Life in the Forests of the Far East: Or, Travels in Northern Borneo - 2 vol. with numerous illustrations (1862)

Item Details

London, Smith, Elder and Co., 1862, Half leather hardcover

vol 1 very good, vol 2 good-

London, Smith, Elder and Co., 1862. 2 vols, 8vo, 9" x 6" x 3". (map in vol. 1: 19.5" x 16"; in vol. 2: 22" x 16.5") 

Vol 1: xix, [1, list of illustr.] [1 leaf errata], 406 pages, [2, advertising]

Vol 2: xi, [1, list of illustr.], 424 pages, incl. 15 pages index.

2 folding lithographed maps, 4 hand-colored lithographs of plants & 12 tinted lithographs. Contemporary half calf (spine and corners worn, but solid, some foxing to plates and neighboring pages.

Book block of vol. 2 cracked, both maps with one short tear in fold, pages clean, only a few pages and the margins of some of the illustration with foxing

From the library of a gentleman, who was a rare book dealer in Bangkok in the 1970's and 80's, after his military service in Vietnam.. 

 

The author was private secretary to Sir James Brooke, British commissioner and governor of Labuan. St. John had a Malay mistress with whom he had three children. Missionaries and the local Anglican bishop complained of his immoral lifestyle, and St. John responded with the present work, which also describes his travels and botanical observations. 'TWO WELL-WRITTEN AND BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED VOLUMES' (ODNB).