Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Their History, Resources and Prospects -
Matthew Macfie
1865 - Longman, London - First Edition
Matthew Macfie’s important and comprehensive account of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, ‘intended chiefly for the perusal of merchants, statesman, and intending emigrants’ and as such with chapters on geography, climate, flora and fauna, mining, timber export, agriculture, emigration, industry, and general history.
First edition, in original cloth, and illustrated with frontispiece of ‘River Operations on the North Pacific’, two partially coloured folding maps, and six in-text engravings.
Considered by Reimer [Writing British Columbia History 1784-1958] as a more even-handed and dependable account of Britain’s new Pacific colonies, compared to the works of Duncan MacDonald, Richard Mayne and Alexander Rattray.
Macfie served five years ministering in the colonies, and, with the assistance of the two colonial governments, he embarked upon an 1864 speaking tour of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Britain to promote emigration to the far west. These promotional efforts inspired him to write Vancouver Island and British Columbia, perhaps the most useful and balanced of the volumes to emerge during this time. Reverend Matthew Macfie arrived in British Columbia from England in 1859 to assist fellow congregational minister William F. Clarke. However, the two men soon had a falling out over issues of segregation within the church, and Macfie subsequently established his own congregation. He served for five years ministering in the colonies, and in 1864, embarked upon a speaking tour of Canada, promoting emigration to the far west.
Provenance: from the library of Frederick E. Ellis of Shaw Island, with his bookplate to front pastedown. A teacher, astronomer, and sailor, Ellis was a tireless environmentalist and conservationist, preserving almost 1,300 acres of land across the San Juan Islands, Washington State. He is subsequently remembered as ‘The Father of Shaw Island’.
References: Reimer, Writing British Columbia History 1784-1958 27. Stewart, The United Church of Canada in British Columbia 2. Rahner, ‘Frederick E. Ellis’ Seattle Times 2010.
8vo. pp. xxi [3] 574 [2-publisher advertisements]. Original brown and black marbled cloth, decorative blind stamped border to covers, gilt titles and gilt block of a miner to spine, pale yellow endpapers. Condition: Very good, bump to upper joint, slight lean to spine, a few gatherings a little over-opened, light spotting to preliminaries, small W.H. Smith bookseller blind stamp to front free endpaper. Ref: 107755 Price: HK$ 6,000
First edition, in original cloth, and illustrated with frontispiece of ‘River Operations on the North Pacific’, two partially coloured folding maps, and six in-text engravings.
Considered by Reimer [Writing British Columbia History 1784-1958] as a more even-handed and dependable account of Britain’s new Pacific colonies, compared to the works of Duncan MacDonald, Richard Mayne and Alexander Rattray.
Macfie served five years ministering in the colonies, and, with the assistance of the two colonial governments, he embarked upon an 1864 speaking tour of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Britain to promote emigration to the far west. These promotional efforts inspired him to write Vancouver Island and British Columbia, perhaps the most useful and balanced of the volumes to emerge during this time. Reverend Matthew Macfie arrived in British Columbia from England in 1859 to assist fellow congregational minister William F. Clarke. However, the two men soon had a falling out over issues of segregation within the church, and Macfie subsequently established his own congregation. He served for five years ministering in the colonies, and in 1864, embarked upon a speaking tour of Canada, promoting emigration to the far west.
Provenance: from the library of Frederick E. Ellis of Shaw Island, with his bookplate to front pastedown. A teacher, astronomer, and sailor, Ellis was a tireless environmentalist and conservationist, preserving almost 1,300 acres of land across the San Juan Islands, Washington State. He is subsequently remembered as ‘The Father of Shaw Island’.
References: Reimer, Writing British Columbia History 1784-1958 27. Stewart, The United Church of Canada in British Columbia 2. Rahner, ‘Frederick E. Ellis’ Seattle Times 2010.
8vo. pp. xxi [3] 574 [2-publisher advertisements]. Original brown and black marbled cloth, decorative blind stamped border to covers, gilt titles and gilt block of a miner to spine, pale yellow endpapers. Condition: Very good, bump to upper joint, slight lean to spine, a few gatherings a little over-opened, light spotting to preliminaries, small W.H. Smith bookseller blind stamp to front free endpaper. Ref: 107755 Price: HK$ 6,000