Beschreibung:

PIETERBOTH MOUNTAIN -- TAYLOR, Lieutenant Arthur. Autograph manuscript, an Account of the Ascent of the Peter Both Mountain, Mauritius, on the 7th of September 1832 , written in letter format, 17 pages, folio (230 x 180mm). Sewn in brown paper wrappers. Taylor was on the first successful British attempt to climb Pieterboth Mountain (the first to reach the summit was thought to have been the Frenchman, Claude Peuthé in 1790). The party, which had suffered an unsuccessful attempt the previous year, included Taylor, Captain Lloyd, Lieutenant Phillpots and The Hon. Thomas Keppel. Taylor's account, which includes a small sketch of the 'head' of the mountain, lists previous attempts, doubting the veracity of the French attempt in 1790, and recounts the difficulty of the climb, particularly a long sheer cliff face passable only by a narrow ledge. When the summit was reached in the afternoon, the party celebrated with a bottle of wine and spent the night on the mountain with brandy and cigars. [Lieutenant SWINNY. Vues de Pieterboth .] 2 lithographic plates by V. Deveaux after Swinny, titled in French and English, 'Ascent on the peak of Peterbot on the 21st May 1848' and 'View of Peterbot, from the Moka side'. With broadsheet Ascent of Peterbot, Island of Mauritius . Mauritius: Port Louis, 15th June 1848. An account of the second successful ascent of the mountain by an English party, sixteen years later. Swinny drew these views in situ. Cf. Toussaint A 617. Captain JOHNSTON. The Ascent of Pieterboth Mountain. Mauritius, 13 October 1864 . Mauritius: E. Dupuy and P. Dubois [n.d.]. 12° (125 x 98mm). Title, 6 mounted photographs [by G. Burgman]. (Occasional slight surface soiling.) 19th-century half brown morocco gilt with marbled boards (small tear to lower cover). Provenance : P. H. L[ei]th, 11th Regiment (inscription inside upper cover, 'I tried to climb the Pieterboth in 1865 with a party from the troop ship Tam[ar]. Owing to a heavy fog when near the top the ascent failed.') The first photographic record of the ascent of Pieterboth Mountain, made by Captain Johnston and Mr Symons of the 2/24th Regiment and others. Although accompanied by Mr B. Greene 'who had with him a camera and everything requisite to take photographic views', the weather did not permit him to do so. The photographs were taken a few days later by Mr G. Burgman R.A. who was able to ascend the mountain on a fine day. The photographs include the 'head' of the mountain, the ascent of the 'Ladder Rock' and a view of Port Louis. Toussaint A 783. (4)