- 429
BOWMAN, HILDEBRAND. THE TRAVELS ... IN NEW ZEALAND. LONDON, 1778
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description
- The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman into Carnovirria, Taupiniera, Olfactaria, and Auditante, in New-Zealand ... written by himself; who went on shore in the Adventure's large cutter, at Queen Charlotte's Sound New-Zealand, the fatal 17th of December 1773. London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1778
- paper
8vo (213 x 130mm.), FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed on preliminary blank "To the Rev.d Doctor Alexander Duncan from his very affectionate and much obliged servant, The Author", 2 engraved plates (facing pages 54 and 275), contemporary calf, single gilt fillet border, spine in six compartments with raised bands, red morocco lettering piece in second compartment, hole in upper margin of O5 not affecting text, short clean tear at foot of Y1 without loss, expert repairs to head and foot of spine
Provenance
Rev. Dr Alexander Duncan, presentation inscription from the author; W. Brooks, nineteenth-century signature on title; Francis Edwards catalogue 604 (1936), item 97
Literature
Bagnall 5600; BCJC 3921 & 4659; Du Rietz 1297 (with note about this copy); Gove p.369; Hocken p.18; Holmes A 43; Holmes B 27; Howgego, Invented B40; Bertelsen, Lance (ed.), The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman (Broadview Press, 2017), pp.35-38 (note about this copy)
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
THE ONLY KNOWN INSCRIBED PRESENTATION COPY OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.
This work, dedicated to Joseph Banks and Charles Solander, 'tells the story of a fictional midshipman abandoned in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, after a battle with Maori that claims the lives of ten of his shipmates. Inspired by an actual event on Captain Cook's second voyage, Bowman's adventures take him to increasingly sophisticated cultures ... that dramatize stadial history in a Pacific setting. The work provocatively weaves together popular fascination with Cook's voyages, sensational conceptions of the newly charted Pacific, contemporary ideas on human development and culture, topical satire on London life, and a fanciful castaway story. As an introduction to the cultural connections linking Pacific studies, the Scottish Englightenment, and eighteenth-century English society and politics, The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman is unique in literary history' (Bertelsen). Authorship has remained a mystery, and until relatively recently it was considered that John Elliott (1759-1834), a midshipman on the Resolution during Cook's second voyage was the author, however in the past five years Cliff Thornton has presented a persuasive case for Robert Home (1752-1834), an English painter of Scottish ancestry, as a more likely candidate (see Bertelsen pp.35-38).
This work, dedicated to Joseph Banks and Charles Solander, 'tells the story of a fictional midshipman abandoned in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, after a battle with Maori that claims the lives of ten of his shipmates. Inspired by an actual event on Captain Cook's second voyage, Bowman's adventures take him to increasingly sophisticated cultures ... that dramatize stadial history in a Pacific setting. The work provocatively weaves together popular fascination with Cook's voyages, sensational conceptions of the newly charted Pacific, contemporary ideas on human development and culture, topical satire on London life, and a fanciful castaway story. As an introduction to the cultural connections linking Pacific studies, the Scottish Englightenment, and eighteenth-century English society and politics, The Travels of Hildebrand Bowman is unique in literary history' (Bertelsen). Authorship has remained a mystery, and until relatively recently it was considered that John Elliott (1759-1834), a midshipman on the Resolution during Cook's second voyage was the author, however in the past five years Cliff Thornton has presented a persuasive case for Robert Home (1752-1834), an English painter of Scottish ancestry, as a more likely candidate (see Bertelsen pp.35-38).