Guinea

1885 · ref. 187509 — Australia: The Geographical Society of Australasia 1885 & 1886. Two elaborately decorated manuscripts presented to Captain Henry Charles Everill congratulating him and the members of the New Guinea Exploratory Expedition on a successful voyage. The quarto manuscript was presented by the Geographical Society of Australasia who funded the expedition and the folio by the Victorian Branch of the Geographical Society specifically 12 members of which have signed it at the end. Everill's party left Sydney on 10 June 1885 and returned home on 3 December 1885 having spent five months in New Guinea. The object of the expedition was to map unexplored territory in the Fly river region to gather information on local flora and fauna and to perform an anthropological investigation into the indigenous people. However the underlying motivations of the expedition were likely linked to Australian state expansion into the Pacific. In 1883 the Colony of Queensland attempted to annex the east of the island of New Guinea and then again shortly after the federation of Australia in 1901. The expedition left Sydney in the steamer Bonito journeying to New Guinea and up the Fly river into the Strickland River. The river was named during the expedition in honour of Sir Edward Strickland the president of the Geographical Society. The Bonito was stranded in the Strickland at which point Everill led a party another 80 miles up the river in a whaleboat. Purchased by Martin Schøyen b. 1940 the Norwegian collector of rare books and manuscripts Two manuscripts on paper quarto 335 x 265 mm 2 pages and folio 460 x 385 mm single page text in gothic and cursive script in black ink illuminated initials and titles intricate border designs in multiple colours all heightened in gilt. Contemporary black and brown morocco the folio by Thedel and Co. of Melbourne and with silk moiré doublure the quarto by John Sands of Sydney is rebacked lettered and decorated in gilt. Refurbished a few corners restored covers lightly scuffed and marked silverfishing with loss of several words in both texts heavier in the folio affecting signatures light damp staining. A very good set. unknown