1. Congo / Kongo – Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) – King of the Belgians and Owner / Absolute Ruler of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II to his administrator and Foreign Minister of the Congo – Free-State, Baron Adolphe de Cuvelier (1860-1931) with a total of 16 pages filled with Leopold’s instructions on pressing issues regarding a warning about an imminent visit by the Rector of the Mill-Hill Missionaries [probably Herbert Alfred Henry Vaughan (1832 – 1903)] and Leopold’s qualification of the visit of being detrimental to the Congo Free State (″ne travaillent pas pour l’État”). Leopold continues in another letter to talk about the hostile positions of english officials (consuls) and missionaries (″que les consuls anglais et les missionnaires anglais se conduisent bien mal envers l’État”). Interestingly, Leopold also touches on the nuisance of the german press criticizing Belgian Railway Lines and he is of the opinion that this is all happening in order to force the german parliament [″Reichstag”] to finance the building of the Tanganyika Railway [between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma]: (″cherche à effrayer l’opinion [en] Allemagne à propos de mes chemins de fer afin d’obtenir du Reichstag des fonds pour la ligne allemande vers le Tanganika”.

16 pages of MLS, Manuscript Letters (signed) on 10 leaves of Leopold’s official stationery “Château de Laeken” and “Palais de Bruxelles”. Laeken / Brussels, Château de Laeken [Palace of Laeken], 1901 – 1906. The leaves with different sizes (13,5 cm x 9 cm) and (18 cm x 11,5 cm). Excellent condition. Unsigned. Tremendously rare to find original letters by Leopold II on the open market in which the Colonial Free State and the protection against inquisitive visitors is discussed in such clear and instructive fashion. Leopold’s correspondence with Adolphe de Cuvelier shows how he is very much trying to still protect and influence the narrative of his Colonial Slavery Outpost even in the final years of his life.

2. Malaya / Japanese Occupation / Johore.

Stamp Collection: Vintage Booklet with 64 carefuly mounted, tipped-in stamps from the Japanese Occupation of Malaya and Johore.

Malaya, 1941 – 1942. Small Octavo. 7 pages of a special booklet (with 19 pages) filled with the rare occupation stamps during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. Original Softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. All stamps mint ! The booklet with a manuscript note: “Collected by C. Hoskyns at Singapore in Oct. ‘45 (25th Inf. Div.)”.

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. Brownlee, Frank.

Corporal Wanzi. Stories by Frank Brownlee.

First Edition. London, George Allen & Unwin, 1937. Octavo. 257, [7] pages. Original Hardcover with price-clipped dustjacket in protective collector’s mylar. The jacket with some fraying but overall in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Private giftinscription to endpaper.

5. Coudenhove, Hans.

My African Neighbors – Man, Bird, and Beast in Nyasaland. Illustrated.

Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1925. 15 cm x 22.7 cm. Frontispiece, XIV, 245 pages. 12 illustrations, including the frontispiece, on 8 plates. Hardcover/ Publisher’s original red cloth with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Cracks to valley between endpaper and half-title. Binding still good and firm. Original, armorial bookplate of Somerset Saunderson(depicting the coat-of-arms with the motto: “Je suis veillant”) on front paste-down. Annotation on pastedown, half-title, table of contents and table of illustrations. Several annotations on rear paste-down.

6. Brink, J.N.

Recollections of a Boer Prisoner-of-War at Ceylon.

Amsterdam / Cape Town, Hollansch-Afrikaansche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1904. 15.5 cm x 23 cm. Frontispiece, 220 pages. Hardcover [very decorative, original publisher’s green cloth] with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Front board is inlaid with illustration. Rear board is inlaid with coat of arms and flags of the South African (Transvaal) Republic and the Orange Free State. Excellent, actually stunning / Fine condition with only absolutely minor signs of external wear. Interior is very bright and clean with sharp corners.

7. Peters, Carl.

The Eldorado of the Ancients. With Two Maps and Ninety-Seven Illustrations from Original Drawings from Tennyson Cole and from Photographs.

London, C. Arthur Pearson Ltd., 1902. 15 cm x 22 cm. Frontispiece, X, 447 pages. Includes the large fold-out map “Du Royaume de Congo, du Monomotapa et de la Cafrerie” [Reproduced from a map dated 1719]. Colour fold-out map of “Dr. Carl Peters Zambesi Expeditions” within book. Hardcover [publisher’s original red cloth] with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Gilt embossment to front board also. Top edge gilt. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Interior is very bright and clean. Name and date of preowner in ink on endpaper.

8. Vivian, Herbert.

Tunisia and the Modern Barbary Pirates. Illustrated with Photographs and a Map.

London, C. Arthur Pearson Limited, 1899. 15 cm x 22 cm. Frontispiece, XVI, 341 pages. 72 photographic illustrations. One fold-out map of Tunisian region as frontispiece. Hardcover [publisher’s original green cloth] with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Vignette on front board. Top gilt edge. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Minor wear evident at spine ends. Some foxing to endpapers and pastedowns. Otherwise interior is bright and clean.

9. 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).

10. 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 !