FIVE MONTHS IN THE HIMALAYA: A RECORD OF MOUNTAIN TRAVEL IN GARHWAL AND KASHMIR

London: Edward Arnold, 1909. First Edition and a Rare Inscribed and Autographed Copy. Profusely illustrated with 64 illustrations and two maps. Thick 8vo, in the publisher's original dark blue cloth, ruled in blind on the upper and lower cover, lettered in gilt on the upper cover and spine. xv, 263 pp. A very handsome and fine copy, very well preserved, some wear to the inner hinges at the joins of the pastedown and free-fly. RARE INSCRIBED COPY OF THIS IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION WORK ON EARLY MOUNTAINEERING IN THE HIMALAYAS AND MT. EVEREST. From the author’s introduction: “In 1905 Lord Curzon who was the Viceroy of India wrote a letter to Mr. Douglas Freshfield suggesting that it was time that the exploration of Mount Everest should be undertaken by a competent party under the auspices of the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club, and making a most generous offer of assistance on behalf of the Indian Government. Nothing came of this at the moment, and Lord Curzon left India soon afterwards, but the letter naturally made a considerable stir in mountaineering circles; in particular it attracted the attention of Major the Hon. C. G. Bruce, of the 5th Gurkha Rifles, and thereby brought about the journey which is described in the following pages” (1).