under the auspices of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (HO). Its main task was to provide the Royal Navy with navigational products and service, but since 1821 it has also sold charts to the public. In 1795, King George III appointed Alexander Dalrymple, a pedantic geographer, to consolidate, catalogue, and improve the Royal Navy’s charts. He produced the first chart as the Hydrographer to the Admiralty in 1802. Dalrymple, known for his sticky personality, served until his death in 1808, when he was succeeded by Captain Thomas Hurd. The HO has been run by naval officers ever since. Hurd professionalized the office and increased its efficiency. He was succeeded by the Arctic explorer Captain William Parry in 1823. By 1825, the HO was offering over 700 charts and views for sale. Under Parry, the HO also began to participate in exploratory expeditions. The first was a joint French-Spanish-British trip to the South Atlantic, a voyage organized in part by the Royal Society of London. In 1829, Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort was appointed Hydrographer Royal. Under his management, the HO introduced the wind force scale named for him, as well as began issuing official tide tables (1833). It was under Beaufort that HMS Beagle completed several surveying missions, including its most famous voyage commanded by Captain FitzRoy with Charles Darwin onboard. When Beaufort retired in 1855, the HO had nearly two thousand charts in its catalogue. Later in the 19th century, the HO supported the Challenger expedition, which is credited with helping to found the discipline of oceanography. The HO participated in the International Meridian Conference which decided on the Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian. Regulation and standardization of oceanic and navigational measures continued into the 20th century, with the HO participating at the first International Hydrographic Organization meeting in 1921. During World War II, the HO chart making facility moved to Taunton, the first purpose-built building it ever inhabited. In 1953, the first purpose-built survey ship went to sea, the HMS Vidal. Today, there is an entire class of survey vessels that make up the Royal Navy’s Hydrographic Squadron. The HO began to computerize their charts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, the compilation staff also came to Taunton, and the HO continues to work from there today.‎

‎Ibn al-Haytham, Abu 'Ali al-Hasan (Alhazen).‎

‎[Kitab al-Manazir, latine]. Opticae thesaurus. Alhazeni Arabis libri septem, nunc primum editi. Eiusdem liber de crepusculis & Nubium ascensionibus. Item Vitellonis Thuringopoloni libri X [...]. (Ed. F. Risner). Basel, Eusebius Episcopius & haeredes Nicolai Episcopii, (August) 1572.‎

‎Folio (235 x 328 mm). 2 parts in 1 vol. (6) pp., 1 blank leaf, 288 pp. (8), 474, (2) pp. With 2 different woodcut printer's devices on title-page and colophon, half-page woodcut on reverse of title-page (repeated on half-title of pt. 2), and numerous diagrams in the text. Contemporary full limp vellum binding with later ink spine label (wants ties). First edition of "the most important work of its kind in Arabic literature" (cf. Poggendorf), this copy inscribed by the German humanist Wilhelm Xylander (1532-76), sometime rector of Heidelberg University. - Ibn al-Haytham (965-c. 1040), known as Alhazen in the Western tradition, has been hailed as "the greatest Muslim physicist and one of the greatest students of optics of all times [...] The Latin translation [...] exerted a great influence upon Western science. It showed a great progress in experimental method. [Alhazen's book contains] research in catoptrics, [a] study of atmospheric refraction, [a] better description of the eye, and better understanding of vision [as well as an] attempt to explain binocular vision [and the] earliest use of the camera obscura" (Sarton). "This combined edition served as the standard reference work on optics well into the 17th century, influencing scientists such as Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Descartes" (Norman). - "The Arab physicist Alhazen preserved for us all that was known by the ancients in the field of optics and added some contributions of his own. His book remained a standard authority thru the 1600s. He understood that light emanated spherically from a point and greatly improved on Ptolemy's uncertain rule for refraction which, he showed, held true only for small angles. He covered many cases of reflection and refraction and his explanation of the structure and function of the eye was followed for 600 years" (Dibner). - The 'Liber de crepusculis', the work on dawn and twilight included in Risner's 'Opticae thesaurus' and attributed to Alhazen, is actually the work of his contemporary Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad ibn Mu'adh al-Jayyani (cf. Norman; DSB, p. 208). The optical study by the Polish scholar Witelo, likewise here included, is "a massive work that relies extensively on Alhazen [and] offers an analysis of reflection that was not surpassed until the 17th century" (Norman). - An old dampstain throughout, almost entirely confined to the outer and lower margins. Endpapers restored with old material. Upper corner of the title-page shows old blind-stamped rosette device and early calculations done in ink. 20th century bookplate to front pastedown. From the library of the French industrialist and patron Pierre Bergé (1930-2017); acquired from the sale of his estate. VD 16, H 693 (H 692, V 1761). Adams A 745. BM-STC 383. Dibner 138. Norman 1027. Honeyman I, 73. DSB VI, 205 & XIV, 461. GAL I, 470. Poggendorf I, 31. Duncan 113. Sarton I, 721. Carmody p. 140. Thorndike/Kibre 803, 1208. Vagnetti D62. BNHCat A 241. IA 103.705. Brunet I, 180. Arabick Roots Doha AR79. Collection Nachet (1929), 50 (this copy).‎

‎Ibn Batuta & Samuel Lee (editor).‎

‎The Travels of Ibn Batuta. Translated from the abridged Arabic manuscript copies, preserved in the public library of Cambridge. With notes, illustrative of the history, geography, botany, antiquities, &c. occurring throughout the work. (Including:) Report of the proceedings of the first general meeting of the subscribers to the Oriental translation fund, with the prospectus, report of the committee and regulations. London, printed for the Oriental Translation Committee (colophon: by J. L. Cox) and sold by J. Murray, Parbury, Allen & Co. and Howel & Stewart, 1829.‎

‎Large 4to (32 x 26). "XVIII" [= XX], (2), 243, (1) pp. With various passages including the original Arabic text. Also with a subscription leaf for the Marquess of Lansdowne ("this copy was printed for the most noble the Marquess of Lansdowne"), printed in black and blue, with wood-engraved illustration, in a cast floral border printed in red. Later half calf. Top edge gilt. First edition of the first substantial English translation of the travel account of Abu Abdullah Mohammed ibn Batuta (1304-68/69), known in the West as the Arabian Marco Polo, with extensive footnotes. "While on a pilgrimage to Mecca he made a decision to extend his travels throughout the whole of the Islamic world. Possibly the most remarkable of the Arab travellers, he is estimated to have covered 75,000 miles in forty years" (Howgego). His journeys included trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa and Eastern Europe in the West, and to the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China. - The account, known as the Rihla, is esteemed for its lively descriptions of his travels, giving notable information on the history, geography and botany of the countries and cities Ibn Batuta visited. He describes, for example, the city of Aden as follows: "From this place I went to the city of Aden, which is situated on the sea-shore. This is a large city, but without either seed, water, or tree. They have, however, reservoirs, in which they collect the rain-water for drinking. Some rich merchants reside here: and vessels from India occasionally arrive here. The inhabitants are modest and religious" (p. 55). - Endpapers, half-title and subscription leaf foxed, some spots on the title-page, otherwise a very good copy, only slightly trimmed leaving generous margins. Binding very good as well. Howgego, to 1800, B47.‎

‎Ibn Sina (Avicenna).‎

‎[Al Qanun - latine]. Canon medicinae. Lyon, Jean Trechsel & Johann Klein, 24. XII. 1498.‎

‎Folio (ca. 31 x 42 cm). 2 vols. 379 ff. with 1 diagrammatic woodcut. 357 ff. Contemporary full calf over wooden boards on four raised double bands, blind- and giltstamped, one volume with 2 brass clasps (and remnants on the other volume). Two complete volumes, in their contemporary Renaissance bindings, of the four-volume Latin edition of Avicenna's magnum opus. Gerard de Cremona's widely received translation was here edited by Jacques Ponceau with the commentaries of Jacobus de Partibus and Johannes Lascaris. - The principal writing of Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdullah ibn Sina (ca. 980-1037), the "Qanun" is the most authoritative medical text in the Islamic world. Written in Arabic, it was widely translated throughout the Middle Ages and formed the basis of medical training in the West as late as the mid-17th century. Through this encyclopedic work, the author exerted "perhaps a wider influence in the eastern and western hemispheres than any other Islamic thinker" (PMM). "The 'Qanun' [...] contains some of the most illuminating thoughts pertaining to distinction of mediastinitis from pleurisy; contagious nature of phthisis; distribution of diseases by water and soil; careful description of skin troubles; of sexual diseases and perversions; of nervous ailments" (Sarton, Introduction to the History of Science). "[Avicenna's] Canon is one of the most famous medical texts ever written, a complete exposition of Galenism. Neuburger says: 'It stands for the epitome of all precedent development, the final codification of all Graeco-Arabic medicine'. It dominated the medical schools of Europe and Asia for five centuries" (Garrison/M. 43). - The present two volumes comprise the complete Third Book, fen 1-12 and 13-22, and thus cover the principal part of the Qanun: special pathology and therapy "a capite ad calces" (from head to toe), including ailments of the ear, nose, and throat, as well as obstetrics. Volumes 1 and 4 (not present here) comprised books I (452 ff.) and book IV, fen 1 (142 ff.); books II and V were not part of this edition. - Both volumes lack merely the final blank leaf, otherwise complete with ample margins showing occasional deckle edges. Some light browning, some waterstaining to edges (mainly towards end of vol. 2), otherwise very little staining; some worming mostly confined to blank margins. A few contemporary ms. annotations. Both volumes in their original, prettily blind- and gilt-tooled brown leather bindings over wooden boards. - Provenance: traces of removed bookplates on pastedowns. According to a pencil note on the inside front cover of the first volume, the set was removed from the Fritzlar Cathedral Library, parts of which were dispersed in 1724 and in 1803. Later sold at Venator (Cologne), sale 23/24 (1962), lot 15 (with illustration plate IV); old sales notice pasted to inside front cover of first volume. H 2214. GW 3127. Goff A-1428. BMC VIII, 302. Proctor 8616. BSB-Ink A 964. IGI 1125 u. Corr. Pell. 1668. Polain 444. Voull. Bln. 4708. Claudin IV, 88-93. Klebs 131.13. Panzer I, 553, 200. Not in Oates, Osler, Waller, or Wellcome.‎

‎Ibn Sina (Avicenna).‎

‎Flores Avicenne. (Lyon, Claude Davost for Barthélemy Trot, 14 Aug. 1508).‎

‎8vo. (2), CLXVI ff. With several botanical woodcut initials. Contemporary dark goatskin, blind-tooled in a panel design. First edition of this important capsule edition of Ibn Sina's comprehensive Canon of Medicine (Kitab al-Qanun fi al-tibb). Designed with the Western medical student and practicioner in mind, Michael de Capella's abridgement of the greatest and most influential work in mediaeval and early modern medical history is here pared down to a nutshell manual of 166 leaves. "The preface … refers to the importance in medicine of aphoristic works that can readily be committed to memory and to the example of Hippocratic writings. The task of abbreviation was undertaken with such enthusiasm that Avicenna's chapter on the elements (Canon 1:1:2) [...] was compressed from about 550 words in the full Gerard of Cremona version into 53 in the 'Flores'. This compendium was twice reissued, in 1514 and again in 1528" (Siraisi). - Provenance: 1) Title-page shows handwritten ownership of the Augustinian monastery of Zaragoza, Spain, dated 1743. 2) 20th century bookplate of Karl and Thilde Wagner to front pastedown. - Binding somewhat worn, spine-ends and extremeties chipped. Some browning throughout, inkstains on title-page and a couple of minor stains in text. A good copy. Adams A 2319. Durling 411. USTC 143378. N. G. Siraisi, "The Changing Fortunes of a Traditional Text", in The Medical Renaissance of the Sixteenth Century (1985), p. 21. Cf. BM-STC French 234 (1514 ed. only). Cf. Wellcome I, 577 (1528 ed. only).‎

‎[Ibn Sina (Avicenna)]. - Mohammed Mahdi ibn Abi Zarr Naraqi.‎

‎Kitab Sharkh al-Ilahiyyat ("The Book of Explanation of Theology"). Theological commentary on Avicenna's Kitab al-Shifa’ ("The Book of Healing"). Western Persia (Isfahan?), [ca. 1780s].‎

‎4to (150 x 210 mm). 137 ff. Arabic manuscript on polished laid paper. 17 lines per extensum, text in black ink with marks in red. Text in black ink in a neat commentary naskh style, influenced by the widespread Persian nastaliq hand. Limp tan goatskin binding with red goatskin spine. Late 18th century Arabic manuscript apparently written in Western Persia, containing a commentary on several theological propositions taken from various parts of Ibn Sina's encyclopedical Kitab al-Shifa’, the author's major work on science and philosophy, intended to "cure" or "heal" ignorance of the soul. Thus, despite its title, it is not concerned with medicine, in contrast to his earlier "Qanun". The book is divided into four parts: logic, natural sciences, mathematics (a quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music), and metaphysics. It was influenced by ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Hellenistic thinkers such as Ptolemy, and earlier Muslim scientists and philosophers such as Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Al-Biruni. - The author of this commentary was the Shiite Iranian polymath and scholar Mohammed Mahdi ibn Abi Zarr Naraqi (1716-95). Praised by Henry Corbin in his "Histoire de la philosophie islamique", Naraqi was a significant figure on the verge of the early Qagar era of Shiite philosophy. Here, each Avicennian proposition is highlighted by the rubrication of the Arabic expression "qawl-hu" ("his saying [is … etc.]"). In some contrast to Ibn Sina's own Neo-Platonically informed interpretation of Islam, Naraqi's commentary belongs to a deeply Shiite mystical tradition. - Some paper repairs. With a Persian bequest statement (waqfiya), elegantly penned in tawqi hand, stating: "This [leather-]bound (mugallad) manuscript had been donated for the study of the religious sciences (ulum diniya) on the part of the residents of the Dar as-Saltanat in Esfahan, Persia, at the month of Rabi at-Tani 1292 H (= May 1875 CE)". Cf. GAL I, 454, 18.‎

‎Ibn Sina (Avicenna) / Vattier, Pierre (transl.).‎

‎[Kitab al-Najah - French]. La logique du fils de Sina, communément appellé Avicenne, prince des philosophes et médecins Arabes. Paris, Vattier, Augustin Courbe & Jean Huart, 1658.‎

‎8vo (120 x 180 mm). (40), 303, (31) pp. Contemporary full red morocco, both covers, spine and leading edges finely gilt. Marbled endpapers. First French edition of the Kitab al-Najah ("The Book of Salvation"), the part on logics from Ibn Sina's great scientific and philosophical encyclopedia Kitab Al-Shifa' ("The Book of Healing"). Translated by the French oriental scholar Pierre Vattier (1623-67), himself a physician like Avicenna. - Ibn Sina's system of logic is known as "Avicennian logic", in contrast to Aristotelian logic. By the 12th century, Avicennian logic had replaced Aristotelian logic as the dominant system in the Islamic world; after the Latin translations of the 12th century, his writings were also an important influence on Western mediaeval writers such as Albertus Magnus. - Light browning throughout; occasional faint waterstains to the lower margin. Very prettily gilt morocco binding; tools attributable to the binders of Macé-Ruette (cf. Esmerian, La reliure au XVIIe siècle). From the library of the French neurologist Maurice Villaret (1877-1946) with his memento-mori style bookplate to front pastedown. OCLC 978575366. Cf. GAL I, 454, 18.‎