1. Stuart de Rothesay, Charles Stuart, Baron (1779-1845) / Hay, Robert William (1786-1861) / Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1780 – 1831) [Baron de Rousseau – French Orientalist and French Consul at Tripoli] / Alexander Gordon Laing (1794 – 1826) [Scottish explorer and the first European to reach Timbuktu] / Hanmer Warrington / Foreign Secretary for Prime Minister Wellington, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen [Lord Aberdeen].

Original, unpublished and meaningful letter by British official and Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Robert William Hay, addressed with urgency to former secret agent in Spain and Portugal, Sir Charles Stuart de Rothesay, Scottish nobleman, and English ambassador to France (1815-1830); alerting Ambassador Charles Stuart of Hay’s arrival in Paris and his wish to ask him if he has “anything to communicate to me in regard to that Royal [Baron] Rousseau, The Barbary Consul”. Hay is in this letter preparing Stuart in order to investigate the situation around the death of explorer Alexander Gordon Laing in Africa. Under-Secretary for the Colonies, Sir R[obert] W.Hay, who had been informed about the situation around Laing’s missing Journals per private letter from the British Consul in Tripoli, Hanmer Warrington, announces his arrival in Paris to protest to the French government and advices ambassador Stuart:″I conclude that he [Baron Jean-Baptiste Rousseau] is by this time out of guarantiae, but I hope that by ensuing at Paris he will only get out of the frying Pan with the fire”. Hay continues: “I hope you will go with me (in case it be necessary) to the Minister, whoever he may be, in [?] Departement this ….were incredibly false for it. The French Govt. are really disposed & prosecute the Enquiry bon a fide. I think that same may acq…[….]…..on the other hand, if the French Govt. do not enter into y. enquiry with a good spirit, it will be in Rousseau’s …..to baffle me with the utmost facility in all our attempts to get at the truth. I spoke to Lord Aberdeen [George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Foreign Secretary for Prime Minister Wellington] on the day I left London, & he gave me full permission to conduct measures with you for the …of this affair. Yours very truly R.W.Hay”.

[London], [1829]. 5 octavo – pages on 2 sheets, folded. Excellent condition. Signed by Hay and dated probably “Monday, 19 Oct. [1829]”.

2. Stuart de Rothesay, Charles Stuart, Baron (1779-1845) / Strangford, Percy Clinton Sydney Smythe, 6th Viscount (1780 – 1855).

Original, unpublished letter by Anglo-Irish diplomat, Percy Clinton Sydney Smythe, 6th Viscount Strangford, to Sir Charles Stuart [Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay], asking him for a favour to send a Lantern to an address in Paris [?]. Strangford writes from his post as British Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Stockholm, where he was posted between 1817 and 1820.

Stockholm, 1819. 2 octavo – pages on 1 sheet, folded. Excellent condition. Signed by Strangford.

3. [English History Collection] – Salmon, Edward / Worsfold, James / Vivian, E. Charles.

The British Dominions Year Book 1916.

London, The British Dominions / General Insurance Co., 1916. Octavo. 336 pages with numerous illustrations and 4 special, large folding-maps [Tipped-in illustration of Subscription Room at Lloydsin 1800 / Photographic Plate showing the “Chiefs of the Dominions” (Sir Robert Laird Borden / General Louis Botha / A. Bonar Law / W.E.Massey / Andrew Fisher) / Plate with “Badges of Rank – Royal Navy (Cuffs) / Caps and Cap Badges – Royal Navy / Badges of Rank – Officers – Shoulder Strap Badges and Caps / Cuffs / Gorget Patches / Sleeve Badges / Folding Map in Colour of “The British Dominions” / Folding Map of “The Panama Canal” (specially drawn for “The British Dominions”) / Plate with Medal Ribbons of the British Army / Plate with Badges of Rank and Proficiency – N.C.O.‘s and Men / Coloured Folding Map: “Industrial Map of Europe” / Coloured Folding Map “The Races of Europe” (Classified by Language) / Map of “The Balkan States” / Hardcover / original, publisher’s half cloth with illustrated cover. Binding slightly stained and rubbed but firm ! Interior in excellent condition with all maps and illustrations pristine !

4. Drake-Brockman, Ralph E.

British Somaliland. With 74 Illustrations from Photographs on Art Paper, Other Illustrations And a Map.

London, Hurst & Blackett, 1912. 14.5 cm x 22.5 cm. X, 334 pges, 74 illustrations on 49 plates. Fold-out map at rear showing British Somaliland. Hardcover [publisher’s original blue cloth] with gilt lettering on spine. Pictorial and patterned design embossed on front board. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Slight bumps to lower board corners. Discreet bookseller’s label on front pastedown (Newbold’s Bookshop Ltd. – 289 George Street, Dunedin, New Zealand).

5. Griffith, Sir William Brandforth.

Ordinances of the Gold Coast Colony, and the Rules and Orders Thereunder in Force 31st March, 1903; An Appendix Containg the Letters Patent; The Imperial Orders in Council, And Various Acts of Parliament in Force in the Colony, And an Index. Also The Ordinances, & c., In Force in Ashanti and the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast. Prepared under the Authority of “The Reprint of the Statutes Ordinance, 1903” by Sir William Brandford Griffith, Chief Justice of the Gold Coast Colony.

Original / First Edition. 2 Volumes (complete set). London, Stevens & Sons, Limited, 1903. 15.5 cm x 24.5 cm Volume 1: XLVI, 878 pages. Volume 2: 907 pages. Interleaved with blank pages throughout for later annotations / notes. Hardcover/ Original, brown half-leather with gilt lettering on spine with raised bands. Massive, stunning set in overall very good condition with only minor signs of external wear (Leather-corner missing from front board bottom corner of Volume I). Minor gutter-split between front endpaper and half title of Volume I but binding still firm and strong. Binding of Volume II is very firm and strong. Boards are faded and carry minor stains. Board of Volume II has minor worming. Volume I carries occasional annotations. Some staining to edges of Volume I. Occasional inkstains and spotting to interiors but both volumes are sharp cornered, bright and for the most part clean. Very Rare, rather scarce original edition !

6. Ritchie, Eric Moore.

The Unfinished War. The Drama of the Anglo-German Conflict in Africa in Relation to the Future of the British Empire.

London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1940. 14 cm x 22 cm. Frontispiece, 341 pages. 3 illustrations. 8 maps. Hardcover [publisher’s original red cloth] with lettering on spine. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Minor foxing on edges. Interior bright and clean. Armorial bookplate (‘Nil Sine Deo’) of F. Hamilton Lacey on front pastedown. Private inscription from previous owner on front endpaper.

7. MacDonald, J.R.L. / [Provenance: Edmund Heathcote Thruston].

Soldiering and Surveying in British East Africa, 1891-1894. With Maps and Illustrations.

First Edition. London and New York, Edward Arnold, 1897. 15 cm x 23 cm. Frontispiece, XVI, 333 pages. 12 illustrations, including frontispiece. 8 maps, including fold-out colour map at rear showing “Major MacDonald’s work in British East Africa.” Hardcover [publisher’s original maroon cloth] with gilt lettering on spine. Deckled edges. Good- condition. Large yellow ’‘Mudie Select Library”– label on front board. Rear board bears remnant of removed label. Minor staining and rubbing to boards. Tears at gutters between pastedowns and endpapers with exposed cloth front and rear. Binding is shaky but bookblock still solid. Front endpaper partially loose. Armorial bookplate of Edmund Heathcote Thruston with latin inscription (Esse Quam Videri) on front pastedown. Names of two previous owners on half-title page. Occassional annotations throughout the book. Occasional foxing throughout. Rare !

8. Keane, A.H.

The Gold of Ophir. Whence brought and by Whom ?

London, Edawrd Stanford, 1901. 14 cm x 21 cm. Frontispiece, XVIII, 244 pages. Hardcover [publisher’s original maroon cloth] with gilt lettering on spine. Gilt lettering and pictorial on front board. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Interior very bright and clean. Rare !

9. [Robinson, Sir Joseph B.] Weinthal, Leo [Editor].

Memories, Mines and Millions. Being the Life of Sir Joseph B. Robinson, Bart. Compiled and edited by Leo Weinthal.

London, Simpkin Marshall, 1929. 19 cm x 25 cm. Frontispiece, 247 pages. Five high-quality, tipped-in, vintage monochrome photographs, including frontispiece on 4 plates. Besides the vintage photographs numerous illustrations throughout. Illustrations show for example action on the Pniel Diamond Diggings in 1875, Ferreira’s Camp in Johannesburg, 1886, Pretoria in 1875 / Caricatures of Robinson in “The Moon”, “Pretoria Press” “Truth” etc. Hardcover [publisher’s original red cloth] with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Lower corners slightly rubbed. Illegible name of preowner on titlepage. Interior is bright and clean. Pencilled underlining to page 35.

10. [Select Committee on Kafir Tribes / Henry Labouchere] [Freeman, Joseph John (J.J.) and others].

Report from the Select Committee on the ‘Kafir Tribes’ – Together with the Proceedings of the Committee, Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index.

London, House of Commons, 1851. 15.5 cm25.5 cm. X, 607 pages with two manuscript pages preceding the printed report. The manuscript pages title and detail the content and are bearing in pencil the name “J.J.Freeman” [Reverend Joseph John Freeman was one of the people who were called in to give evidence]. Hardcover / Late 20th – century navy half-leather with gilt lettering on maroon spinelabel with raised bands. Marbled paper-covered boards. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Interior very clean and bright. Bookstamp of the ‘Incorporated Law Society of the United Kingdom’ on endpapers, titlepage and preliminary pages. Inked titling to endpapers.