A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA
Rowland Ward. 1904 London, 1st edn, 302pp, 113 text illus, 5 photogravures, and 1 fold-out colored text map and 1 fold-out colored map in rear pocket. A very good plus copy; no shelf wear, cloth and gilt bright, spine very, inner hinges good, no pen markings, no book plate, a very few light pencil markings on prelim, frontis page slightly foxed. Map in rear pocket browned somewhat, otherwise complete, properly folded and without a single tear. A copy that is one out of dozens condition wise. Item #000903
The third and last book by this famous Asian sheep and ibex hunter. In 1900 Prince Demidoff, his wife Sophie and a companion of earlier trips St George Littledale, traveled by rail from St. Petersburg to Moscow and then to Vladivostok, this part of the journey alone took 27 days! From there they took a boat and via the Sea of Okhotsk reached Petropavlovsk. They then hunted along the Pacific side of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Demidoff had brought with him his valet Cristo and a photographer named Tallent plus 4 tons of supplies! Several journeys inland were made and numerous sheep in bear were shot after many frustrations. The land was so remote and devoid of humans that Demidoff remarked that the shooting of sheep was more collecting than sport as they seemed devoid of fear of people. Another indication of the remoteness of the land was the discovery by Prince Demidoff of a giant lake not found on any known map; he named it in honor of his wife. All indications are that Demidoff and Littledale were the first sport hunters ever to collect these sheep. Interestingly enough the party’s return journey was impossible overland as the Chinese Boxer Rebellion had broken out then they were forced to take a boat back to Europe. The book deals exclusively with bears and snow sheep on the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula. Now that snow sheep hunting (Ovis nivicola) is open to foreigners in Russia this book is even more scarce than before. Scarce and sought-after item.
Price: $3,500.00