LAND, LABOUR AND GOLD
OR
TWO YEARS IN VICTORIA WITH VISITS TO SYDNEY AND VAN DIEMEN’S LAND
WILLIAM HOWITT
(second title in Lowden Publishing’s Historical Reprints series)
ISBN: 0 909706 10 7
Index and Notes for this edition © Lowden Publishing Co. 1972
Published by: Lowden Publishing Company, Kilmore Australia
Printed in Australia by: J im Lowden Printing, Kilmore
Format: brown fabric hardcover
Total print-bearing Pages : estimated 502 pages (preliminary section page [i] to page [xx] + 482 numbered pages [text])
Size approx: 16.5cm x 25.0cm x 3.5cm
Mass: approx. 870g
Special Attribute s: Ex Commonwealth Parliamentary Library holdings . First published by Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans in 1855 as two volumes; this combined edition first published in 1972 by Lowden Publishing Company, Kilmore Australia – presumed first printing; stated as being the second title in Lowden Publishing’s Historical Reprints series; brown fabric hardcover with embossed (gilt) lettering/ features on spine; comprises 43 ‘Letters’ (= chapters/ sections); each Letter opens with an extensive dot point synopsis (repeated in table of Contents) plus date of the letter; text occasionay provided with entry for a specific date; sinle footnote noticed single page; in second ‘book’ frequently includes extracts from newspaper articles etc in small font with opening quotation marks; stated table of Contents and Notes (viz the note on author) introduced in this Historical Reprints edition; brown endpapers; opening section comprises [1] Preface [2] Publisher’s Preface [3] William Howitt (publisher’s note on author); closing section comprises [1] index; no maps
Condition: Ex library. Used (acceptable or better condition – no dustcover); well read; moderate age tanning discolouration free leaf edges; browning (all of textbody) due to [1] use of off-white (‘unbleached’) papers [2] age tanning ; peripheral age tanning (all of textbody) – primarily upper page margin (most noticeable flyleaf); single leaf ( page [vii]/ page [viii]) noticed with serial oblique folding/ creasing (? inadvertent?) with localised tearing lateral page margin (2 tears – partially reglued) and lower page margin – with single line of oblique minor folding indentation noticed of preceding and subsequent leaves; linear area of radial distortion of front free endpaper and following page (= manufacturing defect); splitting at ‘hinge’ at half title page Leaf remains affixed) ; series of pages with minor oblique folding of upper free corner area ( page 357/ page 358 to page 365/ page 366) – leaves of affected segment appear s to have been folded as one; minor folding lower free corners much of textbody (=storage/ handling conditions); minor to moderate localised hardcover wear; minor to moderate folding/ rubbing wear top of hardcover spine with extension of oblique/ horizontal creasing indentation (approx. 1.5cm) upper margin area frontcover; creasing indentation lowermost section of spine/ spine margins; horizontal indentation (approx. 0.4cm wide) lower spine (approx. 1.0cm from bottom of spine; moderate folding upper free corners (with oblique creasing) front and backcover hardcover; minor folding lower free corners front and backcover hardcover (with localised fraying of fabric at rear corner apex); library markings noticed comprise [1] library bookplate label (affixed to inner frontcover) [2] CANCELLED stamp front free endpaper and rear free endpaper [3] 2 single impression s of oval library name stamp (‘impress seal’) noticed page [v]/ page [vi] and page 109 / page [100) [4] written cataloguing details/ date noticed ( page [vii]/ page [viii]) [5] adhesive barcode label + white square adhesive label + ink ‘ √ ’ + glued borrower’s (date) slip + stamped impression oval library name stamp [5] glued borrower’s pocke t + written cataloguing details (inner backcover) [6] typed adhesive label (cataloguing details) affixed to spine – over underlying label (details whited-out); binding sound
Text: well read; moderate age tanning discolouration free leaf edges; browning (all of textbody) due to [1] use of off-white (‘unbleached’) papers [2] age tanning ; peripheral age tanning (all of textbody) – primarily upper page margin (most noticeable flyleaf); single leaf ( page [vii]/ page [viii]) noticed with serial oblique folding/ creasing (? inadvertent?) with localised tearing lateral page margin (2 tears – partially reglued) and lower page margin – with single line of oblique minor folding indentation noticed of preceding and subsequent leaves; linear area of radial distortion of front free endpaper and following page (= manufacturing defect); splitting at ‘hinge’ at half title page Leaf remains affixed) ; series of pages with minor oblique folding of upper free corner area ( page 357/ page 358 to page 365/ page 366) – leaves of affected segment appear s to have been folded as one; minor folding lower free corners much of textbody (=storage/ handling conditions); library markings noticed comprise [1] CANCELLED (red ink) stamp front free endpaper [2] single impression oval library name stamp (‘impress seal’) noticed page [v]/ page [vi] and page 109 / page [100) [3] written (blue ink) cataloguing details/ date noticed ( page [vii]/ page [viii]) [5] CANCELLED (red ink) stamp rear free endpaper + adhesive barcode label + white square adhesive label + black ink ‘ √ ’ + glued borrower’s (date) slip + stamped impression oval library name stamp (blue ink) – textbody is otherwise sound and clean, free of previous owner/ borrower underlining and highlighting, and no further annotation /inscription of any kind noticed .
Hardcov er: minor to moderate localised hardcover wear; minor to moderate folding/ rubbing wear top of hardcover spine with extension of oblique/ horizontal creasing indentation (approx. 1.5cm) upper margin area frontcover; creasing indentation lowermost section of spine/ spine margins; horizontal indentation (approx. 0.4cm wide) lower spine (approx. 1.0cm from bottom of spine; moderate folding upper free corners (with oblique creasing) front and backcover; minor folding lower free corners front and backcover with localised fraying of fabric at rear corner apex); library markings noticed comprise [1] library bookplate label (affixed to inner frontcover) [2] glued borrower’s pocke t + written cataloguing details (inner backcover) [ 3 ] typed adhesive label (cataloguing details) affixed to spine – over underlying label (details whited-out); binding sound
Description: Comprises letters (=diary entries) for the period 23 Sept 1852 to March 28 1855 (London). According to the subtitle “TWO YEARS IN VICTORIA WITH VISITS TO SYDNEY AND VAN DIEMEN’S LAND”, the primary focus being the Victorian goldfields – comprises letters (=diary entries) for the period 23 Sept 1852 to 16 August 1854
An entry on the austlit.edu.au internet website states, in part, “ Born in Derbyshire, William Howitt (1792-1879), was a well-known writer, poet and Quaker; his younger brothers were writer and traveller Richard Howitt and physician and natural scientist Godfrey Howitt, and his wife was poet and writer Mary Howitt. After residences in Europe, William travelled with two of his sons, including future ethnographer Alfred William Howitt, to Victoria, where his brother Godfrey resided. William and his sons spent approximately two years in the Victorian goldfields, resulting in a number of publications including ‘ A Boy's Adventures in the Wilds of Australia ’ (1855), ‘ Two Years in Victoria with Visits to Sydney and Van Diemen's Land’ (1860), ‘ Life in Victoria ’ (1860) and ‘ Tallangetta, the Squatter's Home’ (1857). The current work, ‘ Land, Labour and Gold’ , presented an account of the Victorian goldfields, describing his travel to and experience of the gold diggings. It is a detailed portrayal of life on the Australian gold fields and the dramas and incidences of colonial bush life .”
An entry on the books.google.com internet website states, in part, “ In 1852 William Howitt (1792-1879) set sail for Australia with two of his sons in order to try his luck in the goldfields of Victoria. By then he was already a prolifically published author of both prose and verse. He was only moderately successful as a gold-digger, but his account of life in the new colony, published in 1855 after his return to England, provides an extraordinary snapshot of the rapid early growth of Melbourne. Volume 2 considers the effects of the influx of a great number of immigrants and the continuing presence of convicts. Howitt also reflects on government policy and the draft constitution, and describes visits to Sydney and Tasmania. His colourful account includes descriptions of birds and flowers, extreme heat, and how to cope with flies .”
Contents:
dedication
publication details
Preface to the Fourth Edition – 1993
PREFACE
PUBLISHER’S PREFACE – JIM LOUDEN Co-ordinator Historical reprints Series
WILLIAM HOWITT
table of CONTENTS
each chapter comprises a serially numbered letter (viz LETTER I to LETTER XLIII) – each with point synopsis and occasionally a title
LETTER I – Melbourne, September 23, 1852.
LETTER II – Melbourne, September 28, 1852.
LETTER III – SCENES IN MELBOURNE – Melbourne, September 28, 1852.
LETTER IV – STILL MELBOURNE, AND GLIMPSES OF ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD – October 13, 1852.
LETTER V – ON THE WAY – Heads of the Plenty, Oct. 28, 1852.
LETTER VI – Encampment near Kilmore, Nov. 7, 1852.
LETTER VII – Euroa, on the Severn Creeks, Dec. 1, 1852.
LETTER VIII – Euroa, on the Severn Creeks, Dec. 8, 1852.
LETTER IX – Spring Creek, Ovens Diggings, Dec. 18, 1852.
LETTER X – Ovens Diggings, Spring Creek, Dec. 25, 1852.
LETTER XI – Spring Creek, Ovens Diggings, Jan. 15, 1853.
LETTER XII – Upper Yackandanda, Jan. 21st, 1853.
LETTER XIII – Upper Yackandanda, Feb. 28th, 1853.
LETTER XIV – Upper Yackandanda Creek, March 1st, 1853.
LETTER XV – Melbourne, March 29, 1853.
LETTER XVI – Melbourne, April 27, 1853.
LETTER XVII – Mount Midway, near Kilmore, May 28th, 1853.
LETTER XVIII – M’Ivor Diggings, June 20th, 1853.
LETTER XIX – M’Ivor Diggings, June 30th, 1853.
LETTER XX – Bendigo Diggings, July 14th, 1853.
LETTER XXI – White Hills, Bendigo Diggings, Aug. 12th, 1853.
LETTER XXII – White Hills, Bendigo Diggings, August 15th, 1853.
end of first volume
LETTER XXIII – Bendigo, the White Hills, September 27th, 1853.
LETTER XXIV – White Hills, Bendigo, October 10th, 1853.
LETTER XXV – Bendigo, October 30th, 1853.
LETTER XXVI – The Bush, near Bendigo, Nov. 2nd, 1853.
LETTER XXVII – The Upper Yackandanda, Ovens, Nov. 28th, 1853.
LETTER XXVIII – Upper Yackandanda, December 18th, 1853.
LETTER XXIX – The Buckland River, Buffalo Mountains, Jan. 1st, 1855.
LETTER XXX – Buckland River, January 29th, 1854.
LETTER XXXI – Yackandanda Creek, March 12th, 1854.
LETTER XXXII – Bendigo, April 23rd., 1854.
LETTER XXXIII – Bendigo, April 25th., 1854.
LETTER XXXIV – Forrest Creek, May 1st, 1854.
LETTER XXXV – Forrest Creek, May 10th, 1854.
LETTER XXXVI – Ballarat, May 16th, 1854.
LETTER XXXVII – Ballarat, May 20th, 1854.
LETTER XXXVIII – Melbourne, May 28th, 1854.
LETTER XXXIX – Melbourne, June 1st, 1854.
LETTER XL – Sydney, June 14th, 1854.
LETTER XLI – VAN DIEMEN’S LAND – Hobart Town, Van Diemen’s Land, July 5th, 1854.
LETTER XLII – Launceston,Van Diemen’s Land, July 8th, 1854.
LETTER XLIII – CONCLUSION – London, March 28th, 1855.
INDEX
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