Life in the Forests of the Far East; or Travels in Northern Borneo. Vol. I-II

Description:

Second edition, revised. Published a year after the first, St. John added to this second edition an introduction, a chapter on pirates, another on animals, an index, and occasionally introduced some new anecdote. The four hand-coloured plates illustrate carnivorous pitcher plants (Nepenthes), and are engraved after illustrations first published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society.

'Borneo, one of the most interesting and romantic regions in the world', thus starts this fascinating book. Its author, Spenser St. John (1825-1910), was a British diplomat and explorer. He was private secretary to Sir James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak in Borneo. In 1856 St. John was appointed British consul-general to the native states of Borneo; he explored the country, and went further into the interior than any previous European traveller. His habit of wearing native dress resulted in complaints to London. The present book, based on his full and accurate journals, also supplemented by other visitors' testimonies, is a well-written and beautifully illustrated account of the author's travels. (ODNB)

Condition

2 vols, 8vo, orig. green cloth, blind-stamped borders and central floral design to boards, gt title and dec. palm design to spines. Minor wear, short nick to head of each spine. Orig. coated yellow endpapers, browned to reverse; hinges cracked but firm. Stitching tender in places with a few gatherings just starting. Some foxing to a few plates and adjacent pages, mostly light but heavier to several of the tinted plates. Folding maps each with one short closed tear to inner edge. Armorial bookplate with motto 'Festina Lente'. A pleasing set of this rare work in bright original bindings.