BOOK COLLECTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 7 (Supplement)

BOOK COLLECTING.

DISCOVERIES IN MELBOURNE. Sir Robert Best presided at a meeting of the National Homo Readme Lnion in Melbourne recently, when Mr. A. n. Spencer entertained a large audience with an address on " The Collection and Readinp of Old Books." Mr. Spencer illustrated the romance of collecting witn stories of discoveries of valuable books and manuscripts in Australia. . Mr. Spencer related the story of the discovery of a complete set o» to an Diercen's Land " pirated edition of "Pickwick Papers," printed in Launceston by Henry Dowling in 1808. This copv is in the orieinal parts, and it is the work for which David Scott Mitchell instituted a long and fruitless search throughout Tasmania, obtaining only a portion of ono wrapper. Fhis sot is the onlv one in existence and it is now in a private collection which is destined to boloncr eventually to the Commonwealth. The value of the set, said Mr. Spencer could scarcelv be estimated, but it might bo ganged f rom the fact that an original English edition in parts would cost about £2.000. „ , Another remarkable _ find of great historic value to Victoria was a manuscript givine a list of all shins saihnsr from Lnu noes ton in the vears 1P33 to 1837. with the names of their masters and crews, and a f"'l list of Both Batman's and Fawkner's sailing for Port Phillip were included in the list. Quite rocentlv a copv of Batman s treaty with the blacks and'a number of documents relating to it were found unexpectedly in Melbourne. . . Other finds of rare books in Victoria included a first edition of Omar Jvhayyam," which, although in perfect condition, had been sold for £7O. Had it been in the original covers, Mr. Snencer explained, it would have brought £SOO. Among the treasures exhibited was a document drawn up by Governor M_acquarie's orders, and signed by him. giving directions for „t.hc laying out of_ ttie City of Hobart, and also a proclamation issued in Ilobart on the accession of George IV., which was signed by the principal residents of Ilobart.