Sammelband of six 19th Century Fijian imprints 1874-1886 - Suva, Levuka, Viwa

“Ice Creams Always on Hand”

This sammelband contains 6 pamphlets printed in Fiji between 1879 and 1886 – one of which contains local adverts – including for ice creams.

The imprints were printed across the Fijian Islands from the Government press on Suva, to the town of Levuka on Ovalau, and the little island of Viwa - where the first Wesleyan press was founded.

All these Fijian tracts are scarce- with copies institutionally held in single digits and one tract unrecorded on WorldCat

Small 8vo bound in near contemporary late 19th century brown cloth with “Fiji” on the spine. Tracts all bound without wrappers (some with traces of wrappers) and one of a slightly different size. Some marks and toning to pages. Some off-centre printing and trimming. Otherwise near fine.

The 6 pamphlets include:

1) Reprint of memorandum (dated 6th April, 1874) upon The Native Ownership of Land in Fiji - 10pp. Edward John March, Government Printer, Suva, 1886. (6 copies on WorldCat)

2) “Na Jupeli Ni Lotu e Viti. Na Jupeli ni Lotu e Viti.” – 24pp - Frederick Langham, Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. Printed at Sa Tabaki e na Vale ni Tabai Vola Vakalotu, Viwa, Viti [Fiji], 1885. (4 copies on WorldCat - non-outside NZ)

3) Catalogue of Trees, Shrubs, and Foliage Plants, at Thornbury, Suva, and St. Helier’s, Taviuni, Fiji. Collected by John B. Thurston. - TP,vii,18; - E. J. March, Government Printer, Suva, 1886. – 4 copies on WorldCat (Hawaii)

4] Suva Mechanics' Institute. . . Catalogue of the works in the library, rules, by-laws, &c. August, 1886. 1,2,9-14,17-28 (incomplete). Printed at the Polynesian Gazette Office, Levuka, Fiji, 1886. (unrecorded)

5) Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 1886. Handbook to Fiji and catalogue of the exhibits. Issued under the authority of the Executive Commissioner, The Hon. James E. Mason, M.L.C. 1 -60. William Clowes and Sons, Limited, London, 1886. (10 copies on WorldCat)

6] Fiji Planting and Commercial Directory, 1879. A handbook of Fiji. 1 -88. G. L. Griffiths, Levuka, Ovalau. 7 copies only on WorldCat (Newberry and Berlin outside Australasia). This is a particularly interesting guidebook for new settlers, describing the geography, history and costs of running a plantation business in Fiji. The second half contains 28 pages of adverts which are a valuable record of local businesses of the time.

Provenance – “Critchley Parker” – founder and editor of the (Australian) Sun

£1250