Sophie Cat 56 - Sophie Dupre

83 BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS &OTHER CURIOSITIES ON VOYAGES &TRAVEL
778. EGERTON (F. Clement C.) African Majesty A
Record of Refuge at the Court of the King of
Banganté in the French Cameroons, 2 maps,
numerous plates after the author’s photographs,
1938 [11264] £95
779. EGGLESTON (George T.) Virgin Islands, revised
edition, ep maps, numerous plates, small library
stamp on title and dedication leaf, 1973 [11425] £30
APositive of the Image
“KING” OF MADAGASCAR
780. [ELLIS (William)] An Original Glass Negative
Portrait of Rainilaiarivony (c.1828-1896) Prime
Minister of Madagascar from 1864-1895, and
Consort of three successive Queens of Madagascar,
8 x6ins, some scratching to the negative, chipping
to the right-hand edge, loss of a small section from
the lower right-hand edge not visible on the contact
print, c.1864 [11370] £1,750
William Ellis of the London Missionary Society, first
arrived in Madagascar in 1853, but was not allowed to
reach the capital. He retired to Mauritius for a while and
then made a second attempt with the same result. It was
not until 1856 that he was allowed back but only for a
month. Soon after this the Queen died and attitudes
towards Christianity changed. Ellis’s fourth, most
successful and productive visit began in 1861, not leaving
until 1865. There are a few images and glass negative
plates from the early visits, but superstition and hostility
to the camera made such pieces rare. The majority were
taken during the 4th visit.
The image shows Rainilaiarivony, in his late 30’s, seated
next to a table with a uniform elaborately braided,
particularly the sleeves, and covered in orders and
medals, befitting the Consort of a Queen. There is an
earlier photograph of him illustrated in the exhibition
catalogue “The Working of Miracles William Ellis
Photography in Madagascar 1853-1865” text by Simon
Peers, which shows a younger man, with a single
decoration, probably from the time he was private
secretary to the tyrant Queen Rainavalona. She died in
1861 and was succeeded by her son Radama II.
Rainilaiarivony was one of the leaders of the coup which
overthrew and killed the King in 1863. His Queen,
Rasoherina was placed on the throne and Rainilaiarivony
married her and her two successors Ranavalona II & III.
This made him in effect ruler of Madagascar. His policy,
throughout his long premiership, sought to preserve the
country from foreign encroachment and to maintain the
economic and social ascendency of the ruling oligarchy,
of which his family was a major part. Westernization was
permitted and Rainilaiarivony and his Queen became
converts to Christianity in 1869. His reforms included the
introduction of Cabinet Government whilst still handling
the most business himself. His personalisation and
centralisation of power led to difficulties for the Merina
State under constant pressure from the French. His later
years were marked with growing popular discontent and
court intrigues. After the French victory in the 2nd
Franco-Malagasy War in 1895, Rainilaiarivony was
exiled to Algiers where he died the following year.
Eventually his body was returned to Madagascar for
burial with his family.
GOLD EXPLORATION IN ALASKA
781. ELDRIDGE (George E.) AReconnaissance in the
Sushitna Basin and Adjacent Territory, Alaska, in
1898, J.E. Spurr, A Reconnaisance in Southwestern
Alaska in 1898, W.C. Mendenhall, A
Reconnaissance from Resurrection Bay to the
Tanana River, Alaska, in 1898, F.C. Schrader, A
Reconnaissance of a part of Prince William Sound
and the Copper River District, Alaska, 1898, A.H.
Books, A Reconnaissance in the White and Tanana
River Basins, Alaska, in 1898, 25 maps, mostly
double paged and folding, with 5 large folding maps
in endpocket, 38 photographs, library stamp on title,
509 pp. folio, Washington, 1900 [11123] £600
This forms Part VII of the 20th Annual Report of the
United States Geological Survey. Following the the great
Klondyk discovery of Gold in 1896/7, the U.S.
Government was considerably interested in the region not
only geologically, but also topographically and
ethnographically. This was the first major official
exploration of the region, whose object was to assess the
strength of the precious mineral findings, but also to
report on the natives, their way of life, dress, settlements.
782. ELLIS (Rev William) History of Madagascar
comprising also the Progress of the Christian
Mission established in 1818; and an Authentic
Account of the Persecution and recent Martyrdom of
the native Christians, folding map, Baxter Print
frontis, plates, 2 vols, original cloth, spines laid
down, 1838 [11400] £265
783. ELTON (J. Frederic) Travels and Researches
among the Lakes and Mountains of Eastern &
Central Africa, from the Journals of the late... edited
and completed by H.B. Cotterill, 3 folding maps, 14
plates, numerous text illusts. 1879 [10690] £585
There is an opening chapter on Africa and the Slave
Trade by the Assistant Political Agent at Zanzibar Mr.
Holmwood. Elton was H.B.M. Consul at Mozambique
and was personally involved in the supression of the slave
trade. He journeyed from Dar-es-Salam to Kilwa, to Lake
Nyassa and Ugogo.
784. FEDDEN (Robin) Syria An Historical
Appreciation, plates, 1946 [11409] £25