Lasseter's Last Ride - An Epic of the Central Australian Gold Discovery by Idriess, Ion - 1950

Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1950. Red and cream cloth boards with camel decoration has just light wear to spine head and tail and is unmarked. Internally there is age darkening to pages else unmarked. Dustjacket has chipping to edges and age spotting and is not price clipped. 267 pages. 20 illustrations. Map to front endpaper. New edition. The well known Australian author describes the Central Australian Gold Exploration expedition of which L.H.B. (Das) Lasseter was the prospector. It has been compiled from the personal experiences of the several members of the party, from information supplied by E.H. Bailey, the expedition secretary, and from letters written by Lasseter himself. Although the Expedition was one of the best equipped that ever ventured into the vast interior, its records recount a series of reverses and chapters of accidents which, in the history of Australian exploration, are second only to those of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition (1860-1861). Lasseter as a young man, had discovered a rich gold reef, which some 30 years later became the Quest Expedition. According to reports, Lasseter rediscovered the reef on the expedition but the desert was loath to let the secret reach the outside world. The old prospector was unable to return to civilization, and perished in the wilderness. A1B. Hard Cover. Very Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.