TALES OF THE ISLE OF DEATH (NORFOLK ISLAND). Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and London: George Robertson & Co., 1898. Octavo, pp. [1-2] [i-vii] viii [ix-x] [1] 2-272, original decorated red cloth, front panel stamped in black and blind, spine panel stamped in black and gold. First edition. Part of a sequence of stories about the convict era, a period of Australian history of special interest to Astley. "His tales are a progressive amplification of the data he collected" and "his justifiable detestation of the convict system ... extending to the operations of law and authority generally" - Miller and Macartney, Australian Literature (1956), pp. 482-483. Issued as part of "Robertson's Colonial Library." 1913 Christmas gift inscription on the front free endpaper. Light wear to lower corner tips, spine panel darkened, several small white stains to cloth, a very good copy. The endpapers and text paper are pulp paper stock and are tanned, but the overall state of preservation is nothing short of remarkable considering the nature of this cheaply made book. (#165894).
Price: $100.00
No statement of printing.