MAWE, John.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Voyager's Companion, or Shell Collector's Pilot; with Instructions and Directions where to find the finest Shells; Fourth edition, significantly expanded from the third, with a longer chapter on recommendations for conchologists collecting around the world. The frontispiece, "arguably one of the most beautiful depictions of natural history objects in Georgian England" (Stilwell, p. 5), was likely hand-coloured by Sarah Mawe, who was appointed mineralogist to Queen Victoria in 1837.John Mawe (1766-1829) spent his younger years at sea and then turned to mineralogy and natural history, collecting minerals for the king of Spain. Back in London, he and his wife opened a new shop on the Strand, selling specimens to a growing collector market. Mawe first released his conchology guide in 1804 under the title A Short Treatise Addressed to Gentlemen Visiting the South Seas and All Foreign Countries. A second edition, of which no copies are now known, was followed in 1821 by a 56-page third edition, the first to use the title The Voyager's Companion. This fourth edition opens with a chapter on cleaning and packing shells before presenting a discussion of where they can be found, including Australia, New Holland, Van Dieman's Land, and Western Port. The final third of the text concerns insects, reptiles, and plants.Copies are known with at least two different printed labels on the front cover.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.