An Orientalists Treasure Trove of Malaya

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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
A N O RIENTALIST ’ S T REASURE T ROVE O F M ALAYA A ND B EYOND

A N O RIENTALIST ’ S
C ATALOGUE O F T HE G IBSON -H ILL C OLLECTION A T T HE N ATIONAL L IBRARY S INGAPORE

T REASURE T ROVE O F
M ALAYA A ND B EYOND
C ATALOGUE O F T HE
G IBSON -H ILL C OLLECTION
A T T HE N ATIONAL L IBRARY S INGAPORE
ISBN-13 : 978-981-07-0037-9
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A N O RIENTALIST ’ S
T REASURE T ROVE O F
M ALAYA A ND B EYOND
CATALOGUE OF THE
GIBSON-HILL COLLECTION
AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SINGAPORE
COMPILER: BONNY TAN

EDITOR: IRENE LIM
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© National Library Board Singapore 2008
Published by: National Library Board Singapore

Designed and printed by: DES Consultants Pte Ltd
Photo credits: National Museum of Singapore, National Archives of Singapore, and Bonny Tan.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise without prior permission of the publisher, the National Library Board Singapore.
Whilst the National Library Board Singapore has used reasonable endeavours to ensure that the
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reserves the right to make correction and does not warrant that it is complete.
The National Library Board Singapore disclaims all liability and responsibility for any loss caused
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National Library Board Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data -
Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

An orientalist’s treasure trove of Malaya and beyond : catalogue of Gibson-Hill Collection at
the National Library Singapore / Bonny Tan, compiler ; Irene Lim, editor. - Singapore : National
Library Board, c2008.
p. cm.
Includes indexes.
ISBN-13 : 978-981-07-0037-9
1. Malaya – History – Catalogs. 2. Gibson-Hill, C. A. (Carl Alexander), 1911-1963 – Books

and reading – Catalogs. 3. Gibson-Hill, C. A. (Carl Alexander), 1911-1963 – Library – Catalogs.
4. Gibson-Hill Collection – Catalogs. 5. Lee Kong Chian Reference Library – Catalogs. I. Tan,
Bonny. II. Lim, Irene. III. Title.
DS596
959.51 – dc22 OCN244219836
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CONTENTS
Preface 4
An Orientalist’s Treasure Trove of Malaya and Beyond:
The Gibson-Hill Collection 6
History 6
Significance 7
Provenance 8
Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill: A brief biography 12
A naturalist at heart 12
Natural treasures from paradise isles 14
Surviving the Japanese Occupation 15
Collecting Malayan heritage 17
Unusual work habits 19
Photographing Malayan life 21
Erudite editor and resolute scholar 24
References 27
Notes on Arrangement 28
Overview of the catalogue 29
Catalogue of the Gibson-Hill Collection: A listing with select annotations 41
Bibliographies, ethnographies and maritime histories 42
Birds and animals 60
Sailing vessels and river crafts 93
Art and photography 105
Travelogues and history 121
Gibson-Hill’s works 186
Books 186
Journal and newapaper articles 188
Photographs, photographic works and illustrations 213
Miscellaneous 215
Journal Listing 217
Author Index 218
Title Index 222
Acknowledgments 244
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PREFACE
Whether it is the location of the legendary Long Ya Men, the study of Malayan
birds or the description of a local sampan, Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill is still
frequently cited in a multitude of studies on Malaya. Gibson-Hill was reputed for
his knowledge on Malaya and his knowledge captured well-known facts and
obscure details. The Gibson-Hill Collection reflects but a fraction of what the
man himself had distilled from his wide reading.
On 18 June 1965, Mrs Loke Yew, the wife of philanthropist Loke Yew, donated a
collection of books belonging to Gibson-Hill following the intentions of her
deceased son, Dato Loke Wan Tho. Dato Loke, a star-maker and cinema magnate
of the Cathay Organisation, was the first chairman of the National Library Board.
He shared a mutual love for birds and photography with the museum curator,
Gibson-Hill. Dato Loke had planned to donate Gibson-Hill’s collection of books
to the National Library Singapore upon the latter’s death.
Gibson-Hill died in August 1963. This was less than a month prior to his retirement
from his cherished position at the National Museum of Singapore where he had
worked for the last 16 years. The collection reveals the workings of an unusual
mind, reflecting Gibson-Hill as curator, ornithologist, traveller and photographer.
This catalogue aims to highlight the Gibson-Hill Collection, giving a background

to Gibson-Hill’s knowledge and contributions to Malaya.
I would like to credit the team of National Library Singapore staff that produced
this catalogue. With little written about the collection prior to this, it is hoped that
this catalogue may inspire more study of the richness of the content.
Judy Ng
Deputy Director
National Reference & Special Libraries
National Library Singapore
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“A return to writing and the making of pictures were the only two communicable
desires I felt at all strongly and consistently all through internment.”
- Gibson-Hill in “Documents relating to John Clunies Ross, Alexander
Hare and the establishment of the colony on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”
1952, December, JMBRAS, 25(4 & 5), 8.
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AN ORIENTALIST’S TREASURE TROVE OF MALAYA AND

BEYOND: THE GIBSON-HILL COLLECTION
H ISTORY
The Gibson-Hill Collection opens a window into the intellectual facets of a man who
was curator, editor, photographer, naturalist and intrepid traveller of Malaya and beyond.
Spanning a publishing period from the late 16th century to the mid-20th century, the
Collection holds titles related to Gibson-Hill’s various passions, academic pursuits and
work responsibilities. It includes publications on ornithology, ethnology, natural history,
customs and travel with a special focus on Malaya. Besides the value of individual titles,
several of which are considered rare, the Collection as a whole is significant in presenting
a slice of intellectual life evident in mid-20th century Malaya.
The Collection was donated to the National Library

Singapore on 18 June 1965 by Mrs Loke Yew nee
Lim Man Jin (Lim Cheng Kim). Prior to the donation,
the collection was housed at Gibson-Hill’s home, in
his personal library until his sudden and mysterious
death. Mrs Loke Yew had purchased the collection
from the estate of the late Gibson-Hill on behalf of
her recently deceased son, Loke Wan Tho, the cinema
magnate who had established Cathay Organisation.
Loke and Gibson-Hill had shared a common love
for bird-watching and photography along with several
social responsibilities, all of which led to an
uncommon friendship between them. As the National
Donation label found in each title
Library Board’s first chairman, Loke had the intention belonging to the Gibson-Hill
of acquiring his late friend’s collection of books for Collection.
the National Library prior to his own tragic death

in an air crash in 1964 less than a year after Gibson-Hill’s passing. The official ceremony
for the donation interestingly coincided with the first anniversary of Loke’s death.
The Gibson-Hill Collection was first made available to the public at the National
Library’s then newly opened Southeast Asia Room in 1965, lending weight to the Room’s
reputation as a key resource on Southeast Asia. Each item in the Gibson-Hill Collection
was given a “donor note” which today helps distinguish it from the rest of the National
Library Board’s holdings. When the National Library became a statutory board in 1995,
the Collection was maintained in its “Closed Stacks” to ensure its continued preservation.
With the opening of the new National Library building in November 2005, the Gibson-
Hill Collection was housed in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library at the National
Library Singapore and made available for consultation.
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SIGNIFICANCE
The Collection boasts close to 1,000 titles, with 673 listed in this catalogue. It can
broadly be segmented into three key subjects namely flora and fauna, with a special
focus on birds; travel histories with a special focus
on ships and watercraft; and the arts with a special
focus on photography. These subjects are closely tied
to Gibson-Hill’s responsibilities as curator at the
Raffles Museum where he took charge of the bird
specimen collection, helped establish the Boat Room
and was an avid photographer of the Malayan
subjects he studied. Many of the titles in the
Collection are also cited in Gibson-Hill’s published
works on Malaya and had been consulted in the
course of his editorial duties of the distinguished
Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society. The titles are thus believed to have served
as a reference collection for Gibson-Hill’s work. It
has both a depth and range of subjects which earned
it the reputation as one of the more outstanding
private collections in Southeast Asia on the Malay Linschoten’s Discours of Voyages
(1598).
archipelago.
The oldest publication in the Gibson-Hill Collection, Linschoten’s Discours of Voyages

(1598), is one of the gems in this treasure chest. The Discours is significant for revealing
to the British the secret passageway to the Far East known only to the Portuguese then.
A number of the earliest English translations of such significant works of discovery in
this region are found here, such as Churchill’s A collection of voyages and travel (1732)
and Harris’ Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca (1705). Such early reports by
the first colonial explorers of this region are shelved alongside more recent ones by
colonial naturalists, administrators and 19th century tourists. Though primarily in
English, there are many publications in the Gibson-Hill Collection in other languages
including French, German, Malay and Chinese. Gibson-Hill not only collected titles
of academic value but also many that were visually appealing. Fine illustrations,
lithographs and award-winning photographs and photogravure accompany many of
the titles. There are also some titles on humour and art showing Gibson-Hill’s less well-
known attributes and interests.
Approximately 80% of the listed 673 titles are uniquely found in this Collection and
not duplicated elsewhere in the National Library holdings. These include early 16th to
19th century titles of discovery and exploration, a number of which detailed the region
of and around Malaya. The 18th century works of Grose, Noble and Stavorinus on the
East Indies are just some examples of the wealth of Gibson-Hill’s resource in such rare
titles. Bearing in mind that the National Library holdings date back to 1845, this speaks
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volumes for the remarkable extent of Gibson-Hill’s collecting activity, particularly his
acquisition of early travelogues that record explorations of the Malay archipelago.
Supporting the intellectual weight of these large tomes are several volumes of key
journals on Gibson-Hill’s field of study such as ornithology as seen in The Ibis: Quarterly
Journal of the British Ornithologists’ Union (1930, 1947, 1950-1952, 1954–1958), and
of Malaya such as Malaya: The Journal of the Association of British Malaya (1953–1961).
A number of the journals include those Gibson-Hill contributed to and edited such as
the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (1947–1955, 1959), Journal
of the Bombay Natural History Society (1947, 1958) and The Malayan Nature Journal
(1949–1960).
In the Gibson-Hill Collection are also at least 25 titles that are attributed to Loke. They
were retrospectively added to the Collection and were not part of the original collection
belonging to Gibson-Hill. They are labeled separately as gifts from Loke to the National
Library. The majority of Loke’s donated titles are not found otherwise in the National
Library collections, indicating the significance of this small segment in the Gibson-Hill
Collection. At least half the titles deal with the latest photographic techniques of the
mid-20th century and several others are publications of a limited circulation by the
Singapore Arts Society. These titles reflect the common interests and responsibilities
of Loke and Gibson-Hill, offering a glimpse into their activities together.
For those seeking more information on the man or his published works, the Gibson-
Hill Collection does not immediately prove promising, as it has none of his unpublished
manuscripts, photographic negatives or prints, or any of his sketches or artwork.
However, a closer study of the titles reveals much of Gibson-Hill’s many faceted interests,
sources of information and personal relationships.
PROVENANCE
The provenance of the collection is wide
and varied. Determining how and why
Gibson-Hill obtained these titles had to
be discerned indirectly as Gibson-Hill’s
books are mainly unmarked without so
much as a dog-eared page. The only
personalised record that he has left in his
books is his signature with an
accompanying date, presumably
indicating when a book was acquired. Signature of Gibson-Hill found in his copy of
There are at least 45 such titles and these Henderson’s Malayan wild flowers:
monocotyledons (1954).
constitute about 6% of all the listed titles.
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Examining the acquisition dates of his books can throw some light on the development
of Gibson-Hill’s scholarly interests. His earliest acquisition was Watching birds (1940),
which was signed “25 January 1946”. Thereafter, his acquisitions were post-war. The
first eight titles signed between 1946 and 1948 were solely on birds. His last acquisition
of an ornithological title was signed 12 September 1953 while his subsequent signed
titles were largely studies of the Malay community, early trade with Asia, ships, as well
as travelogues. His ethnological titles started with Purcell’s The Chinese in Malaya (1948)
followed by Winstedt’s The Malay magician (1951), signed in May 1948 and March
1951 respectively. The first travel book that he signed off in April 1952 was Travels of
Marco Polo (1946). In fact, from the late 1940s, his signed acquisitions were increasingly
travelogues and ethnographic studies, often with a relation to Malaya. This coincided
with his return to Singapore in 1948, and with his appointments as Curator to the
Raffles Museum and as a key Committee member of the Malayan Branch of the Royal
Asiatic Society. The books on early travel and ethnology, especially of Malaya, thus
corroborates with Gibson-Hill’s growing research and curatorial work in Malayan
history and culture. The title with his latest signature is Klindt-Jensen’s Denmark before
the Vikings (1957), signed in February 1962. By this time, at least 65% of his signed
titles were on the people and history of Malaya, especially as described in travelogues.
Another 34% were on the flora and fauna of the region.
Another distinguishing mark on his titles is the brown batik cloth covers which are
believed to be bound by Gibson-Hill himself. Though books dressed this way are few,
the covers lend a sense of Malayaness to Gibson-Hill’s Collection and reflect his affinity
for the local culture. His personal bookplate appears on only one title – Practical
taxidermy (1922). It has a Peregrine in flight and a unicorn below it but the significance
of this remains a mystery.
Besides his own acquisitions, Gibson-Hill received books as gifts as evidenced by the
markings, stickers and signatures found in these books. They uncover a rich tapestry
of relationships that Gibson-Hill maintained with colleagues, friends and family. At
least 10 titles were autographed gifts for Gibson-Hill including Loke’s A Company of
birds (1957), simply signed “To Carl with best wishes Wan Tho March 1958”, and M.
W. F. Tweedie who was his superior, signed The snakes of Malaya (1953) “To Carl
Gibson-Hill with the author’s very sincere regards August 1953”. His parents added two
titles, namely Bird flight (1936) and Notes on the technique of painting (1934), while his
brother-in-law, ornithologist Bruce Campbell, signed off a copy of his work, Finding
nests (1953). Few though these books are, they show signs of the family and friends
that contributed to his Collection.
Published acknowledgements thanking Gibson-Hill for his help as well as handwritten

notes of appreciation in his books indicate that some of these titles were given to him
in return for his assistance especially for providing information and often times, images.
One of the earliest examples is from Madoc’s An introduction to Malayan birds
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(1943, 1947) which simply acknowledges Gibson-

Hill and Molesworth for the illustrations
made during their internment. Another is Morris’
A history of Malaya for schools (1955) which
acknowledges Gibson-Hill for the use of the
photographs from the Raffles Museum and Library
and the Royal Asiatic Society. This is indicative
of Gibson-Hill’s knowledge of the image
repositories of both institutions in which he held
key roles. Though the total number of titles that
have come into his collection on account of his
help is not known, it is certain that many were
obtained through his working relationships with
professionals in similar or related fields, such as
curators, ornithologists, naturalists and historians Loke Wan Tho’s A company of birds
(1958).
studying the region. One such title with personal
notations indicative of such close ties is the first edition of Gibson-Hill’s Birds of the
coast (1948), which contain comments and corrections apparently by Phil Hollom and
a certain A. W., their names scrawled on the cover page. This was possibly Gibson-
Hill’s working copy as these corrections were incorporated into the 1949 re-publication
of the title. Another is a lengthy note by Winstedt penned in his copy of The Malays
(1950) which informs Gibson-Hill of Winstedt’s upcoming re-publication of The Arts
& Crafts (exhibition booklet) and his article on the keris [a ceremonial Malay dagger].
Winstedt ends this note with an endearing “May you both flourish”, a sign of his
friendship with both Gibson-Hill and his wife. Unfortunately, such personal notes are
few. Gibson-Hill seldom left marks in his own published works with only a few articles
in the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society bearing negligible
corrections in Gibson-Hill’s hand.
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APHY
BIOGR
Dr C A Gibson-Hill, 1954. Photograph by P. S. Teo.
Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.
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CARL ALEXANDER GIBSON-HILL: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Trained as a medical doctor, Carl Alexander
Gibson-Hill’s interest in island life and their Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill
natural life brought him to the Christmas and (b.23 October 1911, Newcastles-upon-
Cocos-Keeling Islands between 1938 and 1941, Tyne, England – d.18 August 1963,
and invariably to Singapore. He arrived in Singapore)
Singapore in tumultuous times, just prior to its
fall to the Japanese. During the Japanese Education
• Pembroke College,
Occupation, he was interned at Changi and Sime Cambridge:B.A., 1933
Road camps, where he was sustained by his love • King’s College Hospital Medical
for ornithology. After the war, he was appointed School : M.R.C.S., L. R. C. P.,
Curator and subsequently Director of the 1936
National Museum from 1956 until his sudden
death in 1963. He concurrently served as Journal Medical Appointments
• Medical Officer, Christmas
Editor of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Island: 1938–1940
Society, and later as its esteemed President. In • Medical Officer, Cocos-Keeling
these key posts, his contributions to Malayan Islands: 1941
studies went beyond his initial focus on its flora • Health Officer, Rural Areas,
and fauna and extended to a wide range of Singapore Island: 1941–1942
subjects such as local boats and hats, pre-colonial • Health Officer, oil tanker:
March, 1946
archaeology, colonial architecture and the • Acting Professor of Biology,
provenance of place names. Gibson-Hill’s diverse College of Medicine: 12 July
interests, as evident in his collection of books, 1948–21 June 1950
are best understood in the light of his biography.
Raffles Museum
• Assistant Curator: 1942
A NATURALIST AT HEART • Internee, Singapore: 1942–1945
Gibson-Hill was born into a middle-class English • Assistant Curator of Zoology:
family in 1911 and grew up in the suburbs of 1947–1948
Birmingham. The eldest and only son of the • Curator of Zoology: 1949–1956
Gibson-Hills was unfortunately plagued with • Director: 1957–1963
poor eyesight. This did not hinder him from
Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic
pursuing his interests in nature and photography, Society
the twin passions that would later lead him to • Member: 1940
the Far East where he would establish his name. • Asst. Hon. Secretary &
Even whilst a teenager, Gibson-Hill showed an Treasurer: 1947–1948
interest in curating as seen in a personal museum • Hon. Secretary: 1950–1955
• Hon. Editor: 1948–1961
collection of natural objects set up in the attic
• President: 1956–1961
of his home.
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Boarding school at Malvern College, a

Other Appointments distinguished public school, was ‘not a happy
• Member, Royal College of time’ for the teenaged Gibson-Hill as school
Surgeons and Licentiate of the rules restricted his movements, robbing him
Royal College of Physicians: 1936 of the joy of exploring nature. As the cold added
• Malayan representative, Colonial to his misery, he turned to drawing, bird
Insecticides Committee: 1949
watching and butterfly collecting for comfort.
• Member, Committee of the
Malayan Nature Society: 1950 By the time he graduated, these pastimes led
• Permanent member, Standing Gibson-Hill to receive the Boldero Prize
Committee on Distribution of for natural history three times and the Gale
Terrestrial Faunas in the Inner Prize for entomology. Yet he was no bookworm,
Pacific: 1950 showing some measure of leadership in his
• Member, International
appointment as head prefect during his
Committee, International
Ornithological Congress time there.
• Corresponding Fellow,
American Ornithologistsí His academic excellence led him to Pembroke
Union: 1951 College, Cambridge. Already famous for its
• Vice-President, Singapore instruction in the Sciences, the college’s standing
Camera Club: 1952
in Oriental studies became more widely known
• President, Singapore
Photographic Society: 1953 as many of its graduands took leadership
• Chairman, Singapore Arts positions in the colonial Far East. Despite the
Society: 1949–1953 school’s long history, it was only with an
injection of funds from H. F. Guggenheim in
1929 that the College increased its teaching
staff and subsequently gained a higher
reputation for its teaching excellence. It is likely that Gibson-Hill enrolled soon after
this endowment was given, graduating in 1933 with a Second in the Natural Science
Tripos. More importantly, Gibson-Hill’s penmanship took form here as he edited the
University paper, the Varsity News, and worked on his first publication, Warwickshire,
which was published in 1936 under the pseudonym, John Lisle. Even with this first
publication, Gibson-Hill was commended for noting “many things which most people
manage to miss.” (Clark, 1965: 3). With maps, illustrations and details of the history
and character of Warwickshire, this publication displayed Gibson-Hill’s characteristic
marks that would colour his future published works.
Thereafter, Gibson-Hill enrolled at the King’s College Hospital Medical School to pursue
medicine, this being the choice of his parents rather than his own. Before his houseman
year began, Gibson-Hill embarked on a walk across the length of the United Kingdom,
following the road less travelled. By journey’s end almost three months later, Gibson-
Hill acquired his trademark appearance of beard and bush jacket. Surviving on a meagre
budget and diet, the adventure was both a scientific study and a pilgrimage that left
him an indelible affinity for island natural life and landscape. Whilst his parents
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awaited his return to a career in professional medicine, Gibson-Hill set his mind on
exploring virgin islands beyond the United Kingdom.
NATURAL TREASURES FROM PARADISE ISLES

At King’s College, Gibson-Hill met and married a fellow student, Margaret Halliday,
but departed soon after their April wedding in 1938 for a posting as Resident Medical
Officer on Christmas Island. His dream of studying a scientifically unexamined island
had come true. To reach Christmas
Island, Gibson-Hill took an
overland passage through Persia,
Afghanistan, Cambodia and
Singapore, giving him a flavour of
some of the Asian countries on
which he would later collect. In
Singapore, he met Frederick Nutter
Chasen, the Director of Raffles
Museum (1921-1942), who had
done extensive work on Malayan
birds. Chasen instructed him to
build on the Christmas Island Gibson-Hill studied the Christmas Island Frigate birds.
specimen collections, already begun These specimens are now found in the Raffles Museum
of Biodiversity Research.
through study trips to the island by
R. Hanistch and Michael W. F.
Tweedie in 1904 and 1932 respectively. Prior to this, only Charles William of the British
Museum had spent a measure of time studying the island.
During his stay on Christmas Island, Gibson-Hill collected all known terrestrial fauna
and marine life from its stark landscape of jagged limestone cliffs and edenic beaches.
The result was at least 200 specimens of birds collected, which included six new species,
and a detailed field study of bird breeding habits. Gibson-Hill also published extensively
on the island’s fauna, primarily in the first post-war issue of the Bulletin of the Raffles
Museum.
His two-year posting on Christmas Island was followed by a 10 and a-half-month stint
on Cocos-Keeling Islands beginning in early 1941. He was joined by his wife who had
by then completed her medical studies. Residing at the Cable Station on Pulau Tikus
(Direction Island), Gibson-Hill was able to use much of his leisure time to gather a
relatively comprehensive collection of reef and terrestrial fauna of the main atoll as well
as the fish in the surrounding lagoons. He was also privileged to meet J. S. Clunies-
Ross, the owner of the Cocos-Keeling Islands, who granted him access to the unpublished
documents of the Clunies-Rosses. These manuscripts were the foundational resource
for Gibson-Hill’s later writings on the islands’ history. Gibson-Hill’s extensive notes and
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draft manuscript of a book on the Cocos-Keeling Islands were unfortunately lost during
the Japanese Occupation. However, he was able to write a significant number of articles
on the natural history of its atolls with meticulous detail, publishing them in the Bulletin
of the Raffles Museum and the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
after the war.
SURVIVING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

At the end of their island postings, Margaret was
given an appointment at the General Hospital
in Alor Star while Gibson-Hill was to serve at
Singapore’s Health Department as Health Officer
for the rural areas. The couple moved to Malaya
in 1941, just prior to its fall to Japan. In those
dark days, Chasen, the Director of the Museum,
had perished at sea in his attempt to escape the
country so Gibson-Hill was hastily appointed
Assistant Curator. While Gibson-Hill remained
in Singapore, Margaret escaped to England from
Singapore.
A tale of Syonan-To (1981) by E. H. Corner,

Assistant Director of the Straits Settlements
Gardens, gives an anecdotal account of the first Gibson-Hill contributed some illustrations
e n c ou nte r b e t we e n Gib s on - Hi l l and to G. C. Madoc’s An introduction to
Malayan birds (1974). Madoc wrote the
vulconologist Professor Hidezo Tanakadate, the book during his internment.
Japanese counterpart assigned to head the
Museum (renamed Syonan Hakubutsu Kan during the Japanese Occupation). Corner
notes Tanakadate’s disdain for Gibson-Hill at their initial, unannounced meeting, as
little had been done to clear the mess in the Museum. It must be remembered that
Gibson-Hill had only just arrived in Singapore and his appointment was made in haste
during tumultuous times. In any case, Gibson-Hill seemed to have had little regard for
Tanakadate’s new authority. When invited to lunch the following day, Gibson-Hill’s
“almost insolent manner” grated against Tanakadate’s pride. Tanakadate’s visit to the
Museum the subsequent day was met by a nonchalant Gibson-Hill who had just finished
breakfast.
[Gibson-Hill] was seated barefoot in an old chair, one leg sprawling

over an arm of the chair, one hand flourishing a very long cigarette-
holder with a lighted cigarette, and in an open-necked shirt, displaying
a tangled ginger beard. He did not get up (Corner, 1981: 51).
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Angered by the apparent lack of respect, Tanakadate

brandished a revolver at Gibson-Hill commanding
him to stand up but Gibson-Hill met this only with
laughter. Three days later, Gibson-Hill was taken
from the Museum and interned at Changi Prison.
Although this is a less than flattering account, it
is a portrait that some suggest is typical of Gibson-
Hill – casually unafraid, sensing the comedic even
in a tense situation.
The years in internment was not necessarily

comfortable but even during this time, Gibson-
Hill used his time for research. His passion for
observing birds was shared by many others in the
prison confines. Ornithologist G. C. Madoc’s
publication, An Introduction to Malayan birds (1943,
Birds of the coast (1949) was Gibson-
1947), was published in-house in Changi Prison Hill’s second published work. It was
released soon after the war.
in May 1943. The original work included pen and
ink illustrations by Gibson-Hill and another
internee, B. D. Molesworth. Madoc wrote of a Changi Ornithological Study Group that
Gibson-Hill was likely an active contributor to until his move to Sime Road Camp. A
number of Gibson-Hill’s articles on specific bird species published after the war were
likely based on notes that he had kept during his internment, particularly at Sime Road
Camp between 1944 and 1945. These include his studies of the Malayan Long-tailed
Tailor-Bird (Gibson-Hill, 1950, December: 82–97) and the Spotted Munia (Gibson-
Hill, 1950, December: 82: 98–113) with accompanying drawings.
He also mentions that the time was spent mentally reviewing his draft on the Cocos-
Keeling Islands. Sadly, his original manuscript kept in the Museum was never recovered.
Despite the prodigious intellectual output for such times, Gibson-Hill must have had
difficult days for he does mention his remaining dislike for Japanese sentries although
this did not stop him from collecting titles on Japan’s fascinating history and culture.
Gibson-Hill also served as Secretary of the Leisure Hours Committee during internment
and offered lectures on Malaya together with other distinguished scholars. Deep
friendships forged amongst this learned community continued after the war as evidenced
by new specimens that these scholars brought from the region to the Raffles Museum’s
natural history collection. For example, Gibson-Hill noted Madoc and Molesworth’s
additions to the bird specimen collection and their published works are found in his
book collection.
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The war years did little to dilute Gibson-Hill’s sense of adventure. At the end of 1945,
a few months after being released from internment, Gibson-Hill set off on a whaler to
South Georgia where he collected specimens for the Falkland Island Museum and
photographed Antarctic sea birds. This journey seemed to have been significant for
Gibson-Hill, resulting in several published articles and the addition of books on South
Georgia and Antarctica’s fauna (ranging from bibliographies to travelogues) to his
collection. In March 1946, he rejoined his wife in England, making his return journey
as a health officer on board a British-bound oil tanker.
Fueled by his interest in ornithology and photography, Gibson-Hill spent the subsequent
year taking photographs for two books on British birds. His keen eye for birds since his
youth had now matured to a specialisation in coastal birds resulting in the British Sea
Birds being published in 1947, his first photographic work, followed quickly by the
illustrated Birds of the Coast in 1948. These established his reputation as a self-taught
yet knowledgeable ornithologist.
COLLECTING MALAYAN HERITAGE

Returning to Singapore in 1947, Gibson-Hill took up the post of Assistant Curator of
Zoology at the Raffles Museum. For the next two years, he also remained associated
with the medical profession, lecturing on Biology at the College of Medicine. As Curator
of Zoology, one of Gibson-Hill’s key duties was managing the museum’s bird specimen
collections. The collection was started as early as 1840 and was strengthened with
specimens from the Malay archipelago, Indo-China, and the neighbouring islands of
the region through the expeditions of Robinson, Kloss and Chasen between 1903 and
the 1930s. An exchange of the Raffles Museum’s insect collection for the Selangor
Museum’s bird and mammal collections in 1926 further enhanced this bird specimen
collection. Gibson-Hill had participated in growing the collection with his pre-war
collection of birds taken from Christmas Island and the Cocos-Keelings.
During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, a unique collaborative effort between British
scientists and Japanese scholars helped preserve the animal collections at the Raffles
Museum. Such was not the case with the animal specimen collections in the other
Federated Malay States Museums. Both the Selangor and the Kuala Lumpur Museums
were bombed in 1945 and lost much of their precious collections. Today, this invaluable
collection of Southeast Asian bird specimens is housed at the Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore. Gibson-Hill’s bird
specimens from Christmas Island and other parts of the region are found in this
repository, tagged in his own handwriting.
After the war, Gibson-Hill continued extensive study of birds in Singapore and the rest
of Malaya. His residence in Tanglin was one of his playgrounds for observing birds. He
also had a wide network of fellow bird lovers, these being friendships that were developed
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in the course of his curatorial work. For example, he seemed to have crossed paths
with Sarawak Museum’s Harrisson rather frequently. This is not surprising seeing how
both men shared a common interest in ornithology, archeology, museum work and the
study of their respective Southeast Asian countries. Harrisson also served as the editor
of the highly regarded The Sarawak Museum Journal, which Gibson-Hill had copies of
from Harrison’s term as curator. Added to this, Harrisson had worked closely with both
Loke and Gibson-Hill on the Loke-Harrisson Collection of Sarawak birds in the 1950s.
The collection was the result of Loke’s four-year survey of birds in Sarawak, largely self-
funded.
The rigorous tasks of bird-watching and specimen collecting required that Gibson-Hill
make innumerable boat journeys to islands around Malaya, often several times a year
and staying for weeks on end. He surveyed the avifauna and collected specimens from
these islands for the Museum between 1948 and 1951. These findings were compared
with the Raffles Museum’s holdings and the analysis published in the Bulletin of the
Raffles Museum, resulting in an extensive survey of birds from the region. Each article
systematically described not merely the birds but also the islands. Details of island
geography, vegetation, and sometimes the etymology of the island’s name, would be
given. A sketch map of the island and photographs of its idyllic landscapes often
accompanied the articles, some of which until today are the only studies on local island
histories.
An outcome of his bird studies was An annotated

checklist of the birds of Malaya published in 1949.
The publication built on existing handlists
previously compiled by Hume (1879–1880),
Robinson (1907, 1910, 1927, 1928) and Chasen
(1935). It gives a thorough investigation of the
field, including an examination of specimens
in the Raffles Museum with observations and
notes from unpublished field reports.
Gibson-Hill’s love for coastal birds, along with

the long boat journeys required of fieldwork,
soon led to his interest in boats. Gibson-Hill’s
early tropical voyages seemed to have first begun
whilst sailing around Cocos-Keeling Islands
with his wife to study the islands’ geography Gibson-Hill’s An annotated checklist of
the birds of Malaya (1949).
and natural landscape. Their sense of adventure
is seen in Hodgson’s account of the couple being
lost at sea for three days and going without food for forty-eight hours until they reached
shore. Gibson-Hill’s sailing experience meant that he was competent in using navigational
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guides as evidenced by the several titles of the Sea Pilots by the British Hydrographic
Department (1937–1950) found in the Collection. The Sea Pilots also provided him
with an understanding of early sailing routes, shipping and the use of local islands in
pre-colonial trade. Much of these insights Gibson-Hill published in the Journal of the
Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Studying local boats from as early as July 1940, Gibson-Hill’s interests were encouraged
by a number of factors including his responsibilities over the Museum’s collection of
boat models and his existing duties with the local fisheries. One of Gibson-Hill’s earliest
articles on boats is entitled “Boats and fishing on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”, published
in The Journal of the Royal Anthropolgical Institute (1946). He also wrote on Malay
koleks, Chinese tongkangs and Siamese crafts, examining their design, tracing their
journeys along rivulets and getting acquainted with their boatmen. His curatorial duties
offered him many opportunities not only to study contemporary boats but also boats
uncovered in archeological digs. This included a study trip in 1952 to examine an
ancient Pontian boat held at Taiping Museum, and an old boat excavated in Johore
Lama in 1953. Such studies continued into the 1950s along with photographic essays
of Malayan life that captured serene waterways and wooden boats basking in the
sunlight. By 1952, a Boat Room had been set up at the Museum offering an assortment
of boats, labeled according to Gibson-Hill’s catalogue of local boats. Whilst others, such
as H. Warrington Smyth, have written about local boats, Gibson-Hill’s writings on
Malayan boats remain unsurpassed for its detailed analysis and historical survey.
His love for local Malay boats and the fishing industry was closely tied to his intimate
understanding of the Malay fishermen’s language and customs. Gibson-Hill was able
to strike up conversations and take rides into rivulets and venture into seldom-visited
fishing villages, as far down as Thailand. His interest in Malay ethnology also extended
to Malay woven arts and crafts; with him acquiring a large collection of Malay mats,
baskets and tudong saji (food covers).
U NUSUAL W ORK HABITS

Gibson-Hill’s office was located in the Mammals and Birds Section, beside the Zoological
Library of the Raffles Library. He literally lived in the Museum, with his wife visiting
him intermittently to bring him sets of new clothes. Shaving his beard or taking a meal
“was considered a waste of valuable time” (Clark: 1965, 18). He survived off the supplies
in the kitchenette although his secretary, Eileen Lee, remembers that he often ordered
in his favourite steaks from the nearby YMCA.
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Of his workspace, Clark (1965: 20) paints a vivid picture:
Carl’s office was a scene never to be forgotten. The huge room was
crowded with stuffed birds and animals, spirit boats, baskets and wood
carvings all jostling against musical instruments, fishing tackle, pottery,
silver, ceramics and weaving. Skeletons, maps, pictures and books were
piled high on tables, chairs and the floor. Books filled the shelves lining
the walls and formed a tottering wall around Carl’s desk... Despite the
chaos of his room, he always knew not only where to find the required
volume but turned unerringly to the relevant paragraphs.
In this vignette, Clark emphasises Gibson-Hill’s legendary memory and the encyclopaedic
breadth of knowledge in the midst of a confused mess. However, it was not so much
that Gibson-Hill was untidy or a picture of chaotic genius as Clark and others picture
him. In fact, much of his work required that he compare artifacts or specimens whilst
consulting notes. For example in studying the Abbott’s Booby, Gibson-Hill describes
that “before me are the two skins taken by Fryer..., the five skins... in the Raffles Museum
collection and detailed notes...” (Gibson-Hill, 1950:73).
In terms of work routine, Gibson-Hill was clearly a nocturnal creature. Christopher Hooi,
(Director of the National Museum, 1979–1982) who understudied Gibson-Hill, noted that
the curator would sleep in the day and work through the night when he had the Raffles
Library and Museum to himself. Hooi also remembered Gibson-Hill teaching him how to
trawl through Legislative Reports and Municipal Minutes. It was a process that Gibson-Hill
was adept at, having used these sources to uncover the etymology of local street names and
landmarks that were later published in Hancock’s Architecture in Singapore (1954) and the
Street Directory (1954).
Yet Gibson-Hill was no recluse as some make him out to be. When impassioned by his
pet subjects, Gibson-Hill was an inveterate conversationalist who was oblivious to the
time of day. Hooi spoke of having to cold-heartedly stop Gibson-Hill’s extended
discussion, in order to leave the Museum before the ungodly hour of 2 am. In the same
vein, Gibson-Hill’s secretary, Lee, often warned morning visitors to have a good breakfast
before meeting him as they may not leave in time for lunch.
He was also known to, at the spur of the moment, jump into his station wagon and take
off for nearby expeditions. Lee remembered that these included pit stops at the Kallang
River to barter for hats from Indonesian boatmen while at the same time studying their
unique watercraft. Sometimes the expeditions went further afield to the Johore River
for archaeological digs or photography of ancient monuments. Often, Lee would assist
him on these journeys, holding on to his trusted Nikon. His bush jacket would have
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lenses, film and notebooks that were filled with details of his photographs. At other
times, his journeys away were for mundane yet important conferences in the region.
PHOTOGRAPHING MALAYAN LIFE

Although much of Gibson-Hill’s early photography was invariably of birds, his published
photographic studies went beyond this field to cover a panorama of Malayan subjects
from boats to colonial architecture. His works revealed his personal side. Malcolm
MacDonald, in his introduction to The Malayan landscape (1949) noted that Gibson-
Hill’s photographs showed “enthusiasm for whatever work he undertakes, his eye for
beauty in Nature, his skill in composing and taking photographs and his own fond love
for Malaya”. In the mentioned work, it was the shape of the land, its architecture, its
scenic beauty and its vivacious people that he focused on.
Gibson-Hill’s images however went beyond

the popular expatriate perspective of languid
seaside kampongs and whitewashed colonial
monuments. They captured glimpses of
native Malayans going about their daily life
– at prayer, going marketing, in celebrations
or at work. As much as his photographic
work of Malayan landscape came to be
highly regarded by naturalists, his
photographic eye and knowledge of civil
life were a powerful combination for
government publications. His photographs
were thus not only published in the
academic domain but also appeared in the
local daily, the Straits Times and its Annual,
as well as in the Colony of Singapore Annual
Report (1949) and the commemorative Gibson-Hill’s The Malayan landscape (1949).
publication for Queen Elizabeth’s
coronation in 1953. Hawkin’s work, Malaya (1952), published by the Government
Printers is vividly illustrated with some 120 Gibson-Hill photographs – a showcase of
Gibson-Hill’s familiarity with Malaya and its people.
Many of his black-and-white photographs that capture Singapore’s built environment

in the 1950s remain a primary reference for architecture of that period. Between March
and April 1954, Gibson-Hill exhibited a number of his photographs in conjunction
with works proposed by the Institute of Architects of Malaya. The images and descriptions
of these landmarks were later published as Hancock’s Architecture in Singapore (1954),
an initiative of the Government’s Works and Buildings Department to list key buildings
of historic interest.
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Gibson-Hill developed his own photographs, either in the dark room at the Museum
or at home. He organised his photographs meticulously, ensuring a contact print was
made for every roll and filing each in rows of cellophane folders. Many of his photographs
are now found at the Pitts Rivers Museum at Oxford as well as at the National Museum
of Singapore.
Gibson-Hill was as keenly interested in a visual record of his research as in its written
analysis. Photography was but one of his tools. He was also known to make his own
drawings in pen and ink, choosing not to rely on the Museum’s artist. He preferred to
depict his subjects in black and white instead of colour for he (Gibson-Hill, 1948: vii)
notes that,
[Colour illustrations] are pleasant to draw, but the blocks are expensive
(for publishing), and they are frequently not as helpful as many beginners
(bird watchers) imagine them to be. Black and white work places the
emphasis on the arrangement of light and dark tones in the plumage.
This is far more constant under varying climatic conditions than the
colour itself.
His artwork was not confined to nature drawings but included details of local boat
designs and of mats and hats. Eric Alfred remembers canvas drawings that were life-
sized, stretching beyond Gibson-Hill’s desk. Many of these drawings were based on the
photographs he had taken. He would begin penciling his pictures before going over
them with pen and ink. Upon completion, he would make a photograph of these
drawings and have them published with his articles. Some of his creative insights were
also applied in significant government designs. For example, he was involved in the
design of the new Colonial stamps and sat on the committee for the design of the City
Mace between 1952 and 1954 which tapped on both his visual acumen and his knowledge
of Malayan history.
His interest in photography and the visual arts also led him to help found fledgling art
societies such as the Singapore Photographic Society, which had him and Loke alternating
as its President in the 1950s. The Society, originally known as the Singapore Camera
Club, began in May 1950 with a group of about 30, many of whom were locals. Gibson-
Hill and Loke were recognised for helping the Society relocate at least twice in its initial
years. Their influence also contributed to attracting the who’s who to the Society, such
as Yusof Ishak, (the Yang Di-Pertuan Negara; patron of the Society) and Malcolm
MacDonald (United Kingdom Commissioner-General in South East Asia). It was also
during Gibson-Hill’s term of service that the first Malayan Photographic Exhibition
was held. This exhibition continued to be held in later years as the Pan Malaysian
Photographic Exhibition and later, the Singapore National Photographic Exhibition.
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Loke visited Gibson-Hill at the Museum as often as once every two months to discuss
events organised by Photographic Society as both sat on the selection committee for
photographic exhibitions. Sometimes he would also visit Gibson-Hill after his overseas
bird surveys to consult him on his findings. Both produced photographs of birds that
were so highly regarded that their respective photographs of the tern for example were
independently chosen as symbols for the local currency and postage stamps – Gibson-
Hill’s image of the Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana appears on Singapore’s 1966
15-cent stamp, while Loke’s image of the Black-naped Tern on Squance Rock off Changi
appears on the 1971 issue of the Singapore dollar.
Gibson-Hill was also a founding member of the Singapore Arts Society, and served as
its President, patron and mentor. Through the society, he exhibited his collected works,
namely of hats, baskets and food covers at the Art Society’s 1951 exhibition of Malay
Arts and Crafts. In 1953, he helped the Art Society put up an exhibition on Eastern and
Western musical instruments. In this Society, Loke too was an active member and co-
founder. The Gibson-Hill Collection reflects this common bond shared between the
two men: for example, most of the Singapore Arts Society publications in the Gibson-
Hill Collection were contributed by Loke.
Gibson-Hill (seated left) and Loke Wan Tho (seated 2nd from right) possibly at a Singapore Photographic
Society event (Donated by Wu Sijing, Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board).
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ERUDITE EDITOR AND RESOLUTE SCHOLAR

It is in the field of scholarly writing that Gibson-Hill is most recognised. He was an
active contributor to the Malayan Nature Journal; whole editions of the Bulletin of the
Raffles Museum comprised solely of his articles; and was also an influential editor of
the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS).
The Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society had established itself in the grounds of
the Raffles Museum in 1878. The Directors of the Raffles Library and Museum, from
Hanitsch to Tweedie, had traditionally taken positions of responsibility in the Society’s
Branch. However, none contributed to the quality of scholarly writing as Gibson-Hill
did, particularly in his role as editor of the JMBRAS between 1948 and 1961. These
post-war years were also the first time in the Society when the role of Editor and
Honorary Secretary was separated, allowing Gibson-Hill the luxury of time to focus
on the Journal.
Gibson-Hill joined the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1940. The war
had dealt a severe blow to the Society’s branch, especially with Chasen’s death at sea.
In Chasen’s place as the Society’s Honorary Secretary was Tweedie, the new Director
of the Raffles Library and Museum. Gibson-Hill assisted Tweedie as Assistant Secretary
in 1947 and as Editor in 1948. Despite the ravages of war, the articles submitted to the
Journal prior to the Occupation amazingly remained intact at the Raffles Museum and
the first publication of the Journal in 1947 after a five-year delay was made possible,
in no small measure, to Gibson-Hill’s editorial efforts. One of his earliest task as editor
was to compile its first post-war index – The index of volumes 1–20 (1922–1947). The
index was instrumental in raising the sales of the Journal’s back issues and helped
generate a tidy sum for the newly reinstated Society Branch.
Gibson-Hill proved the third most prolific contributor to the Journal, with a total of
49 articles. His work reflected a deep knowledge of Malaya its culture, ethnology and
natural history. More importantly, they showed his willingness and dogged determination
in helping ferret out difficult-to-find information. For example, his detailed history of
a local newspaper – The Singapore Chronicles, and a listing of Master Attendants who
served in Singapore between 1819 and 1867 were responses to requests for more facts
on these seldom-researched areas. Gibson-Hill indicates that “(t)he difficulty experienced
in dealing with what should have been a small problem showed clearly that no previous
investigation into the matter had ever been recorded, and that there was no extant
official list (Gibson-Hill, 1960: 1)”. Gibson-Hill had an innate ability to translate dry
facts into living stories and transform seemingly meaningless lists, complex legislation
and bureaucratic reports into gems of information and knowledge.
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In the 1950 volume of the Journal, Gibson-Hill set the “Shorts Notes” section as a regular
feature. Many of these Short Notes carried important details and were more likely
written or edited by Gibson-Hill. In the 1953 issue, Gibson-Hill also began listing the
public institutions that received copies of the Journal either as subscribers or in exchange
for publications. These institutions spanned from Australia to Africa.
Thoroughness was an aptitude that Gibson-Hill valued in all that he did. His articles
were always well footnoted and referenced, and were often accompanied by his drawings
or photographs. His meticulous editing frequently enhanced poorly researched work
as he added copious notes and footnotes. Conversely, the lack of thoroughness in
scholarly work was something he despised. For example, in his review of An anecdotal
history of olden times in Singapore, he criticised Buckley’s poor scholarship, neglect of
primary sources and lack of interest in his own subject!
In 1956, Gibson-Hill was made President of the Society’s Branch following Tweedie’s
announcement of his forthcoming retirement in 1957. Tweedie’s departure also meant
that Gibson-Hill had to fill his shoes as Director of the National Museum by 1957. This
was not something unfamiliar to him for in 1951, Gibson-Hill had straddled these roles
when Tweedie was on leave for six months.
However, Gibson-Hill’s health had deteriorated by the mid-1950s. A diabetic, he did

little to manage his health and remained a heavy smoker. Since 1956, he suffered bouts
of oedema and was hospitalised in October 1959 for close to three months and again
at the end of 1960. The health of the Journal suffered in turn. By 1960, it was clear that
printers, authors and readers were unhappy. Printers refused to take on further papers
till they had published what was assigned to them and writers withdrew papers to
publish elsewhere. Membership declined gradually, from a peak of 816 in 1953 to
around 370 in 1960, and Gibson-Hill gained a reputation for avoiding correspondences
and accumulating a growing pile of unpublished papers. With a dwindling membership
and Gibson-Hill holding all the key posts in the Society including President, Honorary
Secretary and Editor in addition to his duties as Director of the Museum, something
had to give.
Meanwhile, the political and social landscape of Malaya was rapidly changing. With
the independence of Malaysia slated for August 1963, an exodus of British expatriates
soon followed. Alfred observed that many came personally to bid farewell to the Museum
Director, whether they knew him personally or not, almost as a final pilgrimage before
they left the country they loved so much. What could Gibson-Hill have felt in the face
of these departures?
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For the first time in 1962, the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society held its
meeting in Kuala Lumpur instead of Singapore where Tun Abdul Razak was elected as
its President. By now, Gibson-Hill would have realised that these changes foreshadowed
what would invariably befall the Museum management. With the rise of nationalism
and the drive to place locals in senior government positions, Gibson-Hill’s days as an
expatriate Director of the Raffles Museum were numbered. Lee recalls that Gibson-Hill
had been depressed particularly since his term as Director of the National Museum
was not renewed and his time in Malaya was drawing to a close. Some suggest that his
good friend and fellow ornithologist, Loke, had offered Gibson-Hill lodgings in the
Cathay building apartments to continue his study of Malaya upon his retirement from
the Museum.
This was not to be. Less than a month to his retirement, Gibson-Hill was found dead
in his home in August 1963, alone. Whether his death was due to ill health or depression,
rumours remain. What is certain is that he left behind an invaluable body of work in
the form of texts and images, and an irreplaceable vacuum of knowledge on Malaya.
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REFERENCES
“Annual report of the Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society for 1948-1962”. (1949-1963). JMBRAS, Vols.
23-36.
Clark, Kathleen. (1965). Carl Gibson-Hill. JMBRAS, 38(2), 17-21.
Corner, E. H. (1981). The Marquis: a tale of Syonan-to. Singapore: Heinemann Asia.
Hodgson, Geoffrey. (1965). “Memoir of C. A. Gibson-Hill”. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal
Asia, 38(2), 1–15.
Oral interviews of Andrew Chew Guan Khuan (Accession no. 1620, Reel 2).
Oral interviews of Hooi Christopher George Liang Yin (Accession no. 1382, Reel 6).
Pembroke College. 1900-1950, Pembroke College, Cambridge.

http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/about/history/1900-1950.html
Personal interviews with Eileen Lee, 2007.
Personal interviews with Eric Alfred, 2007.
Personal interviews with Ivan Poulinin, 2007.
Tiew, Wai Sin. (1998, July). “History of Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
(JMBRAS) 1878–1997: An overview”. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, 3(1), 43-60.
http://eprints.rclis.org/archive/00008838/
Tweedie, M. W. F. (1949-1955). Report of the Raffles Museum and Library for the year 1948, 1949, 1950,
1951, 1952, 1953, 1954. Singapore: Government Printers.
Former Directors. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Department of Biological Sciences, National
University of Singapore.
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/history/directors.htm
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NOTES ON ARRANGEMENT
This catalogue is divided into sections following broad subject headings based on the Dewey
Decimal Classification (DDC). DDC is a library classification system that arranges books
according to subjects. The titles in the Gibson-Hill Collection fall within the following
broad subjects:
(1) Bibliographies, Ethnographies and Maritime Histories (DDC 000–399)

(2) Birds and Animals (DDC 500–599)
(3) Sailing Vessels and River Crafts (DDC 600–699)
(4) Art and Photography (DDC 700–800)
(5) Travelogues and History (DDC 900–999)
Within each broad subject, the titles are subsequently listed by authors in alphabetical order
rather than by the DDC numbers. In the absence of an author, the work is listed by its title.
Each section will contain some miscellaneous titles that do not deal with the broad subjects,
but fall within its DDC range. An overview of each section highlights significant titles and
their relationship to Gibson-Hill’s interests and the Collection as a whole.
Each entry listed in the catalogue will have the following details:
(1) publication details such as author, year of publication, title and publisher
(2) Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) call number
(3) where available, microfilm or microfiche numbers
(4) physical descriptions of the book including existing signatures and markings
(5) notes giving more details concerning the title
(6) series title
(7) synopsis (for selected entries)
Multi-volumed titles are catalogued as a single entry, unless the years in which the various
volumes were published differ. Selected entries in foreign languages may have an English
translation provided in square brackets. Titles where the year of publication is unknown
are indicated as “-”. Throughout the publication, authors are addressed by their last names
except on first mention.
The section on Gibson-Hill’s works provides a comprehensive listing of all known works,
including selective illustrated works by him. The listing of his works is arranged by format,
then by title and year of publication.
The Author Index and Title Index will help facilitate cross-referencing and easier search
for relevant personal authors and titles.
The Gibson-Hill Collection is located in Closed Access. It can be accessed through requests
made at Level 11 of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library at the National Library Singapore.
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OVERVIEW OF THE CATALOGUE

BIBLIOGRAPHIES, ETHNOGRAPHIES AND MARITIME HISTORIES
This part of the collection provides an introduction to some of Gibson-Hill’s key
areas of research that are further expanded in the subsequent sections of the
catalogue. This section includes four bibliographies, an eclectic mix of ethnographic
studies as well as maritime trading histories of mainly British colonialists in this
region. Several titles that are related to Malaya’s early economy, political systems
as well as trades and professions are scattered amongst these titles.
Many of the works are by civil servants, administrators, educators and colonial
leaders of the British Settlements who wrote of their observations and experiences
of the local communities during their term of service. For example, John Slimming,
who wrote Temiar jungle (1958), had been Assistant Protector of Aborigines while
Victor Purcell, whose widely recognised works include The Chinese in Malaya
(1948), had served in various positions related to the Chinese in British Malaya.
There are also the early works of scholars and writers who would later became
recognised for their study of Malaya’s history and culture. This includes the Raffles
scholar, John Bastin and his piece The native policies of Sir Stamford Raffles in Java
and Sumatra (1957), Malayan specialist, John Gullick and his Indigenous political
systems of Western Malaya (1958) and famed biographer, Alex Josey whose early
work includes Trade unionism in Malaya (1954). Though they have become known
for more important writings, these pieces reveal their early passion in exploring
Malaya’s complex background.
Though limited to only four titles, the bibliographies are the cornerstone to the
rest of Gibson-Hill’s collection of books as they show the curator’s key areas of
work and study. Two bibliographies are on ornithology – Hoogerwerf ’s An
ornithological bibliography (1953) and Roberts’ A bibliography of Antarctic ornithology
(1941). The remaining two are on published works for further study on Malaya
and Singapore, namely Evan’s Catalogue of works dealing with linguistics &
ethnography in the library of the Federated Malay States Museums (1925) and
Cheeseman’s Bibliography of Malaya, being a classified list of books wholly or partly
in English relating to the Federation of Malaya and Singapore (1959). Related to the
bibliographies is the Guide to the zoological collections of the Raffles Museum,
Singapore (1908) by the Museums’ late 19th century director, Hanitsch.
The ethnological studies in the Collection cover various tribal communities and
religious practices in the region. Besides Gibson-Hill’s own seminal work on the
Orang Laut (1952), Williams-Hunt’s analysis of Malayan aborigines and Djamour’s
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study on Malay kinship (1959), there are

studies on other native communities such as
the Pinatubo negritos of the Philippines (Fox,
1953) and the Yami or Formosan aborigines
of Taiwan (Kano, 1956) which serve as
counterpoints to studying the Malayan
aborigines and Malays. The study of the Malays
and of aboriginal life was essential for Gibson-
Hill’s writing on local boats and the weaving
of hats and food covers.
Complementing these works are studies on

local religious practices. Magic rituals and
spiritism amongst local Chinese and pre-
Islamic Malays were communicated strictly Chan’s Catholics in Singapore (195-).
orally and its secrets kept within the
community. The Collection offers some of the first books published in English on
these esoteric subjects such as spirit-medium cults amongst the Chinese (Elliott,
1955), Chinese ancestor worship (Comber, 1954) and pre-Islamic Malay ritualistic
practices (Winstedt, 1951). There is also a thin survey of the early history of
Catholicism in Singapore (Chan, 195-), which despite its poor production remains
invaluable for both its photographs as well as introductory text on the early Catholic
leaders and the subsequent churches they established in Singapore.
The bulk of the titles in this section deal with maritime histories and diplomatic
relations between Western colonialists and Asian civilisations. The titles trace
ancient trade routes taken by the Arabs, Indians, Chinese and subsequently the
colonialists in Asia. Amongst these gems are interesting works on Japan’s pre-Meiji
maritime prowess, early diplomatic relations between colonial and Asian countries,
and the corporate histories of old shipping companies such as the famed Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company as well as the Bombay Steam Navigation.
Two works on Japan stand out for their perspicacity based on the cross-disciplinary
resources consulted – The affair of the “Madre de Deus” (1929) and The great ship
from Amacon (1959). They are by Charles Ralph Boxer, a self-taught scholar whose
proficiency in Portuguese, Japanese and Dutch (gained through his service in the
military) gave him unusual insights into maritime trade during the Age of Discovery
in his later scholarly work. Another noteworthy publication is Purchas his Pilgrimage
(1613) – one of the oldest publications in the National Library holdings. The title
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is significant for presenting to the English a compilation of the voyages from the
13th century to the 16th century, particularly because they revealed the much
desired passage to the East Indies and to its treasure chest of wealth.
BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Books relating to birds form the heart of Gibson-Hill’s Collection because ornithology
was the subject of Gibson-Hill’s earliest publishing and curatorial work. These titles
show the more personal relationships Gibson-Hill had as seen in the signatures
and scribbled acknowledgements by their respective authors. Gibson-Hill’s
specialisation on sea and coastal birds came to the fore with his publication of
British Sea Birds (1947) and Birds of the Coast (1948). This section also offers a
broad survey of bird books published and read in his day when bird watching was
quickly becoming a popular hobby. The Collection’s titles are focused on Gibson-
Hill’s particular interests in coastal and seabirds, often with a slant toward his love
for photographing and illustrating these birds, especially in flight. The bird books
in the Collection are thus well illustrated, with images by some of the best painters
and photographers of birds of his day. Many of the travelogues found in subsequent
sections are also richly illustrated with breathtaking colour lithographs of unusual
birds. Geographically, the works cover birds from either side of the Atlantic Oceanas
well as Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia and Asia.
An unusual study of sea and coastal birds is

Alexander’s Birds of the ocean (1928), which,
unlike most other studies where observations
are made on land by the coast, this was based
on records made whilst on long oceanic
voyages. Other titles discuss birds as part of
island life, such as Darling’s Island years (1952).
The titles on Antarctic birdlife are probably
related to Gibson-Hill’s own post-war journey
to South Georgia. Some expound on penguins
such as Bagshawe’s Gentoo and Ringed or
Antarctic penguins (1938), Gillespie’s A book
of King Penguins (1932) and Levick’s Antarctic
penguins (1914) whilst others are associated
with the British Graham Land Expedition Collins pocket guide to British
(1934–1937) which preceded his own venture. Birds (1952).
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Titles on British birds show Gibson-Hill’s enduring interest in the study of birds
on his island home with some likely obtained for research for his first two published
books on British birds but others were much later. Examples of such books include
Vesey-Fitzgerald’s A book of British waders (1939), Berry’s Wild geese and wild
duck in Scotland (1939), Ennion’s The British bird (1943) and the ever popular
Collins pocket guide to British birds (1952).
Gibson-Hill’s knowledge of ornithology extended beyond his homeland to his

adopted land of Malaya, especially with his continued work on the bird specimen
collection at the Raffles Museum. His resultant publications, An annotated checklist
of the birds of Malaya (1949) and A checklist of birds of Singapore Island (1950),
were both commended for providing new field information. Gibson-Hill’s writings
on local and regional birds can also be found in journals, some in the form of
bound compilation in his Collection such as Papers on Malayan birds (1947–1952).
The range of checklists, handlists and catalogues of birds of this region suggests
that the Collection was used for referencing, particularly for developing his own
checklists of the region. This is seen in classic titles of birds in Malaya such as
Robinson’s A handlist of the birds of the Malay Peninsula (1910), Chasen’s A handlist
of Malaysian birds (1935) and Delacour’s Birds of Malaysia (1947). Sharpe’s multi-
volumed A hand-list of the genera and species of birds (1900–1912) also finds a place
in the Collection as it was an important tool for bird classification and thus for
developing local hand lists. Gibson-Hill however used Wetmore’s Systematic
Classification of the Birds of the World (1940) for his publications, which interestingly
is not in his Collection.
The Gibson-Hill Collection’s lack of some significant titles on Malayan birds, such
as Bucknill’s The birds of Singapore Island (1927) and the four-volume The birds
of the Malay Peninsula by Robinson and Chasen (1927–1939) remains a mystery.
Many other works cited in his published papers are also not found in the Collection.
Being a meticulous researcher, Gibson-Hill was likely to have had these resources
on hand and would have consulted all cited sources. A plausible suggestion is that
he referred to the copies available at the Raffles Library or the Zoological Library.
It has also been suggested that the Collection is not necessarily a complete holding
of all titles he had once owned.
The reference titles and checklists are not limited to Malayan birds and include
birds of neighbouring regions, such as A (1952) revised checklist of the birds of
Ceylon (Phillips, 1953), Checklist of New Zealand birds (Ornithological Society of
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New Zealand, 1953) and A manual of the birds of Australia (Mathews, 1921). Works
by curators, zoologists and ornithologists from institutions beyond this region
include German Stresemann’s Vogel vom fluss Kajan (Nordost-Borneo) (1938),
South African Robert’s Birds of South Africa (1957) and American Peter’s Check-
list of birds of the world (1931) (Vols. 1–6). There are a number of publications of
birds from the Smithsonian Institution, the American centre for systematic
ornithological studies. Several are works by notable curators and naturalists such
as Herbert Deignan, Robert Ridgeway, Arthur Poole, George E. Watson, Joseph
Riley and Arthur Cleveland Bent while others are by the curators of the Malayan
Museums such as Robinson and Chasen.
Gibson-Hill himself made drawings and photographs of birds for his articles and
thus his Collection holds many illustrated works of birds. Though some are draft
sketches done during field observations to distinguish between species, they are
so finely drawn they qualify as works of art in themselves. One of Gibson-Hill’s
more beautiful tomes appears in Sutter’s Paradiesvogel with 60 mounted
reproductions of paintings by Swiss naturalist, Walter Linsenmaier. He also has
ground-breaking photographic work of birds such as Aymar’s Bird flight (1936)
and Barlee’s Birds on the wing (1947). Gibson-Hill’s published drawings of local
fauna are also found here, especially in The Malayan Museum Popular Pamphlet
series, which include the titles The apes and monkeys of Malaya (1955) and Malayan
bats (1956).
This section also has nature journals that

Gibson-Hill contributed to either as an
author or active society member. Examples
of his ornithological titles include The Auk:
a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology (1953,
1955, 1957), The Condor: Journal of the
Cooper Ornithological Society (1959–1962)
and The Ibis: Quarterly Journal of the British
Ornithologists’ Union (1930, 1947,
1950–1952, 1954–1958). The Journal of the
Bombay Natural History Society (1947,
1958) and The Malayan Nature Journal
(1949–1960) are two journals that Gibson The Condor: Journal of the Cooper
Hill contributed to as a society member. Ornithological Society.
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Besides birding books, this section also has a collection of titles on archaeology,
ethnological studies of aborigines, and plant and animal life of Malaya. Papers and
proceedings of the 8th (1953) and 9th (1957) Pacific Science Congress as well as
titles on the geology of Malaya and Borneo show Gibson-Hill’s interest in the
sustainable development of the region through the application of science and a
knowledge of geography. As a note of interest, this section also has two titles on
taxidermy – Browne’s Practical taxidermy (1922) and Kloss’ Instructions for preparing
mammal skins (1917), the only materials that have a direct correlation to his
preservation work as Curator of Zoology.
SAILING VESSELS AND RIVER CRAFTS

This section has a strong collection of titles on boats and ships, particularly on the
designs and technology of these crafts, from both the West and the East. The rich
descriptions are derived from illustrated surveys of ships, the histories of particular
sea crafts, photographic descriptions and catalogues of boat models found in
museums. Gibson-Hill had after all helped to set up the Raffles Museum’s Boat
Room and had managed its display of boat models. He remains a recognised
authority on Malayan river and sea crafts because of his published descriptions of
these local vessels observed in the 1950s, many of which are now no longer extant.
Besides a number of Gibson-Hill’s own monographs on local boats published

primarily in the Journal of the Malayan/Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society, other related titles found here are Hornell’s The origins and ethnological
significance of Indian boat designs (1920), Haddon’s Canoes of Oceania (1936-1938),
Nooteboom’s De boomstankano (1932), Waters’ Chinese junks (1940) and Worcester’s
two-volume The junks and sampans of the Yangtze (1947). They discuss the design
and descriptions of similar boats found in Malaya and the Chinese and Indian
influences on the craftsmanship of the boats found in Malaya.
Complementing the collection on Asian boats are several on Western ships and
their technologies. Sailing ships, clipper ships, steamers and fore and aft crafts are
just some of the specific types and technologies that the Collection cover. Ship
models of these boats are richly detailed in books such as Naish’s A picture book
of ship-models (1953), Mitman’s Catalogue of the watercraft collection in the United
States National Museum (1923) and Bowen’s (1948) From carrack to clipper.
The catalogue section on travelogues and history continue with descriptions of

sailing vessels and their use although the focus is less on a sailing craft’s design and
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deal more with the journeys made on them. Both these sections have useful details
of various ships that called at Singapore’s port in its early days as a settlement.
Besides boats and ships, several publications on agricultural produce and industries
of the region show Gibson-Hill’s involvement and interest in the agricultural
development of the region. A series published by the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council
is catalogued in this section.
ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

This section conveys Gibson-Hill’s social involvements, particularly in local societies
such as the Singapore Arts Society and the Singapore Photographic Society where
he served in leadership roles. These are the same Societies where he worked most
closely with Loke Wan Tho. Interestingly, this relationship is reflected in the
Collection as most of Loke’s titles that were given to the library are also found in
this section. These include titles published by the Singapore Arts Society and
photographic guidebooks by contemporary gurus of photography.
The titles by the Singapore

Arts Society relate to local
ar t i s t s , c r af t wor k an d
exhibitions of these works,
including exhibition
catalogues of Chinese art
(1953, 1954), Malay Arts and
Crafts (1951, 1952 rev. ed) and
Chen Wen Hsi’s (1956) works.
There are also three volumes
of The Singapore Artist (1954).
These publications can serve
The Singapore artist (issues from 1954 and 1955).
as useful source documents
for tracing the development
of local arts in Singapore; the Society’s establishment and influence in multicultural
interests; and of public and commercial responses to these arts. The most significant
publication of the Singapore Arts Society in relation to Gibson-Hill’s contribution
is Architecture in Singapore (1954), jointly authored with Hancock. Illustrated with
Gibson-Hill’s black-and-white photographs of key landmarks and buildings of
Singapore in the 1950s, it was one of the first to extensively describe the urban
landscape of Singapore. Besides the photographs, the detailed research was strongly
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supported by Gibson-Hill who had tediously searched the legislative reports to

obtain much of the history of these places, with the Street directory and guide to
Singapore (1954) presenting much of this research as well. Short though his synopses
of Singapore’s toponymics, Gibson-Hill’s descriptions remain highly reliable because
of his thorough research.
The range of art books in the collection extends from local Malayan art to Chinese
art styles, and the more esoteric study of Asian primitive arts. Some landmark
works are Willetts’ survey on the history of Chinese art (1958) and Zheng’s Secrets
of the Chinese drama (1937). Unusual titles include Kadang’s Ukiran rumah Toradja
(1960) which describes the ornamental art in Toraja homes, Han’s
(1960) on Nanyang pottery and Chand’s Thai monumental
bronzes (1957) about Buddhist art in Thailand. There is a small but interesting
collection of titles on Asian ceramics found in this section. This includes Hirth’s
Ancient porcelain (1888), Beamish’s The marks on Chinese porcelain (1954), Volker’s
Porcelain and the Dutch East India Company (1954), Mitsuoka’s Ceramic art of
Japan (1956) and Spink’s Siamese pottery in Indonesia (1959). Three books on the
keris of Malaya and Indonesia by Gardner (1935), Hill (1956) and Forman (1958)
also show Gibson-Hill’s fascination with pre-Islamic Malay beliefs and artifacts.
The keris is a Malay dagger with pre-Islamic ritualistic significance.
This section houses practical guides on art

and photography as well. Besides books
providing steps in painting such as Hiler’s
Notes on the technique of painting (1934),
there are at least 15 titles giving practical
steps in photography, from darkroom
techniques to capturing wild life in action,
especially of birds in flight. Some gems on
photography include those by famed
photographers, Ansel Adam (Making a
photograph, 1948), and William Mortensen,
and the well-known bird photographer,
Eric Hosking. Most of the titles are Loke’s
contribution, showing his intersecting
interests with Gibson-Hill’s. Catalogued in
the section are also three editions of The The pick of Punch (1958 edition).
Pick of Punch. These hint at Gibson-Hill’s
sense of humour.
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TRAVELOGUES AND HISTORY

At least 285 titles or almost half of the listed titles in the catalogue are travelogues
spanning the 17th to the 20th centuries. Many describe pre-colonial and colonial
Malaya, with a focus on the history of finding a passage through the East Indies.
The collection thus offers some of the most important references to Malaya and
the Malay archipelago through the various ages of exploration. They trace the
journeys of explorers and naturalists, the surveys and administrative duties of naval
officers and captains, and the delightful details of early tourists, including a number
of women who had journaled their voyages. Many of the titles are illustrated with
fine drawings of local flora and fauna, details of local culture and customs, as well
as sketches of ships, schooners and boats. They are portals to a different age of
voyaging, opening new vistas for the reader and unearthing hidden facts for the
scholar.
The Gibson-Hill Collection is rich with the works of explorers from the Age of
Discovery when Europeans first ploughed the oceans to the mysterious East in
search of spices, gold and treasures. In this vein are found books on subjects such
as Marco Polo’s 13th century cruise through the spice routes to Magellan’s 16th
century journey around the world. The narratives of subsequent maritime expeditions
under various colonising nations and more modern travelogues complement these
early journals of exploration. The earliest published work in the Gibson-Hill
Collection is Linschoten’s Discours of Voyages (1598), a compilation of European
discovery tales and journeys to the East that is credited with inspiring English
ventures eastward. A number of 18th century works that are landmark compilations
of voyages and journeys, such as Churchill’s A collection of voyages and travels
(1732) and Harris’ Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca (1705), are derived
from various European languages ranging from French to Latin. Within their
yellowed pages are some of the earliest known references to Malaya, with early
maps and depictions of the natives in the Far East appended. A number of these
titles are regarded as some of the earliest English translations of these sojourns.
Besides these first editions, Gibson-Hill often acquired later editions of travel tales
that offered a deeper analysis and a more informed chronology. For example,
Gibson-Hill has two different versions of Marco Polo’s adventures. The first is a
two-volume translation by Yule (1926) and the second is by Ricci (1950), translated
directly from the text of Benedetto and considered more accurate. Gibson-Hill
used many of them as references in studying and writing about the early passage
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through Singapore. In his article on “Singapore: Old Strait and New Harbour”
(1956: 11), Gibson-Hill makes reference to Linschoten and concludes that the Strait
of Singapore had already been plied since the 16th century as a passageway between
the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. Many of these titles also served as
sources for his study of archaeological sites, such as the ancient the Johor Lama
site off Sungei Johor.
The publications by the Hakluyt Society dominate this section unfolding the
adventures and travel tales of famed explorers. Formed in 1846, the Hakluyt Society
seeks to advance knowledge of world history through the publication of travel
narratives previously unavailable in English. Its namesake, Richard Hakluyt, gained
fame as a compiler of tales. Although he himself seldom ventured far, Hakluyt’s
works captured the English imagination for travel and discovery. The collection
has 53 of 121 titles published by the Hakluyt Society between 1847 and 1963,
totaling more than 40% of all that was published for that period. Although as a
member, Gibson-Hill may have received copies of works published for the year, he
diligently obtained back issues including those in the first series that were published
in the mid-19th century onwards. The
earliest Hakluyt title in the Collection
is Walter Raleigh’s The discovery of the
large, rich, and beautiful empire of
Guiana published in 1848, number 3
of the Hakluyt’s Society’s works while
the latest is Bourne’s and Taylor’s A
regiment for the sea (1963), or number
121, the last published in the year of
Gibson-Hill’s death. Other voyages
capturing the charm and courage of
this age of discovery include The world
encompassed by Sir Francis Drake
(1854), Three voyages of Vasco da Gama
(1869) and Magellan’s First voyage
round the world (1874). Very often,
transcripts of original documents and
Dampier’s voyages (1906 imprint).
letters as well as the Society’s annual
reports are republished and appended
to these titles, thus providing a wealth of information on the subject as well as a
background to the Society. Besides the works of the Hakluyt Society, the collection
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also has other travelogue series titles such as the Seafarer’s Library series and the
Broadway Travellers series.
The 1950s saw the establishment of Malayan history studies at the University of
Malaya and the renowned Professor Cyril Northcote Parkinson installed as the
Raffles Professor of History between 1950 and 1958. Under Parkinson, the study
and interpretation of local history was brought to a new level as he initiated a
publication series on Malayan history for the layman and helped train future history
teachers in an Asian interpretation of their own history. The Gibson-Hill Collection
is a testament to Parkinson’s influence in this field. It has four titles of the Background
to Malaya Series (credited to Parkinson) that provide bite-sized insights on Malaya’s
economy, politics and history. Besides several of Parkinson’s titles such as A short
history of Malaya (1956) and War in the
Eastern Seas 1793–1815 (1954), the
collection also has several textbooks and
readers on Malaya’s history. These include
Moorhead’s A history of Malaya and her
neighbours (1957) as well as rare and
difficult to find history textbooks for
Malayans by Malayans, such as Radhava’s
History in the Malayan Primary School
(1960) and Morris’ A history of Malaya for
schools (1955). Alongside these are the
popular readers such as Pearson’s People
of early Singapore (1955) and A history of
Singapore (1956). Many of these were an
outcome of the fervent discussion of a
Malayan history and identity that arose in
academic circles during the 1950s, even as History in the Malayan primary school
(1960).
Malayan politicians were calling for
independence. Capturing some of this
fervency is Bastin’s The study of modern Southeast Asian history (1959) which
analyses the discussions concerning the interpretation of a Malayan history,
questioning Western perspectives and encouraging further articulation of a truly
Malayan history. Gibson-Hill after all was often at the centre of these debates,
having to attend to the enquiries of many of these budding historians, as evidenced
by their acknowledgements of him in their books.
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Even as Gibson-Hill’s Collection has faithfully served him in his dual roles as
curator and editor, today this rich resource is accessible to both accomplished and
budding researchers keen on rediscovering the regionís unique history, natural
heritage and culture.
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O G U E
CATAL
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BIBLIOGRAPHIES, ETHNOGRAPHIES
AND MARITIME HISTORIES
1. Anderson, John. (1890). English intercourse with Siam in the seventeenth century. London:
Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited.
Description: xiii, 503 p., maps (folded). With index.
Call No.: RRARE 327.593 AND
Microfilm No.: NL 15461
With the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767, much of Thailand’s records
of the period were destroyed. Anderson’s work is thus invaluable information on
Thailand’s foreign relations prior to the 18th century. It also provides insights to the
workings of the East India Company in Siam. The publication was re-published in
2000.
2. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1957). The native policies of Sir Stamford Raffles in Java and
Sumatra: An economic interpretation. London: Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press.
Description: 163 p. ; 23 cm. With index and bibliography : pp. 143–157.
Notes: “With the author’s compliments”.
Call No.: RCLOS 325.342 BAS [GBH]
Bastin begins by exploring the Dutch colonial system in Java and the failure of
Raffles in his native policy in Java. This is followed by an examination of the west
coast of Sumatra in the early 19th century and Raffles’ policies in the Southern and
Northern out-residencies, particularly his reforms at Bencoolen. The epilogue compares
Raffles’ policies on both islands and analyses his underlying motivations and ideals.
This is one of Bastin’s earlier studies of Raffles and his influence in the region.
3. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1960). The changing balance of the early Southeast Asian pepper
trade. Kuala Lumpur: Dept. of History, University of Malaya.
Description: 67 p. : map on end papers ; 18 cm.
Notes: Signed “Carl: with best wishes J Bastin”
Series Title: Papers on Southeast Asian subjects, No. 1.
Call No.: RCLOS 338.1784 BAS [GBH]
This paper concerns the pepper trade in the Malay archipelago between the 17th and
19th century and the tensions amongst the colonial players. It was originally read to
the History section of the 33rd Congress of the Australian and New Zealand Association
for the Advancement of Science held from 20 to 27 August 1958.
4. Bogaars, George. (1955). The effect of the opening of the Suez Canal on the trade and
development of Singapore. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [99] –143 p. : illus. , maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical
footnotes.
Notes: Reprint from JMBRAS (1955, March), 28(Part 1).
Call No.: RCLOS 382.095951 BOG [GBH]
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5. Boxer, Charles Ralph. (1929). The affair of the “Madre de Deus”: A chapter in the history
of the Portuguese in Japan. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited.
Description: 94 p. : plates, maps ; 26 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Transactions and Proceedings of the Japan Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 327.469 BOX [GBH]
Based on research in four languages and presented for the first time in English, this
publication examines Portuguese relations with Japan in the 17th century. The
appendix has a section on the Japanese presence in Malacca between 1614 and 1615,
which is reflected through an exchange of letters with the Portuguese Court.
6. Boxer, Charles Ralph. (1959). The great ship from Amacon: Annals of Macao and the old
Japan trade,1555–1640. Lisboa: Centro de Estudos Historicos Ultramarinos.
Description: xi, 359 p. : map, plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0952 BOX [GBH]
Boxer was a passionate scholar of 17th century Japan, having language competencies
in Portuguese, Dutch and Japanese. This publication examines the Portuguese trade
between Japan and Macao, using sources in The Hague, Goa, Lisbon and Japan.
7. British North Borneo Company. (1890). Handbook of British North Borneo. London:
Clowes & Sons.
Description: v, 184 p. : ill., map (folded)
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “27: 5: ‘54.”
Call No.: RCLOS 319.111 BRI [GBH]
Compiled from the reports of Governor Treacher and officers in the service of the
British North Borneo Company, this handbook was prepared in 1886 for the Colonial
and Indian Exhibition and was originally intended as a guide of the North Borneo
Court. This updated version provides added details particularly about the country’s
history, geography, population, climate, trade, mineral, agriculture and form of
government. The appendix includes the Charter of the British North Borneo Company,
the Terms of Protectorate and the Land Regulations of British North Borneo. Its
excellent illustrations and maps endue this volume with special value especially for
the study of North Borneo’s geography.
8. Chan, Goh Sin, Charles. (195-). Catholics in Singapore. Singapore: C. G. S. Chan.

Description: [48] p. : ill., port. ; 19 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 282.5957 GOH [GBH]
This post-war publication captures short histories of various local Catholic churches,
ministries, educational institutions and services in Singapore. Each entry is illustrated
with photographs taken by Charles Chan along with profiles of founding fathers such
as Bishop Olcomendy of Malacca, Father Becheras of Saints Peter and Paul and Father
Aloysius of Our Lady of Lourdes. Although the text is limited, this is one of the
earliest publications that surveys the local Catholic Church’s history.
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9. Chatterton, Edward Keble. (1914). The old East Indiamen. London: T. Werner Laurie.
Description: viii, 343 p.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “22: 10: ‘55”.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0942 CHA [GBH]
The history of shipping and ships that ploughed between India and Europe from the
16th to the 19th centuries is traced in this work, as it follows the growth and decline
of the British East India Company. The book provides details of these ships from
shipbuilding to the journeys made; the information painstakingly derived from
manuscripts and unpublished records. It also describes life on board an East Indiaman
noting the circumstances under which shipmates served and the challenges they
faced. This title became the standard text on the history of the East Indiamen and
was re-published two decades later in 1933. The illustrations in this first edition are
more finely produced than its subsequent edition, with plates on selected East
Indiamen ships, some of which anchored at Singapore.
10. Chau, Ju-Kua. (1911). Chau Ju-Kua: His work on the Chinese and Arab trade in the twelfth
and thirteenth centuries, entitled Chu-fan-chi. St. Petersburg: Printing Office of the Imperial
Academy of Sciences.
Description: x, 288 p. : ill. , 1 map ; 27 cm. With index.
This work deals with the Chinese-Arab trade with listings of traded produce and
trade locations including those in Malaya and Indonesia. The appendix includes
unusual foreign names and terms occurring in Chinese manuscripts. It is translated
and annotated by Friedrich Hirth and W. W. Rockhill.
11. Cheeseman, Harold Robinson. (1959). Bibliography of Malaya, being a classified list of
books wholly or partly in English relating to the Federation of Malaya and Singapore.
London: Longmans, Green.
Description: xi, 234 p. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 016.9595 CHE [GBH]
This much consulted listing of published resources remains an authority for Malayan
history. The references date from the 17th century with entries such as the travelogues
of Tome Pires to publications of the 20th century that include more recent articles
and books of the 1950s.
12. Clark, Arthur Hamilton. (1910). The clipper ship era; an epitome of famous American
and British clipper ships, their owners, builders, commanders, and crews, 1843–1869... fully
illustrated. New York: G.P. Putnam’s.
Description: 404 p. : plates, ports.
Notes: Signed “D. I. Ramsdale Oct 1916” with notes in Gibson-Hill’s hand including
indications that the copy was bought in New York.
Call No.: RCLOS 387.22 CLA [GBH]
The popularity of clipper ships rose on the winds of the China tea trade. The clipper’s
speed also helped feed the gold rush of the mid-19th century in California and
Australia. Although it was an American invention, the ship was constructed on both
sides of the Atlantic, fueled by demands for large ships that moved with speed.
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However, the rise of the clipper was as speedy as its decline. The opening of the Suez
Canal in 1869 and the development of steam-powered ships soon saw the clipper’s
demise. Even at the time of this publication, knowledge of the clipper ship and its
technical descriptions were losing importance. The title was thus important in keeping
the memory of clipper ships alive. Clark writes not only of the incredible design of
clippers but the men who sailed them. Clark was Captain of a clipper himself, thus
lending a vivid writing style to the book. Complementing this title are MacGregor’s
The tea clippers (1952) and The China bird (1961), both of which are also found in
the Collection.
13. Coates, W. H. (1911). The old ‘country trade’ of the East Indies. London: Imray Laurie,
Norie & Wilson.
Description: xiv, 205 p. : folded map ; 19 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0991 COA [GBH]
Microfiche No.: MFC NL 0008/096–098
Coates’ work covers aspects of hydrography from the 17th to the 19th centuries, with
details of Parsee ship owners, shipbuilding and early steamers in India, and a profile
of the Bombay Steam Navigation Company.
14. Colony of Singapore. (1950). Government Offices: Distribution of work, 1st May, 1950.
Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 8 v. in 1 ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 354.5957001 SIN [GBH]
This is a directory of names, postal addresses and telephone numbers of government

officials. Gibson-Hill’s details are included in this listing.
15. Comber, Leon. (1954). Chinese ancestor worship in Malaya. Singapore: Donald Moore.
Description: [vi], 42 p., 20 plates ; 18 cm. With bibliography.
Series Title: Malayan Heritage Series.
Call No.: RCLOS 291.213 COM [GBH]
Comber gives details of mourning, funeral processions and geomancy as observed

in local Chinese ritual in Malaya. His description is based on popular accounts derived
from random notes made during his eight years of government service in post-war
Malaya. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Maurice Freedman,
in reviewing this work, notes that it deals more with Chinese worship than ancestor
worship and that Comber seems to have explored the Cantonese practices in particular
rather than the differences between the various dialect groups. Even so the title
remains frequently consulted in studies of local Chinese religious practices.
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16. Cotton, Evan; Fawcett, Charles (Ed.). (1949). East Indiamen: The East India Company’s
Maritime Service. London: Batchworth Press.
Description: 218 p., 8 p. of plates. : ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 387.5 COT [GBH]
This book describes the life and voyages of the East Indiamen’s sailors and the fleet
of ships under the command of the British East Indies. These ships were originally
built in the Company’s own docks in the 17th century. It also includes details of the
East India Company’s flags and some famous battles. Cotton’s publication remains
frequently cited as a useful reference in studying the East India Company, its ships
and the men behind them.
17. Crawfurd, John. (1828). A view of the present state and future prospects of the free trade
and colonisation of India. London: J. Ridgway.
Description: [ii], 124 p.
Notes: Half-title: Free trade and colonisation of India.
Call No.: RRARE 382.0954 CRA
18. Culver, Henry Brundage. (1924). The book of old ships and something of their evolution
and romance, wherein will be found drawings and descriptions of many varieties of vessels,
both long and round, showing their development from the most remote times; the portraiture
of their progress, their garnishment, etc., etc., etc., together with divers dissertations upon
the origins of shipping; also an appendix wherein will be discovered to the inquisitive much
information appertaining to the ancient uses and customs of the sea and mariners, illustrated
with a variety of original designs of shipping compiled from authentic sources, drawn by
Gordon Grant, text by Henry B. Culver. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page and
Company.
Description: xxiv, 306 p. : ill., plates, col. front. ; 33 cm.
Notes: This edition, “The Flotilla edition”, is limited to 750 numbered copies. This copy
is numbered 298. Signed “Gordon Grant”.
Call No.: RCLOS 387.2 CUL [GBH]
19. Damrong Rajanubhab. (1928). Press comments on the Siamese embassy to England
(1857–1858). Bangkok: Bangkok Times Press.
Description: 132 p., ill. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 327.593 PRE [GBH]
Preceded by a foreword by Prince Damrong and an introduction to the Siamese

embassies to Europe, the press reports are segmented into three sections. The first
section is a report from Mom Rajotáy, giving his Siamese audience a taste of English
life, with descriptions of the railway and the telegraph services. The second section
contains a poem entitled “Voyage to London” while the last section republishes English
newspaper reports on the visit of Siamese ambassadors to England. The publication
was printed for distribution at the cremation of a royal member, Nai Pin Tep Chaloem.
Prince Damrong was the learned brother of the Thai King as well as the Minister of
Interior. He was instrumental in promoting the academic study and appreciation of
Thai culture to the West at the turn of the century.
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20. Dickinson, A. H. (1941). The history of the creation of the Malacca Police. Singapore:
Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: 251–83 p. ; 24 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1941), 19(Part 2).
Call No.: RCLOS 351.743 DIC [GBH]
This chronology includes a background to the history of policing in Malacca with

brief references to the Dutch period. Appendix A has the full report of 30 June 1827,
which gives an overview of the population in Malacca as well as trade data and
responsibilities of the Penghulu. Appendix D has details of the strength and salaries
of the current police force along with the crimes addressed.
21. Djamour, Judith. (1959). Malay kinship and marriage in Singapore. London: Athlone Press.
Description: 151 p.
Notes: London School of Economics, Monographs on Social Anthropology, No. 21.
Call No.: RCLOS 301.42095957 DJA [GBH]
Based on a two-year doctoral study conducted between 1949 and 1950 under the
auspices of the Colonial Social Science Research Council, Djamour studies two
distinct communities of Malays – a fishing village, and an urban community in
Singapore located amongst other ethnic groups. It is considered to be the first
systematic study of kinship and marriages amongst the Malays with a particular focus
on divorce and adoption in the community.
22. Elliott, Alan John Anthony. (1955). Chinese spirit-medium cults in Singapore. London:
Royal Anthropological Institute.
Description: 179 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Monographs on Social Anthropology, No. 14.
Call No.: RCLOS 299.51095957 ELL [GBH]
Elliott’s study captures descriptions of over 60 cults based on ethnographic research

in Singapore between 1950 and 1951. He explains the theory and practice of spirit
mediumship and examines its variant practices. His work provided a rare insight into
an obscure area of research as spirit-mediums were not regarded as a part of the
rituals of traditional Confucianism, Buddhism or even Taoism. More importantly,
Elliott was able to obtain data of practices previously only communicated orally
amongst the various dialect groups and passed on to a privileged few.
23. Elmore, H. M. (1802). The British Mariner’s directory and guide to the trade and navigation
of the Indian and China seas containing instructions for navigating from Europe to India
and China, and from port to port in those regions and parts adjacent with an account of
the trade, mercantile habits, manners and customs of the natives. London: Printed by T. Bensley.
Description: xl, [343] p.
Notes: “Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill” is handwritten.
Call No.: RRARE 387.5 ELM
A trade directory with some general information on Malaya.
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24. Evans, Ivor Hugh Norman. (1925). Catalogue of works dealing with linguistics &
ethnography in the library of the Federated Malay States Museums at Kuala Lumpur and
Taiping. Kuala Lumpur: Federated Malay States Government Press.
Description: 148 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 016.4 EVA [GBH]
25. Ewart, Ernest Andrew (Cable, Boyd [pseud]). (1937). A hundred year history of the P.
& O., Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. London: Ivor Nicholson & Watson.
Description: x, 289 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 357.243 EWA [GBH]
This commemorative publication captures the history of the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company (P & O) spanning a century from its founding in 1837
to 1937. Celebrated for its famed passenger liners, the Company began humbly with
steamers heading to India and the Far East. The publication gives details of its first
ships that operated as mailers and the introduction of cruises in 1840s. It also looks
at the impact of the opening of the Suez Canal and the First World War, followed by
descriptions of its growth in the 1920s and 1930s. The story of the P & O also unfolds
the history of steamers and shipping in the 19th and early 20th century. It includes
some details of founders such as Arthur Anderson. Besides colour plates illustrating
a range of steamers, boats and liners, the appendix has a comprehensive listing of
silhouette profiles of its ships from 1829 to 1937. The book also has minor markings
in Gibson-Hill’s hand (p. 50).
26. Fox, Robert B. (1953). The Pinatubo negritos: Their useful plants and material culture.
Manila: Bureau of Printing.
Description: 331 p. , plates : ill. , folded col. map ; 27 cm. With bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: A gift from the Philippines National Museum. Separate from the Philippine Journal
of Science (1952, September–December), 81(3–4).
Call No.: RCLOS 301.209599 FOX [GBH]
The Negritos or Aetas are nomadic aborigines of the Philippines with the Pinatubo
area forming a large part of their ancestral homeland. This study looks at their material
culture and use of nature in their daily life. This book is a landmark work for Fox,
an American who had served for many years as Chief Anthropologist at the Philippines
National Museum and as lecturer on anthropology at the University of the Philippines.
He was renowned for discovering the late Pleistocene human fossil remains in the
Tabon caves of Palawan.
27. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952). The Orang Laut of the Singapore River and the
Sampan Panjang. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: 162–174 p. : ill. ; 25 cm, With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1952, August), 25(Part 1).
Call No.: RCLOS 301.295957 GIB [GBH]
Microfiche No.: MFC NL 0034/103
28. Gooch, Winslow Lamont. (1953). Forest industries of the Philippines; a cooperative project
of the Bureau of Forestry, the department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Philippine
Council for United States Aid, and the United States Mutual Security Agency. Manila: U.S.
Mutual Security Agency.
Description: 160 p. : ill., map. ; 27 cm. With bibliography: p. 157.
Call No.: RCLOS 338.1749 GOO [GBH]
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29. Greenberg, Michael. (1951). British trade and the opening of China 1800–42. Great
Britain: Cambridge University Press.
Description: 238 p. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0942 GRE [GBH]
Drawing from the Chronicles of the East India Company and the papers of Jardine
Matheson & Co., Greenberg expounds on the trade relations between China and
Britain prior to the Opium War. It explores Britain’s attraction to China, the growing
importance of tea and the use of opium as an exchange commodity that led inevitably
to the Opium Wars. The work was re-published in 1969.
30. Guerreiro, Fernao. (1930). Jahangir and the Jesuits with an account of the travels of
Benedict Goes and the Mission to Pegu. New York: R. M. McBride.
Description: xxix, 287 p.
Notes: Translated by C. H. Payne.
Call No.: RCLOS 271.5 GUE [GBH]
This publication describes the missionary undertakings by the Society of Jesus in the
East Indies, China, Japan and Africa from 1600 to 1608 based on the letters and
annual reports sent by the missionaries. Part One discusses Jahangir’s rule, the Moghul
Emperor of India, along with incidents related to religious conversions and Christ’s
divinity. Part Two looks at the journeys of Benedict Goes and Part Three examines
the ministry in Pegu.
31. Gullick, J. M. (1952). A survey of the Malay weavers and silversmiths in Kelantan in 1951.
Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [133] –148 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1952, August), 25(Part 1).
Call No.: RCLOS 331.76174614 GUL [GBH]
32. Gullick, J. M. (1958). Indigenous political systems of Western Malaya. London: Athlone
Press, University of London.
Description: 152p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Monographs on Social Anthropology, No. 17.
Call No.: RCLOS 320.9595 GUL [GBH]
An early work by Gullick, this publication studies Malay political institutions in Perak,
Selangor and Negri Sembilan (with references to Pahang and Kedah) in the 1870s
prior to the arrival of British colonial rule. The ruling parties such as the Malay
Sultanate as well as the district chiefs and village headmen are studied in relation to
legal, defensive and economic outcomes. The role of religion and ritual in ensuring
political unity are also touched upon in the conclusion. The study was a result of a
post-graduate diploma in Anthropology for the University of London and was based
on official papers such as the Straits Settlements Dispatches and other early British
records. Gullick had served in the Malayan Civil Service and brings his experiences
to his writings, combining the insights of an administrator, social anthropologist and
historian.
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33. Hall, Daniel George Edward. (1928). Early English intercourse with Burma (1587–1743).
London, New York: Longmans, Green.
Description: viii, 276 p. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.09591 HAL [GBH]
Hall gives a broad overview of the historical trade between England and Myanmar
from the initial contact in the 16th century. The appendix gives interesting details
on the coinage used by the East India Company during this period.
34. Hamilton, Arthur Wedderburn. (1937). Malay proverbs= Bidalan Melayu. Sydney:
Australasian Publishing Company.
Description: 98 p. : 19 cm.
Notes: English and Malay on opposite pages. Contains Hamilton’s translation of rhymes.
Call No.: RRARE 398.99923 HAM
35. Hanitsch, R. (1908). Guide to the Zoological Collections of the Raffles Museum, Singapore.
Singapore: Printed by the Straits Times Press.
Description: iv, 112 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Notes: Has the penciled signature of Hanitsch.
Call No.: RRARE 069.095957 RAF
This general guide gives a listing of the specimen collections in the Raffles Museum
holdings at the turn of the century, particularly the fauna of the Malay Archipelago.
It was later supplemented by Raffles Museum Guides in the 1920s.
36. Heine-Geldern, Robert. (1952). “Some problems of migration in the Pacific”. Kultur
und Sprache. Wien, Austria: Verlag Herold.
Description: [313] –362 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 306 KUL [GBH]
An article in English examining the theories of Polynesian migration with special

regard to their use of rafts and the presence of cultivated plants of American origins
in the Pacific.
37. Hoogerwerf, A. (1953). An ornithological bibliography, having particular reference to

the study of the birds of Java. Djakarta: Organization for Scientific Research in Indonesia.
Description: 168 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 016.59829922 HOO [GBH]
Although a post-war publication, the list is based on the resources found primarily
at the library of Kebun Raya Indonesia (Botanic Gardens) at Bogor prior to 1941. It
includes an index with Latin names as well as selected English names.
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38. Hose, E. S. (1933). Malay proverbs; a compilation of proverbs and proverbial expressions,
with some ‘pantuns’ and riddles, taken from earlier publications. Singapore: Government
Printing Office.
Call No.: RRARE 398.99923 HOS
39. Hourani, George Fadlo. (1951). Arab seafaring in the Indian Ocean in ancient and early
medieval times. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Description: vii, 131 p. : ill., maps, plates ; 23 cm. With index.
Series Title: Princeton Oriental studies, 13.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “15: 8: ‘53.”
Call No.: RCLOS 387.522 HOU [GBH]
This publication covers trade routes in the pre-Islamic period and under the Caliphate.
It was first submitted as a doctoral thesis entitled Arab navigation in the Indian Ocean
in the ninth and tenth centuries to Princeton University in the late 1930s.
40. Institut Indochinois pour l ‘Etude de l’Homme. (1942). Bulletins et travaux–Pour 1941
(Fascicules 1 et 2). Hanoi: (G. Taup) Imprimerie d’Extreme-Orient.
Description: v ; : plates ; 28 cm. In French.
Call No.: RCLOS 301.209597 IIEHBT [GBH]
41. Josey, Alex. (1954). Trade unionism in Malaya. Singapore: Donald Moore.
Series Title: Background to Malaya series.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the Perpustakaan Negara Singapura.
Call No.: RCLOS 331.8809595 JOS [GBH]
42. Kano, Tadao & Segawa, Kokichi. (1956). An illustrated ethnography of Formosan aborigines
(Rev. Ed.). Tokyo: Maruzen.
Description: xii., 456p. : ill., ports, maps, plates ; 35 cm. With glossary of scientific terms.
Notes: Bears the stamp of the Raffles Museum, Singapore.
Call No.: RCLOS 305.800951249 KAN [GBH]
The book describes the life, dressing and landscapes of the Yami in Taiwan. Its
extensive use of photographs to describe the lives of the Yami tribe was considered
a unique ethnographic approach at the time. In the wake of Dr Kano’s disappearance
and presumed death in North Borneo in July 1945, this version was re-published,
with improved English captions for the photographs and better maps and plates. The
Collection only has Volume 1. It is uncertain if Volume 2 was ever published.
43. Lamb, Alastair. (1960). Britain and Chinese Central Asia; the road to Lhasa, 1767–1905.
London: Routledge and Paul.
Description: 387 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 327.42 LAM [GBH]
Lamb gives an account of the British policy in Tibet from the late 18th century to the
early 20th century, which is the period when the East India Company first established
contact with the Himalayans until the time of conflict in Lhasa with the Younghusband
Mission. The work grew out of Lamb’s doctoral dissertation at Cambridge.
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44. Laufer, Berthold. (1914). Chinese clay figures (Part 1); Prolegomena on the history of
defensive armour. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History.
Description: v. : ill., plates ; 25 cm.
Notes: Reprint from Field Museum of Natural History, Publication 177,
Anthropological series, 13(2).
Call No.: RCLOS 356.1860951 LAU [GBH]
This is an anthropological study of ancient clay figures used in defensive armour that
were uncovered in China between 1908 and 1910. Laufer, already recognised for his
writings on Han pottery and jade, provides a systematic survey of the history of
Chinese defensive armour from the earliest period in the 3rd century BC until the
Mongol dynasty of the 14th century, tracing the influences from Persia to Rome, on
the design of such armour wear. It also includes details of Chinese battle tactics and
the symbolic significance of these clay warrior figurines. The publication has a total
of 84 plates.
45. Leach, Edmund Ronald. (1950). Social science research in Sarawak: A report on the
possibilities of a social economic survey of Sarawak presented to the Colonial Social Science
Research Council, London, March 1948–July 1949. London: H. M. Stationery Office.
Description: ii, 93 p.
A sociological study based on a six-month survey conducted in 1948 of the people

of Sarawak including the Dayaks, Melanau, Iban, Malays of the coast, and the tribes
of Bintulu. The appendices include social classifications, kinship terms and information
on how longhouses are organised.
46. Lubbock, Basil. (1927–1929). The last of the windjammers. Glasgow: Brown, Son & Ferguson.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: 518p. With illustrations and plans.
Call No.: RCLOS 387.50942 LUB [GBH]
The publication describes the various ocean-going vessels that have sailed through
since the opening of the Suez Canal. Besides detailing large sailing ships and the
smaller clippers, the publication is chiefly valued for its many illustrations of ships
including several ship plans, plots of voyages and charts. It has been referenced and
reprinted frequently.
47. Lubbock, Basil. (1933). The opium clippers. Glasgow: Brown, Son, & Ferguson.
Description: xiv, 392 p., [32] leaves of plates (3 fold.) : ill., maps, ports. ; 25 cm. With index.
The title traces the produce carried, journeys made and challenges faced by various
ships involved in the 19th century opium trade. Lubbock’s task of piecing together
the history of opium clippers proved difficult, as there were little record of these ships
and their illicit trade.
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48. Lubbock, Basil. (1946). The China clippers. Glasgow: Brown, Son, & Ferguson.
Description: xii, 295 p. : plates, ports., maps, plans, tables.
This title examines the history of the clippers as used in the opium and tea trade
between China and Great Britain. The British tea clippers are the main focus for Part
II of the title. It is illustrated richly with reprints of rare paintings and lithographs.
Appended are logs of shipping journeys.
49. Mackenzie, Compton. (1954). Realms of silver: One hundred years of banking in the East.
London: Routledge & K. Paul.
Description: 338p. : ill. ; 26 cm. With map on endpapers.
Call No.: RCLOS 332.1065 MAC [GBH]
This publication provides a unique survey of early banking in Southeast Asia, primarily
the early history of the Chartered Bank in the Straits Settlements starting in the 1860s.
It also touches on the histories of the Chartered Bank in India, Australia and China.
50. Malayan Nature Society. (1961). Nature conservation in Western Malaysia, 1961. An
issue to mark the occasion of the twenty-first anniversary of the founding of the Malayan
Nature Society, 1940–1961. Kuala Lumpur: Caxton Press.
Description: 261 p. : ill. , maps (part fold.) ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 333.7209595 MAL [GBH]
This is a compilation of 45 papers by 41 authors, many of whom are considered

pioneers in nature conservation in Malaysia. The articles, edited by J. Wyatt-Smith
and P. R. Wycherley, are segmented into four parts, entitled a “general need for
conservation”, “conservation and the environment”, “national parks” and “wildlife”.
The flora and fauna along with the conservation concepts are well illustrated with
44 plates and 25 line drawings.
51. Mason, Herbert B. (1908). Encyclopædia of ships and shipping. London: Shipping
Encyclopædia.
Description: 707 p. : plates (part col.) ; 28 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 387.5403 MAS [GBH]
52. Milburn, William. (1825). Oriental commerce; or, The East India Trader’s complete guide;
containing a geographical and nautical description of the maritime parts of India, China, Japan,
and neighbouring countries, including the eastern islands, and the trading stations on the
passage from Europe with an account of their respective commerce, productions, coins, weights
and measures; their port regulations, duties, rates, charges, &c. And a description of the
commodities imported from thence into Great Britain, and the duties payable theron; together
with a mass of miscellaneous information, collected during many years’ employment in the
East India service, and in the course of seven voyages to India and China: Originally compiled
by the late William Milburn of the Honourable East India Company’s service; A careful digest
having been made from the papers left with his executor, and the whole incorporated with
much additional and valuable matter, by Thomas Thornton, M.R.A.S. Maps of each region
including the Malay archipelago. London: Printed for Kingsbury, Parbury, and Allen.
Description: vii, 586 p. : ill. , fold. maps. ; 26 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 382.095 MIL
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An in-depth study of trade between countries in South and East Asia and Europe,
particularly that conducted by the British East India Company giving details of
manufactured goods, raw items traded, maritime regulation, duties charged and other
administrative data. This second edition has a preface by Thomas Thornton. The
first, published in 1813, was entitled Oriental Commerce Containing a Geographical
Description of the Principal Places in The East Indies, China, and Japan with their
Produce, Manufactures, and Trade, including the Coasting or Country Trade from Port
to Port also The Rise and Progress of the Trade of the Various European Nations with
the Eastern World Particularly that of the English East India Company From the
Discovery of the Passage Round the Cape of Good Hope to the Present Period with An
Account of the Company’s Establishments, Revenues, Debts, Assets, &c. at Home and
Abroad Deduced from Authentic Documents, and Founded upon Practical Experience
Obtained in the Course of Seven Voyages to India and China.
53. Penrose, Boies. (Ed.). (1931). Sea fights in the East Indies in the year 1602–1639. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Description: ix, 297 p.
Notes: From The Journal of the Natural History of Siam (1923, October 31), Vol. 6 with
an introduction by Boies Penrose.
Call No.: RCLOS 359.4 PEN [GBH]
This presents sea battles of the 17th century in the Indian Ocean and its vicinity
described from first-hand accounts.
54. Purcell, Victor. (1948). The Chinese in Malaya. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
Description: xvi, 327 p. : fold. map ; 22 cm. With bibliography: p. 301–306.
Call No.: RCLOS 325.25109595 PUR [GBH]
This is the first edition of Victor Purcell’s key publication on the Chinese in the region
– later editions deal with the Chinese in the wider context, namely Southeast Asia.
This publication includes a profile of Victor Purcell, establishing his credentials for
writing on the Chinese, particularly as Protector of the Chinese, Assistant Director
of Education (Chinese) and Principal Adviser on Chinese Affairs to the British
Military Administration. It is presumed to be the first thorough survey of the Chinese
in Malaya. Part I traces the history of the Chinese in Malacca, Penang and Singapore
from 1795 to 1900. Part II addresses aspects such as religion, secret societies, politics
and education and Part III looks at pre-war and post-war developments between
1939 and 1946. The appendix has useful statistics.
55. Purchas, Samuel. (1613). Pvrchas his Pilgrimage. Or, Relations of the world and the
religions observed in all ages and places discouered, from the creation vnto this present. In
foure partes. This first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa,
and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the flovd, the
heathnish, Jewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since. London: William Stansby.
Description: 14 p. l. , 752 (i.e. 754), [20] p. ; 30 cm. With index.
Notes: First edition, irregular paging and unknown signatures including a statement that
it is presented to an individual, probably Robert Lascelles Carr.
Call No.: RRARE 200 PUR
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This four-book compilation is a collection of world explorations, mainly of the English,

derived from more than 1,300 authors. It is considered an early world gazetteer as
it organises the narratives according to geography. It has a focus on religion and
ethnic customs around the world, with insights into contemporary perspectives of
geography and history. The illustrations in the fourth edition are believed to have
been copied from Hondius and include a magnificently illustrated titlepage and folded
maps. Even for his time, Purchas’ editing was considered haphazard and confusing
and from the perspective of modern historical study, the veracity of his work is often
doubted. Even so Purchas’ compilations of early 17th century travel discovery writings
remain highly collectible as they provide access to early records of travel including
the journals of the East India Company, manuscripts and oral accounts of voyages.
The publication of his extensive tomes could only be done through installments by
a handpress. Taking more than a decade to complete his intended series, the final
issue was released in 1626 a few months before Purchas’ death. Purchas had also
taken on the mantle of Hakluyt, a more well-known compiler of travel writings,
helping to complete Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations after his death.
56. Roberts, Brian. (1941). A bibliography of Antarctic ornithology. London: British Museum.
Description: p. 337–367.
Series Title: British Graham Land Expedition, 1934–37, Scientific Reports, 1(9).
Call No.: RCLOS 016.5982999 ROB [GBH]
This bibliography lists publications on Antarctic birds based on expeditions related

to the British Graham Expedition conducted from 1934 to 1937. It also includes
miscellaneous publications based on the British Museum’s research in this field.
Roberts admits to the hasty publication of the work due to news of impending war,
and thus accounting for the lack of a sound classification.
57. Róheim, Géza. (1925). Australian totemism: A psychoanalytic study in anthropology.

London: G. Allen & Unwin.
Description: 487 p. : ill., maps. With bibliographical footnotes.
Call No.: RCLOS 155.8994 ROH [GBH]
In applying Freud’s view to the study of Australian aborigines, Róheim concludes

that they were savages and that totemism was an early religious form. Róheim believes
that this understanding of the history of religion allows for the construction of the
evolution of religion and morality. It has an introduction by M. D. Eder.
58. Saletore, Bhasker Anand. (1960). India’s diplomatic relations with the East. Bombay:
Popular Book Depot.
Description: xvi, 524 p. : plates ; 23 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 327.54 SAL [GBH]
This work looks at early embassies between China and India from 600 AD to the
14th century. It is a sequel to India’s diplomatic relations with the West, which is not
in the Collection.
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59. Scott, Adolphe Clarence. (1958). Chinese costume in transition. Singapore: Donald Moore.
Description: 110 p. : ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 391.00951 SCO [GBH]
The well-illustrated publication describes Chinese dress forms from imperial costume,
military wear, ladies fashion to gentlemen’s suits detailed with sketches by the author.
The context of dress use, the effects of modernity, and the influence of Western styles
are also analysed.
60. Silcock, Thomas Henry. (1955). The economy of Malaya: An essay in colonial political
economy. Singapore: Donald Moore.
Description: 58 p.. With bibliography.
Series Title: Background to Malaya series.
Call No.: RCLOS 330.9595 SIL [GBH]
61. Singapore. Committee Appointed to Inquire into and Report on the Singapore New
Harbour Railway. (1866). Report of the government commission, with plan of proposed
line, tables of statistics, and copy of government concession to the company of land and
privileges, etc. London: Waterlow.
Description: [ii] 25 p. : fold. ; 21 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 385.77 SIN [GBH]
62. Singapore. Public Relations Office. (1953). The coronation of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II; Singapore celebrations programme. Singapore: Public Relations Office.
Notes: Contains photographs taken by Gibson-Hill. Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated
“1: 6: ‘53”.
Call No.: RCLOS 394.4 SIN
63. Slimming, John. (1958). Temiar jungle: A Malayan journey. London: J. Murray.
Description: x, 176 p. : ill. , map. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 301.209595 SLI [GBH]
The volume captures aspects of life amongst the Malayan aboriginal tribe, the Temiar-
Senoi (Sakai) found in the jungles of Ulu Kelantan. Slimming had been the Assistant
Protector of Aborigines and his study of the Temiar-Senoi in 1956 arose out of the
context of the Emergency when Communist terrorists were known to have used
various aboriginal tribes as shelter and a shield. Slimming was tasked to survey the
acreage of each Temiar longhouse that he visited either on foot or by watercraft. His
account of the tribal group, though not guided by an ethnographic discipline, provides
invaluable details based on a carefully kept diary and is accompanied by vivid black-
and-white photographs.
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64. Smith, Grafton Elliot. (1924). Elephants and ethnologists. London: Paul, Trench, Trubner;
New York: Dutton.
Description: viii, 135 p., [32] leaves of plates : ill., map ; 26cm. With index, bibliography:
p. 11–19.
Call No.: RCLOS 301.2950728 SMI [GBH]
Known for his earlier work on Egyptian archaeology, Smith examines possible Indian
and Indo-Chinese influences on the design of elephant murals in Mayan South
America in this work. He proposes that the Mayan culture in South America had
originated from Asia, using the case that elephants, unheard of in America were
found in Mayan sculptures. He posits that the images were likely to have been
transferred through boats and amulets from Asia to South America. In his day, the
theory was considered interesting but “not entirely convincing”. The publication is
illustrated with woodcuts by A. Horace Gerrard and K. Leigh-Pemberton.
65. Smith, Thomas Edward. (1960). The Cocos-Keeling Islands: A demographic laboratory.
London: Cambridge University Press.
Description: 94–130 p.
Notes: Reprint for private circulation from Population Studies (1960, November), 14(2).
Call No.: RCLOS 312.09698 SMI [GBH)
Smith gives an analysis of the Cocos-Keeling Islands that were first peopled by
labourers of a Malay-stock in the early 19th century. His study examines the fertility,
life expectancy and mortality rates of the population for a period of about 60 years
between 1888 and 1947, with references to changes due to war. The regular and
consistent updates of birth, death and marriage records offer an invaluable opportunity
for a population analysis of this people group.
66. South Place Institute (Finsbury). (1899). India, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, British North
Borneo, Hong-Kong (Vol. 1). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited.
Description: xxvii, 536 p : 2 fold. col. maps, incl. 1 f ; 22 cm.
Series Title: British Empire series.
Call No.: RRARE 325.342 SOU
These articles were originally delivered as lectures at the South Place Institute between
1895 and 1898 by British administrators, officers and travelers to provide those at
home with an overview of the various colonies. Each address gave the country’s pre-
and post-colonial histories, highlighting the effect of British rule on the locals, often
with details of ethnographic interest. The first volume covers primarily British rule
in India, Ceylon and Burma with one chapter on the Straits Settlements. It has no
illustrations, but does contain a map of India and statistics of the British Empire. The
second volume is not in the Collection.
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67. Tan, Cheng Lock. (1949). Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. Singapore: Straits Times.
Call No.: RCLOS 294.3435 TAN [GBH]
Reprinted from The Straits Times of August 31 and September 1, 1949, philanthropist
and community leader Tan Cheng Lock describes the 17th century temple, tracing
the life of its founder, Li Wei King, and describing the temple’s altar and its syncretic
religious practices.
68. Thomas, Andrew Frank & Koyama, Soji. (1936). Commercial history of Japan. Tokyo:
The Yuhodo Limited.
Description: xvii, 168 p. : plates (part col., 1 fold.) port., fold map ; 20cm. With index,
bibliography.
Notes: Colophon mounted on leaf at end.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0952 THO [GBH]
The Meiji period placed Japan in isolation and made her a mystery to Western trading
countries. This publication seeks to inform Western readers of Japan’s little known
commercial strengths that were evident even before the Meiji period. The authors’
premise is that Japan’s commercial success was not merely the result of cheap labour
and deft imitation of the West – an incisive insight made prior to Japan’s invasion of
Southeast Asia during World War II. The authors use authoritative Japanese sources
that were not previously available to the English-speaking world. This book provides
an overview of Japan’s trade history from ancient times, through the medieval period
(AD 1185–1570) to early modern commerce (1570–1860) and including modern
commerce (1920–1960). Each of the nine plates and portraits is accompanied by a
guard sheet with a descriptive letterpress.
69. Wales, Horace Geoffrey Quaritch. (1952). Ancient South-east Asian warfare. London:
Bernard Quatritch
Description: 206p. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 355.00959 WAL
70. Wales, Horace Geoffrey Quaritch. (1957). Prehistory and religion in South-East Asia.
London : Bernard Quaritch.
Description: 180 p.
71. Warmington, Eric Herbert. (1928). The commerce between the Roman Empire and India.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: x, 417 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 382.0934037 WAR [GBH]
The first part of this book describes commercial sea and land routes during the period
from the triumph of Augustus to the death of Marcus Aurelius. The second part
examines Rome’s commerce with India in detail, giving a breakdown of imported
and exported goods classified under animal, plant or mineral product.
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72. Welsh, James. (1830). Military reminiscences; extracted from a journal of nearly forty
years’ active service in the East Indies. London: Smith, Elder.
Description: 2 v. in 1. Vol. 1: xiv, 354; Vol. 2: viii, 347 : ill. (some fold.) maps.
Call No.: RRARE 355.095403 WEL
Microfilm No.: NL26871
Welsh describes life as a soldier in the British East Indies. He first begins his narrative
with his post in India in 1790 at the age of 15 and ends it in 1829. He is the son-in-
law of Francis Light, the first Governor of Penang. Although primarily on India, it
has descriptions of Penang and Malacca. It includes the unusual application of aquatint
in the maps and plans.
73. Williams-Hunt, Peter Darrell Rider. (1952). An introduction to the Malayan aborigines.
Kuala Lumpur: Government Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 301.29595 WIL [GBH]
Written for government security forces, the publication studies the material culture
of the Negritos (Semang and Pangan), Senoi (Sakai) and the aboriginal Malays (Jakun).
Accounts of their dressing, personal ornament, magic and religion are described. The
notes for security forces also give practical tips on how to deal with the everyday
needs of the aborigines such as their likely employment rates. The appendix has some
warnings against collecting artefacts for personal purposes, due partly to reasons of
ethnographic preservation and partly because artefacts such as poisoned darts can
prove dangerous. Williams-Hunt was recognised as an expert on the study of aborigines
as he devoted much of his life to understanding them. The foreword is by General
Sir Gerald Templer.
74. Williams-Hunt, Peter Darrell. Rider. (1953). Preserving books and prints in the tropics.
Kuala Lumpur: Museums Dept.
Description: 11 p : ill. ; 22 cm.
75. Winstedt, Richard Olaf. (1951). The Malay magician, being Shaman, Saiva and Sufi.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Description: vii, 160 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. With index and bibliography: p. 151–156.
Series title: Oxford in Asia paperbacks.
Call No.: RCLOS 398.4 WIN [GBH]
This publication by the renowned scholar of the Malays describes the magic practiced
in Kelantan, Perak, Pahang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan. It also has a Malay appendix.
76. World Bank. (1963). A synopsis of the report on the economic aspects of Malaysia. Singapore:
J. M. Sassoon.
Call No.: RCLOS 330.9595 INT [GBH]
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77. Wright, Lawrence. (1960). Clean and decent: The fascinating history of the bathroom &
the water closet, and of sundry habits, fashions & accessories of the toilet principally in
Great Britain, France & America. London: Routledge & K. Paul.
Description: 282 p., ill. ; 22 cm. Includes bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 391.64 WRI [GBH]
Wright gives an analysis of bathroom habits and elements since ancient times to
modern days, with a particular focus on the Victorian age. The book is wittily written
and illustrated, and includes bibliographies for technology as well as Victorian social
customs and history. It is often cited in studies on the history of public health and
sanitation. Wright began his research on bathrooms and water closets in preparation
for an exhibition entitled Building Exhibition at Olympia. His initial study of the uses
of bathroom equipment led to a deeper analysis of the social customs surrounding
baths and acts of ablution. Despite the seemingly esoteric subject, the book’s success
is seen in its many reprints with one as recent as 2000.
78. [Xin Jia Po Ning Yang Hui Guan]. (1952). (Yi bai
san shi zhou nian ji nian te kan) [130th anniversary commemorative]. Singapore: [s. n.].
Description: various pagings : ill. , port ; 27 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 369.25957 SNYWK [GBH]
BIRDS AND ANIMALS

79. Aitken, Edward Hamilton. (1947). The common birds of India. Bombay: Thacker.
Description: xiii, 193 p., ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2954 AIT [GBH]
First appearing as articles in the Times of India, the book was originally published
posthumously as The common birds of Bombay (1900). The compilation of short
articles on encounters with birds in India is written for the layman and is illustrated
with pen-and-ink drawings by Aitken. This later edition includes a biographical
sketch by Loke Wan Tho and notes by Indian ornithologist Salim Ali.
80. Alexander, Wilfrid Backhouser. (1928). Birds of the ocean – A handbook for voyagers
containing descriptions of all the sea-birds of the world, with notes on their habits and
guides to their identification. New York, London: G. P. Putnam’s sons.
Description: xxiii, 428 p. 88 pl. (incl. front.) on 45 l. ; 18 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.4 ALE [GBH]
Alexander is credited for being the first to comprehensively describe ocean birds.
Covering 294 species, there are useful chapters delineating bird life across various
oceans, namely the North Atlantic, North Pacific, Tropical Seas and Southern Oceans
based on Alexander’s own voyages over these waters. The book has 140 illustrations
that include 88 photographic plates by several bird photographers and illustrations
by Alexander himself. He is known in Australia and England for his contributions
to zoological institutions.
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81. American Ornithologists’ Union. (1953, 1955, 1956, 1957). The Auk: A Quarterly Journal
of Ornithology, (Vols. 70, 72, 73, 74). Washington, D.C. American Ornithologists’ Union.
Description: v. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598 A [GBH]
82. Andrews, Charles William. (1900). A monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean):
Physical features and geology. London: Printed by order of the Trustees of the British
Museum.
Description: xii, 337 p. : ill. (some col.), plates, 1 v. (various pagings).
Notes: Frontispiece has a note written for GBH.
Call No.: RCLOS 559.64 AND [GBH]
Located between latitude 10° 30’ South and 105° 40’ East, Christmas Island was
annexed to the British crown in 1888, a year after Captain Pelham Aldrich’s exploration
of it. Andrews of the Geological Department of the British Museum, with funding
from Sir John Murray, was dispatched in 1897 to describe the natural and geological
state of their new acquisition. The monograph offers one of the most thorough
descriptions of the isle’s geology and flora and fauna prior to habitation when the
phosphate mining company was later established there. The publication also served
as a primary source for Gibson-Hill’s work in building the Raffles Museum’s collections
of natural history, especially of birds from Christmas Islands.
83. Annandale, Nelson & Robinson, Herbert C. (1903). Fasciculi Malayenses, anthropological
and zoological results of an expedition to Perak and the Siamese Malay States, 1901–1902.
London: Longmans Green & Co.
Description: 3 v., plates (some col). Part I (1903, October) ; Part II (1903, December) ;
Part III (1906, April). The Part III was published by Williams & Norgate.
Notes: Library has only Part I and II
Call No.: RCLOS 591.9595 ANN [GBH]
Microfilm No.: NL 25920 (Anthropology), NL 25925 (Zoology)
84. Aymar, Gordon Christian. (1936). Bird flight: A collection of 200 action photographs.
London: Bodley Head.
Description: xii, 234 p.. With bibliography.
Notes: Signed “Best wishes from mother and father, J. R. J. Gibson-Hill”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 AYM [GBH]
Aymar’s publication is considered the first to study bird flight through photography.
Ornithologists of his day recognised that Aymar had compiled an incredible range
of photographs of birds and the publication was also valued for bringing new
perspectives to bird flight. Besides demonstrating the power of the camera, Aymar
discusses the theoretical and technical aspects of bird flight, in particular the
aerodynamics of birds in flight.
85. Bagshawe, Thomas W. (1938). Notes on the habits of the Gentoo and Ringed or Antarctic
penguins. London: Zoological Society.
Description: [185]–306 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.44 BAG [GBH]
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86. Baker, Edward Charles Stuart. (19--). The game-birds of India, Burma, and Ceylon (Vol.
2): Snipes, Bustards and Sand Grouse. Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society.
Description: xv, 328 p., 17 col. plates, map, 3 v. : ill. ; 28 cm. With bibliography (xi–xv).
Notes: Second in a series on Snipes, Bustards and Sand Grouse, the articles first appeared
in Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society with the war disrupting its initial
publication.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295 BAK [GBH]
Part of a three-volume work published between 1921 and 1930, this second volume
is focused on Snipes, Bustards and Sand Grouse. The first volume is entitled The
Ducks and their allies(1908, 1921) while the third volume is entitled Pheasants and
Bustard Quail (1930). Each volume provides descriptions, distribution and life histories
of the birds making this series an invaluable reference tool for bird study in these
regions. These first appeared as articles in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society from 1896. The volumes are beautifully illustrated by H. Grönvold, J. G.
Keulmans and G. E. Lodge, with Grönvold illustrating this second volume. Baker
actually held a full-time job in the Assam Police in India and the study of birds was
merely his past time.
87. Barlee, John. (1947). Birds on the wing. London: Collins.

Description: 128 p., ill., plates, maps.
Notes: Photographs of birds in flight in Ireland.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 BAR [GBH]
88. Bent, Arthur Cleveland. (1919). Life histories of North American diving birds. Order
Pygopodes. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Description: xiii, 245 p. 55 pl. (12 col.) ; 25 cm. With index and references to bibliography:
p. 225–231. Notes: United States National Museum Bulletin (Smithsonian Institution), No. 107.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.44 BEN [GBH]
Bent’s work captures in detail the 36 species of three families, namely, the Grebes,
Loons and Auks. This volume continues his decade long work on the life histories
of North American birds. It involves contributions from more than 150 ornithologists
and consultation of the records at the US Biological Survey. At least 43 half-tone
plates of Bent’s own photographs are published for the first time here, showing nesting,
habitat and eggs of the various species.
89. Bent, Arthur Cleveland. (1927). Life histories of North American shore birds – Order
Limicolae. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Description: v. front., plates ; 25 cm. “References to bibliography”: pt. 1, p. 350–359.
Series Title: United States National Museum Bulletin (Smithsonian Institution), No. 142.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.33 BEN [GBH]
This is the seventh volume in Bent’s series on the life histories of North American
birds. Half the known shore birds are dealt with in this book with the other half likely
covered in part two of this series. The Gibson-Hill Collection does not have the
second volume.
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90. Berry, John. (1939). The status and distribution of wild geese and wild duck in Scotland.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: [xiii], 190 p., : ill., plates, map (fold). With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.4 BER [GBH]
This is a report describing the changing quantity of wild geese and ducks in Scotland
due to climatic changes and intrusive mechanical equipment. It is the second report
of the International Wildfowl Inquiry following unfavourable conditions in the United
States that had affected their wild fowl. Berry’s thorough survey is regarded as valuable
both for conservation studies and future research on the wild fowl.
91. Beyer, Henry Otley. (1948). Philippine and East Asian archaeology, and its relation to the
origin of the Pacific Islands population. Quezon City: National Research Council of the
Philippines, University of the Philippines.
Description: 130 p. : ill. , maps ; 24 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: From Bulletin (National Research Council of the Philippines) (1948, December), (29).
Call No.: RCLOS 571.09914 BEY [GBH]
In studying ancient artifacts of the Philippines, Beyer outlines the relationship of

these early cultures with that in Malaysia and other parts of Asia and Oceania. The
article, “Early history of Philippine relations of foreign countries especially China”
from Recent discoveries in Philippine Archeology is bound to this title.
92. Beyer, Henry Otley. (1948). “Early history of Philippine relations of foreign countries
especially China”. Recent discoveries in Philippine Archeology, p. 1–17.
Description: Reprinted from Proceedings of the 3rd Pan-Pacific Science Congress, Tokyo,
1926, pp. 2469–2491. Title is bound with Philippine and East Asian archaelogy, and its
relation to the origin of the Pacific Islands population.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.09914 BEY [GBH]
Beyer gives an overview of Philippine’s archaeology by islands and provinces, with

the contents handwritten on pages 205–375. This title is bound to Philippine and East
Asian archaeology, and its relation to the origin of the Pacific Islands population.
93. Biswas, Biswamoy. (1950). On the taxonomy of some Asiatic Pygmy Woodpeckers. Calcutta,
India: The Zoological Society of Bengal.
Description: 37 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from The Proceedings of the Zoological Society (1950, March), 3(1), p.
1–37. Signed “To Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill with the compliments of the author”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.72095 BIS [GBH]
94. Bombay Natural History Society. (1947, 1958). Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society, 47(2), 55(3). Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society.
Description: v. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Notes: Front page of the first volume has Gibson-Hill’s signature.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.954 JBNHS [GBH]
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95. Botanic Gardens (Singapore). (1951). Malayan garden plants (Vol. 4). Ten flowering
climbers. Singapore: Botanic Gardens.
96. Botanic Gardens (Singapore). (1954). Malayan garden plants (Vol. 6). Ten herbaceous
plants. Singapore: Botanic Gardens.
97. British Ornithologists’ Union. (1930 Supp, 1947, 1950–1952, 1954–1958). The Ibis:
Quarterly Journal of the British Ornithologists’ Union (Vols. 6 Supplement, 89, 92–94,
96–100). London: British Ornithologists’ Union by Academic Press.
Description: v. : ill. , plates (partly col.) tables ; 23–26 cm. Includes biological abstracts.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.205 I [GBH]
98. Brown, William Henry. (1949). Useful plants of the Philippines (Vol. 1). Manila:
Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
Description: 3 dl. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Technical Bulletin, Department of Agriculture and Commerce, No. 10.
Call No.: RCLOS 581.9914 BRO [GBH]
99. Browne, Montagu. (1922). Practical taxidermy: A manual of instruction for the amateur
in preserving, and setting-up natural history specimens of all kinds (Rev. 3rd Ed.). London:
The Bazaar, Exchange and Mart Office.
Description: xiv, 281 p.
Notes: Has the bookplate of Gibson-Hill “Ex-Libris Gibson-Hill” showing a peregrine
in flight above the head of unicorn.
This standard text for taxidermy provides the classical approach to taxidermy with
a step-by-step overview. Beginning with a short history of taxidermy, it continues
with details on trapping, preservation tools, techniques in skinning and preparing
skins, modelling and mounting of the animals, and making skeletons. The slim volume
covers all kinds of animals from birds to insects. It also gives tips on unusual tasks
such as colouring bills and feet of birds as well as collecting and preserving eggs. First
published in 1884, this copy is the third edition with the title remaining rare and
difficult to obtain until Read Country Books re-published it in 2005. Browne, who
had been curator of the Leicester Museum, was recognised as a professional taxidermist
and gifted artist with the unusual talent of sharing his wealth of knowledge with
simplicity and clarity. This is one of three titles that deal specifically with taxidermy
in the Collection, an essential component of Gibson-Hill’s curatorial work, particularly
in preserving various species of birds. It is also the only title in the Gibson-Hill
Collection with his bookplate.
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100. Buhler, Alfred; Barrow, Terry & Mountford, Charles P. (1962). Oceania and Australia:
The art of the South Seas. London: Methuen.
Description: 250p. : ill. ; 24 cm. With index.
Series Title: Art of the World series.
Call No.: RCLOS 572.99 [GBH]
Whilst this publication has a study by Barrow on the art of New Zealand’s Maoris
and a parallel study by Mountford on Australian aboriginal art, it is primarily the
work of Buhler who surveys the various Oceanic styles of art. Buhler proposes that
art be studied within its cultural context, and thus his art analysis also provides
invaluable studies of the Oceanic people in their historical and geographical settings.
101. Burton, John. (1950). Island of Skomer: A preliminary survey of the natural history of
Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, undertaken for the West Wales Field Society. London:
Staples P.
Call No.: RCLOS 581.94299 BUX [GBH]
102. Campbell, Bruce. (1953). Finding nests. London: Collins.

Notes: Signed “To Carl Gibson-Hill with best wishes Bruce Campbell”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 CAM [GBH]
Exhorting the importance of locating nests for bird study and providing practical
steps in doing so, Campbell describes 222 birds commonly found in the British Isles
and their breeding habits in 12 chapters. The accompanying 40 black-and-white
photographs of nests and nesting birds further enhance the value of this title.
103. Cerruti, Giovanni Battista. (1908). My friends the savages: Amongst the Sakais in the
Malay Peninsula. Como: Tipografia Cooperativa Comense.
Description: 232 p. : plates ; 19 cm.
Notes: Bears stamped names of “Cerruti” and of ” A. Gibson-Hill, Raffles Museum”.
Call No.: RCLOS 572. 95956 CER [GBH]
The title is translated from Italian by I. Stone Sanpietro and provides notes and
observations of a Perak settler with more than 30 photographs of the Sakais by Cerutti.
104. Chasen, Frederick Nutter. (1922). The A. B. C. of preserving animals. Singapore: Singapore
Natural History Society.
Description: [59]–68 p ; 25 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from The Singapore Naturalist, July, 1922.
105. Chasen, Frederick Nutter. (1931). Report on the “Birds’ Nest” caves and industry of British
North Borneo, with special reference to the Gomantong Caves. Jesselton, North Borneo:
Government Printing Office.
Description: 24 p.
Call No.: RRARE 598.89 CHA
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106. Chasen, Frederick Nutter. (1935). A handlist of Malaysian birds; a systematic list of the
birds of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java, including the adjacent small
islands. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: xx, 389 p : fold. map ; 25 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Bull. Raff. Mus. (1935, December), No. 11.
Chasen lists the birds in the broader Malaysian region, excluding the Philippines. It
includes notes and indications on the bird collections in the Raffles Museum. It
became a classic reference text for the study of birds in Malaya along with the earlier
handlists by Cecil Boden Kloss (1911) and Herbert C. Robinson (1927). Gibson-Hill
built on these handlists in his work Checklist of the Birds of Singapore Island (1949).
This copy was bound in H. M. Convict Prison, Changi, Singapore.
107. Chasen, Frederick Nutter, Ellerman, John Reeves & Morrison-Scott, Terence Charles
Stuart. (1955). Supplement to Chasen (1940) a handlist of Malaysian mammals containing
a generic synonymy and a complete index. London: British Museum (Natural History).
Description: 66 p. ; 26 cm. With bibliography. Adds an index to species, subspecies and
synonyms to original works.
108. Chasen, Frederick Nutter; Kloss, Cecil Boden et. al. (1921–50). Papers from Treubia.
Bogor: Museum Zoological Bogoriense.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings).
Notes: From Treubia (1921), 2(1). Gibson-Hill gives journal numbers and issues below
each article. A typewritten listing of citations of these titles is glued to the back cover.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.299 TRE [GBH]
109. Colani, Madeleine. (1935). Megalithes du Haut-Laos (Hua Pan Tran Ninh) (Vols. 1 & 2).
Paris: Les Editions d’art et d’histoire.
Description: 2 v. : ill. , maps (some fold., col.), plans (some fold.) ; 26 cm. With
bibliographies. In French.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.909594 COL [GBH]
Extensively illustrated with 69 plates, Colani describes the megaliths in Hua Pan and
Tran Ninh in Laos. The artifacts of a Bronze culture include funerary material, round-
bottomed pots, knives, bronze rings, glass beads and stone axes. The proliferation of
the jars has led the location to be named the Plain of Jars. Study of the Plain was
interrupted by the civil unrest in the country and has only recently been re-examined.
Colani, a key member of EFEO (‘Ecole Française d’Extrème-Orient), is recognised
as founding the study of prehistory in the Indochina Peninsula.
110. Cooper Ornithological Club. (1959–1962, January–December). The Condor: Journal

of the Cooper Ornithological Society, (Vols. 61–64, Nos. 1–6). Santa Clara, California:
Cooper Ornithological Club.
Description: v. : ill., plates ; 27 cm., bi-monthly.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.0973 C [GBH]
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111. Corner, Edred John Henry. (1940). Wayside trees of Malaya (Vols. 1 & 2). Singapore:
Description: 2 v. : ill. ; 25 cm. Vol. 1: Text; Vol. 2: Plates.
Call No.: RRARE 582.1609595 COR
Finding Singapore initially distasteful, Corner chose to stay on after he discovered

its forests were botanically one of the richest in the world. The local trees became the
subject of Corner’s first publication, with more than 920 described and illustrated
with his own pen and ink drawings and photographs in Volume 2. The details were
derived from Corner’s own observations and field notes. He was well-known for
innovatively using Berok monkeys to obtain botanical samples particularly from tall
trees with few branches. Previously, a shotgun or a telescope were the only options.
Corner trained the monkeys to understand a vocabulary of up to 18 Malay words in
order to pick the desired flowers and fruits. Although in this particular publication,
the wayside trees rarely required the use of such monkeys for sample picking, the
Berok monkeys still feature on the cover of this first edition. His photographs also
give a peek into pre-war Singapore’s natural landscape. Corner revisited Malaysia in
1977 to revise and publish a third edition in 1988 with the Malayan Nature Society,
of which he was a member.
112. Cott, Hugh Bamford. (1946–1951). The edibility of birds: Illustrated by five years’
experiments and observations (1941–1946) on the food preferences of the hornet, cat and
man; and considered with special reference to the theories of adaptive coloration. London:
Zoological Society.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings). With bibliographies.
Notes: Re-published from Proceedings of the Zoological Society, London (1947, February),
116, pp. 371–524. Bound with the author’s “Palatability of the eggs of birds” Oological
Record (1949, March), 23(1), 1–9.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 COT [GBH]
113. Darling, Frank Fraser. (1947). Natural history in the Highlands & islands. London: Collins.
Description: xv, 303 p. : plates (part col.) maps ; 23 cm. With bibliography, pp. 265–276.
Notes: With 46 colour photos by F. Fraser Darling, John Markham and others, 55 black
and-white photos and 24 maps and diagrams.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.941 DAR [GBH]
114. Darling, Frank Fraser. (1952). Island years. London: Readers Union.
Description: 183 p. , ill.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “12: 9: ‘53”. Has a Chinese stamp.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29411 DAR [GBH]
This title is set in Tanera Mor – a part of the Summer Isles. It describes the animal
life found in the various uninhabited parts off Scotland – the Summer Isles, the
Treshnish Isles and North Rona, and the mainland of West Scotland – accompanied
by vivid photographs of sea-birds. The ecologist, Darling, through his writings,
presented his unique observations on the red deer, gulls and the grey seals whilst
living on Tanera Mor.
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115. Deignan, Herbert Girton. (1945). The birds of northern Thailand. Washington, U.S.
Description: 616 p. : ill., maps ;24 cm.
Series title: United States National Museum Bulletin (Smithsonian Institution) No. 186.
Notes: Signed “Carl Gibson-Hill” dated “27: 9: ‘50”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29593 DEI [GBH]
Deignan compiled the records of various collectors as well as his own in this annotated
listing. Each species is described with details of its behaviour and plumage. At that
time, the study of birds in Southeast Asia, ranging from Indo-Burmese to Indochinese
species, was considered new research ground.
116. Delacour, Jean. (1947). Birds of Malaysia. New York: Macmillan.

Description: xvi, 382 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. With index.
Series Title: The Pacific World Series.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295 DEL [GBH]
This is a practical handbook that offers description of birds, their distribution and
habitats, information previously not available to the layperson. It covers the Malay
Peninsula and the region beyond, namely Java, Sumatra, Borneo, the Palawan group
and surrounding islands. The format of the work adopts Captain Delacour’s earlier
work entitled the Birds of the Philippines, with this publication completing the trilogy
on birds of the South Seas. Only this volume in the trilogy is in the Gibson-Hill
Collection. Delacour has attributed to Chasen the English vernacular names and
dedicated his work to the memory of Chasen who was lost at sea during World War
II. Unfortunately native or local names are not included. This work has been
commended for its thorough description of all known Malaysian birds, with the
exception of the sea and shore birds, and has a useful “Hints to Observers” section
offering insights to this little studied area of birding. It includes line drawings by Earl
L. Poole and Alexander Seidel.
117. Earl, George Windsor. (1853). The native races of the Indian archipelago: Papuans.
London: H. Bailliere.
Description: xiv, 240 : ill., maps.
Notes: It has the bookplate of James Edge Partington.
Call No.: RRARE 572.995 EAR
The title describes the Papuans of New Guinea as found along the South Coast, the
South-West Coast and the North Coast, Arru Islands, Ceram and the Moluccas, the
Ahetas or Negritos of the Philippines, Mindoro as well as Negros, Mindanao, Sulu
and Borneo, the Semangs of the Andamans, the Sunda chain and the Melville Island.
118. Ennion, Eric Arnold Roberts. (1943). The British bird. London, New York: Oxford University Press.
Description: xii, 172 p. : ill., xv col. pl. (incl. front. ) on 8 l. ; 19 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2942 ENN [GBH]
Ennion was a trained doctor with a secret longing to be a naturalist. He took over his
father’s practice soon after the latter’s death in 1928, but still found time to make
beautiful sketches and watercolours of birds based on his observations.
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119. Evans, Ivor Hugh Norman. (1937). The Negritos of Malaya. Cambridge: The University Press.
Description: xiii, 323 p. front. : 1 ill., plates, fold. map ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 572.9595 EVA [GBH]
This publication is the result of a close study of the Negritos in Malaya conducted
between 1913 and 1932. This ancient race is considered the earliest inhabitants of
Malaya as well as Indonesia. The work captures details of their physical description,
material culture, their psychology, beliefs and customs. He also analyses other
academics’ works on this subject, namely Vaughan Stevens, Skeat, Schebesta and
Evans over a period of 19 years. His criticism of Schebesta’s views and his lack of an
overall conclusion are viewed negatively by some.
120. Falla, Robert Alexander. (1937). Birds [of the British, Australian, and New Zealand
Antarctic Research Expedition (1929–1931) and of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition
(1911–1914)]. Adelaide: Printed by Hassell Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29989 FAL [GBH]
The British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE)
was a British Commonwealth initiative that explored the resources in Antarctica.
The expedition comprised two journeys conducted between 1929 and 1931 on board
the RRS Discovery. Aside from proclaiming sovereignty over the discovered Antarctic
lands, it was also a scientific mission aimed at collecting the life and landscape in
these extreme conditions. Falla was an assistant zoologist on the expedition and
Mawson was its leader. This publication presents both Falla’s and Mawson’s observations
of 68 birds found during the expedition. Falla has been commended for his keen
observation of the distribution of certain species and in time became renowned as
an ornithologist. He also served as director of the Dominion Museum in Wellington,
New Zealand.
121. Finn, Daniel J. (1933–1936). Archaeological finds on Lamma Island near Hong Kong.
Hong Kong: Newspaper Enterprise.
Description: 13 v. in 1.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.095125 FIN [GBH]
This is a compilation of Finn’s articles first published in the Hong Kong Naturalist
between 1933 and 1936 with the last published posthumously. Father Finn, a Jesuit,
is credited for bringing to light a key aspect of Neolithic Chinese culture, namely
mat-marked pottery and stone axes from the Chou period to the Western Han dynasty,
demonstrating the relationship of southeastern China with the mainland and the
regions that span Japan and Indonesia.
122. Fisher, James & Lockley, Ronald Mathias. (1954). Sea-birds: An introduction to the
natural history of the sea-birds of the North Atlantic. London: Collins.
Description: xvi, 320 p. : ill. (part col.). With bibliography : p. 297–313.
Series Title: New naturalist; a survey of British natural history.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.33 FIS [GBH]
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123. Fisher, James. (1940). Watching birds. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Description: 192 p., ill., map. With index.
This publication earned British ornithologist Fisher an almost immediate recognition

when the Pelican edition of 1941 sold at least 100,000 copies in its first year, fueling
a growing interest in this hobby. The increase of 600 new members to the British
Trust for Ornithology over the following decade has been attributed directly to the
publication of this book. Fisher, like Gibson-Hill, had been trained in medicine before
switching to zoology. He came from a family of keen naturalists, his own father being
an amateur ornithologist and his uncle, a well-known naturalist.
124. Fisher, James. (1952). The fulmar. London: Collins.

This publication examines the growing numbers of Atlantic fulmar and its symbiotic
relationship with man. Fisher is well-known for his title, Watching Birds, which
generated much interest amongst amateur bird watchers. It includes a colour painting
by Peter Scott, four colour and 78 black-and-white photographs, and 70 maps,
diagrams and line drawings.
125. Fitter, Richard. (1952). Collins pocket guide to British birds. London: Collins.
Description: 240 p. Includes index.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. G. H”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2942 FIT [GBH]
Segmented according to landbirds, waterside birds and waterbirds, this publication

was a timely field guide at a time when birding became a popular past time amongst
English amateur birdwatchers. This book did away with the traditional approach of
listing birds according to scientific orders and family names, choosing size as the
organising criteria instead. With clear illustrations by Richards, this format proved
popular despite criticism by ornithologists and sold at least 100,000 titles in the first
instance. It is illustrated by R. A. Richardson.
126. Ford, Edmund Briscoe. (1953). Butterflies: All known British butterflies shown lifesize
in colour and 56 colour photographs of living specimens. London: Readers Union.
Description: xiv, 368 p. : ill., plates (some col.) ; 22 cm. With bibliography and index.
Call No.: RCLOS 595.789 FOR [GBH]
127. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947). British sea birds. London: H.F. & G. Witherby.
Description: 143 p. : ill., maps. With bibliography and index.
Notes: Written and illustrated by C. A. Gibson-Hill. Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho
to National Library of Singapore.
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128. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947). Notes on the birds of Christmas Islands. Singapore:
Raffles Museum.
Description: 87–165 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Bull. Raff. Mus. (1947, October), No. 18.
129. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947–1952). Papers on Malayan birds, 1947–1952.

Singapore: Raffles Museum.
Description: various pagings : ill. , plates, maps ; 25 cm.
Notes: A collection of papers by Gibson-Hill from Bull. Raff. Mus. including No.s. 12,
15, 16, 18, 19, 21.
This is a compilation of papers from the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum, mainly the
“Ornithological Notes” from No.s. 1–22. Other titles bound with these notes are
“Notes on the Birds of Christmas Island”, “Bird and mammal type specimens formerly
in the Raffles Museum Collections”, “A checklist of the Birds of Singapore Island”,
“A note on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”, “Notes on the Birds of the Cocos-Keeling
Islands”, “Notes on the Sea Birds breeding in Malayan Waters” and “Birds recorded
from Pulau Jarak, Malacca Strait”. It is otherwise labeled as Papers relating to the
fauna of Christmas Island, Singapore.
130. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). Birds of the coast (1st Ed.). London: H. F. & G. Witherby.
Description: xxii, 216 p. : ill. , plates, maps.
Notes: Written and illustrated by C. A. Gibson-Hill. Cover has “With comments by Phil
Hollom & A W”. Notes are written within the pages.
131. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). An annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya –An
annotated list of the birds occurring, or known to have occurred, in the territories of the
Federation of Malaya and the Colony of Singapore. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 299 p. : maps ; 25 cm. Includes index.
Notes: Reprinted from Bull. Raff. Mus. (1949, September), No. 20.
132. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). The whales, porpoises and dolphins known in
Malayan waters. Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Nature Society.
Description: [44] –61 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from Malayan Nature Journal (1949, June), 4(2).
133. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). A checklist of birds of Singapore Island. Singapore:
Raffles Museum.
Description: 132–183 p. Bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from the Bull. Raff. Mus. (1950, January), No. 21. Bound to the author’s
Annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya (1949). In Gibson-Hill’s hand is a note – “Office copy”.
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134. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). Birds recorded from Pulau Jarak, Malacca Strait.
Description: 263–299 p., ill.
135. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). Myna matters. Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Nature Society.
Description: [58] –75 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm. With bibliography: pp. 74–75.
Notes: Reprinted from The Malayan Nature Journal (1950, June), 5(2).
136. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). Notes on the Sea Birds breeding in Malayan waters.
Description: [5] –64 p. : ill. , maps ; 25 cm.
137. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). Papers on the fauna of Cocos-Keeling Islands. Based
on material and data collected in the group by C. A. Gibson-Hill between December 1940
and November 1941. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 298 p.. With index.
Notes: A note – “To mother with best wishes Carl Gibson 30: 4: 1950”.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.09595 RMSB [GBH]
Aside from his pre-war writings on the Cocos-Keeling Islands, the compilation of
articles by Gibsoh-Hill includes those from the Bull. Raff. Mus. (1950, April), Series
B. No. 22 such as “A note on the Cocos-Keeling Island”, “Reptalia”, “Ares”, “Mamalia”
and “Cetaeca”.
138. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). Notes on the sea birds of the orders Procellariiformes
and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors to the Ceylon coast, 27 (Part 1). Colombo:
National Museums of Ceylon.
Description: 83–102 p.. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from Spolia Zeylanica, 27(1), pp. 83–102. Contains information on
birds of the Cocos Keeling and Christmas Islands. Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to
the National Library of Singapore.
139. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). Birds recorded from the Aroa Islands, Malacca
Strait. Singapore: Raffles Museum.
Description: [156] –191 p. : map ; 26 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from Bull. Raff. Mus. (1956, October), No. 27.
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140. Gillespie, Thomas Haining. (1932). A book of King Penguins. London: H. Jenkins Ltd.
Description: 164, [2] p. front. : plates. 22 cm.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “ 31: 5: ‘46”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.44 GIL [GBH]
The publication is chiefly about the King Penguins observed over a course of 18 years
in the zoological park at Edinburgh where Gillespie had been the director. It includes
60 illustrations from photographs by M. E. Gillespie.
141. Gilliland, H. B. (1958). Common Malayan plants: Selected drawings. Singapore: University
of Malaya Press.
Description: iv, 228 p. : ill. ; 19 cm. Includes bibliography.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “12a: 11: ‘58”.
Call No.: RCLOS 581.9595 GIL [GBH]
One of the first tasks of Professor Kwan Koriba, the Director of the Botanic Gardens
during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, was the publication of fully illustrated
Japanese books on Malayan plants. The results first released under the Japanese
Military Administration was entitled Illustrations of useful plants of the Southern
Region Section I: Medicinal and Section II: Edible plants, in Japanese and illustrated
by Professor Watanabe. Plants studied include trees, climbers, palms, ferns and herbs
although not all are native to Malaya as some were introduced to the region for
economic reasons. This re-publication includes Gilliland’s selection of a third of the
original plates by Watanabe with some new illustrations by a Malay artist, Juraimi
bin Samsuri, resident artist at the Botanic Gardens, totaling 222 illustrations altogether.
The Malayan, International and English names of the plants are used but the title
remains simple enough for the non-specialist.
142. Glenister, Archibald Gerald. (1951). The birds of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and
Penang; an account of all the Malayan species, with a note of their occurrence in Sumatra,
Borneo, and Java and a list of the birds of those islands. London: Oxford University Press.
Description: 282p. : ill. ; 23cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29595 GLE [GBH]
The book is divided into two parts, the first being an introduction to Malayan bird
life and the second, a systematic listing of all known species of birds in the given
region. Glenister is possibly the first to illustrate Malayan birds in full colour with
74 text illustrations and photographs of his own and 78 birds in colour and monochrome
by his wife, Elizabeth M. E. Glenister. The reference numbers in Gibson-Hill’s An
annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya (1949) was used to identify the various
species of birds.
143. Gomes, Edwin Herbert. (1911). Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: A record
of intimate association with the natives of the Bornean jungles. London: Seeley.
Notes: An introduction by John Perham. A handwritten note–“Fraulein Laufrecht
with kind regards from Edwin H. Gomes and with love from Ma[b] Aug 29, 1916”
Call No.: RCLOS 572.9911 GOM [GBH]
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144. Gurney, John Henry. (1913). The Gannet: A bird with a history. London: Witherby.
Description: ii, 567 p., ill., plates. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.43 GUR [GBH]
Not only does Gurney describe in detail the plumage, distribution and habits of the
Gannet, he also delves deep into the history of this bird discussing early mention of
this species from historical sources, such as Martin Martin’s account in 1698 and the
poems of Beowulf which dates to AD 597.
145. Gyldenstolpe, Nils. (1955). Notes on a collection of birds made in the Western Highlands,
Central New Guinea, 1951. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksells.
Description: 181 p., map, 15 plates.
Notes: Signed “Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill with best compliments from the author”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2995 GYL [GBH]
146. Gyldenstolpe, Nils. (1955). Birds collected by Dr. Sten Bergman during his expedition to
Dutch New Guinea. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksells.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29951 GYL [GBH]
147. Haile, N. S. (1957). The geology and mineral resources of the Lupar and Saribas Valleys,
West Sarawak. Kuching: Government Printing Office.
Description: xii, 123 p. : ill., maps (2 fold. in pocket), plates.
Series Title: Memoir, Geological Survey Department, No. 7
Notes: Presented by Carl Gibson-Hill to the Raffles National Library (1958). Includes a
large geological map of Borneo.
148. Harrison, John Leonard. (1955). The apes and monkeys of Malaya (including the Slow
Loris). Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 18 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. With bibliography: p. 21.
Series Title: Malayan Museum Popular Pamphlets, No. 9.
Notes: Drawings by Gibson-Hill.
Call No.: RCLOS 599.82 HAR [GBH]
149. Harrison, John Leonard & Alfred, Eric R. (Eds.). (1962). The apes and monkeys of
Malaya (including the Slow Loris) (2nd Ed.). Singapore: Government Printer.
Description: 21 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. With bibliography: p. 21.
Notes: Drawings by Gibson-Hill.
150. Harrison, John Leonard. (1954). Malayan squirrels (including Tree-shrews and the Flying
Lemur). Kuala Lumpur: Museums Department.
Description: 22 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. With bibliography, p. 22.
Notes: With drawings by Lim Boo-Liat.
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151. Harrison, John Leonard. (1956). Malayan bats. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Notes: Drawings by C. A. Gibson-Hill.
152. Harrison, John Leonard. (1962). Malayan squirrels (including Tree-shrews and the Flying
Lemur)(2nd Ed.). Singapore: National Museum.
Description: 21 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. With bibliography p. 21.
Series Title: Malayan Museum Popular Pamphlets, No. 7, 2nd edition.
Notes: Illustrated by C. A. Gibson-Hill.
153. Harrisson, Tom. (1959). The peoples of Sarawak. Kuching: Distributed by the curator,
Sarawak Museum.
154. Heekeren, H. R. van. (1956). The urn cemetery at Melolo, East Sumba (Indonesia).
Djakarta: Archaeological Service of the Republic of Indonesia.
Description: 24 p., plates.
Notes: Reprinted from Bulletin of the Archaeological Service of the Republic of Indonesia,
(1956), No. 3, 1–24.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.3 HEE [GBH]
155. Henderson, Murray Ross. (1950/51). Malayan wild flowers: Part I Polypetale. Kuala
Lumpur: Malaysian Nature Society.
Description: 181 p. : ill. With index.
Notes: One of the copies is bound to The Malayan Nature Journal, 4 (1–2).
Call No.: RCLOS 574.9595 MNJ [GBH]
156. Henderson, Murray Ross. (1950/51). Malayan wild flowers: Part II Gamopetalae & Part
III Apetalae. Singapore: Kelly & Walsh.
Description: Part I: [182]–399 pp. : ill. ; Part II: [400]–472 pp. : ill.. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 581.9595 HEN [GBH]
157. Henderson, Murray Ross. (1954). Malayan wild flowers: Monocotyledons. Kuala Lumpur:
Malayan Nature Society.
Description: 357 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With index.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill dated 27: 8: ‘54”.
Call No.: RCLOS 582.13 HEN [GBH]
158. Herbert, E. G. (1923–1926). Nests and eggs of birds in Central Siam. London: H. F. & G. Witherby.
Description: [81] –356 p.
Notes: Re-published from the Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1923), 6(1):
81–123, plate 8; Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1923) 6(2), pp. 215–222,
plates 15,16,18,19; Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1924), 6(3), pp. 293–313,
plates 20, 21; Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1926), 6(4), pp. 323–356.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29593 HER [GBH]
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159. Herklots, Geoffrey. (1953). Hong Kong birds. Hong Kong: South China Morning Post.
Description: vii. , 233 p. : ill. With index.
This publication is built upon a compilation of notes previously published in the

Hong Kong Naturalist (1930–1941). He continued bird watching whilst interned at
Stanley for 43 months and despite the destruction of the library during the war,
Herklots’ field notes were saved . The result is this publication illustrated with images
by A. M. Hughes.
160. Honig, Pieter & Verdoorn, Franz (Eds.). (1945). Science and scientists in the Netherlands
Indies. New York, Board for the Netherlands Indies, Surinam and Curaçao.
Description: xxii, 491 p. : ill. , port. , maps, plans, chart. ; 27 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 509.91 HON [GBH]
Sponsored by the Netherlands government, this encyclopeadic compilation of articles

on scientific research in Indonesia in the 1940s include essays on veterinary science,
meteorological research, volcanology, the rubber industry, the history of beri-beri
research, missionary physicians and hospitals, prehistoric research, fish and fisheries,
and agriculture. It also includes travel accounts of distinguished scientists, biographical
sketches and listing of scientific institutions, societies and workers just prior to World
War II. At least 75 articles are published specially for this publication, many translated
from Dutch into English, although a few are still in German and French. It is
accompanied by illustrations and photographs.
161. Horsfield, Thomas. (1824). Zoological researches in Java, and the neighbouring islands.
London: Printed by Kingsbury, Parbury, & Allen.
Description: [328] p. : 72 pl. (partly col. ) ; 31 x 25 cm.
Notes: Issued in 8 pts. , 1821–24.
Call No.: RRARE 591.9922 HOR
Horsfield first visited Java in 1800 as a physician. Upon his return to Java in 1801,
he served as a paid naturalist for the Dutch and British administrators and became
the first American to survey the island’s natural environment. He left for England in
1819 and subsequently published his findings as the Zoological researches in 1824.
Besides the extensive study of the island’s geography, his work is rich with details of
its flora and fauna, particularly of Java’s birds and mammals, some of which are
introduced to zoologists for the first time. The book also used new technology in
lithography, aquatint and line engraving. It was the second publication ever to have
colour lithographs with more than 30 colour plates of mammals and birds, most of
which were illustrated by Britain’s aquatint engraver of the day, William Daniell. It
was reprinted in 1990, with a memoir of Horsfield by John Bastin – a sign of the title’s
enduring value and an appreciation of the author’s accomplishments.
162. Hutson, Henry Porter Wolseley. (1956). The ornithologists’ guide: Especially for overseas.
London: British Ornithologists’ Union.
Description: xix, 287 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. With bibliographical references and index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 HUT [GBH]
This is a compilation of short essays by more than 40 authors on bird watching,

covering Africa to Antarctica and with topics such as general behaviour, breeding,
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protection, study techniques and regional information. Most valued are its sections
on practical techniques in studying birds, with methods ranging from tape-recording
to trapping, and photography to surveys. The appended regional directory lists
ornithological collections, societies, individual ornithologists and books related to
birding in the various regions. For Malayan directory, Gibson-Hill is named as Curator
of the Raffles Museum whilst Loke Wan Tho is noted as an amateur ornithologist.
163. Kerr, A. & Seidenfaden, Erik. (1950). Thailand: Nature and industry: Ethnology (Rev.
Ed.). Bangkok: Dept. of Commercial Intelligence, Ministry of Commerce.
Notes: With compliments of the Director-General, Department of Commercial Intelligence,
Bangkok.
Call No.: RCLOS 572.9593 KER [GBH]
164. Kidder, Jonathan Edward. (1959). Japan before Buddhism. London: Thames & Hudson.
Series Title: Ancient peoples and places series, 10.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.0952 KID [GBH]
An archaeological study of prehistoric Japan in four broad bands, namely the Paleolithic
and Mesolithic Ages, the Jomon, the Yayoi and the Tomb (Kofun) period which
extends into 7 AD. For each period, Kidder presents the geographical setting, the
stratigraphical perspective and a chronological view. For the earlier periods, the main
artifacts studied are pottery and the later periods include analysis of tombs and
shrines. This is considered the first title in English to explore the full range of Japan’s
archaeological history. It is well illustrated with 108 photographs, 65 line drawings
and 7 maps.
165. Kloss, Cecil Boden. (1917). Instructions for preparing mammal skins. Bangkok: Natural
History Society of Siam.
Notes: Reprinted for the Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1917, May), Vol. 2.
Call No.: RCLOS 579.4 KLO [GBH]
Kloss provides steps to preparing mammal skins for preservation, especially in the
context of a tropical climate. Kloss’ instructions are derived from that of Gerrit S.
Miller from the United States National Museum.
166. Laurie, Eleanor M. O & Hill, J. E. (1954). List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes, and
adjacent islands, 1758–1952. London: Printed by order of the Trustees of the British Museum.
Description: 175 p. : 3 plates, map ; 25 cm. With index and bibliography: p. 161-164.
Call No.: RCLOS 599.0995 LAU [GBH]
167. Le Mare, Gladys (Ed.). (1948–1951, 1952–1960). The Malayan Nature Journal, 3, 4 (1–2),
5 (1–4), 7 (1–5), 8 –14. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Nature Society.
Description: v. : ill. , maps, plates ; 25 cm.
Notes: Hendersen, M. R. (1950?), Malayan Wild Flowers (Part 1) is bound to Volume 4 (1–2)
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168. Levick, George Murray. (1914). Antarctic Penguins; a study of their social habits. London:
William Heinemann.
Description: x, 139, [2] p. front. , 73 pl. on 55 l., tables ; 21 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.44 LEV [GBH]
Levick’s account of the penguins is based on observations he made during his ill-
fated Terra Nova expedition to the Antarctic with Captain Scott. The slim volume
describes the penguin’s nesting, breeding and other habits that were little known then.
It has 74 half-tone photographs.
169. Lockley, Ronald Mathias. (1942). Shearwaters. London: Dent.

Description: xi, 238 p. : ill. , plates ; 22 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.42 LOC [GBH]
The Manx Shearwaters are plentiful in Skokholm, off Wales where the author studied
these birds over 12 years. Lockley also examines the bird’s homing instincts as nesting
puffins were found returning from as far as Switzerland and Venice. Lockley is
recognised as a key driving force in the conservation movement in Britain. Gibson-
Hill consulted this work for his publication, Birds of the Coast (1948). Out of several
mentioned in his preface, only this is found in the Gibson-Hill Collection.
170. Loke, Wan Tho. (1957). A company of birds. London: M. Joseph.

Notes: Signed “To Carl with best wishes Wan Tho March 1958”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295 LOK [GBH]
A showcase of startling images of birds of India, New Guinea and Malaya – a compilation
of Loke’s ornithological journeys in the region. Some articles in the publication are reprints
from the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. This visual piece has a foreword
by Malcolm MacDonald and a 12-page autobiographical account of Loke with details of
his passion for birds and his meticulous approach to photography, a side not often seen
in his public personae as head of the Cathay Organisation. A large collection of photographs
of birds of New Guinea in the 1950s that were published here are now in the Natural
History Museum in London. This signed title is the only one in the Collection that has
a personal comment from Loke for Gibson-Hill.
171. Madoc, G. C. (1947). An introduction to Malayan birds. Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Nature.
Description: vi, 123 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Notes: First published in Malayan Nature Journal (1947, November), Vol. 2, Nos. 3 & 4.
Includes illustrations by Gibson-Hill.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29595 MAD [GBH]
Penned in Changi Prison, this publication is the result of smuggled notes as well as
written observations and the collective memories of the Changi Ornithological Study
Group during their internment in the 1940s. The book was typewritten on paper
stolen from the Japanese commandant’s office and subsequently bound in red
leatherette. This first in-house edition includes three illustrations by Molesworth and
Gibson-Hill. The handmade book’s popularity with internees in both the Men’s and
Women’s Camps led to its publication after the war in 1947 with assistance from the
Malayan Nature Society. This published edition has more illustrations by Molesworth
and Gibson-Hill. It describes 94 species with brief references to 173 other species
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providing the scientific as well as English and Malay names of both familiar and
unusual birds. The description of species and their arrangement were derived from
H. C. Robinson’s The birds of the Malay Peninsula (1927–1939) and F. N. Chasen’s A
handlist of Malaysian birds (1935). The book reveals the close relationships forged
amongst the Western ornithologists during internment, many of whom continued
their study of birds of the East after the war.
172. Madoc, G. C. (1956). An introduction to Malayan birds (Rev. Ed.). Kuala Lumpur: Malayan
Nature Society.
Description: vii, 234 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Notes: Re-published in 1976. Illustrated by Molesworth.
173. Malaya. Department of the Adviser on Aborigines. (1951). Notes on the administration,
welfare and recording of technical data relating to the Malayan aborigines. Kuala Lumpur:
Printed at the Govt. Press.
Description: 88 p. : ill. (some folded).
This is a compilation of a series of circular memoranda distributed in 1950 to guide

local authorities in administrating the aboriginal population. The five sections describe
not only administrative details, such as the role of the Federal Department of the
Adviser on Aborigines and the recording of data concerning the community, but deal
also with issues concerning the aborigines in the context of the Emergency– the
British offensive against Malayan communists. Fold-out propaganda material and
graphics for distribution to the aborigines are also appended.
174. Mathews, Gregory Macalister & Iredale, Tom. (1921). A manual of the birds of Australia.
London: H. F. & G. Witherby.
Description: xxiv, 279 p., 36 plates. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2994 MAT [GBH]
Upon its initial release, the publication was well received as a key reference for birds
in Australia, appreciated for its systematic listing and concise description of each
species. Mathews is highly regarded for his other publications and checklists of
Australian and New Zealand birds. It is illustrated with coloured and monochrome
plates by Lilian Medland.
175. Mayr, Ernst. (1941). List of New Guinea birds; a systematic and faunal list of the birds of
New Guinea and adjacent island. New York: The American Museum of Natural History.
Description: 260 p. : fold. map, diagr. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2995 MAY [GBH]
176. Mayr, Ernst. (1945). Birds of the Southwest Pacific; a field guide to the birds of the area
between Samoa, New Caledonia, and Micronesia. New York: Macmillan.
Description: xix, 316 p. : ill., map (on lining papers), 3 col. plates : 20 cm. With
bibliographical footnotes.
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Designed as a handbook, this work lists many species of birds that had not been
published previously. The first part covers the seabirds, shorebirds, and land and
freshwater birds of the Southwest Pacific. The second part deals with land and
freshwater birds found around island groups with a limited distribution. The publication
has been commended for its originality, good indexing and cross-referencing system.
The colour plates are by Francis Lee Jaques and line drawings by Alexander Seidel.
177. Moulton, John Coney. (1914). Guide to the collection of Bornean birds in the Sarawak
Museum. Kuching: Sarawak Government Printing Office.
Description: 222 p. : plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295983 SAR [GBH]
Describes the collection of Borneo birds at the Sarawak Museum, amounting to 4,000
bird skins that represent 420 species.
178. Moulton, John Coney (1922). Mammals of Malaysia (Part 1): Malaysian Ungulates
(Raffles Museum Guide). Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.
Description: vi, 31 p. : plates, fold. map. ; 22 cm. Includes bibliography.
Series Title: Raffles Museum, Singapore Guides.
Call No.: RCLOS 599.7 MOU [GBH]
The local hoofed mammals that are discussed in this slim volume include the elephant,
tapir, rhinoceros, pig, mouse deer, deer, oxen and goat. This is the first in a series of
guides by the Raffles Museum to supplement the out-of-print Guide to the Zoological
Collections (1908) by Hanitsch.
179. Murdock, George Peter (Ed.) (1960). Social structure in Southeast Asia. Chicago, Ill:
Quadrangle Books.
Description: ix, 182 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Series title: Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology; No. 29.
Call No.: RCLOS 305.895 SOC [GHB]
180. Murphy, Robert Cushman. (1925). Bird islands of Peru; the record of a sojourn on the
west coast. New York: Putnam.
Description: xx., 362 p. : ill., maps, plates ; 24 cm. With bibliography and index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2985 MUR [GBH]
Based on journeys made between 1919 and 1920, Murphy describes mainly the Guano
birds of Peru although he does include details of other seabirds and descriptions of
Peruvian towns and peoples. More than 50 photographs by Murphy illustrate this
then little known area of study.
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181. Murphy, Robert Cushman. (1936). Oceanic birds of South America; a study of species of
the related coasts and seas, including the American quadrant of Antarctica, based upon the
Brewster-Sanford collection in the American Museum of Natural History (Vols. 1 & 2).
New York: American Museum of Natural History.
Description: 2 v. : col. fronts., ill., map, charts, plates (part col.) diagrs. ; 27 cm. With
index and bibliography: v. 2, p. 1179–1210 .
In two volumes, Murphy describes about 200 species in the ornithological collections
of the American Museum obtained by L. C. Sanford and F. F. Brewster. Murphy also
includes the autobiography of Rollo H. Beck, the field worker who helped obtain the
collection from 1912 and 1917. Besides his own observations, Murphy also provides
past explorers’ insights on the physical geography of the South American coastline
and surrounding waters. The histories of the birds are described using Wetmore’s
classification. The publication is enriched with 16 colour plates by Francis Lee Jaques
and 72 halftone plates from photographs and maps. MacMillan later re-published
this first edition in 1947.
182. Needham, Joseph & Wang Ling. (1954). Science and civilisation in China (Vol. 1):
Introductory Orientations. Cambridge, England: University Press.
Description: xxxviii, 318p. : map (folded), plates. With index and bibliography 253–298.
Call No.: RCLOS 509.51 NEE [GBH]
183. Oberholser, Harry Church. (1938, June). The bird life of Louisiana. New Orleans: T. J.
Moran’s Sons.
Description: 834 p. 1 l. 45 pl. With bibliography: p. 687–700.
Series Title: Lousiana, Department of Conservation Bulletin, No. 28.
Notes: Signed “Compliments of the author”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29763 OBE [GBH]
184. Ornithological Society of New Zealand. (1953). Checklist of New Zealand birds. Wellington:
Published by A. H. & A. W. Reed for the Ornithological Society of New Zealand.
Description: 80 p : ill., maps.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29931 ORN [GBH]
185. Pacific Science Congress (8th: 1953: Diliman, Quezon City). (1953). Abstracts of papers
presented to the eighth Pacific Science Congress and the fourth Far Eastern Prehistory
Congress, November 16 to 28, 1953. Under the Auspices of the Republic of the Philippines
and the National Research Council of the Philippines. Quezon: University of the Philippines.
Call No.: RCLOS 506 PAC [GBH]
186. Pacific Science Congress (8th: 1953: Diliman, Quezon City). (1953). General programme.
eighth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association and fourth Far Eastern
Prehistory Congress November 16 to 28, 1953. Diliman, Quezon: National Research
Council of the Philippines.
Notes: A handwritten note – “Dr A. Wolsky UNESCO Science Corporation Office” along
with his address.
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187. Pacific Science Congress (8th: 1953: Diliman, Quezon City). (1953). Handbook of the
eighth Pacific Science Congress and the fourth Far Eastern Prehistory Congress. Diliman,
Quezon: National Research Council of the Philippines.
Description: 77 p. : ill., map ; 30 cm.
188. Pacific Science Congress (8th: 1953: Dilman, Quezon City). (1954). Proceedings of the
eighth Pacific Science Congress held at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon
City, 16th November to 28th November 1953 (Vol. 4A) Botany. Quezon City: National
Research Council of the Philippines.
Description: iv, 208 p. : ill.
City, 16th November to 28th November 1953. (Vol. 1). Quezon City: University of the Philippines.
City, 16th November to 28th November 1953. (Vol. 2) Geology and geophysics Meteorology.
Quezon City: National Research Council of the Philippines.
Description: iv., 208 p., ill.
191. Pacific Science Congress (9th: 1957: Bangkok). (1957). Abstracts of papers. Bangkok: [s. n.].
192. Pacific Science Congress (9th: 1957: Bangkok, Thailand). (1957). General programme.
Ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, November 18th to December
9th 1957 [at] Santitham Hall: and Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok:
Office of the Secretary-General, Department of Science, Ministry of Industry.
Description: [ix] 147 p. ; 19 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 572.959 PAC [GBH]
193. Pacific Science Congress (9th: 1957: Bangkok, Thailand). (1958). Proceedings of the
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 6) Coconut
problems. Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
Description: iv, 24 p. ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 11) Forest
resources. Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
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195. Pacific Science Congress (9th: 1957: Bangkok, Thailand). (1958). Proceedings (of the
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 14) Museums.
Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 16) Oceanography.
Description: vii, 240 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 20) Special
Symposium on climate vegetation and rational land utilisation in the humid tropics.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 7) Conservation.
Description: iv, 80 p. ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 13) Meteorology.
Description: v, 318 p. ; ill. ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 15) Nutrition.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 2) Animal
improvement. Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
Description: v, 215 p., ill. ; 25 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 8) Crop
improvement. Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
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ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 18) Soil and
land classification. Bangkok, Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
Description: iii, 109 p. : ill. , maps (part fold. ) ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 10) Fisheries.
Description: v, 91 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 12) Geology
& Geophysics. Thailand: Secretariat, Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 19) Zoology.
Description: v, 86p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
207. Peters, James Lee. (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948). Check-list of birds of the world (Vols.
1–4, 6). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Notes: Volume 2 has Peter’s signature with his compliments.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 PET [GBH]
This nine-volume work remains a key reference for the study of birds. Peters’ attempt
was seen as timely especially since new research and findings had made Sharpe’s
Handlist, the then primary reference work for ornithological classification, obsolete.
Peters collated new ornithological findings and updated existing research. When
Peters first embarked on this massive project, he was Assistant Curator of Birds at
the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College. The Collection is missing
volumes 5, 7, 8 and 9.
208. Peterson, Roger Tory. (1947). A field guide to the birds, giving field marks of all species
found east of the Rockies (2nd Rev. and enlarged Ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Description: xxiv, 290 p. : ill., plates (part col.), map ; 19 cm. With bibliographical
references in preface.
Notes: “Home reference suggestions”: p. 273–274.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2973 PET [GBH]
This publication seeks to complement existing ornithological guides by providing a

simplified visual guide to help identify birds at a glance. The guide covers birds found
in the eastern and central North America up to the 100th meridian along the Great
Plains. The publication is intended for both the novice, who would find the bird
sketches useful, and the experienced bird watcher, who would be inspired by the list
of rare birds. The illustrations are also by Peterson.
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209. Phillips, William Watt Addison. (1953, April). A (1952) revised checklist of the birds of
Ceylon. Colombo: National Museums of Ceylon.
Description: xiv, 132 p. : map ; 25 cm. Includes index, bibliography: p. [xiii] –xiv.
Series Title: Natural history series: Zoology.
Notes: Signed “C. A. Gibson-Hill with best wishes 25: 12: ‘53”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295489 PHI [GBH]
210. Poole, Arthur J. & Schantz, Viola S. (1942). Catalog of the type specimens of mammals
in the United States National Museum, including the biological surveys collection. Washington,
D. C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Description: xii, 705 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 599 POO [GBH]
This catalogue updates an earlier edition of 1909, with more than 1,400 specimens.
It provides details of original name proposed and the provenance of the specimen
type. It also includes a geographical guide to type localities. This is a second catalogue
of recent mammal collections in the United States National Museum
211. Portmann, Herausgegeben von Adolf & Sutter, Ernst. (1955). Acta XI Congresons
Internationalis Ornithologici. Basel: Birkhauser.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2 INT [GBH]
A compilation of the papers presented at the 11th International Ornithological Congress

held in 1954 in Basel with text in English, German & French. Gibson-Hill is named
as a member of the Congress held in 1954. He participated as an official of the Raffles
Museum and was the only one representing Malaya.
212. Posewitz, Theodor. (1892). Borneo: Its geology and mineral resources. London: E. Stanford.
Description: xxxii, 495 p. : map (folded).
Notes: Translated from the German by Frederick H. Hatch.
Call No.: RCLOS 559.11 POS [GBH]
213. Proceedings of the 3rd Congress of Prehistorians of the Far East at Singapore 24th–30th
January 1938 (1940). Hanoi: Imprimerie D’Extreme-Orient.
Description: 320 p., 121 plates.
Notes: From the Congress of Prehistorians of the Far East. Chasen and Tweedie are
registered as delegates.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.09595 CON [GBH]
214. Raffles Museum (Singapore). (1949–1950). Bulletin of the Raffles Museum Singapore.
Description: Nos. : 19, 21 & 23 (1949–1950).
Call No.: RCLOS 574 RAF [GBH]
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215. Rand, Austin Loomer. (1936). The distribution and habits of Madagascar birds. New
York: American Museum of Natural History.
Description: 143–499 p. : maps, plates.
Notes: From Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History (1936, December 30),
72, Art V., pp. 143-499.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29691 RAN [GBH]
216. Richardson, J. A. (1947). An outline of the geomorphological evolution of British Malaya.

Hertford, Herts.: S. Austin.
Description:129–144 p. : maps ; 21 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from The Geological Magazine (1947, May–June), Vol. 84, pp. 129–144.
Call No.: RCLOS 551.409595 RIC [GBH]
217. Ridgway, Robert. (1919). “The birds of North and middle America: A descriptive
catalogue of the higher groups, genera, species, and subspecies of birds known to occur
in North America, from the Arctic lands to the Isthmus of Panama, the West Indies and
other islands of the Caribbean sea, and the Galapagos archipelago”. United States National
Museum Bulletin, No. 50. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Description: v. 852 pp., plates ; 24 cm. With index and bibliographical references. Parts.
1–8, 1901–19, Robert Ridgway; Part. 9–10, 1941–46 by Ridgway, completed by Herbert
Friedmann; Part. 11(1950) by Friedmann.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2973 RID [GBH]
218. Riley, Joseph Harvey. (1938). Birds from Siam and the Malay Peninsula in the United
States National Museum collected by Hugh M. Smith and William L. Abbott. Washington:
Description: iv, 581 p ; 25 cm.
Series Title: United States National Museum Bulletin (Smithsonian Institution), No. 172.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “23: 3: ‘47”. Includes markings against Malayan
birds and handwritten notes on page 20 by Gibson-Hill and others commenting on the
seemingly poor scholarship amongst American birders.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2959 RIL [GBH]
Smith’s birds were collected between 1924 and 1934 whilst those by Abbott were
obtained between 1896 and 1934. These collections form part of the US National
Museum bird collections from Thailand, British Malaya, southern Tenasserim and
its nearby islands. Riley described at least 800 of the 1,000 specimens known. This
title along with the 1963 Checklist of the birds of Thailand earned Riley the recognition
as a specialist on the bird life of Thailand.
219. Roberts, Austin. (1957). Roberts birds of South Africa. Cape Town: Published for the
Trustees of the South African Bird Book Fund.
Description: xxxviii, 504 p. : col. front., col. ill., maps.
First published in 1952, this field guide has remained in demand and was re-published
as recently as 2007 as Roberts birds of Southern Africa. Its colour plates are by Norman
C. K. Lighton while the black-and-white illustrations are by J. Perry and K. Hooper.
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220. Roberts, Brian Birley. (1940). The breeding behaviour of Penguins: With special reference
to Pygoscelis papua (Forster). London: Printed by Order of the Trustees of the British Museum.
Description: p. 195–254 : ill., plates. With bibliography.
Series Title: British Graham Land Expedition, 1934–37, Scientific Reports, 1 (3).
221. Roberts, Brian Birley. (1940). The life cycle of Wilson’s petrel Oceanites Oceanicus (Kuhl).
London: Printed by Order of the Trustees of the British Museum.
Description: 141–193 p. : plates; maps.
Series Title: British Graham Land Expedition, 1934–37, Scientific Reports, 1(2a).
222. Robinson, Herbert C. & Kloss, Cecil Boden. (1911). On birds from the northern portion
of the Malay Peninsula, including the islands of Langkawi and Terutau; with notes on other
rare Malayan species from the Southern districts. London: British Ornithologists’ Union.
Description: 72 p. : col. plate ; 22 cm. Reprint of The Ibis, (1911, January).
Notes: Starts on page 10 on a fragment. Treated for preservation-leaf cast.
Call No.: RRARE 598.29595 ROB [GBH]
223. Robinson, Herbert C. (1910). A handlist of the birds of the Malay Peninsula, south of the
Isthmus of Kra. Kuala Lumpur: Printed at the F.M.S. Government Printing Office.
Description: 22 p. ; 25 cm. With bibliographical footnotes.
Call No.: RRARE 598.29595 ROB
This publication lists the birds found in the Malay Peninsula up to the borders of
Southern Thailand. It is an update of the original handlist that was first published in
1907 in the Journal of the Federated Malay States (Vol II, pp. 66–83). It highlights
species that are not represented in the Federated Malay States museums and identifies
those with doubtful occurrences in the Malay Peninsula. Robinson had been Director
of Museums, FMS.
224. Rogerson, Sydney & Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick. (1947). Our bird book. London:
W. Collins.
Description: 128 p. : ill. , col. plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2942 ROG [GBH]
225. Rothschild, Miriam & Clay, Theresa. (1953). Fleas, flukes and cuckoos: A study of bird
parasites. London: Readers Union.
Notes: Signed “Carl Gibson-Hill on 12 September 1953”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.255 ROT [GBH]
The book is divided into three parts, namely a discussion of parasitism, fleas and feather
lice, and lastly endoparasites. This title went through three editions in the span of five
years after it was published. Rothschild was brought up without formal education, her
parents believing that a school system would restrict her learning. The only courses she
took were at University – English Literature and Zoology, which she never completed.
However, the highly intelligent Rothschild did acquire several honorary degrees. She
gained renown for her entomological work, particularly in cataloguing her father’s flea
collection, which took a good 20 years to write in the midst of raising six children.
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226. Royal Society of Arts & Sciences of Mauritius. Ornithological Committee. (1952).
Catalogue of the birds of Mauritius. Port Louis: The Mauritius Institute.
Notes: Signed “With the author’s compliments”.
Series Title: The Mauritius Institute Bulletin, (1952, November 15), 3 (Part 3).
Call No.: RCLOS 598.296982 ROY [GBH]
227. Safford, William Edwin. (1905). The useful plants of the island of Guam: With an
introductory account of the physical features and natural history of the island, of the character
and history of its people, and of their agriculture. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Description: 416 p. : plates ; 25 cm. With index.
Notes: Contributions from the United States National Herbarium v. 9, “Literature”: p. 154–169.
Call No.: RCLOS 581.6309967 SAF [GBH]
228. Salomonsen, Finn. (1952). Systematic notes on some Philippine birds. Vidensk: F. Salomonsen.
Description: p. 341–364 : ill.
Salomonsen profiles the bird collection in the Philippines National Museum, which
was rebuilt after its valuable collection of 25,000 Philippine bird skins were destroyed
in the war. The Finnish Salmonsen is most known for his work on birds in Greenland
and the Arctic, with some disparate studies of birds of the Philippines, Bismarck
Archipelago and New Guinea.
229. Salomonsen, Finn. (1953). Miscellaneous notes on Philippine birds. Vidensk: F. Salomonsen.
Description: [205], 281 p.
Notes: Reprinted from Vidensk, Medd fra Dansk anturh. Foren. bd 115, 1953.
230. Serventy, Dominic Louis & Whittell, Hubert Massey. (1948). A handbook of the birds
of Western Australia (with the exception of the Kimberley division). Perth, W. A.: Patersons
Press.
Description: 365 p. : ill. (some col.), maps. Includes index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.29941 SER [GBH]
Serventy was considered the leading ornithologist of his day in Australia. This
publication gives good details and analysis of the birds of Australia. It was commended
for providing additional information, such as the economic or scientific significance
of these unique birds.
231. Sharpe, Richard Bowdler. (1874). Catalogue of the Accipitres, or diurnal birds of prey,
in the collection of the British Museum (Vol. 1). London: British Museum.
Description: xiii, 479 p. : ill., col. plates.
Notes: Added t. p. : Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, Vol. 1.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.9 SHA [GBH]
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232. Sharpe, Richard Bowdler. (1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1909). A hand-list of the genera and
species of birds = [Nomenclator avium tum fossilium tum viventium]. London: Printed
by order of the Trustees. Published for British Museum (Natural History), Department
of Zoology.
Description: 5 v.
The hand-list attempts to categorise all known birds of its time, totaling 18,939 species.
It took a decade to complete and the work established Sharpe’s standing as an authority
in ornithology. The process entailed consulting more than 30 experts, some of whom
were located in the United States, making the publication highly authoritative.
Although Sharpe is credited with systematizing the study of birds, which today is
known as Sharpe’s classification in ornithological circles, he failed to include new
findings, particularly of the “modern idea of subspecies” and of nomenclature. In
many instances, his classification was considered antiquated even for its time. Despite
this, his classification continued to be adopted by 20th century ornithologists including
Chasen in his Handlist of Malaysian birds (1935).
233. Sharpe, Richard Bowdler. (1912). A hand-list of the genera and species of birds =
[Nomenclator avium tum fossilium tum viventium] (General Index Vol. 1–5). London:
British Museum.
234. Siam Society Natural History Section. (1914–1926). Papers from Journal of the Natural
History Society of Siam. Bangkok: Natural History Section, Siam Society.
Notes: From the Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam, (1914, February), 1(1)
– (1926, March), 6 (4). Mainly papers by Boden Kloss and Chasen.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.9593 JNHSS [GBH]
235. Simms, Eric. (1952). Bird migrants, some aspects and observations. London: Cleaver-
Hume Press.
Notes: With 20 photos by Eric Hosking.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.252 SIM [GBH]
236. Smith, Stuart. (1950). The Yellow Wagtail. United Kingdom: Collins.
Description: xiv, 178p. : ill. ; 21 cm. With bibliography.
Series Title: New Naturalist Monographs series, No. 3.
A study of the British Yellow Wagtail derived from observations made in northeast
Cheshire between 1939 and 1945. With illustrations by the author and several
photographs, the book is commended for its detailed outline of the behaviour of the
Wagtail, along with added analysis of the etymology of its common names. It marks
the third monograph in the New Naturalist series. The series sought to attract readers
who were amateur naturalists and continues to be published today.
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237. Stresemann, Erwin. (1938) Vogel vom Fluss Kajan (Nordost-Borneo) [Birds from the
River Kajan (North-eastern Borneo)]. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Notes: Collected by von Baron Victor of Plessen. Reprint of Temminckia: A Journal of
Systematic Zoology, (1938), Vol 3, pp. 109–136. In German.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295983 PLE [GBH]
Stresemann, who published extensively on birds of Southeast Asia, particularly the

Malay archipelago and Australasia, was considered one of the leading ornithologist
of the 20th century. He studied mainly Southeast Asian birds and published mainly
in German despite being proficient in English. He is most noted for his publication
Aves (1927–1934), a handbook of birds described through text and pictures. He was
curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum’s ornithological department and for a period
of about 50 years from 1921 was a key figure at the Deutschen Ornithologen-
Gesellschaft where he helped develop the New Avian Biology from the early 1920s.
He was also editor of the German Journal für Ornithologie.
238. Sutter, Ernst. (1953). Paradiesvogel und Kolibris: Bilder aus dem leben der Tropenvogel.
[Birds of Paradise and Humming Birds: Illustrations of the lives of these tropical birds].
Zurich: Verlag Silva-Bilderdienst.
Description: 127 p. , 60 col. plates ; 30 cm. In German.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.865 SUT [GBH]
This title reflects some of the tropical Birds of Paradise found in the collection of Natural
History Museum at Basel with more than 60 mounted illustrations in full colour. The
illustrations are organised by topic, such as the habitat of the tropical birds, birds of
paradise, fruit lovers, birds and flowers and nests and nesting habits. Sutter had been
the Curator of the Bird Collection of the Natural History Museum since 1945. Over a
period of nine-months in 1949, he conducted his only collecting expedition to Sumba,
Indonesia where he obtained 770 specimens of birds. The illustrator, Walter Linsenmaier,
was a talented artist of the natural arts, specialising in insects, and famous in Switzerland.
239. Thomassen Thuessink Hoop, Abraham Nicolaas Jan à'88 van der. (1930). Megalithic
remains in South-Sumatra. Zutphen: W. J. Thieme.
Description: xii, 191 p. With index.
Notes: Translated by William Shirlaw. With author’s compliments.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.909921 THO [GBH]
240. Tinbergen, Niko. (1953). The herring gull’s world; a study of the social behaviour of birds.
London: Collins.
Description: xvi, 255 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. With bibliography: p. 244–250.
Series Title: New naturalist monograph.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.33 TIN [GBH]
241. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1952). Collecting butterflies in Malaya. Singapore:
Notes: Illustrated by K. M. Foong.
Call No.: RCLOS 595.789 TWE [GBH]
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242. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1953). The snakes of Malaya. Singapore: Government
Printing Office.
Description: [viii], 139 p. : ill. ; map, ; 25 cm. With index.
Notes: Signed “To Carl Gibson-Hill with the author’s very sincere regards August 1953”.
243. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1957). Collecting butterflies in Malaya (2nd Ed.).
Singapore: Government Printing Office.
244. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1957). Collecting shells in Malaya. Singapore:
Notes: Cover design by K. M. Foong
Call No.: RCLOS 594 TWE [GBH]
245. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes & Reid, Hugh Alistair. (1956). Poisonous snakes in
Malaya. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
246. Vesey-Fitzgerald, Brian. (1939). A book of British waders. London: W. Collins.

Description: [205] p.
Notes: Includes 32 photographs. Has the bookplate “Ex Libris B. David Molesworth”.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.33 VES [GBH]
247. Watson, George E., Zusi, Richard L. and Storer, Robert E. (1963). Preliminary field
guide to the birds of the Indian Ocean, for use during the International Indian Ocean
Expedition. Washington: United States National Museum.
Description: x, 214 p. : ill., maps. ; 27 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.2969 UNI [GBH]
Prepared by the Division of Birds, U. S. National Museum, this Smithsonian Institute

publication provides illustrated steps for the preservation of bird specimens.
248. Whistler, Hugh. (1944). “The avifaunal survey of Ceylon conducted jointly by the British
and Colombo Museums”. Spolia Zeylanica, 23(Parts 3 & 4), pp. 118–321. Colombo:
Government Press.
Description: 118–321 p. : ill. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.295489 WHI [GBH]
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249. White, Walter Grainge. (1922). The sea gypsies of Malaya: An account of the nomadic
Mawken people of the Mergui Archipelago with a description of their ways of living, customs,
habits, etc., etc. etc., London: Seeley Service & Co. Ltd.
Description: 318 p. : front. , plates, map (pt fold).
The origins of the Moken, also known as the Selungs, and their lifestyle as a nomadic
sea people are described in this work. They were known to traverse beyond Malaya
as far as Burma. White skillfully gained the confidence of the shy Mokens and was
rewarded with a ride on their trusty kabang (a local boat) into their habitat. The
publication contains illustrations of sea life and the sailing crafts used. White was
known as the only European to have studied the Moken language, transliterating it
into a written form. R. R. Marett wrote the foreword.
250. Wilson, Thomas. (1888). [Smithsonian papers: prehistory] Prehistoric art; or the origin
of art as manifested in the works of prehistoric man. Washington: Smithsonian Institution.
Description: 327–358 pp. : ill., plates (some col.), map, 1 v. (various pagings).
This compilation of articles includes “Results of an inquiry as to the existence of man

in North America during the Paleolithic period of the Stone Age” (pp. 677–702) and
“Archaelogical fieldwork in Northeastern Arizona: The Museum-Gates Expedition
of 1901” (pp. 279–358) by Walter Hough.
251. Wynne-Edwards, V. C. (1935). On the habits and distribution of birds in the North Atlantic.
Boston: Boston Society of Natural History.
Description: 233–346 p : ill., plates.
Notes: From the Proceedings / Boston Society of Natural History (1935), 40(4).
Call No.: RCLOS 598.33 WYN [GBH]
Wynne-Edwards describes 22 species of birds based on his observations over eight

trans-Atlantic journeys, adding to it details from previously published papers. This
book provides useful field characteristics to help the amateur ornithologist make
distinctions between species of birds that traverse the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to this,
very little on these birds had been published. Having obtained a first-class in Zoology
at Oxford and after several postings at various research centres in the United Kingdom,
Wynne-Edwards soon found employment at McGill University, Montreal where he
remained for 16 years. It was on his trans-Atlantic journeys between McGill and his
homeland that he made the observations for this publication. Wynne-Edwards is
most noted for his scientific theory of “group selection” which proposed that animals
regulated their population levels to prevent resource depletion. This was published
in Animal Dispersion (1962) but mainstream scientists did not accept his theory.
252. Zoological Society of London. (1946–1951). Zoo life: Bulletin of the Zoological Society
of London (Vols. 1–6). London: Zoological Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 590.5 ZL [GBH]
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SAILING VESSELS AND RIVER CRAFTS

253. Anderson, Romola & Anderson, Roger Charles. (1926). The sailing ship: Six thousand
years of history. London: G. G. Harrap.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings), 212 p. : ill., plates. With index.
Notes: Bound with a second book Cherish the sea: A history of sail (1955) by Jean de la Varende.
The Andersons sought to trace the development of two streams of shipbuilding – the
Southern and the Northern methods – until the production of the standard European
full-rigged ship in the 15th century. In a simple yet engaging style, they trace the
evolution of boats from its early history in Egypt, Phonecia, Greece and Rome until
the development of 19th century trading ships and fast-moving clippers. It has been
re-published as recently as 2003. Roger Anderson was highly regarded for his
knowledge on ships, particularly ship rigging and ship building, having his own
extensive collection of manuscripts on merchant shipping of the 17th and 18th
centuries. He also wrote extensively on ship models in the Mariner’s Mirror.
254. Bowen, Frank Charles. (1948). From carrack to clipper: A book of sailing-ship models
(Rev. Ed.). London: Halton.
Description: vi, 74 p., 66 plates : col. front., ill., plates (part col.) ; 26 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.822 BOW [GBH]
Bowen’s slim volume displays some of the best models of wooden ships from medieval
carracks to 19th century clippers from existing museum exhibits. The photographs
show the provenance of a boat’s model or validate its authenticity making the
publication unique and invaluable in this field. Bowen wrote prolifically on ships and
maritime history, an interest that took root since he grew up at the port-town of
Ramsgate. Whilst working as a maritime journalist after the war, he developed an
extensive collection of hundreds of article clippings and indexes on ships, shipmasters
and naval history. This collection is today available for consultation at the Southampton
Maritime Museum’s Library.
255. Brown, William Henry (Ed.). (1920, 1921). Minor products of Philippine forests (Vols.
1 & 2). Manila: Bureau of Printing.
Description: 3 v. in 2, fronts. Vol. 1: 432 p. ; Vol. 2: 410 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. With index and
bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Vol. 1 and part of Vol. 2 was originally issued as Bureau of Forestry Bulletins No.
15–21. Stamped “Compliments of the Bureau of Forestry.” Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill”
dated “7: 11: ‘53”.
Amongst the products discussed in this compilation are articles about the Philippine
mangrove swamp, palms and palm products. It also includes bamboo, fiber and forest
products as sources of paper.
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256. Carr, Frank George Griffith. (1934). Vanishing craft; British coastal types in the last days
of sail. London: Country Life, Limited.
Description: xi, 107, [1] p. front. : plates, diagrs. ; 29 x 23 cm. With bibliography: p.
101–104.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.820942 CAR [GBH]
Carr gives descriptions of coastal sailing crafts including the Thames Estuary Craft
such as the Barking Smack as well as Bawleys and Barges. This is followed by details
of open beach boats and the disappearance of Deal Luggers. Carr also discusses deep-
sea fishing and the coming of steam to the fishing industry. There are 20 drawings
of crafts by Frank Mason, many no longer extant.
257. Chatterton, Edward Keble. (1909). Sailing ships; the story of their development from the
earliest times to the present day with a hundred and thirty illustrations. London: Sidgwick
and Jackson, Ltd.
Description: 351 p. col. front. : ill., plates (partly fold.). With bibliography: p. 339–343.
Chatterton wrote extensively on boats in the early 20th century, motivated by his own
interests as well as his experiences as a commanding officer in the Royal Naval
Volunteer Reserve during World War I. Sailing ships (1909) was his first title published,
released concurrently in both Britain as well as the United States and reprinted within
five years. It gives a history of sailing ship design from the ancient Egyptians to the
end of the 19th century. Ancient ships explored are those from Egypt, Phoenicia,
Greece and Rome. Ship designs between the 8th century and the late 15th century
follow. The main histories of ship design studied are those of actively colonising
Europe from the 15th century until the close of the 19th century. The 1923 edition
has an added chapter on sailing ships after World War I. It is written in a highly
readable format for the layman, enhanced by 125 illustrations of ships from different
eras and 9 ship plans.
258. Chatterton, Edward Keble. (1927). Fore & aft craft and their story: An account of the fore
& aft rig from the earliest times to the present day. London: Seeley, Service.
Description: 347 p. : ill., plates (some col.). With index and glossary.
The fore-and-aft was developed in Holland and remained a popular sailing technology
in sea vessels in the face of steam and motorised sea vessels. The book begins by
tracing the origin of the fore-and-aft rig design in ancient boats and subsequently its
development in northern Europe, particularly looking at the influence of Holland.
Chatterton also gives the state of the fore-and-aft rigs in present day Britain and
America along with more modern innovations of this technology. Chatterton used
records from England and Holland in researching for this publication. First published
in 1911, the book has 130 illustrations of ships from the 16th to the 20th centuries
including plan drawings of selected vessels.
259. Childe, Vere Gordon. (1944). The story of tools. London: Cobbett Publishing.
Series Title: Story of Science.
Call No.: RCLOS 621.909 CHI [GBH]
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260. Diderot, Denis. (1959). Diderot pictorial encyclopedia of trades and industry, manufacturing
and the technical arts in plates selected from L’Encyclopédie; ou, Dictionnaire raisonné des
sciences, des arts et des métiers, of Denis Diderot. (Vols. 1 & 2). New York: Dover.
Description: 2 v. : chiefly ill. ; 32 cm. With bibliography: v. 1, p. xxix–xxx.
Call No.: RCLOS 603 DID [GBH]
Having a fine introduction and notes by Charles Coulston Gillispie, this English
translation of Diderot’s ground breaking 35-volume L’Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire
raisonné'8e des sciences, des arts et des métiers marks the 200th anniversary of its first
publication between 1751 and 1772. The controversial encyclopedia was plagued
with accusations of sedition and blasphemy from the start. Growing popularity and
support for its revolutionary ideas of the usefulness of science and industry and the
importance of the common folk threatened the ruling aristocracy in France who
consequently banned the publication. One of Diderot’s stalwart supporters, Chrétien
Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, was the very censor who sent agents to
seize his manuscripts,. Its final editions had to be published discretely. Although not
quite an encyclopedia in the modern sense, the articles and accompanying illustrations
provide historical insights to 18th century trades, traditions and industries in France.
The copper engravings are a rich source of visual information for the historian of
technology. Besides this monumental work, Diderot also wrote criticisms of art and
religion, translations of the classics and his own plays, establishing his position as
one of the foremost philosophers in the French Enlightenment.
261. Firth, Raymond William. (1946). Malay fishermen: Their peasant economy. London:
Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited.
Description: xii, 354 p. : ill., plates, port., maps (1 fold.) fold. plan, diagrs. ; 23 cm. With
bibliography: p. 348, index.
Series Title: International Library of Sociology and Social Reconstruction.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “on 15: 8: ‘48”.
Call No.: RCLOS 639.209595 FIR [GBH]
Beginning with a general description of the fishing industry in Malaya and Indonesia,
Firth examines in further detail a Malay fishing village in Kelantan. It includes details
on fishing methods, the local fishing industry’s economic history, the internal
organization of the industry especially aspects of financing and marketing, with
highlights of challenges faced by both the fishermen and colonial administrators in
pre-war Malaya. It is accompanied by useful appendices and photographs of the
community. The study was conducted by both Firth and his wife, Rosemary, between
1939 to 1940 and was issued in cooperation with the Royal Institute of International
Affairs and the Institute of Pacific Relations.
262. Gatrell, V. C. G. (1950). Style of the house. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: [36] p. : ill ; 25 cm.
This is a technical guidebook providing the fonts, specimens of type and the house
style for printing government publications in Singapore. The Specimens of type (1955),
which complements this title, is also found in the Gibson-Hill Collection.
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263. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1946). Boats and fishing on the Cocos-Keeling Islands.
London: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
Description: p. 13–23 : ill., plates, map, tables ; 28 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and
Ireland (1946), 76.
264. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). Cargo boats of the East Coast of Malaya. Singapore:
Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [106]–250 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1949, June), 22(3).
265. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). The fishing boats operated from Singapore Island.
Singapore: Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [148]–170 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from the JMBRAS (1950, August), 23(3).
Microfiche No.: MFM NL 1582, MFC NL 0011/019
266. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). The Indonesian trading boats reaching Singapore.
Notes: Reprint from JMBRAS (1950, February), 23(1).
267. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951). A note on the small boats of the Rhio and Lingga
Archipelagos. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1951, February), 24(1).
268. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952). Further notes on the old boat found at Pontian, in
Southern Pahang. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [111]–133 p. : ill. , photos. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1952, August), 25 (1).
269. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954). The steamers employed in Asian waters, 1819–39.
Description: p. 120–162 ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1954, May), 27(1).
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270. Great Britain, Hydrographic Department. (1937). China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 1), comprising
the Western Shore of the China Sea from Tanjong Penawar, on the Eastern Side of Johore,
to Fokai Point, Bias Bay; the Anamba Islands and Hainan Island; also the islands and
banks bordering the main route from Singapore Strait to Hong Kong (1st Ed.). London:
Hydrographic Dept.
Description: xxxii, 691 p. : ill., map (folded). With index.
Notes: “All bearings are true”. Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “11: 4: ‘49”.
271. Great Britain. Hydrographic Department. (1940). Bay of Bengal pilot: Comprising the
southern and eastern coasts of Ceylon, the eastern coast of India, the coast of Burma, and
the western coast of Thailand from Pakchan River to Goh Puket; also the Andaman and
Nicobar islands. London: Hydrographic Dept.
Description: xxx, 454 p.
272. Great Britain. Hydrographic Department. (1946). Malacca Strait pilot, comprising
Malacca Strait and its northern approaches, Singapore Strait and the west coast of Sumatra.
London: Hydrographic Department.
Description: xxxvi, 420 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.8929595 GRE [GBH)
273. Great Britain. Hydrographic Department. (1946). South Indian Ocean pilot: Comprising
Madagascar, Iles Comores, Ile de la Reunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Chagos
Archipelago, and other islands lying Westward of longitude 80 degrees East. London:
Hydrographic Department.
Description: xxx, 403 p. : ill., map (folded)
Call No.: RCLOS 623.894 GRE
274. Great Britain, Hydrographic Department. (1946). Supplement No. 6, 1946 relating to
the China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 1, 1st Ed.), 1937, corrected to 11th November, 1946. Whenever
reference is made to the Pilot, this Supplement must be consulted. London: Hydrographic Dept.
Description: 81 p.
Notes: Compiled by H. V. Silk, R. N.
275. Great Britain. Hydrographic Department. (1948). The Antarctic pilot: Comprising the
coasts of Antarctica and all islands southward of the usual route of vessels. London:
Hydrographic Dept., Admiralty.
Description: xlii, 370 p. : ill., 3 fold. maps ; 25 cm. With index.
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276. Great Britain, Hydrographic Department. (1949). Supplement No. 5, 1949 relating to
the Bay of Bengal Pilot, (7th Ed.), 1940, corrected to 22nd September, 1949. London:
Hydrographic Dept.
Description: 72 p.
Notes: This supplement must be consulted when reference is made to the Pilot. Compiled
by H. V. Silk, R. N.
277. Great Britain, Hydrographic Department. (1949). Supplement No. 6,. 1949 relating to
the Eastern Archipelago Pilot, (Vol. 4, 2nd Ed.), 1939, corrected to 5th Sep, 1949. London:
Description: 41 p.
Notes: This supplement must be consulted when reference is made to the Pilot. Compiled
by W. K. V. Fairlie, R. N
278. Great Britain, Hydrographic Department. (1950). China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 2), comprising
the Western and North-Western Coasts of Borneo, the Philippine Islands from Balabac
Island to Cape Bojeador in Luzon, and the outlying islands and dangers in the Southern
and Eastern Parts of the China Sea (2nd Ed.). London: Hydrographic Department.
Description: 2 v.
279. Great Britain. Hydrographic Department. (1950). Supplement No. 2, 1950, relating to
the South Indian Ocean Pilot (6th Ed.), 1946, corrected to 5th September, 1950. London:
Description: 17 p.
Notes: Whenever reference is made to the Pilot, this Supplement must be consulted.
280. Haddon, Alfred Cort & Hornell, James. (1936–1938). Canoes of Oceania. Honolulu:
Bernice P. Bishop Museum.
Description: 3 v. : ill. ; 27 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.829 HAD [GBH]
A special publication by Bernice P. Bishop Museum in three volumes. Volume 1 has

an article by J. Hornell, entitled “The canoes of Polynesia Fiji, and Micronesia” and
Volume 2 has A. C. Haddon’s article entitled “The canoes of Melanesia, Queensland,
and New Guinea”.
281. Haley, Nelson Cole. (1950). Whale hunt: The narrative of a voyage. London: Robert Hale.
This is the first UK edition of Haley’s third journey to the South Pacific on the whaler
Charles W. Morgan between 1849 and 1853. The American harpooner was only
seventeen when he launched into his journey. Haley vividly describes the adventures
of whale hunting and life of the Polynesians including the crew’s fight against cannibals
in the South Seas. The original illustrations are by John Weir, whose drawings are
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based on a separate whaling cruise. The Charles W. Morgan is the world’s only surviving
19th century whaler. Built in 1841 in Massachusetts, it sailed for 80 years on 37
voyages in pursuit of whales and even served as the set for several films since the
1920s. Narrowly escaping destruction in World War II, it has been exhibited at the
Mystic Seaport Museum since 1941.
282. Holttum, Richard Eric. (1951). Pot plant culture in Singapore. Singapore: Singapore
Gardening Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 635.965 HOL [GBH]
Holttum gives simple steps for keeping potted plants in Singapore’s climate including
the use of burnt earth, manure, and water. He also discusses the art of potting
specifically for flowering annuals, herbaceous plants, shrubby pot plants, foliage
plants, succulent plants and orchids. Illustrations are by Juraimi bin Samsuri.
283. Honey, William Bowyer. (1946). Glass: A handbook for the study of glass vessels of all
periods and countries & a guide to the museum collection. London: The Ministry of
Education and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Description: 169 p. 72 plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 666.1909 HON [GBH]
284. Hornell, James. (1920). The origins and ethnological significance of Indian boat designs.
Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press for The Asiatic Society.
Description: p. [139] –256 : ill., plates.
Notes: Re-published from the Memoirs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 7(3), pp. 139–256.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.8210954 HOR [GBH]
This article presents the characteristics of boat designs as found according to coastal
and inland regions of India. The eight regions are the Northwest Coast, the Bombay
Coast, Malabar and Travancore, the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay and Strait, the East
Coast northwards of Point Calimere; the Maldive and Laccadive Islands, and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The descriptions and technical design of boats such
as canoes, outriggers, dhonis, catamaran and river crafts are detailed accompanied
by sketches of selected crafts. Hornell worked his way up the Marine Fisheries of
Madras, beginning as a Marine Assistant in 1908 and retiring as Director in 1923.
285. Hornell, James. (1924). The boats of the Ganges: The fishing methods of the Ganges.
Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Description: p. [171] –237.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.82109541 HOR [GBH]
286. Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. (1949). Malayan fisheries; a handbook prepared for the
inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific Council, Singapore, March 1949. Singapore: Malayan
Publishing House.
Description: viii, 88 p. : ill., front., plates, maps (folded) ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 639.2 IND [GBH]
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This handbook on the Indo-Pacific Council meeting was edited by Geoffrey Leighton
Kesteven with a foreword by Malcolm Macdonald. It acknowledges the contributions
of Gibson-Hill, which includes an article titled “The fishing boats used on the coasts
of Malaya” and 34 of his photographs found in the appendix.
287. Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. (1951). Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council: [Proceedings] 3rd
meeting 1st–16th February 1951, Madras, India, Section I. Singapore: Indo-Pacific Fisheries
Council.
Description: v : 56 pp., : ill.
This compilation includes an article by Gibson-Hill entitled “A proposed system for

cataloguing the boats used in the fishing industries of South and East Asia”.
288. Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. (1952). Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council: [Proceedings] 3rd
meeting 1s –16th February 1951, Madras, India, Section II and III. Singapore: Indo-Pacific
Fisheries Council.
Description: v : [57] –226 p. : ill., charts.
289. Institute for Medical Research (Malaysia). (1951). The Institute for Medical Research
1900–1950. Kuala Lumpur: Institute for Medical Research.
Description: xiv, 389 p : ill., diagrs ; 24 cm.
Series Title: Research studies, Jubilee / Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur; No. 25.
Call No.: RCLOS 610.62595 INS [GBH]
This historical account of a medical institution also captures the culture and life of
colonial Malaya using vivid narrative and hand-drawn illustrations. Gibson-Hill is
acknowledged for the use of one of his photographs.
290. La Varende, Jean de. (1955). Cherish the sea: A history of sail. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd.
Description: xi, 348 p. : ill.
Notes: Bound to a second book, The sailing ship (1926) by Romola Anderson and Roger
Charles Anderson.
La Varende covers the development of the double-ended ship (1200–1400), the full-
rigged ship (1400–1600) and the sailing ship from the 17th century until the 19th
century. It is translated from French by Mervyn Savill.
291. Low, James. (1836). Dissertation on the soil and agriculture of the British settlement of
Penang or Prince of Wales Island, in the Straits of Malacca; including Province Wellesley
on the Malayan Peninsula. Singapore: Printed at Free Press Off.
Description: viii, 321 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 630.9595123 LOW
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Besides an in-depth analysis of the agricultural produce and its cultivation, Low also
studies Penang’s administration by local authorities, the various tribal groups encountered
and their religious practises. Low was made Superintendent of Province Wellesley whilst
serving as Captain in the Madras Native Infantry and was competent in several local
languages including Thai and Malay. Re-published as The British Settlement of Penang
in 1972, the introduction noted that Low was ahead of his time in examining the
agricultural and economic potential of Penang and other British settlements. The
publication thus remains frequently cited in studies of 19th century Penang.
292. MacGregor, David Roy. (1952). The tea clippers: An account of the China tea trade and
of some of the British sailing ships engaged in it from 1849–1869 with drawings by the
author. London: P. Marshall.
The tea clipper was designed to overtake the blundering East Indiaman in the long
route to China for the tea-trade. Despite its initial success, the tea clippers were made
obsolete when the Suez Canal was opened and thus did not last more than two decades.
293. Mitman, Carl Weaver (Ed.). (1923). Catalogue of the watercraft collection in the United
States National Museum. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office.
Description: v, 298 p. : ill., plate. With index.
Series Title: Bulletin 127, U.S. National Museum.
Notes: Bound to a photocopy of Report of the National Museum, 1891, [527]–735 pp.
U.S. National Museum.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.821 MIT [GBH]
A listing with descriptions of vessels and boats based on models that are in the
holdings of the United States National Museum (USNM), today’s Smithsonian. The
first two hundred pages cover boats in North America whilst Part 2 to Part 5 deal
with vessels in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. Several
Malay prahu and Chinese junks with photographs of their models are also included.
Mitman had served for 41 years at the UNSM. In 1932, he became Curator of the
Department of the Arts and Industries and fought long to have an independent
Museum of Engineering, which he never saw in his lifetime.
294. Naish, George Prideaux Brabant (1953). A picture book of ship-models. London: H. M.
Stationery Office.
Description: [27] p. : ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.82086 LON [GBH]
The slim volume has 32 plates of ships, primarily of models of ships from the second
half of the 17th century until the 1930s. Photographs show the rich collection of ship
models in the National Maritime Museum and reveal details of English warship
models of the 1670s alongside Royal Navy sloops of the 19th century. This first edition
continued to be re-published with at least three editions by 1962. Whilst serving as
Assistant Keeper at the National Maritime Museum in the United Kingdom, Naish
came to be highly regarded as steward of the history of boats.
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295. Nooteboom, Christiaan. (1932). De boomstankano in Indonesie. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

Description: [vi], 240 p. : ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.829 NOO [GBH]
296. Report of the FAO Fisheries Mission for Thailand. (1949). Washington, D. C.: F. A. O.
Description: 73 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 639.09593 FOO [GBH]
297. Singapore Agri-Horticultural Society. (1866). Report: Singapore Agri-Horticultural

Society. Singapore: Printed at the Straits Times Press.
Notes: Inside page has a signed statement “His Excellency Colonel Ord”.
Call No.: RRARE 635.095951 SASR
298. Singapore. Government Printing Office. (1955). Specimens of type. Singapore: [s. n.].
Description: 53 p. : ill ; 15 cm.
Provides the font, type specimens and house-styles for printing government publications
in Singapore. Gatrell’s Style of the house (1950) complements this unique title.
299. Smyth, Herbert Warington. (1906). Mast and sail in Europe and Asia. London: J. Murray.
Description: xix, 448 p., ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.822 SMY [GBH]
This first edition of Smyth’s well-known title covers a wide-range of sea crafts that sailed
between the Baltics and the Malay archipelago. Boats and ships are described accompanied
with a sketch or an illustration. Chapters 1 to 8 describe sea crafts such as barges, boats,
rigs and trawlers from Europe including Holland, Norway, France, Scotland and around
the Mediterranean. Chapters 9 to 12 cover boats, ketch, canoes and junks from Malaya,
India, China and Japan. Chapter 10 on the Malay Peninsula details boats commonly
found in Singapore and the rest of Malaya at the turn of the century. The illustrations
are by E. W. Cooke, W. L Wyllie, W. Robins, W. Warington Smyth, Nevill Smyth and
the author himself. Smyth had served in the diplomatic service in South Africa and
Thailand but had inherited an eye for ships and a passion for travel from his famed
grandfather, Admiral W. H. Smyth. The book is based on observations made during
Smyth’s many journeys as a public servant. It was re-published in 1929, expanded with
added chapters and illustrations, including those by his grandfather and his two sons
who had been too young to illustrate the first edition. Smyth’s two-volume Five years
in Siam (1898) is also in the Gibson-Hill collection.
300. Stevens, Guy William Willis. (1957). Microphotography: Photography at extreme

resolution. London: Chapman & Hall.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the National Library of Singapore.
Call No.: RCLOS 686.43 STE [GBH]
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301. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1961). How to run a simple aquarium. Singapore:
Description: [ii] 9 p : ill ; 21 cm.
This slim guide for the hobbyist gives simple steps to keeping freshwater tropical fish
in domestic acquariums.
302. Underhill, Harold Alonso. (1952). Deep-water sail. Brown: Son & Ferguson.
Description: 303p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.822 UND [GBH]
The history of sailing ships of the 19th and 20th centuries is captured in this tome,
including that of brigs, brigantines, barquentines, barques, ships, full-riggers and
schooners. The author rewrote this book after his notes were destroyed during the
war. It has several photo plates of mentioned ships.
303. Waters, David Watkin. (1940). Chinese Junks: An exception: The Tongkung. London:
Society for Nautical Research.
Description: [79] –95 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Mariner's Mirror (1940, January), 26 (1).
Call No.: RCLOS 623.822 WAT [GBH]
A detailed study of the “tongkang” which plied the Malayan waters and were operated
by the Hokkiens or Cantonese. It includes descriptions of the hull, forecastle, poop
and gallery, the masts, spars and rigging, and the sails. The illustrations include details
of the rigging as well as plan drawings, side elevations and sections of the craft.
304. White, E. W. (1950–1952). British fishing-boats and coastal craft (Vols. 1 & 2). London:
H. M. Stationery Off.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1, p. 49 ; Vol. 2, p. 42–43 : plates, maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
This two-volume work begins with a historical survey found in Volume 1 capturing
details of boats found on the East Coast, West Coast and South Coast of England. It
also includes those found at the Thames and its estuary, Scotland and Ireland followed
by a descriptive catalogue and list of plans found in Volume 2. Volume 2 is also entitled
Handbook of the collections illustrating British fishing-boats and coastal craft. The first
edition was published in 1937 under the title, British fishing and coastal craft.
305. Wong, K. Chimin & Wu, Lien-the. (1936). History of Chinese medicine; being a chronicle
of medical happenings in China from ancient times to the present period. Shanghai: National
quarantine service.
Description: xxiii, 906 p. : ill., LIII pl. (incl. front., ports., plan, facsims.) diagrs ; 24 cm.
With index of Chinese books p. 241–246, bibliography 247–254.
Notes: In two books. Book 1: 1–256 p., Book 2: 257–906 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 610.951 WAN [GBH]
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Book 1 traces the early history of Chinese medicine from 2600 BC to the modern
20th century. Book Two focuses on the development of modern medicine in China
between the 17th century and the 1930s, examining Western influences on Chinese
medicine. The book faced many challenges in its production. Firstly, it was a compilation
of obscure, disparate and scattered resources written in various languages. Secondly,
there was the obstacle of distance separating both authors. K. C. Wong worked out
of Shanghai where he lectured on medical history at the National University. He is
credited for working on Book 1 using a number of Western sources, particularly
American and English. Wu, on the other hand, was serving as Director of the
Manchurian Plague Prevention Service. He used both Chinese and Western sources
for Book 2. Chinese names are consistently romanised using the Wade system with
Chinese characters appended. Within just four years of its first publication, this tome
was revised with new data which indicated a growing interest in the field. This is one
of two titles in the Gibson-Hill Collection that specifically deals with medicine,
Gibson-Hill’s original profession.
306. Worcester, George Releigh Gray. (1947). The junks and sampans of the Yangtze; a study
in Chinese nautical research (Vols. 1 & 2). Shanghai: Statistical Dept. of the Inspectorate
General of Customs.
Description: 2 v : ill. (part fold., part col.). Vol. 1: xxviii, 245 p., Vol. 2: xv, [246] – 506 p.
Series Title: Miscellaneous series, Inspectorate General of Customs, Maritime Customs,
China Nos. 53–54.
Call No.: RCLOS 623.82209512 WOR [GBH]
Worcester studied Chinese sailing crafts over a period of eight years. Prior to this,
little had been written about such crafts of Chinese origins or the boatsmen manning
them. Worcester drew from his experience as First Inspectorate of the Chinese
Maritime Customs over the Yangtze and as a seasoned sailor, both careers spanning
25 years. The publication is well illustrated with detailed drawings of boats and
anecdotal insights of those who man them. Volume 1 includes an introduction and
descriptions of crafts of the Estuary and Shanghai area. Volume 2 describes the craft
of the lower and middle Yangtze and its tributaries. The work was revised, expanded
and re-published in 1971 by the Naval Institute Press.
307. Wray, Leonard. (1848). The practical sugar planter; a complete account of the cultivation
and manufacture of the sugar-cane, according to the latest and most improved: processes;
describing and comparing the different systems pursued in the East and West Indies and
the Straits of Malacca. London: Smith, Elder.
Description: xvii, 415 p : ill., plates (1 fold.) ; 21 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 633.61 WRA
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ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

308. Adam, Leonhard. (1954). Primitive art (3rd Ed.). London: Penguin Books.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.34 ADA [GBH]
Adam discusses primitive arts from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Australia and America. In
the earlier section of his book, he explores the meaning of primitive art, its relation to
religion and its social functions. Adam is known as an expert in Indian and Chinese
art, with a strong knowledge of the collections of primitive arts in European museums.
This book was first published before World War II and this is its third edition, testifying
to the demand for this title.
309. Adams, Ansel. (1948). Making a photograph: An introduction to photography. London: Studio.
Adams’ early ambitions to becoming a pianist was distracted by his parent’s gift of a
Kodak camera and the beautiful pictures it turned out during a visit to Yosemite National
Park in 1916 when he was a teenager. Adam thereafter took to commercial photography
to support his passion for the art. Adams’ photographic works are treasured not only
for his artistry but also the rugged beauty of America’s natural landscapes they capture.
Making a photograph, published in 1935, was his first publication on the art delineating
how photographs are to be taken and made. By that time, he had already published
some photographs and made a name for himself though he never became wealthy
through it. He is also famed for the Zone system, a technique where distracting light
is zoned out to enhance the actual subject taken. Adams today remains one of America’s
foremost photographers, well-known not only for his photographic techniques but also
as a nature conservationist through these instruments.
310. Adamson, J. Spencer. (1947). Retouching and finishing for photographers (4th Ed.).
London: I. Pitman.
Description: xxvi, 117 p. : ill., plates.
311. Allen, Arthur Augustus. (1951). Stalking birds with color camera. Washington, D. C.:
National Geographic Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.932 ALL [GBH]
Cornell University, prior to World War II, offered the only dedicated course leading
to a PhD in ornithology in the United States with Allen at the helm of the faculty.
Having begun his teaching career in 1912, Allen obtained full professorship in
ornithology at Cornell in 1926 and continued to found the Cornell Laboratory of
Ornithology, which today remains world famous for its bird recordings. His
contributions to the National Geographic Magazine, beginning with his first article
in 1934 soon led to fully funded expeditions and assignments to photograph birds.
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However, Allen had been photographing “the charm of birds in action in living
colour”, as he called it, since 1904. Stalking birds is a compilation of Allen’s articles
and images that were featured in the National Geographic Magazine and were considered
a milestone in photographic and colour printing techniques during its time. Along
with the photographs of 20 key bird photographers depicting more than 260 North
American birds, 264 of the 331 colour illustrations are Allen’s own, 72 of which have
never been published before. The 13 chapters cover aspects of the birds’ natural
habitat, techniques in photographing birds and unique articles such as Harold
Edgerton’s amazing freeze frames of a hummingbird in flight. The publication gained
such popularity that a revised edition was released a decade later. Allen is known
most for his keen insights on the psychology of birds, from their mating intentions
to their fear of their own reflections.
312. Beamish, Tony. (1954). The marks on Chinese porcelain. Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Museums
Dept.
Description: 18 p. Includes some details on Chinese porcelain in Malaya.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.20951 BEA [GBH]
313. Beamish, Tony. (1954). The arts of Malaya. Singapore: D. Moore.

Description: 80 p. : ill. Includes bibliography and photographs of some artists in action.
Series Title: Malayan heritage series.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.595 BEA [GBH]
The book’s strength is in providing a broad overview of the state of the arts in Malaya
serving as a resource “to examine the prospects of a national culture” when Malaya
stood at the brink of independence. It begins with the ethnic influences that have led
to the unique cultural hodgepodge found in Malaya. It then paints a broad picture
of the various local arts found including the visual arts, performing arts and wearable
arts with details on wearable arts, as well as pottery and puppets. It includes some
photographs of artists in action.
314. Bentley, Malcolm (Ed.). (1954). The pick of ‘Punch’: An annual selection. London: Chatto
and Windus.
Description: v, 176 p., ill. ; 26 cm.
Notes: Also known as Pick of ‘Punch’ (London, England). With foreward by Malcolm
Muggeridge
Call No.: RCLOS 827.9108 PP [GBH]
315. Bentley, Nicozas (Ed.). (1958). The pick of ‘Punch’: An annual selection. London: Andre
Deutsch Ltd.
316. Berg, Wolfang Friedrich. (1950). Exposure: The fundamentals of camera technique.
London: Focal Press.
Series Title: The Manual of photo-technique.
Call No.: RCLOS 770.282 BER [GBH]
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317. Birdwood, George Christopher Molesworth. (1884). The industrial arts of India. London:
Chapman & Hall.
Description: 438 p. : ill., plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 745.2 BIR [GBH]
This publication is a reprint of a portion of the author’s Handbook to the Indian Court
published for the Paris International Exhibition that was held in 1878. Part 1 is on
the Hindu pantheon and Part 2 is on the master handicrafts of India.
318. Bossert, Helmuth Theodor. (1955). Folk art of primitive peoples: Six hundred decorative
motifs in colour, forming a survey of the applied art of Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania,
North-, Central-, and South America. London: A. Zwemmer.
Description: 40 p. : col. ill. ; 35 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 745 BOS [GBH]
This is the fourth edition of a visual survey of folk art first published in 1923. It is
most appreciated for the details of decorated items presented primarily through its
40 colour plates although there is limited descriptive text.
319. Bossert, Helmuth Theodor. (1956). Decorative art of Egypt and Asia: Four hundred
decorative motifs in colour, forming a survey of the applied art of Egypt, China, Japan,
Siam, Tibet, of the Lapps and Siberian and Islamic peoples. Zwemmer.
Notes: Translated from German.
Call No.: RCLOS 745.4495 BOS [GBH]
320. Chatterton, Edward Keble. (1928). Old sea paintings, the story of maritime art as depicted
by the great masters. London: John Lane; New York: Dodd, Mead and Co.
Description: xiii, 179 p. incl. col. front. : plates (part col.) ; 29 x 23 cm.
Chatterton’s work describes the life, works and career of both Dutch and English
marine artists who painted between the 14th century and 19th centuries. It has 15
colour and 95 black-and-white illustrations, mainly from the Macpherson collection.
321. Doggett, Marjorie. (1957). Characters of light: A guide to the buildings of Singapore.
Singapore: Donald Moore.
Description: x, 82 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 725.4095957 DOG [GBH]
A visual tour of colonial buildings extant in Singapore of the 1950s, Doggett provides
a historical background to each of these unique buildings from places of worship to
government buildings in her publication. It is not as extensive in textual detail as
Hancock’s and Gibson-Hill’s Architecture in Singapore (1954) but serves as an interesting
counterpoint to Gibson-Hill’s photographic works on colonial architecture.
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322. Duyvendak, Jan Julius Lodewijk. (1933). Ma Huan re-examined. Amsterdam: Noord-
Hollandsche Uitgeversmill.
Description: 74 p., 24 cm.
Series Title: Verhandelingen der Koninklijke akademie van wetenschappen te Amsterdam
(1st Ed.), New series, 32(3).
Call No.: RCLOS 895.1 DUY [GBH]
A technical analysis of the Ying yai shêng lan [the overall survey of the ocean’s shores],
which is attributed to Ma Huan and was first published in the 1400s. Ma Huan had
accompanied Zheng He on his naval journeys providing details of 15th century
Southeast Asia and Ming China in this record.
323. Emcee Chand [M. C. Chand Chirayu Ratchani] & Khien Yimsiri. (1957). Thai
monumental bronzes. Bangkok: The authors.
The authors attempt a classification of Thai Buddhist bronze sculptures, highlighting

unique features and their design origins for some dating to as early as the 6th century.
Its 99 black-and-white plates of the art form are still refered to today for comparative
studies of Buddhist images. The work has a preface by Silp Birasri.
324. Erith, John. (1951). Modern control in photography. London: Fountain Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 770 MOD [GBH]
325. Foenander, Eric Carl. (1952). Big game of Malaya: Their types, distribution and habits.
London: Batchworth P.
Description: 208p. : ill. , map ; 23 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 799.29595 FOE [GBH]
This guide to hunting in Malaya gives descriptions, origins, habitat, distribution, and
the habits of big game animals such as the elephant, rhinoceros, seladang (Malayan
Gaur) and tapir. It also includes techniques and tips for hunting and photography as
well as important notes in legislation and conservation.
326. Forman, Werner. (1958). Swords and daggers of Indonesia. London: Spring Books.
Description: 33 plates (part col.) ; 27 cm.
Notes: Issued also in German under title, Schwerter und dolche Indonesiens.
Call No.: RCLOS 739.7 SOL [GBH]
327. Gardner, Gerald Brosseau. (1936). Keris and other Malay weapons. Singapore: Progressive
Publishing.
Description: 138 p. : ill., front. (port. ) ; 29 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 739.7 GAR [GBH]
Since its publication, Gardner’s has been considered the authoritative text on the
Malay keris (a dagger with spiritual signifance) and related weapons. Half of the title
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is dedicated to the varieties of keris found in the Malay archipelago whilst other
weapons discussed include various small arms such as spears, blowpipes and even
canons. Descriptions include origins, method of manufacture and uses, accompanied
by photographs and drawings. It is edited by B. Lumsden Milne, with this copy marked
91 in a limited edition of 150 copies. Gardner was a recognised amateur anthropologist
who had come to Malaya as a rubber planter and later served in the colonial government
in Singapore. He was also a well-known occultist.
328. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951). Malay hats and dish-covers. Singapore: Malayan
Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: 133–158 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1951, February), 24(1).
329. Glover, Bertram Thomas Johnson. (1950). Print perfection. Fountain Press.
Series Title: Modern photographer’s library series.
Call No.: RCLOS 770.284 GLO [GBH]
330. Goetz, Hermann. (1959). India: Five thousand years of Indian art. London: Methuen.
Description: 275p. : ill., plates (col.), map, ; 24 cm. With index and bibliography.
Series Title: Art of the World.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.54 GOE [GBH]
331. Han, Huai Zhun. (1960). [Nan yang yi liu de zhong guo gu wai
xiao tao ci] [Ancient Chinese ceramics found in Nanyang]. Xin Jia Po [Singapore]: Qing
Nian Shu Ju.
Description: 56 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. In Chinese.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.2 HHC [GBH]
332. Hancock, T. H. H & Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954). Architecture in Singapore.

Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Description: [40] p. : ill. , plates ; 24 cm.
This book contains at least 180 descriptions of buildings and landmarks in Singapore
in the 1950s based on a collection of photographs by Gibson-Hill, exhibited from 26
March to 5 April, 1954. The exhibition was sponsored by the Singapore Art Society
and the Institute of Architects of Malaya and was held in conjunction with a showcase
of proposed projects by the Institute. Although not all the photographs originally
exhibited are published, the book includes reproductions of paintings found in the
Raffles Museum. The notes on buildings and its architectural features are by Hancock
and Gibson-Hill.
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333. Hancock, T. H. H. (1955). Coleman of Singapore. London: Architectural Press.

Description: [14] p. : ill. ; 31 cm.
Notes: Reprinted from Architectural Review (1955, March).
Call No.: RCLOS 720.924 COL.H [GBH]
This thin booklet captures Coleman’s life, architectural styles and legacy with reference
to Singapore’s colonial architectural heritage. The booklet has a brief biography on
Coleman, Singapore’s first architect, and explores some of the buildings that he
designed, with several black-and-white photographs probably taken by Gibson-Hill.
334. Hewicker, Friedrich. (1954). Oceanic art. London: Thames & Hudson.
Description: 32p. : ill. ; 32 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Stamped “C. A. Gibson-Hill, Raffles Museum, Singapore 6”.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.932 HEW [GBH]
Insights into the Melanesian and Polynesian societies are examined through the use
of ritualistic art objects. Accompanied by 96 black-and-white photographs by Friedrich
Hewicker, the text by Herbert Tischner includes an introduction on a brief overview
of European exploration of the Pacific and the settlements of these islands.
335. Hiler, Hilaire. (1934). Notes on the technique of painting. London: Faber & Faber, Limited.
Description: viii, 340 p. : ill., facsim., diagrs. ; 23 cm. With, index and glossary.
Notes: A preface by Sir William Rothenstein. It has a handwritten note “Carl Gibson
Hill from J. G. H., Easter 1935”.
Call No.: RCLOS 751 HIL [GBH]
336. Hill, A. H. (1956). The Malay keris and other weapons. Singapore: Government Printing
Office.
Call No.: RCLOS 739.7 HIL [GBH]
337. Hirth, Friedrich. (1888). Ancient porcelain: A study in Chinese mediaeval industry and
trade. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh.
Description: 80 p.. With index.
Notes: A handwritten note – “No. 753, Shanghai 15/6/88” on cover and frontispiece.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.20591 HIR [GBH]
This is an early scholarly work on Tang and Song porcelain discussing the porcelain
trade of that period. The work was instrumental in enabling pottery specialists to
better assess ancient Chinese pottery found in Borneo, especially influencing Tom
Harrisson, the curator of the Sarawak Museum and a close associate of Gibson-Hill,
in his approach toward the subject.
338. Hosking, Eric John & Lowes, Harold. (Eds.). (1947). Masterpieces of bird photography.
London: Collins.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.932 HOS [GBH]
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This book contains a collection of what is considered the best black-and-white

photographs of birds by famed bird photographers including G. K. Yeats, Hugh Wagstaff,
C. W. Teager, Niall Rankin, Oliver Pike, Harold Lowes and Eric Hosking himself.
Hosking pioneered techniques in bird photography but he only came to fame after a
birding accident when a tawny owl tore his left eye out whilst photographing it. Hosking
held key positions in British photographic, ornithological and nature societies.
339. Hosking, Eric John & Newberry, Cyril William. (1949). Birds in action. London: Collins.
Description: 128 p. : ill. (part col.) ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.932 HOS [GBH]
This book presents the photographic outcome of a new technique of using high-
speed flash for capturing birds in flight. It also gives key information on the positions
of the wings whilst in flight amongst various species. There is also a fascinating series
of images of the barn owl feeding its young. Besides the 70 half-tone and 8 colour
photographs, there are also details of the strategies Hosking and Newberry use in
taking these photographs.
340. Johnson, Robert. (1930). The art of retouching photographic negatives, and practical
directions how to finish and colour photographic enlargements, etc. (12th Ed.). London:
Chapman & Hall.
Description: x, 154 p : ill. , plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 770.283 JOH [GBH]
First published around 1910, subsequent revisions had T. S. Bruce and Alfred Braithwaite
contribute their expertise to this classic. Bruce was known for his skills in re-touching
photographs having taught classes on this aspect whilst Braithwaite was the inventor
of the well-known Erasing Pencils and was a recognised photographic finisher. Re-
touching is the art of either enhancing a photograph with a fine lead pencil or removing
error by shaving the film with a sharp edge. By the 1930s, the airbrush had become a
common instrument for correction, razor blades were preferred to etching knives, and
colour methods in photography had vastly improved. This later edition thus is much
enlarged with discussions of these new developments in photography and how they
affect the approach to re-touching. Part I gives the definition of negative re-touching
and a detailed step-by-step approach from sharpening knives and pencils, to desk
lighting. It also gives artistic tips on defining lips and other facial features as well as
touching up landscape and architectural design. Part II discusses the finishing and
colouring of photographs, including the use of the airbrush.
341. K. Kadang. (1960). Ukiran rumah Toradja. Djakarta: Dinas Penerbitan Balai Pustaka.
Description: 83 p. col. : ill. , port.
Call No.: RCLOS 736 KAD [GBH]
Kadang’s work describes the decorative arts found etched on Toraja homes in Central
Sulawesi providing insights to their symbolic meanings. The Toraja’s original animistic
beliefs and the lack of a written language resulted in the development of an intricate
system of animals and plants motifs each with its own meaning. Carved out of wood,
these motifs decorate the Toraja homes in stark red and black. The publication presents
a series of these designs in square panels of red and black, providing the Toraja and
Indonesian names as well as the function and significance of these motifs. In Indonesian.
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342. Kooijman, Simon. (1956). Art of Southwestern New Guinea: A preliminary survey. The
Hague: [s.n.].
Description: p. 343–372 : ill., plates (some col.). With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from Antiquity and survival (1956), (5).
Call No.: RCLOS 709.951 KOO [GBH]
343. Kramrisch, Stella. (1954). The art of India: Traditions of Indian sculpture, painting and
architecture (2nd Ed.). London: Phaidon Press.
Description: 231 p. : ill., plates (some col.), map ; 32 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.54 KRA [GBH]
344. Kramrisch, Stella, Cousins, J. H. and R. Vasudeva Poduval. (1948). The arts and
crafts of Travancore. London: Royal India Society.
Description: 193 p. : ill., 77 plates ; 26 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.5483 KRA [GBH]
345. Leuzinger, Elsy. (1960). Africa: The art of the Negro peoples. London: Methuen.
Description: 247p. : ill., plates, map (some col.) ; 24 cm. With bibliography and index.
Series Title: Art of the World series.
Notes: Translated from the German by Ann E. Keep.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.67 LEU [GBH]
346. Linton, Ralph. (1946). Arts of the South Seas. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.
Description: 199, [1] p. : ill., maps, plates, diagrs. ; 26 x 20 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.95 LIN [GBH]
Linton’s publication is based on an exhibition organised by Renée d’Harnoncourt in

collaboration with Ralph Linton and Paul S. Wingert at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. It captures the arts of four ethnic regions of the South Seas, namely
Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Over 200 photographs and maps are
featured and these capture some aspects of this significant exhibition.
347. Liu, Kang; Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee & Chong Soo Pieng. (1953).
[ba li lu hang hua ji] [Bali: A catalogue of travel pictures]. Xin jia po [Singapore]: Hui zhe.
Description: 1 v. (unpaged) : ill.(some col.), ports ; 27 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 759.95957 BAL [GBH]
Reproductions of art work by key Singaporean artists arising from their visit to Bali.
Their works would later define Nanyang arts. In Chinese.
348. Loebèr, Johannes Aarnout. (1913–1916). Techniek en sierkunst in Ned-Indië (Vols.

3–8). Amsterdam: Het Koloniaal Instituut Amsterdam.
Description: v. : plates ; 22 cm. With bibliographical references.
Series Title: Geïllustreerde beschrijvingen van Indische Kunstnijverheid. Bulletin
van het Koloniaal Museum te Haarlem, No. 51.
Notes: In Dutch.
Call No.: RRARE 745.449598 LOE
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349. Locke, Arthur. (1954). The tigers of Trengganu. New York: Scribner.
Description: xvi, 191 p. : ill., map, plates ; 22 cm. With index.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the National Library of Singapore. Copy
is signed dated 1954 but the signatory is uncertain.
Call No.: RCLOS 799.2774428 LOC [GBH]
Colonel Locke, previously the District Officer of Trengganu, gained first-hand

knowledge of the tigers in Trengganu’s jungles. Besides anecdotal reports of their
appearances, he also describes the tigers’ distribution and hunting areas. Locke also
has a section on the local superstitions and legends related to the tiger. The book has
a foreword by Malcolm MacDonald.
350. Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association. (1952). An exhibition of Malay arts & crafts
organised by the Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association at the Chinese Assembly Hall.
Kuala Lumpur, March 28th, 29th & 30th, 1952. Singapore: Craftsman Press.
Description: [38] p : ill. ; 26 cm. With bibliography.
This booklet includes short articles on local handicraft including hand-woven cloth,
silverwork, brass and white metalware, painted and printed cloths, pottery, embroidery,
lace-making, wood-carving, copperwork, plaited mats, bags and baskets, hats and dish
covers. This compilation of articles was based on the Singapore Art Society’s exhibition
of Malay Arts and Crafts, first held at the British Council Centre on July 1951 in
Singapore. The exhibition was the first in Singapore to display a comprehensive array
of Malay arts and crafts since the 1922 Malaya-Borneo Exhibition. The exhibition
included Malay woven material such as Malay baskets, tudong saji (food covers) and
pandan mats, many of which were on loan from the Singapore Art Society, A. H. Hill
and Gibson-Hill. The publication is a reprint from a booklet prepared by Gibson-Hill,
with the assistance of Hill for the Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association (MAHA)
351. Maxwell, William George. (1957). In Malay forests. Singapore: D. Moore.

Notes: Malayan reprints.
Call No.: RCLOS 799.295951 MAX [GBH]
An introduction to life in Malayan jungles through fifteen accounts of animal hunts.

The anecdotes provide insights to Malayan jungle magic and superstitions, local
hunting techniques and legends of animals and magic set in the forest. It begins with
a description of the rainforests, an aspect which the colonial traveler often misses,
since many only call at the port towns of the Straits Settlements and do not venture
to the inland townships. The hunting adventures of the crocodile, rhino, tapir, seladang,
fish, elephant, tiger and goats are described while the chapter entitled “A tale by the
wayside” recounts the adventures of the wily Mouse Deer. The appendix expounds
on the role and work of the pawang or Malay sorcerer. This reprint is the only one
of several since Blackwood first published it in 1907.
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352. Mijer, Pieter. (1921). Batiks, and how to make them. New York: Dodd, Mead.
Description: viii p. , 3 l. , 86 p. front. : plates, chart ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 746.1 MIJ [GBH]
The publication presents techniques in batik painting along with the history of the
art in both Java and Holland. The photographs of G. W. Harting illustrate the various
batik designs.
353. Mitsuoka, Tadanari. (1956). Ceramic art of Japan (4th Rev. Ed.). Tokyo: Japan Travel
Bureau.
Description: 184 p. : col., front., plates (part col.), map (fold). With bibliography and index.
Series Title: Tourist Library series/ Japan Travel Bureau, 8.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.0952 MIT [GBH]
354. Molesworth, Hender Delves. (1951). Sculpture in England – Medieval. London: British
Council by Longmans.
Description: 18 p. : plates (b. & w).
Call No.: RCLOS 730.942 MOL [GBH]
355. Molesworth, Hender Delves. (1951). Sculpture in England – Renaissance to early 19th
century.
London: British Council by Longmans, Green.
Description: 18 p., 56 plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 730.942 MOL [GBH]
356. Mortensen, William. (1935). Pictorial lighting. San Francisco, California: Camera Craft
Publishing Co.
Description: 111 p. front. : ill., ports. ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.72 MOR [GBH]
A basic text on lighting for maximum impact on the subject although during
Mortensen’s time, the concepts were considered new.
357. Mortensen, William. (1949). Mortensen on the negative. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Description: 283 p. : ill., ports. ; 25 cm.
This user guide in photography does not so much explain the technicalities of making
negatives but instead gives Mortensen’s philosophy and approach towards using
negatives. Mortensen was famous in his day for his unique photographic techniques,
particularly in processing film, resulting in “paintings” of reality and stylised portraits
suited to the coterie of Hollywood stars who patronised his studio. Considered unusual
by some and camp by others, he was both loved and reviled by his contemporaries,
an indication of the uncertain tastes in art photography at this early age of the camera.
His books on photographic techniques were ghostwritten by George Dunham, a
graduate of Harvard and a theatre director. Both men also worked together in
developing unique photographic methods. These early “How-to” photography
publications not only supported the Mortensen School of Photography but established
Mortensen’s stature in the world of photography.
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358. Mortensen, William. (1947). Outdoor portraiture; problems of face and figure in natural
environment. San Francisco, California: Camera Craft Publishing Co.
Description: 142 p. front. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Notes: “First edition.” Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the National Library of Singapore.
This publication was one of the first to explore the processes involved in taking
photographs outdoors. All of Mortensen’s titles in the collection were contributed by
Loke Wan Tho.
359. Moses, Henry. (1824). Sketches of shipping: Views in Portsmouth Harbour. London: H.
Moses.
Description: ill. ; 28.5 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 743.996238 MOS
A visual feast of 40 sketches by distinguished engraver Henry Moses of shipping and

port life in 19th century England, namely at Portsmouth Harbour. Moses, attached
to the British Museum, was known for detail and accuracy in his illustrated work.
He etched mainly works of art and scenes of history of the early 19th century. This
title is one of a few rare copies of his work.
360. Nanyang Fine Art Academy. Graduation Class. (1951). 1951

[Nan yang mei shu zhuan ke xue xiao hua kan. 1951 nian- di liu jie] [First
painting collections of the Nanyang Fine Arts Academy by its sixth batch of graduates].
Singapore: [s. n.].
Notes: A Chinese note– “To Madam Noni Wright” with a signature in Chinese. Presented
by Loke Wan Tho to the Perpustakaan Negara Singapura.
Call No.: RCLOS 759.95957 NFAAGC [GBH]
Profiles of the graduates in this magazine is accompanied by some English and

Chinese articles on the art scene in Malaya. Noni Wright, to whom this publication
is given, contributed an article entitled “East and West meeting a Malayan style of
painting”. It also includes portraits of the graduates, samples of their works and
advertisements.
361. Nibbelink, Don D. (1952). Bigger and better, the book of enlarging. Rochester, New
York: John P. Smith Co.
Call No.: RCLOS 770.284 NIB [GBH]
362. Okada, Y. (19--). Nikko: The fine art and history. Kyoto: Tanto-shinsha.
Description: 262 p., plates.
Notes: Photos by S. Kuzumishi, with an English introduction. In Japanese.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.5212 OKA [GBH]
363. The pick of ‘Punch’ (1955): An annual selection. (1954). London: Chatto and Windus.
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364. Ronsil, René. (1957). L’art francais dans le livre d’oiseaux (Eléments, d’une iconographies,
ornithologique francaise)[French art in the book of birds (Environment, iconography and
French ornithology]. Paris: Société nationale d’acclimatation.
Description: [iii] 136 p. : ill., (part col.). With bibliography.
Series Title: Memoires, La Société Ornithologiqie de France et de l’Union Francaise, No.
6, Supplément à l’Oiseau et la Revue Francaise d’Ornithologie, 27(Part 4).
Notes: In French.
Call No.: RCLOS 743.682 RON [GBH]
365. Singapore Art Society. (1951). A definitive exhibition of Malay arts & crafts [at the]
British Council Centre, Stamford Road – Singapore, July 21st to 29th, 1951. Singapore:
Craftsman Press.
Description: unpaged : plates ; 26 cm. With bibliography.
Gibson-Hill was a committee member for this exhibition. The content was re-published
in the 1952 Exhibition of Malay arts & crafts. The advertisements in this programme
also provide useful information on the activities of the Singapore Art Society and
their partners in this exhibition.
366. Singapore Art Society. (1953). A loan exhibition of Chinese art of the Ming and Ching
periods [at the] British Council Centre, Singapore, June 5th to 14th, 1953. Singapore:
Singapore Art Society (Published in conjunction with the China Society).
Description: v. : ill.
Notes:. Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the
National Library of Singapore.
367. Singapore Art Society. (1954–1955). The Singapore Artist (Vol. 1, Nos. 1–3). Singapore:
Singapore Art Society.
Description: v ; 21 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 705 SA [GBH]
Microfilm No.: NL 9939, NL 11804
The Singapore Artist or the Journal of the Singapore Art Society was published when a
rising interest in the local arts scene was evident as seen in the increased number of art
exhibitions in the 1950s. Articles are by members of the Society, art aficionados and the
artists themselves. The discussion of the arts is not limited to that practiced in the English-
speaking community, but extends to that evolving out of the Chinese, Indian and Malay
communities. The first issue was released in September 1954. By the third issue, it was
so widely read throughout Malaya that it was renamed Malayan Artist. Gibson-Hill was
a founding member and the Society’s first Chairman from 1949 to 1953.
368. Singapore Art Society. (1954). A loan exhibition of Chinese art of the early periods [at the]
British Council Centre, Singapore, May 7th to 16th, 1954. Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Notes: “The exhibition has been organised by a joint committee under the chairmanship
of Malcolm MacDonald.”
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369. Singapore Art Society. (1956). Chen Wen Hsi: Exhibition of paintings in the British
Council Gallery on May 4–May 13. Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Description: 32 + 8 p. : ill. , port ; 35 cm.
Notes: “Dr C. A. Gibson-Hill, Compliments of Chen Wen Hsi”.
This catalogue features more than 32 works by Chen Wen Hsi with short articles on
Chen by Frank Sullivan, Vice-President of the Singapore Art Society, Chan Peng Yin,
Ho Kok Hoe and Lee Siow Mong.
370. Skinner, Martyn. (1947). Letters to Malaya written from England to Alexander Nowell
M. C. S. of Ipoh (Vol. V). London: Putnam.
Description: ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 821.912 SKI [GBH]
Part of a 5-volume work, the Letter to Malaya Vol. 3 & 4 won the Hawthornden Prize,
the oldest British prize for imaginative literature. Vol. 5 is a poem that captures the
imaginary conversation between the author who is at Oxfordshire and his Malayan
friends who work at the local civil service. Only vol. 5 is in the Collection.
371. Speiser, Werner. (1960). China: Spirit and society. London: Methuen.
Description: 257 p. : ill., plates (some col.) ; 24 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.51 SPE [GBH]
An ambitious survey of the development of China’s art from the Neolithic age to the
modern 20th century taking into account its political, religious, cultural and
philosophical perspectives. The original German text was first published in 1959 with
this edition translated by George Lawrence.
372. Speltz, Alexander. (1910). The styles of ornament, from pre-historic times to the middle
of the XIXth century. New York: Bruno Hessling.
Description: [x] 647 p. : ill., plates. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 704.945 SPE [GBH]
Speltz provides a series of more than 3,500 renderings of ornamental art forms from
the pre-historic age to the mid-19th century in a historical order. Its descriptive text
and the 400 full-page plates have made this the bible for artists from different
disciplines, namely architects, designers and craftsmen.
373. Spinks, Charles Nelson. (1959). Siamese pottery in Indonesia. Bangkok, Siam Society.
Description: 17 p., 65 plates, 24 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.309593 SPI [GBH]
A rare study of the Thai export trade of ceramics to Indonesia based on the collections
at the Jakarta Museum.
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374. Straits Times Press. (1948). Straits Times pictures. Singapore: Straits Times Press.
Description: 3 v. : chiefly ill. ; 29 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 779.99595 STR [GBH]
Microfilm No.: NL 11180 (1948)
This 1948 edition includes a “scenic tour of Malaya” with photographs by press staff
photographers and Gibson-Hill. This is the second annual compilation of the best
photographs from the Press. It captures landscape and close-ups of people in the
Peninsula.
375. Tilney, Frederick Colin. (1930). The principles of photographic pictorialism. Boston:
American Photographic Publishing Co.
Description: ix, 218 p. : ill., plates ; 26 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 770.11 TIL [GBH]
Techniques in taking artistic photography is outlined in this work. It includes plates

of some fascinating portraiture and landscapes.
376. Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick. (1942). My country book. London: The Studio.
Description: 95 p. : ill. (some col.).
Call No.: RCLOS 759.2 TUN [GBH]
Fifteen articles by Tunnicliffe on his art and the countryside he so often portrays. His
sketches and colonial drawings accompany the articles.
377. Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick. (1945). Bird portraiture. London: The Studio.
Description: 96 p. : ill., plates (some col.).
Series Title: How to do it series, No. 35.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “15: 4: ‘46”. Has Tunnicliffe’s bookplate.
Call No.: RCLOS 743.682 TUN [GBH]
A master in animal portraiture reveals the secrets to the art of drawing birds in this
title. It includes techniques in colour, tone, poses and action studies. Tunnicliffe gives
details for capturing plumage and the equipment required for fieldwork. Trained in
the Royal College of Art in London, Tunnicliffe is most known for painting animals
in an English landscape. Tunnicliffe was adept in a wide-range of media, using paint,
etchings, woodcut and watercolour. Supporting himself through commercial artwork
related to the farming industry since 1928, his art can be found in posters, magazines
and even in privately commissioned collections. Tunnicliffe began illustrating books
in 1932 with Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson which gave him some measure
of recognition. He continued to illustrate and design dust-jackets of over 250 titles,
many of which were children’s titles for publishers such as Puffin and Ladybird. He
also did a large number of illustrations of birds for the publications of the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds while writing and illustrating several of his own
publications including some “how-to draw” titles. So vast was the body of works by
Tunnicliffe between the pre- and post-war period that his style and perspective of
British natural landscape invariably influenced how future artists painted animals
thereafter. Besides this title, Gibson-Hill also has Tunnicliffe’s My country book (1942).
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378. Volker, Tys. (1954). Porcelain and the Dutch East India Company: As recorded in the
Dagh-registers of Batavia Castle, those of Hirado and Deshima and other contemporary
papers, 1602–1682. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Description: 243 p. , 32 p. of plates, [2] leaves of folded maps : ill. ; 26 cm. With index.
Series Title: Mededelingen van het Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, No. 11.
Notes: Has references to Japanese and Chinese porcelain.
Call No.: RCLOS 738.2 VOL [GBH]
379. Wagner, Frits A. (1959). Indonesia: The art of an island group. London: Methuen.
Notes: Translated from the Dutch by Ann E. Keep.
Call No.: RCLOS 709.598 WAG [GBH]
380. Wakefield, George Leslie & Smith, Neville W. (1945). Synchronized flashlight photography.
London: Fountain Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.37 WAK [GBH]
381. Wall, Edward John. (1933). The photographic darkroom; its arrangement and use. Boston,
Massachusetts: American Photographic Publishing Co.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the National Library of Singapore
Call No.: RCLOS 771.1 WAL [GBH]
382. Willetts, William Y. (1958). Chinese art (Vol. 1). Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin
Books.
Description: xxxi, 801 p. : ill. , plates, map (folded).
Notes: For later edition, see Foundations of Chinese Art. Added t.p. in Chinese.
A historical survey of Chinese art from the earliest age to the Ching Dynasty. Volume
1 traces art forms from the Paleolithic to the Six Dynasties. Volume 2 deals with
Chinese art that developed from the Tang to the Ming dynasties. Willets examined
the various Chinese art forms that flourished over the different historical time periods
– jade in the Neolithic period, bronze in the Shang and Chou dynasties, lacquer and
silk in the Han, Buddhist sculpture from the Northern Wei to the Tang period, pottery
and ceramics from the middle to late Tang periods, painting from the Sung and Yuan
periods, and architecture in the Ming and Ching periods. The work includes
photographic plates and illustrations and was highly commended in scholarly journals
for consolidating a wealth of information on this subject. Volume 2 is not available
in the Gibson-Hill Collection.
383. Winstedt, Richard Olaf & Sturrock, A. J. (Eds.). (1957). Cherita jenaka: Ia-itu Pa’Kadok,
Pa’Pandir, Lebai Malang, Pa’Belalang, Si-Lunchai [Funny fables: Namely of Uncle Toad,
Mr Never-do-well, Unlucky One, Uncle Grasshopper and Clever One]. Singapore: Malaya
Publishing House.
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Series Title: Malay literature series, No. 6.

Notes: Includes summaries of the stories in English. Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho
to the National Library of Singapore.
384. Wonders of wild life photography: Being a selection of photographs from the second ‘Country
Life’ International Exhibition. (1950). Country Life.
Call No.: RCLOS 778.932 COU [GBH]
385. Xiang xue zhuang shu hua xuan ji [Exhibition of Mr Tan Tsze Chor’s
collection and modern Chinese calligraphy]. (1950). Singapore: Zhong Guo Xue Hui [The
China Society, Singapore].
Call No.: RCLOS 759.951 HHC [GBH]
The catalogue presents 147 reproductions of Tan’s priceless collection of Sung Dynasty
(10th century) paintings and calligraphy.
386. [Xing Zhou Ri Bao She]. (1952). [Dong nan ya

she ying ji] [Photoalbum of South-East Asia (Vol.1), Portrait & landscape]. Singapore: [s. n.].
Description: 1 vol. ; 100 p. : chiefly ill. ; 27 cm.
Notes: In Chinese.
Call No.: RCLOS 779 SCJ [GBH]
A photo album of 100 pictures of Southeast Asia selected from the first and second
exhibitions sponsored by the Sin Chew Weekly of the Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore.
Volume 1 presents portraits and landscapes.
387. Zheng, Xiuling [Zung, Cecilia S. L.]. (1937). Secrets of the Chinese drama: A complete
explanatory guide to actions and symbols as seen in the performance of Chinese dramas.
Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh.
Description: xxv, 299 p., plates.
The often hidden meanings behind the colourful performances of Peking Opera or
Chinese Opera are uncovered in this publication. The first part of the book deals
with the staging of Chinese opera, from its set up and musical instruments to its
costumes and make-up. The second part studies the various movements employed
in operatic story telling and their meanings, from sleeve positions to body posture.
The final part presents 50 popular Chinese plays and their synopses. With 240
illustrations and 54 plates, the publication opens a window into this Chinese art form
that was previously seldom discussed in English prior to this book. Pictorial details
enhance descriptions of the symbolic meanings relating to painted facial features,
flags, lanterns and props. A large part of the book is devoted to Mei Lan Fang, a
performer who is famed for his role as hua dan (a male opera actor who takes on a
female personae on stage).
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TRAVELOGUE AND HISTORY

388. Abdullah Abdul Kadir, Munshi. (1949). The voyage of Abdullah: Being an account of his
experiences on a voyage from Singapore to Kelantan in A.D. 1838 and a description of the
countries which he visited and their customs and the state of their government, together
with his reflections thereon. Singapore: Malaya Publishing House.
Description: ix, 73 p. : map ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 ABD [GBH]
Microfilm No.: NL7466, NL26015)
Coope offers a full translation of this Malay classic for English-speaking readers with
notes and appendices. The appendix touches on the honoured position of Saids, the
Kelantan Civil war and some pantuns. Munshi Abdullah’s account is considered the
first Malay work to be written in a colloquial style.
389. Ab Zayd Hasan ibn Yaz d al-S r f . (1733). Ancient accounts of India and China, by
two Mohammedan travellers, who went to those parts in the 9th century; translated from
the Arabic, by the late learned Eusebius Renaudot. With notes, illustrations and inquiries
by the same hand. London: Samuel Harding.
Description: xxxvii, [1], 99, 260, [12] p. 21 cm. With index.
Notes: Also known by the title of Silsilat al-taw r kh.
Call No.: RRARE 954 ANC.
The travels of Sulaiman the Merchant (851 A. D.) and Ibn Walib (877 A. D.) are
narrated here giving insights especially to 9th century China. The accounts were
translated from manuscripts found at the Comte de Seignelay’s Library and are
believed to predate Marco Polo’s narratives by 400 years. Abu Zayd (Zeid) adds
remarks on the accounts, the history and customs of China, some illustrations of its
natural history and a discussion of the entry of Christianity and Islam into China.
Appended are two articles entitled “An inquiry concerning the Jews discovered in
China” and “A dissertation on the Chinese learning” with a useful index. The accounts
were important source documents for early Arabic geographers and have remained
important for present-day researchers who seek perspectives to early Muslims, Jews
and Christians in China.
390. Adler, Elkan Nathan. (1930). Jewish travellers. London: G. Routledge.

Description: xxiv, 391 p., 8 leaves of plates : ill. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Broadway Travellers series.
Call No.: RCLOS 915.694 JEW [GBH]
A survey of the travel descriptions of wandering Jews from between the 9th to the
middle of the 18th centuries. It presents 17 essays in chronological order, beginning
with an account of a Jew who accompanied Charlemagne’s embassy to Harun ha-
Rashid and continuing with poems, statesmen’s correspondences and business letters,
as well as general geographical descriptions and extracts from diaries. This publication
is translated from J. D. Eisenstein’s Ozar massaoth or The treasure of travel, a collection
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of 24 Hebrew texts. It was re-published several times, with the most recent in 2004.
Adler was a well-travelled lawyer-historian who had acquired thousands of ancient
Jewish manuscripts, including some from the Cairo Genizah.
391. Alvares, Francisco. (1961). The Prester John of the Indies: A true relation of the lands of
the Prester John, being the narrative of the Portuguese Embassy to Ethiopia in 1520 (Vols.
1 & 2). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: Vol. 1: xvi, 321p, Vol. 2: vi, 323–617p. : ill., maps.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part II, No. 114 & Part
II, No. 115.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.8 HAK [GBH]
This is a modern reprint of the mission of Dom Rodrigo de Lima in the 1520s,
considered the first successful European embassy to the Ethiopian court. The translation
by Lord Stanley of Alderley of 1881 is revised and edited with additional material by
C. F. Beckingham and G. W. B. Huntingford.
392. Amstutz, Hobart B. (1945). An Amstutz newsletter: Covering 20 January 1942 to 7

September 1945. Singapore: Wesley Manse.
Description: 14 p. ; ill.
Call No.: RRARE 940.5481 AMS
The Rev. Amstutz gives an account of life in Changi POW camp during the Japanese
Occupation from a Christian perspective. He starts with the last days before the fall
of Singapore, including his last pastoral duties. Details of life in internment in Changi
are also captured in sketches of the camp cell and vivid descriptions of everyday life
and entertainment.
393. Andrews, Kenneth Richmond (Ed.). (1959). English privateering voyages to the West
Indies, 1588–1595; documents relating to English voyages to the West Indies from the defeat
of the Armada to the last voyage of Sir Francis Drake, including Spanish documents
contributed by Irene A. Wright. Cambridge: Hakluyt Society at the University Press.
Description: xxvii, 421 p. : plate, ports, maps (1 fold. ) ; 23 cm. With bibliography: p.
xxi-xxv.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part II, No. 111.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “on 2: 9: ‘59”.
Besides presenting known material on privateering in the 16th century, the value of
Andrews’ work is in his presentation of previously unpublished primary source
documents held at the Spanish and English archives and his insightful editing on this
compilation of 25 privateering ventures. Wright had translated close to 30 documents
dating to the 1590s from the Archivo General de Indias in Seville. Andrews writes
an informative introduction to privateering in the 16th century with emphasis on
the West Indies and the Spanish War period.
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394. Bali: Studies in life, thought, and ritual. (1960). The Hague: W. van Hoeve.
Description: xii, 434 p. : ill., maps. With bibliography: p. [391] –405.
Series Title: Selected studies on Indonesia by Dutch scholars.
Notes: Introduction by J. L. Swellengrebel, published for the Royal Tropical Institute,
Amsterdam.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.86 BAL [GBH]
395. Barbosa, Duarte. (1918, 1921). The book of Duarte Barbosa. An account of the countries
bordering on the Indian Ocean and their inhabitants, written by Duarte Barbosa, and
completed about the year 1518 A.D. Translated from the Portuguese text, first published
in 1812 A.D., by the Royal Academy of Sciences at Lisbon, in Vol. II of its collection of
documents regarding the history and geography of the nations beyond the seas, and edited
and annotated by Mansel Longworth Dames. Including the Coasts of Malabar, Eastern
India, Further India, China, and the Indian Archipelago. (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Printed
for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: lxxxv, 238 p., Vol. 2: xxxi, 286 p front. : (port: v. 2) fold. maps. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part I, No. 44 & No. 49.
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 HAK
396. Baring-Gould, Sabine & Bampfylde, Charles Agar. (1909). A history of Sarawak under
its two White Rajahs, 1839–1908. London: H. Sotheran & Company.
Description: 464 p. : ill., plates, map (fold) ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 991.12 BAR [GBH]
This work considers the rule of the Brookes over Sarawak in the 18th and early 19th
centuries. It examines the challenges they faced as a white ruling minority over the
native masses in aspects such as subduing piracy and preserving the lives of the Dyaks.
397. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1954). Raffles’ ideas on the land rent system in Java and the Mackenzie
Land Tenure Commission. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff.
Notes: Handwritten note “National Library Singapore, John Bastin, Sep 18, ‘91, Singapore.”
Bastin’s signature was obtained by the library at a much later date.
Call No.: RCLOS 991 VITLV [GBH]
Bastin examines Raffles’ land revenue reforms in Java in the context of Dutch and
British advisory and influences between 1811 and 1814, including the Mackenzie
Land Tenure Commission.
398. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1959). The study of modern Southeast Asian history. Kuala Lumpur:
University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.
Notes: Handwritten note – “National Library Singapore, John Bastin, Sep 18, ‘91,
Singapore”. Bastin’s signature was obtained by the library at a much later date.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 BAS [GBH]
In this inaugural lecture delivered at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur on

14 December 1959, Bastin examines recent scholarly reinterpretations and criticisms
of history from an Asian perspective and calls for a balanced perspective in measuring
the value of Western interpretations.
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399. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1960). The Western element in modern Southeast Asian history.
Kuala Lumpur: Department of History, University of Malaya.
Description: 27 p.
Series Title: Papers on Southeast Asian subjects, No. 2.
An abbreviated version of the inaugural lecture first published under the title The
study of modern Southeast Asian history (1959).
400. Bastin, John Sturgus. (1961). Essays on Indonesian and Malayan history. Singapore:
Eastern Universities Press.
Description: x, 202 p. : map ; 23 cm. With bibliography: p. 189–198, and bibliographical
footnotes.
Series Title: Monographs on Southeast Asian, No. 2.
Containing two previously unpublished articles, this compilation of essays by Bastin

focuses on British colonial activities in Malaya and Indonesia during the early 19th
century. It covers aspects of the pepper trade and Raffles’ policies outside of Java,
particularly in Sumatra and Borneo. It also includes general essays such as “The
Chinese estate in East Java during the British Administration”, “The early land rent
system in West Java” and “ The Western element in modern Southeast Asian history.”
401. Beckingham, Charles Fraser & Huntingford, George Winn Brereton (Trans. & Ed.)
(1954). Some records of Ethiopia, 1593–1646: Being extracts from “The history of High
Ethiopia or Abassia” by Manoel de Almeida, together with Bahrey’s “History of the Galla”.
London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xcviii, 267p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second Series, Part II, No.107.
The main part of this publication is the translation of the Portuguese Jesuit priest,
Manoel de Almeida’s voluminous history of Southwest Ethiopia written from 1628 until
his death in Goa in 1646. His narratives describe the cultural, social and political aspects
of the Ethiopians. Bahrey was African and his short “History”, appended, was originally
written in Ethiopian. This is the first translation into English of these early accounts
of what is now predominantly Galla in Southern Ethiopia. Beckingham and Huntingford
have given strong and lengthy introductions to the background of the manuscripts, the
history of the region, its ethnology as well as the work of Jesuits there.
402. Begbie, Peter James. (1834). The Malayan Peninsula, embracing its history, manners and
customs of the inhabitants, politics, natural history &c. from its earliest records... Madras:
Printed for the author at the Vepery Mission Press.
Description: xvii, 523, xix p.
Call No.: RRARE 959.5 BEG
Major Begbie describes Malaya based on his experience of duties in the Peninsula.
The details include the Dutch colonial establishment in Malacca, the founding of
Singapore and the Straits Settlements. It also describes the natural history of the
Malayan Peninsula as well as the Malay culture and religious beliefs.
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403. Belcher, Edward. (1843). Narrative of a voyage round the world, performed in Her Majesty’s
ship Sulphur, during the years 1836–1842, including details of the naval operations in
China, from Dec. 1840– to Nov. 1841. Published under the authority of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty (Vols. 1 & 2). London: H. Colburn.
Description: 2 v. fronts. : ill. , plates, fold. maps. ; 23 cm.
Notes: By Captain Sir Edward Belcher… commander of the expedition. The maps in
pocket are entitled “The regions of vegetation; being an analysis of the distribution of
vegetable forms over the surface of the globe in connexion with climate and physical
agents. By Richard Brinsley Hinds”: v. 2, 1 ;. 1. , p. [325] –460.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 BEL [GBH]
A Canadian seaman who served in the British Royal Navy, Belcher was known for
his meticulous surveying missions but unfortunately had a reputation for a volatile
temperament and was often accused of ill-treating his crew. He took charge of his
first ship, the Ætna, in May 1830. In 1836, he was given the command to survey the
Americas and the South Pacific islands on the Sulphur. His published journal of the
journey covers the geography, flora and fauna, and travel encounters. Belcher’s return
journey took him through Singapore, arriving in 1840 where he was commanded to
join the battle against China. On 26 January 1841, his fleet was the first to land in
Hong Kong, with the conflict finally seeing the island ceded to the British flag. Upon
his return to England, Belcher was knighted in 1843 for his valiant battle in Hong
Kong despite his crew’s further protests of his ill treatment. His subsequent command
included the survey vessel Samarang, which is described in Narrative of the voyage
of the H. M. S. Samarang (1848), also found in the Gibson-Hill Collection.
404. Belcher, Edward. (1848). Narrative of the voyage of the H. M. S. Samarang, during the
years 1843–46: Employed surveying the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, accompanied
by a brief vocabulary of the principal languages. With notes on the natural history of the
islands, by Arthur Adam (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Reeve, Benham, and Reeve.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: 470 p. ; Vol. 2: 596 p. : maps (3 fold. in pocket), plates (some
col.), charts.
Call No.: RRARE 991 BEL
The voyage on the Samarang was originally intended to survey the China coast.
Commanded by the temperamental yet gifted surveyor Belcher, it passed through
Borneo, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, Korea and Japan. Belcher befriended the
Malayan inhabitants of Borneo, learnt their language and fought off the Illanon
pirates, gaining serious injuries in the process. His surveys of Borneo were subsequently
used by the British Hydrographic Office for their navigational publications.
405. Bennett, George. (1834). Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore,
and China: Being the journal of a naturalist in those countries during 1832, 1833, and
1834. (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Richard Bentley.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: xv, 440 p. ; Vol. 2: viii, 428 p.
Call No.: RRARE 910.4 BEN.
Bitten by the travel bug as a teenager, Bennett made voyages from England as far
down as Australia where he finally retired. Between 1828 and 1835, the trained
surgeon traveled through the Pacific and brought home a live Ungka ape from
Singapore as well as many plants from the East. This publication focuses on Bennett’s
journey to Australia, especially new South Wales, as described in Volume 1. His return
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to England past Batavia, Singapore and China is captured in Volume 2. The two
volumes give descriptions of the natural history and geography, especially of birds
and plants derived from Bennet’s empirical observations. The publication was reprinted
in 1967 by the Adelaide, Libraries Board of South Australia.
406. Bird, Isabella L. (Mrs Bishop). (1883). The Golden Chersonese and the way thither.
London: Murray.
Description: xvi, 384 p. : ill. , plate, map (folded).
Notes: Bookplate of Charles Archer Wynn Firch.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 BIS [GBH]
Bird was an intrepid traveler, unusual for the Victorian Age as she traversed the
known world on her own as a single woman. By the time she traveled to Malaya, she
was already a household name known for her travel writing, which spanned America,
Australia and Japan. The Golden Chersonese offers an insightful alternative to
government reports of 19th century colonial Malay states and settlements. She writes
on Singapore, Malacca, Selangor and Perak as well as Canton, Hong Kong and Saigon.
As in her previous publications, this takes the form of letters to her sister.
407. Blunt, Wilfrid. (1953). Pietro’s pilgrimage; a journey to India and back at the beginning
of the seventeenth century. London: Barrie.
Description: x, 320 p. : ill., port., map. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 BLU [GBH]
Pietro della Valle’s original work was based on letters to a friend which resulted in a
lengthy and convoluted account of his early 17th century travels to the Middle East. It
was translated into English in the 17th century. Blunt’s version was first published under
the Hakluyt Society in 1892. It describes Pietro’s return journey to Italy through India.
He stayed in Goa for 18 months where he observed the decline of Portuguese powers.
408. Bogaars, George & Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). The Tanjong Pagar Dock
Company, 1864–1905 & Singapore: Old Strait & New Harbour, 1300–1870. Singapore:
General Post Office.
Description: 274 p. : ill. , maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography: p. 261–274.
Notes: The first title is by Bogaars whilst the second by Gibson-Hill. Memoirs of the
Raffles Museum (1956, December), No. 3.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.51 BOG [GBH]
First published in Memoirs of the Raffles Museum (1956), 3: 11–116, this is a compilation
of articles on ancient references to the Keppel Harbour from sources as early as
Linschoten. The articles are entitled, “The Strait of Singapore”, “On Lung-ya men”,
“On the Channel of Santa Barbara”, “The Old Strait”, “The New Harbour”, “On not
building a dry dock”, and “On building dry docks”.
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409. Bourne, William & Taylor, Eva Germaine Rimington (Ed.). (1963). A regiment for the
sea, and other writings on navigation. Cambridge: Hakluyt Society at the University Press.
Description: xxxv, 464 p. : ill., plates, ports., charts, facsims., tables ; 23 cm. With
bibliography and index.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part II, No.121.
Bourne, a contemporary of Richard Hakluyt, is credited with publishing the first

navigational manual in English entitled A regiment for the Sea (1574). Prior to this,
Bourne had published An Almanacke and Prognostication, mathematical rules to
which he added his rules of navigation. Bourne was a resident of a port town at
Gravesend and besides serving as gunner and innkeeper, had become a mathematics
teacher although he never really traveled by sea himself. Taylor edits and reprints the
Almanacke of 1571 and 1581 as well as A regiment for the Sea (1574), providing an
informed biography to Bourne’s life and context. It also includes a bibliography of
Bourne’s writings by D. W. Waters and R. A. Skelton.
410. Bowrey, Thomas. (1905). Geographical account of countries ‘round the Bay of Bengal,
1669–1679. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: lvi, 387 p. : ill. , maps.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part 1, No.12.
Notes: Edited by Sir Richard Carnac Temple. With 19 Illustrations.
411. Boxer, Charles Ralph (Ed.). (1953). South China in the sixteenth century, being the
narratives of Galeote Pereira, Fr. Gaspar da Cruz OP, Fr. Martâin de Rada OESA
(1550–1575). Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus Reprint.
Description: xci, 388 p. : ill. , facsim. , maps. ; 23 cm. With bibliography: p. 344–360.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second Series, No.106.
Boxer gives an informative introduction to this narrative that also includes three 16th
century Spanish accounts of Southern China. The accounts were first published in
Juan Gonzalez de Mendoza’s Historia de las cosas mas notables, ritos y costumbres del
gran Reyno de la China in 1585. Gaspar da Cruz was a Portuguese Dominican, Martin
de Rada a Spanish Augustinian and Galeote Pereira a contemporary Portuguese trader
who had been imprisoned by the Chinese. They provide some of the earliest eyewitness
accounts of China from a European perspective, with Rada’s account presented for
the first time in English here. The publication’s appendix includes a Chinese glossary
and a table on Chinese dynasties and emperors.
412. Brassey, Annie Allnutt. (1881). A voyage in the ‘Sunbeam’: Our home on the ocean for
eleven months (2nd Ed.). London: Longmans, Green.
Description: xix, 492 p. : ill. , fold. col. maps.
Notes: Illustrations by A. Y. Bingham. Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “20: 5: ‘54”.
Call No.: RRARE 910.41 BRA
Written by the wife of an established politician and a contemporary of Isabella Bird,

Brassey was one of several women who wrote travelogues of their journeys around
the world in the late 19th century. Between 1876 and 1877, she traveled in the family
yacht, The Sunbeam, with her husband, Thomas II Brassey, at the helm, her four
children, two pugs and an army of servants. In 1874, the wealthy Brasseys made the
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first voyage around the world on a steam yacht. Brassey, despite severe bouts of sea-
sickness, detailed her journey through letters sent to loved ones back home. The
family braved rough waves and wild weather whilst gathering treasures from exotic
lands. This book was her third and most popular. Chapter 24 describes Singapore
and the rest of the towns along the Straits of Malacca. A. Y. Bingham, who beautifully
illustrated the book, accompanied the Brasseys on their journey. The book was
translated into 17 languages and ran into nine editions. On her last journey from
Darwin to Mauritius in 1887, Brassey was afflicted with malarial fever and died at
sea. Her last publication, The Last Voyage, was thus completed posthumously with
her husband’s help and published in 1889.
413. Brenchley, Julius L. (1873). Jottings during the cruise of H.M.S. Curacoa among the South
Sea Islands in 1865. London: Longmans, Green.
Description: xxviii, 487 p. : ill., plates (some col.). With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 996.1 BRE [GBH]
Brenchley had visited the Solomon Islands in 1865 and acquired more than 1,000
ethnological items. H.M.S. Curacoa also travelled through Norfolk Island, Samoa,
Tonga, Fiji, the New Hebrides and New Caledonia. The publication includes 49 colour
plates of fauna.
414. Bridges, William. (1948). Wild animals of the world. Garden City, New York: Garden
City Publishing Company.
Description: 272 p. : ill. (part col.) ; 29 cm. Includes an index.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 BRI [GBH]
Bridges provides descriptions of animals listed alphabetically from aardvark to zebu.

Details of each of the 252 animals are given including size, habitat and habits along
with portraits by Mary Baker. The introduction is by Roy Chapman Andrews. Bridges
was a regular contributor to the New York Zoological Society publications.
415. Briggs, Lawrence Palmer. (1951). The ancient Khmer empire. Philadelphia: American
Philosophical Society.
Description: 295 p. : ill. , maps. ; 30 cm. With bibliography p. 262–273.
Notes: From Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (New Series), (1951),
41(Part 1).
This book traces the history of the Khmer kingdom from 1st century A.D. Funan,
the Chenla period (c. 550–802), the Angkor period (c. 802–1432) to the capital’s
sacking in 1432 by the Thais. Briggs is the first to present a detailed survey of the
Khmer history, bringing together the findings of disparate scholarly analysis of ancient
Cambodian inscriptions and monuments. Briggs had been the US Consul in Indochina,
for both Saigon (1914–1917) and Rangoon (1917–1920), and was thus familiar with
the region. Prior to this publication, Briggs had written a shorter text entitled A
pilgrimage to Angkor, which set the groundwork for this later book. He began collecting
data for this publication since his first posting in Saigon in 1914 and began writing
this title in 1943. It is illustrated with maps and photographs.
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416. British Association of Malaysia. (London). (1953). Malaya: The Journal of the Association
of British Malaya, 1953. London: Association of British Malaya.
Description: ill. ; 25 cm.
Description: ill. s ; 25 cm.
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424. Brito, Bernardo Gomes de (Ed.). (1959). The tragic history of the sea, 1589–1622;
narratives of the shipwrecks of the Portuguese East Indiamen São Thomé (1589),
Santo Alberto (1593), São João Baptista (1622), and the journeys of the survivors in
South East Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: xiv, 297 p. : ill. , port. , fold maps, facsims. ; 23 cm. With bibliography.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, No.112.
The original compilation by Brito, entitled História trágico-marítima [The tragic

history of the sea] was published between 1735 and 1736 and comprised of shipwreck
and sea disaster narratives of the mid-16th to mid-17th centuries written mainly by
their survivors. This version is translated and edited from the original in Portuguese
by Charles Ralph Boxer, Camoens Professor of Portuguese, King’s College, University
of London. Boxer selected three texts from Brito’s concerning maritime tragedies off
the southeast coast of Africa. They are accounts of the Sao Thome wreck in 1589 by
Couto, the Santo Alberto wreck of 1593 as described by Lavanha, and that of Sao Joao
Baptista in 1622. Survivors of the wreck trekked inland through Africa to reach the
Portuguese trading station of Lorenco Marques. The accounts thus reveal Portuguese
perspectives especially of life on board their ships and aspects of the geographical
and ethnographic details of Africa. Boxer also gives a learned 50-page introduction.
This edition was considered rare until a recent reprint of it in 2001.
425. Brooke, James & Mundy, Rodney (Captain). (1848). Narrative of events in Borneo and
Celebes, down to the occupation of Labuan: from the journals of James Brooke, esq., Rajah
of Sarawak, and Governor of Labuan. Together with a narrative of the operations of H.M.S.
Iris. By Captain Rodney Mundy, R.N. With numerous plates, maps, charts, and woodcuts
(Vols. 1 & 2). London: John Murray.
Description: 2 v. in 1 : maps (fold.), plates ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 959.5220924 BRO
This biography of Brooke begins in 1838 with him sailing off on the yacht, Royalist,
and ends abruptly in 1846 after a momentous period in Borneo. Besides capturing
his life, adventures and challenges in Borneo, especially the suppression of the pirates,
it also gives details of the life and customs of the various tribes in Borneo such as the
Minkoka and the Dyaks. The two-volume biography was compiled by Captain Rodney
Mundy and was written based on Brooke’s diaries. Mundy’s own diaries are appended
in the second volume where Mundy gives an account of his command of the Iris in
1844. Here Mundy describes how he assisted Brooke in his fight against the pirates,
gives his perspective on events which are also mentioned in Brooke’s diaries and ends
with Munday returning in 1847.
426. Brown, C. C. (1952, October and 1953, February). “Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals;
A translation of Raffles MS 18 (in the Library of the R. A. S., London)”. Journal of the
Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 25(Parts 2 & 3)(No. 159). Singapore: Malayan
Description: 276 p. : ill. With bibliography.
Notes: Commentary by C. C. Brown.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS [GBH]
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427. Bulkeley, John & Cummins, John. (1927). A voyage to the South Seas in His Majesty’s
ship, the Wager, in the years 1740–1741, by John Bulkeley and John Cummins, gunner and
carpenter of the Wager. New York: McBride.
Description: xxxi, 212 p. : ill., plates.
Notes: An introduction by Arthur D. Howden Smith. Argonaut series. A handwritten
note by C. A. Gibson-Hill inside although content is uncertain.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 BUL [GBH]
The HMS Wager was carrying stores for Commodore Anson’s fleet, which was on
mission to assault the Spaniards off Chile. Bulkeley was a gunner on board the ship
when it was wrecked off the coast of Chile in inclement weather. The narrative
describes how Bulkeley led a mutiny against the ship’s captain and thereafter the
crew’s painful journey back, with details of the natural life along the coast of Patagonia.
It was first published in 1743 and has since caught the imagination of writers and
readers of travel narratives.
428. Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution. (18--). Smithsonian papers: Ethnology.

Washington: Smithsonian Institution.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings) ; 23 cm.
429. Burma Research Society. (1960). Fiftieth anniversary publications (No. 2). Rangoon:
Burma Research Society.
Description: [vii], 546 p.
Notes: Articles on Burmese personalities, events, history etc.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.1 BUR [GBH]
430. Burnell, John. (1933). Bombay in the days of Queen Anne; being an account of the
settlement written by John Burnell... with an introduction and notes by Samuel T.
Sheppard, to which is added Burnell’s narrative of his adventures in Bengal; with an
introduction by Sir William Foster and notes by Sir Evan Cotton and L. M. Anstey. London:
Hakluyt Society.
Description: xxx, 192 p., maps.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, No. 72.
Burnell gives an account of Bengal, Calcutta and Bombay in the early 18th century
where he had served commanding Dongrey Fort in Bombay. Besides commenting on
the government and administration of the colonial cities, he also gives details of daily
life and customs. The book’s second part focuses on his journey through Bengal after
his arrival there in 1712, giving descriptions of Dutch and Danish settlements. The
work was re-published after Burnell’s manuscripts were re-discovered in 1926. Sheppard’s
introduction provides the needed context and historical background to the events.
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431. Cabaton, Antoine. (1911). Java, Sumatra and the other islands of the Dutch East Indies.
London: T. F. Unwin.
Description: xvi, 376 p. : ill., plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 991.02 CAB [GBH]
In this publication Cabaton examines the Dutch colony of Java as well as Sumatra,
Borneo, Celebes, Moloccus and Timor. He describes the history, geography,
administration, the political and economic conditions of these lands, and studied
their local and colonial populations. First published in 1910 in French as Les Indes
Néerlandaises, it is translated with a preface by Bernard Miall. Cabaton had served
as a cataloguer of Asian manuscripts at the French National Library prior to his
postings in Asia. He is better known for his studies on the Cham in IndoChina and
for being a pioneer member of the ‘Ecole Française d’Extrème-Orient (EFEO).
432. Cavenagh, Orfeur. (1884). Reminiscences of an Indian Official. London: W. H. Allen.

Description: xi, 372 p.
Call No.: RRARE 954.03 CAV
The autobiography of Governor Orfeur Cavenagh of the Straits Settlements told as

the “unvarnished sketch of the career of an Indian Officer from Cadet to Governor.”
The narrative follows his various appointments in India, Nepal and the Straits
Settlements where he encountered uprisings and various diplomatic challenges. He
lost a foot at the Battle of Maharajpore in 1843 and sustained serious injuries during
the Sikh campaign of 1846. Details of late 19th century Singapore, Penang and Malacca
can be gleaned from his autobiography.
433. Chardin, John. (1927). Sir John Chardin’s travels in Persia. London: Argonaut Press.
Description: xxx, 287 p. : ill., plates, facsims, port. ; 27 x 20 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 955 CHA [GBH]
This translation by E. Lloyd of the jeweler Jean-Baptiste Chardin [John Chardin] and his
travels eastward, is based on the two-volume London edition of 1720 with the original
French edition first published in 1686 as Voyages de monsieur le chevalier Chardin en Perse
et autres lieux de l’Orient. His journeys were made in the 1670s with the second taking a
less direct route to Persia and veering as far as India. It has reproductions of the title pages
of the 1720 and the 1724 editions. The introduction by Brigadier-General Sir Percy Sykes
gives a background to the context of Chardin’s journeys. The editor, N. M. Penzer, also
provides a bibliographical preface. This is one of a limited edition of 975 copies, produced
on japon vellum. Although a French, the persecution of Protestants in his homecountry
led Chardin to ally himself with the English where he was appointed court jeweler and
thereafter joined the East India Company in late 17th century. Chardin’s work is highly
regarded for its detail and accuracy.
434. Cheng, Te-k‘un. (1959). Archaeology in China (Vol. 1). Cambridge: W. Heffer.
Description: xix, 250 p., ill., maps, tables ; 26 cm, index, bibliography: 165–171p. v. 1.
Prehistoric China. -- v. 1. Supplement.
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435. Childe, Vere Gordon. (1935). New light on the most ancient East: The oriental prelude
to European prehistory. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company, Limited.
Description: 326 p. : ill. ; map, 21 cm.
Notes: Handwritten notations but uncertain if it is Gibson-Hill’s hand.
Call No.: RCLOS 932 CHI [GBH]
Childe gained acclaim for approaching archaelogy through various disciplines and
synthesising a new understanding of early civilisation. It is in this publication that
some of his key theories are articulated. Here he describes the development of
civilisation in the area spanning Egypt to Pakistan, prior to their transmission beyond
the Mediterranean into Europe. First published in 1928, it was revised in 1934 with
added data and reissued in 1952.
436. Childe, Vere Gordon. (1954). What happened in history. Harmondsworth, Middlesex:
Penguin Books.
Description: 288 p. : maps
Call No.: RCLOS 930 CHI [GBH]
437. Churchill, Awnsham & Churchill, John. (1732). A collection of voyages and travels,
some now first printed from original manuscripts, others now first published in English
(Vols. 1–6). London: J. Walthoe.
Description: 6 v.
Notes: Volume 1 has the bookplate of John Damer Esq.
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 CHU
First published in 1704, this six-volume work includes the translations of journeys
published in various European countries tracing the expeditions of explorers from
Columbus to Captain John Smith. Essays include adventures and accounts of Asian
countries in the 17th century including China, the Philippines and the East Indies.
The illustrations and maps are also highly valued in this publication. There are 42
full-page illustrations of which 27 are foldout and 49 smaller ones in the text, 6 maps,
of which one is a foldout and another is in the text.
438. Clarke, Edward Daniel. (1816–1818, 1824). Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia
and Africa (Vols. 2–6, 8–11) (4th Ed.). London: Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies.
Description: 11 v. fronts. (v. 1–5, 7–8), Vol. 2.: 542 p., Vol. 3: xxx, 451 p., Vol. 4: 463 p.,
Vol. 5: 459 p., Vol. 6: 647 p., Vol. 8: 461 p., Vol. 9: xvii, 571 p., Vol. 10: 451 p., Vol. 11:
492 p., ill., plates, fold. maps ; 22 cm. With index.
Notes: Vols. 1–2: Part the First, Russian Tartary and Turkey Vols.3–8: Part the Second:
Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land, Section the First. In Vol. 8 Section the Third to which
is added “A Supplement respecting the Author’s Journey from Constantinople to Vienna
containing his account of the Gold Mines of Transylvania, and Hungary”. Vols. 9–11:
Part the third, Scandinavia. The Gibson-Hill’s Collection is missing Vol. 1 and Vol. 7.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.8 CLA [GBH]
Funded by his well-to-do pupil, John Marten Cripps, Clarke and Cripps set off in
1799 to travel the known world. The journey brought them through Europe, into the
Mediterranean and then the Middle East. The publication is an outcome of this
journey where he described flora, fauna and sights of antiquities. Clarke helped secure
the famed Rosetta Stone and Alexander’s Sarcophagus for the British Museum before
he finally returned in 1802.
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439. Clifton, Talbot (Violet). (1911). Pilgrims to the Isles of Penance: Orchid gathering in
the East. London: J. Long.
Description: 320 p, : ill., map (folded). With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 CLI [GBH]
Talbot Clifton, an heir to a large British estate at age 16, used his wealth to seek
adventure after graduating from the best British universities. His wife, Violet Clifton
accompanied him on his travels over sixteen years, publishing several works of their
voyages. This publication explores their journey through Siberia, Africa, India, Burma,
the Andamans, the Nicobars and Malaya, which includes descriptions of Kuala
Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Singapore. Though the main purpose of this
journey was plant hunting, the subject is only a small aspect of the book, which
otherwise captures descriptions of the locations visited, and the customs and cultures
of their peoples. It has 54 illustrations including plates and photographs and a foldout
map of the route traced through the Philippines, South China Sea through Siam and
Sumatra.
440. Clodd, Harold Parker. (1948). Malaya’s first British pioneer: The life of Francis Light.
London: Luzac.
Description: xiv, 166 p. : plates , map.
Notes: Signed “Gibson Hill 22: 8: 1953” with a Chinese stamp.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.510320924 LIG [GBH]
Microfiche No.: MFC NL0003/142–144
Besides a publication by A. Francis Steuart, The founders of Penang and Adelaide

(1901), little has been written about Francis Light until Clodd’s publication. Clodd
credits Light for giving the British a foothold in the lucrative trading business in the
Far East when Light garnered Penang Island in 1786 for the East India Company to
restrain the growing Dutch influence in the region. Tracing Light’s influence in the
region, the publication examines the acquisition and occupation of Penang and some
of the challenges it faced in the late 18th century such as the attack by the Sultan of
Kedah, administrative and legislative matters, social conditions and the French attempt
to capture Penang. The foreword is by Sir Richard Winstedt.
441. Cocks, Richard. (1883). Diary of Richard Cocks: Cape-merchant in the English factory in
Japan, 1615–1622, with correspondence (Vols.1 & 2). New York: B. Franklin.
Description: liv, Vol. 1: 349 p. ; Vol. 2: 368 p. With index. Bound with the second volume.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part II, No. 66 & No. 67.
Cocks was appointed Chief Merchant of the East India Company factory that was set
up in Hirado in 1613 but Dutch competition led to its closure in 1623. Cocks returned
to Batavia in 1624. Japan had limited contact with foreigners except with the Dutch
and thereafter the Portuguese. Cocks’ diary offers one of the few publications in
English about the Japanese during this period. Its significance however is in the detail
and length of his accounts with which even the missionary reports of Jesuits cannot
compare. In this publication that is edited by Edward Maunde Thompson, the diary
ends in December 1617 and continues in the subsequent volume ending in 1622. A
more comprehensive version of the diary was published only recently between 1978
and 1980 by the Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo.
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442. Collis, Maurice. (1943). The land of the great image, being experiences of Friar Manrique
in Arakan. New York: A. A. Knopf.
Description: 4 p. l., vii–ix, [l], 264, p [2], c p., 1 l. : ill. (plans) plates, maps (folded) ; 22 cm.
Notes: First American edition. Signed “Carl C. Gibson-Hill dated 27: 1: ‘54”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.1 COL [GBH]
Sebastiao Manrique was a 17th century Portuguese Augustinian friar who was sent
to Dianga in 1629 to relieve the vicar there. He thus traversed the Portuguese colonies
of the East, beginning at Goa, down the west coast of India to Arakan in what is today
Burma. Whilst Portuguese rule was on the decline, that of the Arakanese was rising.
Manrique gives graphic details of his encounters with the ruling powers of the Arakans
and their everyday life. Collis himself served the British administration in Rakhine,
Burma in the 1920s and had written on the IndoChinese region.
443. Colony of North Borneo annual reports, 1951–1952. (1952–1953). Jesselton: Government
Printing Department.
Description: ill. , fold. Map ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 991.11 SAB [GBH]
444. Colony of Singapore Annual Report, 1948. (1949). Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 166 p. : ill., plates (some col.), map (folded).
445. Colony of Singapore Annual Report, 1949. (1950). Singapore: Government Printing Office
Call No.: RCLOS 959. 57 SIN [GBH]
Description: 363 p. : ill., plates (some col.)
Notes: Selected photographs by Gibson Hill.
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Description: plates (some col.), map.
Description: ill.
452. Corrêa, Gaspar. (1869). Three voyages of Vasco da Gama and his viceroyalty. From the
“Lendas da India of Gaspar Correa. Accompanied by original documents. London:
Hakluyt Society.
Description: lxxx , 430 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. With index, appendix : i–xxx. Hakluyt Society
publications, v. 42.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part I, No. 42.
Notes: Translated from the Portuguese, with notes and introduction by the Hon. Henry
E. J. Stanley. Bound with Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series,
No. 99 A journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama.
453. Cowan, Charles Donald. (1961). Nineteenth-century Malaya: The origins of British
political control. London: Oxford University Press.
Description: 286 p. : maps (part fold. ) ; 23 cm. With bibliography: p. [272] –276.
Series Title: London Oriental series; Vol. II.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.503 COW [GBH]
Cowen is commended for this well argued analysis of changes in the British policy
towards the Malay states between 1867 and 1878. He begins by providing a background
to early British interest in Southeast Asia in the 18th century, the formation of the
Straits Settlements along with its administrative transfer from India, the concurrent
tensions in Malaya arising for secret society rival warfare and inter-Malay feuds, the
British Resident system, the appointment of British Residents by 1874 and its evolution
after 1876.
454. Crawford, Osbert Guy Stanhope. (1958). Ethiopian itineraries, circa 1400–1524, including
those collected by Alessandro Zorzi at Venice in the years 1519–1524. Cambridge :
Cambridge University Press.
Description: xxix, 232 p. : ill., facsim., maps ; 23 cm. With index.
455. Crawfurd, John. (1820). History of the Indian Archipelago, containing an account of the
manners, arts, languages, religions, institutions, and commerce of its inhabitants (Vols.
1–3). Edinburgh: A. Constable.
Call No.: RRARE 991 CRA
Microfilm No.: NL 25440 (Vol. 1), NL 25441 (Vols. 2 & 3)
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Crawfurd attempts an authentic rendering of the locals in the East Indies through
this three-volume work. Adi Warna, a local, assisted him in the illustrations and
sketches. Whilst serving his term as the second British Resident of Singapore (1823-
1826), Crawfurd saw Singapore established as a British Settlement. The lives of
Crawfurd and Raffles intersected, not only in the colonisation of this island, but also
in the administration of Java where both men held different posts. Accompanying
Lord Minto, Crawfurd was appointed Resident of the Court in Yogyakarta in 1811
while Raffles was made Lieutenant-Governor of Java. Here Crawfurd remained for
six years where he amassed data for this publication. The History of the Indian
Archipelago along with Raffles’ History of Java (1817) and Stockdale’s Sketches (1811)
are considered the key works for referencing Java through colonial British perspectives.
456. Crawfurd, John. (1834). Journal of an embassy from the Governor-General of India to the
Court of Ava, in the year 1827 (2nd Ed.). London: Richard Bentley.
Description: 2v. Vol. 1: x., 541 p. ; Vol. 2: viii., 163 p. : ill., maps (folded).
Call No.: RCLOS 959.1 CRA [GBH]
Originally published in 1829, the Journal describes the British mission to Burma with
highlights of Ava, Rangoon and Pegu. The account provides details of the history,
customs, geography and commerce of the country. The text is accompanied by several
illustrations, an appendix with vocabularies, and details of fossil remains found by
William Buckland.
457. Crawfurd, John. (1856). A descriptive dictionary of the Indian Islands & adjacent
countries. London: Bradbury & Evans.
Description: 459 p. : map ; 22 cm.
Notes: Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill 21: 4: ‘55”.
Call No.: RRARE 959.8 CRA
Written almost 30 years after his publication of the three-volume tome entitled History
of the Indian Archipelago, this comprehensive dictionary covering the Bay of Bengal
to Northern Australia made Crawfurd the foremost authority on the region. The
encyclopeadic extent of its content, capturing aspects of geography, ethnology, zoology
and culture in an alphabetical listing, broke new ground for publishing in this field.
More than a century later, it was re-published in the 1970s and remains an important
reference of how 19th century colonialists viewed the region.
458. Crawfurd, John. (1915). The Crawfurd papers: A collection of official records relating
to the mission of John Crawfurd sent to Siam by the Government of India in the year
1821. Bangkok: Printed by order of the Vajiranana National Library.
Call No.: RRARE 959.3 CRA [GBH]
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459. Curle, Richard. (1923). Into the East, notes on Burma and Malaya. London: Macmillan.
Description: xxxi, 224 p. ; 21 cm.
Notes: Signed “Gordon Haye dated 1923 (date is obscured)”. Stamped “Presentation
Copy”.
Call No.: RCLOS 915.95 CUR [GBH]
An outcome of a 10-month journey between July 1920 to April 1921 spent in Burma
and Federated Malaya, the book includes mention of Singapore and Penang, Kuala
Lumpur and Mandalay. Curle says simply “just write it because I want to write it”,
nevertheless his vivid descriptions and lyrical tone grips the imagination. Joseph
Conrad’s preface to this publication is just as noteworthy for his comments on the
decline of the “heroic” traveler in this modern age of travel.
460. Dalrymple, Alexander. (1770–1771). An historical collection of the several voyages and
discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (Vols. 1 & 2). London: A. Dalrymple.
Description: 2 v. in 1. : ill., map (fold).
Call No.: RRARE 996.1 DAL
In this work, Dalrymple continues his proposition of the presence of a large southern
continent, a theory inspired by reading Torres and which he put forth in an earlier
work, An account of the discoveries made in the South Pacifick Ocean, previous to 1764
(1767). Partly translated by Dalrymple, the collection of 12 Iberian and Dutch
explorations include Magellan’s 1519 voyage, Mendana’s 1595 exploration of the
Solomon Islands, and De Quiros’ 1606 journey as described in Spanish sources, and
the work of Le Maire, Schouten, Tasman and Roggeveen in Dutch sources.
461. Dampier, William & Masefield, John (Ed.). (1906). Dampier’s voyages: Consisting of a
New voyage round the world, a Supplement to the Voyage round the world, Two voyages
to Campeachy, a Discourse of winds, a Voyage to New Holland, and a Vindication, in
answer to the Chimerical relation of William Funnell (Vols. 1 & 2). London: E. Grant
Richards.
Description: 2 v. Vol 1: 612 p. : ill. ; Vol 2: vii, 623 p. : map (folded) ; 23 cm.
Notes: This title is item No. 32 of a limited edition of 1,500 copies. Signed “Elphant Richard”.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 DAM [GBH]
Dampier was the first to circumnavigate the world three times and the first Englishman
to map Australia (New Holland). His adventures are captured in A new voyage round
the world (1697), Voyages and descriptions (1699) and A voyage to New Holland
(1703–1709), all of which are found in this volume.
462. Das, S. A. (1948). Who’s who in Malaya and Malayan year book 1947–1948. Kuala
Lumpur: S. Das.
Description: xiv, 9–340 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 920.9595 WHO [GBH]
Microfiche No.: NL 0002/1–4
This is the first post-war directory of key personalities to be published in Malaya.

Administrators, professionals, medical workers and society members in Singapore
and the Federated Malaya are listed. Profiles include birth year and place, education,
career and address. An index of names makes for easy-reference. Gibson-Hill’s profile
is included.
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463. Davidson, G. F. (1846). Trade and travel in the Far East, or, Recollections of twenty-one
years passed in Java, Singapore, Australia and China. London: Madden & Malcolm.
Description: v, 312 p.
Call No.: RRARE 950 DAV
The well-traveled Davidson gives an account of the Far East in the early 19th century
based on his memories. He had traversed the oceans on at least 40 different square-
rigged vessels some 20 years before, starting in 1823. The accounts centre on Dutch
controlled Java, Sumatra and Rhio, Singapore and Malacca, New South Wales in
Australia and China. The two chapters on Singapore recall developments in the young
settlement from 1826 until the mid-1840s.
464. Davies, John & Newbury, Colin Walter (Ed.). (1961). The history of the Tahitian Mission,
1799–1830. With supplementary papers from the correspondence of the missionaries.
Cambridge: Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press.
Description: liv, 392 p. : ill., ports., fold. maps (1 in pocket) general table ; 23 cm. With
bibliography and index.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part II, No. 116
465. Della Valle, Pietro. (1892). The travels of Pietro della Valle in India. From the old English
translation of 1664 by George Havers (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: Vol. 1: lxxxviii, 137 ; Vol. 2: 139–433 : ill., map.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part II, No. 84 & 85.
Notes: Volume 1 is bound with volume 2.
Pietro della Valle was an Italian nobleman who undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy
City. He recounted his sojourn to the Middle East to his friend, Mario Schipano
through lengthy letters. This edition focuses only on his voyage to India, which he
visited on his return journey. It was published posthumously in 1663 as the third part
of his voyage through the Middle East with the English version quickly following.
His work remains highly valued for its details and accuracy with a reprint made in
1953 by Blunt as Pietro’s pilgrimage. The original title translated by G. Havers was
The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman into East-India and Arabia Deserta
in which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites
both religious and civil, of those oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described
in familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Hakluyt’s title is edited by
Edmond Grey with an introduction, notes and a biography on Pietro by Grey.
466. Dennys, Nicholas Belfield. (1894). A descriptive dictionary of British Malaya. London:
London and China Telegraph.
Description: 423 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 DEN [GBH]
Following Crawfurd’s A descriptive dictionary of the Indian Archipelago (1856) this

alphabetical listing of terms concerning the Straits Settlements and the Protected
Native States has 3,000 entries.
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467. Drake, Francis. (1854). The world encompassed by Sir Francis Drake: being his next voyage
to that to Nombre de Dios. Collated with an unpublished manuscript of Francis Fletcher,
chaplain to the expedition. With appendices illustrative of the same voyage and introduction,
by W. S. W. Vaux. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xl, 295 p. : map ; 22 cm. With index.
Notes: First published in 1628.
468. Dunsterville, Edward (Ed. & Rev.). (1866). Admiralty catalogue of charts, plans, views,
and sailing directions, &c. London: Published by order of the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty.
Description: 200 p ; 24 cm.
469. Earl, George Windsor. (1837). The Eastern seas, or, Voyages and adventures in the Indian
Archipelago, in 1832–33–34: Comprising a tour of the Island of Java-visits to Borneo, the
Malay Peninsula, Siam, etc; also an account of the present state of Singapore with observations
on the commercial resources of the archipelago. London: W. H. Allen.
Description: xii, 461 p. , [3] leaves of plates : ill. , maps (folded), music ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 991 EAR
Earl describes his journey to Borneo via Singapore onboard the schooner, The
Stamford. Chinese merchants had chartered a ride with Earl in the hope of establishing
trade through Singkawang with fellow Chinese at Monterado who were involved in
gold mining. Earl describes Singapore in the last three chapters, detailing the Malaccan-
born Chinese, the Malays, and mission work. He also includes a commercial report
of Singapore’s imports and exports from 1834 to 1836. Besides Borneo and Singapore,
aspects of Western Australia, Thailand, especially Bangkok, and Java, especially
Surabaya, are described.
470. Earl, George Windsor. (1837). Sketch of the island of Borneo: Communicated in a letter
to the Right Hon. Sir Alexander Johnston. London: Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: p. 174–186.
Call No.: RRARE 959.83 EAR
471. Edwards, Edwards & Hamilton, George. (1915). Voyage of HMS Pandora despatched
to arrest the mutineers of the “Bounty” in the South Seas, 1790–91 being the narratives of
Captain Edward Edwards, R. N., the commander and George Hamilton, the surgeon with
introduction and notes by Basil Thomson. London: Francis Edwards.
Description: 177 p. : ill, map (folded)
Notes: Bound to Tronson’s Personal narrative of a voyage to Japan (1859)
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 TRO [GBH]
After the infamous mutiny on the Bounty, the frigate Pandora was commissioned to
seek out the mutineers. The publication has a short report on the mission by Pandora’s
Captain Edward Edwards, with more details of the voyage written in wry humour by
the resident surgeon, George Hamilton. First published in 1793, it was considered
rare and difficult to find until this republication. This edition includes an introduction,
review and additional notes by Basil Thomas.
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472. Edwards, William. (1853). De Zieke reiziger or, Rambles in Java and the Straits in 1852
by a Bengal civilian. London: Simpkin Marshall.
Description: xii, 139 p., ill. (some col.).
Notes: It has some editorial markings and corrections in an uncertain hand.
Call No.: RRARE 959.82 ZIE
The work is based on the author’s diary, which records the “hurried visit to the Straits
and the Island of Java” in 1852. The journey from Calcutta to the Malay archipelago,
namely Penang and Singapore, and then through Java, is described through the eyes
of a “tourist” who observes the scenery, everyday life, hotels and food each place
offers. The publication has at least 23 illustrations, many finely detailed. Written
under the pseudonym of “A Bengal civilian”, it is believed to be William Edwards, the
author of several works on India although some attribute it to C. W. Kinloch.
476. Forbes, James. (1834). Oriental memoirs: A narrative of seventeen years residence in India
(Vols.1 & 2). London: Richard Bentley.
Description: 2v. , xix, Vol. 1: 550 p. ; Vol. 2: 552 p. : ill.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.03 FOR [GBH]
This two-volume work is the culmination of Forbes’ life as a reporter for the British
East India in the Far East, and is especially treasured for its fine illustrations of India’s
landscape, flora and fauna. His journey eastward started in 1765 as he headed to
Bombay though his memoirs captures his four voyages to India as well as trips to
Africa and South America. It is subtitled: “Selected and abridged from a series of
familiar letters written during seventeen years residence in India: including observations
on parts of Africa and South America, and a narrative of occurrences in four India
voyages”. It was first published in 1813 as a four-volume work, almost three decades
after his journey’s end. The illustrations are attributed to William Hooker, a botanist
and famed illustrator.
477. Forrest, Thomas. (1792). A voyage from Calcutta to the Mergui Archipelago, lying on the
east side of the Bay of Bengal; describing a chain of islands, never before surveyed... also,
an account of the islands Jan Sylvan, Pulo Pinang, and the port of Queda; the present state
of Atcheen; and directions for sailing thence to Fort Marlbro’ down the south-west coast of
Sumatra; to which are added, an account of the island Celebes; a treatise on the monsoons
in India; a proposal for making ships and vessels more convenient for the accommodation
of passengers; and thoughts on a new mode of preserving ship provision: also, an idea of
making a map of the world on a large scale. London: J. Robson.
Description: x., 140 p. : ill., map (fold)
Call No.: RRARE 959 FOR
Forrest surveys the islands around the Mergui Archipelago, giving details of the Malaya
archipelago from a British perspective. Forrest also provides insights to 18th century
Penang, Sumatra and the surrounding region. In his day, the publication was most
valued for its study of the Monsoons and their use for travel and trade between India
and the East Indies. Forrest details the best track and passages between these destinations
concluding with a proposal to improve ship design for families to travel on the long-
haul whilst highlighting the need for drafting a world map to aid future travels.
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478. Fortune, Robert. (1852). A journey to the tea countries of China; including Sung-Lo and
the Bohea Hills; with a short notice of the East India Company’s tea plantations in the
Himalaya Mountains. London: J. Murray.
Description: xvii, 398 p. : ill., plates, map.
Call No.: RCLOS 951 FOR [GBH]
This is Fortune’s second publication, recording his second visit to China in 1848 as
an agent of the British East India Company. Fortune’s first journey, as described in
Three years’ wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China (1847) saw the botanist
bringing back many new species of plants. The intention of this second voyage was
to acquire tea plants to be transplanted to India. To learn the secret art of planting
tea, Fortune disguised himself as a Chinese. The account describes Fortune’s journey
into remote parts of China and his discovery of previously unknown tea shrubs that
are today named after him. So successful was Fortune’s task that the tea industry
which developed in India thereafter would end China’s monopoly in the tea trade.
479. Fortune, Robert. (1863). Yedo and Peking: A narrative of a journey to the capitals of Japan
and China with notice of the natural productions, agriculture, horticulture, and trade of
those countries, and other things met with by the way. London: J. Murray.
Description: xv, 395 p., [9] leaves of plates : ill., 1 map, 1 plan ; 22 cm. With index.
Notes: Bound to A journey to the tea countries of China (1852). Map folded and tucked in.
Call No.: RCLOS 951 FOR [GBH]
Also known as Fortune’s Japan & China, this title is the last of Fortune’s published
works. It describes the newly opened Japan in 1860, giving details of common life
and unusual observations made of cities such as Nagasaki, Yokohama and Yedo. He
also visited key cities in China, including Shanghai and Beijing.
480. Foster, William (Ed.). (1939). The voyage of Nicholas Downton to the East Indies, 1614–15,
as recorded in contemporary narratives and letters. London: Printed for the Hakluyt
Society.
Description: xxxvi, 224 p. : plates, port., maps, facsim. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part I, No. 82.
481. Friends of Singapore. (1955). The Friends of Singapore: Report and accounts for the period
ending 30th June 1955. Singapore: Friends of Singapore.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.57006 FS [GBH]
The 1938 Charter of the Friends of Singapore indicates that one of its key functions
was to “promote… artistic, historical or cultural movement in Singapore”. It endeavoured
to purchase valuable artifacts of significant historical value to Singapore to be
showcased in public institutions. In the mid-1950s, the society had well-known
patrons such as Malcolm MacDonald, Franklin Gimson, Patrick McKerron and John
Nicoll.
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482. Fryer, John. (1909, 1912, 1915). A new account of East India and Persia: Being nine years`
travels, 1672–1681 (Vols. 1–3). London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: 3 v. Vol. 1: xxxviii., 353 p., ill., map ; Vol. 2: 371 p., map ; Vol. 3: 271p. ; 23
cm. With bibliography: v. 3, p. 203–212. .
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part 1, Nos. 19, 20 & 39.
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 HAK [GBH]
Fryer, a young doctor, appointed as surgeon to Bombay by the East India Company
recounts his journeys to East India and Persia in a collection of 8 letters. First published
in 1698, this reprint is edited with notes and an introduction by William Crooke.
483. Fryke, Christopher & Schweitzer, Christopher. (1929). Voyages to the East Indies.
London: Cassell.
Description: xliv, 276 p. : plates. With index.
Series Title: Seafarer’s Library series.
Notes: Rebound in batik.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.8 FRY [GBH]
The two separate but contemporaneous travelogues of Christopher Fryke and

Christopher Schweitzer are bound in a single volume. First published in 1700, this
edition has an introduction and notes by C. Ernest Fayle. Fayle’s scholarly introduction
gives the context of these sailors’ journeys noting that the 17th century travels predates
British exploits in the East and took place during the time when the Dutch East India
Company ruled the region instead.
484. Fryke, Christopher. (1700). A relation of two several voyages made into the East-Indies.
London: D. Brown.
Notes: Signed by Christopher Fryke. Bound to Leguat’s A new voyage to the East-Indies (1708).
Call No.: RRARE 991 FRY
Fryke was a young surgeon whose curiousity about the world led him to sign up with the
Dutch East Indies. He sailed out of Texel on the Ternate in May 1680. Fryke describes the
life onboard the ship during his term of employment, spanning five years and ending in
1686. The journey begins with a shipwreck at the Cape of Good Hope, where only 43 out
of 343 survived and after a six-month journey, ends at Batavia, following which he witnesses
the Dutch battle over Bantam. Fryke’s travels take him as far up as Japan. Fryke offers thus
an eyewitness account of key events in the East Indies.
485. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1905–1949). Papers on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean).
Singapore: [s. n.].
Description: Various pagings : ill. , plates ; 25 cm.
This compilation of Gibson-Hill’s articles include reprints of articles by Gibson-Hill from

the Journal of the Straits and Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JSBRAS &
JMBRAS), the Malayan Nature Journal and the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum (Bull. Raff.
Mus.), bound in a single volume. The articles are (1949, March), “The early history of
Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean” JMBRAS, (1949), 22(Part 1); “A note on the
Christmas Island Canoe”, JMBRAS, (1941), 19(1), pp. 125–130 and “The Malayan Frigate-
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birds”, Malayan Nature Journal, (1948), 3(3), pp. 109–113. It also has articles from the
Bull. Raff. Mus. (1933), No. 8, (1938), No. 14 and (1947), No. 18. The works by other
authors include Ridley’s “Expedition to Christmas Island”, JSBRAS, (1905), No. 15.
486. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “Index Vols. 1–20 (1923–1947) of the Society’s
Journal”. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 21(3), p. 1–60.
Description: 25 cm.
Notes: Bound with Wurtzburg’s (1927) “An index to all the Journals No. 1 to 86”.
487. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). The early history of Christmas Island in the Indian
Ocean.Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: 67–93 p. : ill. , maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1949, March), 22(Part 1).
488. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). The Malayan landscape; seventy camera studies.
Singapore: Kelly & Walsh.
Description: 4p. : 10 plates ; 25 cm.
Notes: With an introduction by H. E. the Rt. Honourable Malcolm MacDonald. The
second copy has penciled numbers in Gibson-Hill’s hand against each picture.
489. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). Notes on the old Dutch cannon found in Malaya.
Description: [145] –174 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1953, July), 26(Part 1). Article originally entitled “Notes
on the old cannon found in Malaya and known to be of Dutch origin.”
490. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). The Singapore Chronicle, 1824–37. Singapore:
Description: p. [175] –200 : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1953, July), 26(Part 1).
491. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954). Singapore: Notes on the history of the Old Strait,
1580–1850. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [163] –214 p. : ill. , maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical
footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from the JMBRAS (1954, May), 27 (Part 1).
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492. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955). Jerat tempurong; Six wooden images in the Cheng
Hong Teng, Malacca; Animal studies on Chinese export wares; Raffles, Alexander Hare &
Johanna van Hare; The date of Munshi Abdullah’s first visit to Singapore. Singapore:
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1955, March), 28(Part 1).
493. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955). Johore Lama, and other ancient sites on the Johore
River. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: p. 127–197 : ill. , maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
Notes: Reprinted from JMBRAS (1955, May), 28(Part 2).
494. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). On the alleged death of Sultan Ala’u’d-din of Johore
at Acheh, in 1613. Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: With bibliography.
495. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). Raffles, Acheh and the Order of the Golden Sword.
Description: 19 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliographical footnotes.
496. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). The fortification of Bukit China, Malacca. Singapore:
Description: [157] –181 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
497. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1959). George Samuel Windsor Earl. Singapore: Malayan
Description: 105–153 p. ; 25 cm. With bibliography and bibliographical footnotes.
498. Gray, John Henry & Gregor, William Gow (Ed.). (1878). China: A history of the laws,
manners, and customs of the people (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Macmillan.
Description: 2 v. : plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 951 GRA [GBH]
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499. Great Britain. Colonial Office. (1949). British South East Asia recovers. Singapore: Straits
Times Press.
Notes: Condensed from the Colonial Office publication British Dependencies in the Far
East, 1945–1949.
500. Great Britain. War Office. (1932). Military Report on Malaya, 1932. London: H. M.
Stationery Office.
Description: 152 p.
Notes: Bookplate of the Royal Artillery Institution Woolwich. Includes 3 coloured maps
folded.
501. Great Britain. War Office. (1944). Malaya and its civil administration prior to Japanese
occupation. London: War Office.
Description: 136 p. ; 18 cm. Maps of Malaya and the Far East (2 folded sheets)
Series Title: Malayan basic handbook series.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Want Tho to the Perpustakaan Negara Singapura.
Call No.: RRARE 959.51033 MAL [GBH]
502. Greenlee, William Brooks. (1938). The voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and
India, from contemporary documents and narratives. London, Printed for the Hakluyt
Society.
Description: lxix, 228 p. : plates (part fold.), 4 fold. maps (in pocket) facsim. , diagr. ;
23 cm. With bibliography: p. [203] –212.
Notes: Translated with introduction and notes, by William Brooks Greenlee. Signed “Carl
A. Gibson-Hill” dated “12: 6: ‘58”.
503. Groeneveldt, Willem Pieter. (1960). Historical notes on Indonesia and Malaya compiled
from Chinese sources. Djakarta: C. V. Bhratara.
Description: x, 144 p. : map ; 28 cm.
Notes: Reprint of an article, “Notes on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca compiled
from Chinese sources” published in the Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap
van Kunsten en Wetenschappen vol. XXXIX in 1880”, and thereafter re-published in
Batavia, 18.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.8 GRO [GBH]
This is a compilation of articles on the early histories of Malacca, Johore, Pahang,

Kelantan and islands close to Malacca between the 14th and 17th centuries based on
early Chinese accounts. The editor’s introduction to the compilation’s first publication
of 1876 highlights useful resources for the study of this field, followed by a listing of
references used in this compilation.
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504. Grose, John-Henry. (1757). A voyage to the East-Indies, with observations on various
parts there. London: Printed for S. Hooper and A. Morley.
Description: xvi, 407 p.
Call No.: RRARE 991 GRO
505. Guillemard, Francis Henry Hill. (1886). The cruise of the Marchesa to Kamschatka &
New Guinea. With notices of Formosa, Liu-Kiu, and various islands of the Malay archipelago.
With maps and numerous woodcuts (Vols. 1 & 2). London: J. Murray.
Description: 2 v. : xvii, 284 p. : ill., col. maps (part fold.) ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.45 GUI [GBH]
Guillemard sailed the Marchesa, led by C. T. Kettlewell, on an auxiliary screw schooner

yacht. The scientific expedition brought them through the Malay Archipelago between
January 1882 and April 1884. The men collected zoological specimens, particularly
birds, amounting to a total of 17 species and 3,000 bird specimens. The two-volume
work begins the journey in the East with Colombo, passing through Singapore to
Formosa, and includes visits to the Liu Kiu (Ryukyu Islands). The second volume
focuses mainly on the Malay Archipelago with visits to Singapore for supplies. Besides
two hand-coloured plates of birds, this natural history expedition is finely illustrated
with engravings derived from photographs of the cultural customs and landmarks
of the islands visited. The title was re-published as early as 1889. Appendix III is
entitled “Birds of Kamschatka”.
506. Habersham, Alexander Wylly. (1857). My last cruise; or, where we went and what we
saw: Being an account of visits to the Malay and Loo-Choo Islands, the coasts of China,
Formosa, Japan, Kamtschatka, Siberia, and the mouth of the Amoor River. Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott and Co.
Description: 1 p.l., 507 p. : 30 pl. (incl. front.) ; 22 cm.
Notes: A note by an unknown hand – “From my brother on Wed? March 25 1942 the
day on which Auf? was passice? by draft hand Dr ?”.
Call No.: RCLOS 950 HAB [GBH]
This is an account of the voyage of Kennedy, part of the United States’ Exploring
Expedition of 1853 to 1856 under the command of Cadwallader Ringwald. The
journey brought them to the China Seas, past Batavia, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, to Japan giving important insights following the Perry Expeditions and
ending in Russia before returning to San Francisco. There are at least 26 full-page
woodcuts with details of life in Southeast and East Asia. There are also interesting
anecdotes of Singapore from a non-British perspective. Habersham was an American
midshipman then and continued to serve in other exploring expeditions. Besides
rising in the ranks of the Navy, he was also well known for being the first to introduce
Japanese tea to his countrymen.
507. Hakluyt, Richard. (1907, 1927). The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques & discoveries
of the English nation, made by sea or overland to the remote & farthest distant quarters
of the earth at any time within the compasse of these 1600 yeares (Vols. 1 & 5). London,
J. M. Dent & Co., New York: E. P. Dutton & Co.
Description: 10 v. ; 18 cm. With bibliography : p. xxv – xxvi.
Notes: Vol. 1 has illustrated lining-papers. An introduction by John Masefield.
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This monumental compilation of travelogues was first published in 1598 and an

enlarged three-volume reprint was released almost a decade later. Its popularity
sustained a continual reprint over the centuries. Within its pages are the translations
of travelogues from Edgar’s 10th century journey around Britain, Cabot’s voyages,
Elizabeth’s embassies to Russia and beyond, travels to India, China and the East, and
the legendary discoveries of Columbus, Hawkins, Raleigh and Drake. Interestingly,
Hakluyt was a churchman who never traveled further than Paris. His mastery of
several European languages enabled him to select, translate and edit these treasures
of travel. This collection of works was said to have inspired Western colonising
journeys to the East. The Gibson-Hill collection has the 1927 edition by E. P. Dutton.
508. Hale, A. (1909). The adventures of John Smith in Malaya, 1600–1605. Leyden: E. J. Brill.
Description: 331 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 HAL
The author claims to be a trader who, since being adopted by the Queen of Patani,
chose to remain in the East. However, the authenticity and value of the original
documents are in question although the story remains entertaining.
509. Hall, Daniel George Edward (Ed.). (1961). Historians of South East Asia. London: Oxford
University Press.
Description: 342p. ; 25 cm.
Series Title: Historical writings on the peoples of Asia, 2.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 HAL [GBH]
510. Hall, Daniel George Edward. (1956). Burma. London: Hutchinson University Library.
Description: 192 p. : map ; 19 cm. With bibliography: p. 185–188.
511. Hall, Daniel George Edward. (1959). East Asian history today: lecture delivered in the
University of Hong Kong on May 20th, 1959. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Description: [vi], 18 p. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 HAL [GBH]
512. Harris, John. (1705). Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca, or, A complete collection
of voyages and travels: consisting of above four hundred of the most authentic writers... in
the English Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German or Dutch tongues... (Vols.
1 & 2). London: Thomas Bennet.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: 862 p. ; Vol. 2: 928 p. : ill, map (fold). With index.
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 HAR
This two-volume work includes papers by Hakluyt and Purchas in English along with
writings of voyages and discoveries in various languages. This includes Thevenot’s
tales and others originally written in French, Ramusio’s in Italian, De Bry’s and
Grynaei Novus Orbis’ in Latin. It also has the Dutch East-India Company reports
and other writings translated from Spanish, Portuguese, German and Dutch. The
journeys cover Asia, Africa, America, Europe and various islands. Also included are
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an appendix of accidents at sea, various engagements, the charters and acts of

parliament about the East India trade, and papers relating to the union of the two
companies.
513. Harrison, Brian. (1954). South-east Asia: A short history. London: Macmillan.
Description: xi, 268 p. : plates, maps ; 22 cm. With bibliography: p.259–260.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 HAR [GBH]
This book is an introduction to Southeast Asian history for the non-scholar. Harrison
had served as senior lecturer of History at the University of Malaya.
514. Harrisson, Tom. (1961). History, science, the arts and nature in Sarawak (1960–61).
Kuching: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off.
Description: 30 p.
515. Harvey, Godfrey Eric. (1925). History of Burma, from the earliest times to 10 March 1824,
the beginning of the English conquest. London: Longmans, Green.
Description: xxxi, 415 p. : maps, plate. With index.
Notes: A preface by Sir Richard Carnac Temple.
516. Hawkesworth, John. (1773). An account of the voyages undertaken by the order of His
present Majesty for making discoveries in the southern hemisphere, and successively performed
by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin,
the Swallow, and the Endeavour: drawn up from the journals which were kept by the several
commanders, and from the papers of Joseph Banks (Vols. 1–3). London: W. Strahan & T.
Cadell.
Description: 3 v. Vol. 1: 676 p. ; Vol. 2: 410 p. ; Vol. 3: 338 p. , maps (some folded), plates
(some folded) ; 30 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 910.4 HAW
A compilation of four seafaring journeys through the Pacific Ocean to the Southern
Hemisphere and their discovery and survey of islands there. The account narrates
Cook’s voyage to the Southern Hemisphere in 1772 providing the first surveys and
charts of New Zealand and the Southeast Coast of Australia. Byron’s narrative describes
his voyage to the Gilbert and Tuamotu Islands, Wallis writes of the discovery of Tahiti
and Moorea, and Carteret describes his discovery of Pitcairn Island. This copy is the
first edition, and unlike the preferred second edition, does not include a map of the
Straits of Magellan and Hawkesworth’s reply to Alexander Dalrymple’s letter.
517. Hawkins, Gerald. (1952). Malaya (1st Ed.). Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Description: 114 p. : ill. , maps ; 27 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 HAW [GBH]
A survey of the history of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore – of a country that
had not yet “found a soul”. This first edition has photographs by Gibson-Hill which
offers a visual reflection of post-war Malaya. The Collection also has the third
impression of this publication.
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518. Hawkins, Gerald. (1956). Malaya (3rd Impression). Singapore: Government Printing
Office.
Description: 114 p. : ill. , maps ; 27 cm.
Notes: Photographs by C. A. Gibson-Hill. One of the copies is signed “Wollie with Very
Best Wishes Carl Gibson-Hill 11: 3: ‘53”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 HAW [GBH]
519. Hedges, William. (1888). The diary of William Hedges, esq. (afterwards Sir William
Hedges) during his agency in Bengal, as well as on his voyage out and return overland
(1681–1687). (Vol. 2). Containing Notices regarding Sir William Hedges, documentary
Memoirs of Job Charnock, and other biographical and miscellaneous Illustrations of the
Time in India. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: ccclx, 16 p. : ill., port.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part II, No. 75.
Notes: Illustrated by copious extracts from unpublished records, etc., by Colonel Henry
Yule. Includes the Annual Report of the Hakluyt Society for 1887.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.025 HED [GBH]
520. Hedges, William. (1889). The diary of William Hedges, esq. (afterwards Sir William
Hedges) during his agency in Bengal, as well as on his voyage out and return overland
(1681–1687). (Vol. 3). Containing documentary contributions to a biography of Thomas
Pitt, Governor of Fort St George; with collections on the early history of the Company’s
settlement in Bengal; and on early charts and topography of the Húcglí River. London:
Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: cclxii, 19 p. : ill., map. With index. Illustrated by copious extracts from
unpublished records, etc., by Colonel Henry Yule.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.025 HED [GBH]
521. Herbert, Thomas. (1928). Travels in Persia, 1627–1629. London: G. Routledge.

Description: xxxix, 352 p. : ill., plates, map ; 23 cm. With index.
Notes: The copy has the bookplate of F. E. Dinshaw.
Herbert was only 22 years old when he accompanied the first English embassy to
Persia headed by Dodmore Cotton in 1627. Herbert’s diary of his travels resulted in
this publication, which is considered one of the earliest English accounts of Persia
giving details of towns such as Abbas, Lar, Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan, Ashraf, Tehran,
Qazvin, Qum and Kashan. This abridged and edited version by Sir William Foster
has an introduction and notes by Foster. It has proved popular and has been recently
re-published in 2005.
522. Hickey, William. (1923). Memoirs of William Hickey (1749–1775) (Vol. 1). London:
Hurst & Blackett.
Description: x, 406 p.
Notes: Edited by Alfred Spencer. This has a handwritten note “J (P) Mills from JW & E.
C. R. November 1930. ‘Drink a little wine for thy stomach’s sake’”.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.03 HIC [GBH]
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Hurst & Blackett.
Notes: A handwritten note "J (P) Mills from JW & E. C. R. November 1930. ‘In Vino
veritas’”.
Hurst & Blackett.
Notes: A handwritten note “J (P) Mills from JW & E. C. R. November 1930. ‘Strong drink
is raging’”.
Hurst & Blackett.
Notes: A handwritten note “J (P) Mills from JW & E. C. R. November 1930. ‘Time is a
mocker’”.
526. Hill, Anthony. (1948). Diversion in Malaya: An incidental account of five years’ residence
in the Federated Malay States, 1937–42. London: Collins.
Description: 186 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.504 HIL [GBH]
Microfiche No.: MFC NL0003/146–147)
527. Hirth, Friedrich. (1885). China and the Roman Orient: Researches into their ancient and
mediaeval relatives as represented in old Chinese records. Leipsic: G. Hirth.
Description: xvi, 232 p. : map (folded)
Call No.: RCLOS 950 HIR [GBH]
A German sinologist, Hirth provides annotated translations of the Wen-Hsien T’ung-

k’ao and Chu-fan Chih, and several other Chinese dynastic histories. Place and personal
names in Rome and Greece are correlated with their Chinese names. The work was
re-published in 1966.
528. Hughes, John Scott. (1950). Kings of the Cocos: The story of the settlement on the atoll
of Keeling-Cocos in the Indian Ocean: Composed mainly from contemporary accounts.
London: Methuen.
Call No.: RCLOS 969.9 HUG [GBH]
529. Hürlimann, Martin. (1930). Burma, Ceylon, Indo-China, Siam, Cambodia, Annam,
Tongking, Yunnan: Landscape, architecture, inhabitants. Berlin: Atlantis-Verlag.
Description: xxxix, 288 p. : ill., plates.
Call No.: RCLOS 950 HUR [GBH]
This visual survey of Indo-China and the countries surrounding it is accompanied

by photographs of Hurlimann, with captions in English, German, Italian and French.
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530. Hürlimann, Martin. (1957). Asia. London: Thames & Hudson.

Call No.: RCLOS 950 HUR [GBH]
When first published in 1957, Hürlimann’s publication was considered one of the
best collections of photographs of Asia. Hürlimann uses a photogravure technique
in which a photographic image is derived from an etched copperplate. The tonal
range that results is incredibly rich. The technique is seldom used today because of
the expense. The publication has 289 pictures in photogravure and four colour plates
resulting in a vivid visual representation of the landscape, landmarks and peoples of
Asia. A quarter of the images are by Hürlimann himself while the rest are from both
public and private sources. The publication includes an introductory essay and
historical notes.
531. Ibn Batuta and Gibb, Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen. (1929). Travels in Asia and Africa,
1325–1354, translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb... with an introduction and notes.
London: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.
Description: vii, 398 p. : front., plates, maps ; 23 cm. With index.
Series Title: The Broadway travelers.
Call No.: RCLOS 950 IBN [GBH]
Ibn Batuta’s sojourn began as a mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca. The 14th century
travels spanned more than 7,000 miles from Northern Africa, across Arabia, through
to India, past the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra as far as China, taking 29 years to
complete. The story begins in 1325 at his home in Tangiers and includes descriptions
of places and people of the known Muslim world then. Instructed by the Sultan of
Morocco to record his adventures, the result is Ibn Batuta’s travelogue. The memoirs
were known as Tuhfat al-Nuzzar fi Ghara’ib al-Amsar wa- ‘Aja’ib al-Asfar, or A Gift
to those who contemplate the wonders of cities and the marvels of traveling, more
popularly known by its genre name, the Rihla. Gibb’s selected summaries are found
in this publication with editing by Sir E. Denison Ross and Eileen Power.
532. India Antiqua; a volume of oriental studies presented by his friends and pupils to Jean
Philippe Vogel, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his doctorate. (1947). Leyden:
E. J. Brill.
Description: viii, 329 p. : ill., plates (incl. ports).
Call No.: RCLOS 950 IND [GBH]
This work contains 43 articles on archaeology, art, history, literature, linguistics and
religion, and covers Southeast Asia, China, India, Ceylon, Afghanistan and Tibet.
533. Ingram, Bruce Stirling (Ed.). (1936). Three sea journals of Stuart times; being, first, The
diary of Dawtrey Cooper… secondly, The journals of Jeremy Roch… thirdly, The diary of
Francis Rogers. London: Constable Co. Ltd.
Description: xxix, 244 p. : ill., plates (some col. ). With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.45 ING [GBH]
The three sea journals are the 17th and early 18th century writings found in Dawtrey
Cooper’s diary (1628), Jeremy Roch’s journal (1668) and Francis Rogers’ diary
(1703–1704) with mention of the East-Indies. This is the No. 65 of a limited first
edition of 500 copies.
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534. Irwin, Graham. (1955). Nineteenth-century Borneo: A study in diplomatic rivalry.

Singapore: Donald Moore.
Description: xi, 251 p. : 4 fold. maps ; 24 cm. With bibliography: p. 221–242.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.83 IRW [GBH]
535. Ja’far Shar ff; Foster, William; Herklots, Gerhard Andreas; Crooke, William. (1921).
Early travels in India, 1583–1619 / edited by William Foster. Islam in India or the -
i-Islam: The customs of the Musalm ns of India, comprising a full and exact account of
their various rites and ceremonies from the moment of birth to the hour of death / by Jafar
Sharif, a native of the Deccan, composed under the direction of, and translated by G.A.
Herklots, surgeon on the Madras Establishment, with twenty-six illustrations. London: H.
Milford, Oxford University Press.
Description: 2 v. bound in 1 : map, plates, diagrs. ; 19 cm.
Notes: With: Islam in India or the -i-Islam : the customs of the Musalm ns of
India, comprising a full and exact account of their various rites and ceremonies from
the moment of birth to the hour of death / by Jafar Sharif. London : H. Milford, Oxford
University Press, 1921.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.02 FOS [GBH]
536. Jones, Frederic Wood. (1912). Coral and atolls; a history and description of the Keeling-
Cocos Islands, with an account of their fauna and flora, and a discussion of the method of
the development and transformation of coral structures in general. London: Lovell Reeve
& Co., Ltd.
Description: xxiii, 392 p. front. (port.) : ill., 28 plates (1 fold.) fold. map ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 969.9 WOO [GBH]
537. Jourdain, John. (1905). The journal of John Jourdain, 1608–1617, describing his experiences
in Arabia, India, and the Malay Archipelago. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: lxxxii, 394 p. : 4 maps. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part 1, No. 16.
Edited by William Foster, this journal includes William Revett’s report of the Seychelles
(1609) along with similar updates of the same period.
538. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. (1947–1955, 1959). 20–28, 32.
Description: v. ; 24 cm. With index.
539. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society: Miscellaneous Papers. (1950,
February). Singapore: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: v. ; 24 cm.
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540. Keppel, Henry. (1846). The expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido for the suppression of
piracy: With extracts from the journal of James Brooke of Sarawak (now agent for the
British government in Borneo) (Vols. 1 & 2) (2nd Ed.). London: Chapman and Hall.
Description: 2 v. : ill., port., fold. maps ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 959.83 KEP
Keppel had previously been tasked to escort James Brooke as new Governor to Labuan.
Thereafter he was called upon by Brooke to suppress the pirates in Borneo. The two-
volume work describes as much of the success of the task of suppressing the pirates
as it does about Borneo in the 19th century, the Dayaks and the rule of James Brooke.
It is dedicated to Admiral Keppel’s father.
541. Keppel, Henry. (1853). A visit to the Indian Archipelago, in H.M. ship Maeander; with
portions of the private journal of Sir James Brooke. London: Richard Bentley.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.52 KEP [GBH]
Keppel, as captain of the Meander, was sent off in 1847 to fight the pirates in Borneo
for a second time, whilst accompanying Brooke to take his position as Governor of
the new colony. The journey captures not only details of life and landscapes in North
Borneo but also of Singapore and the South Seas, namely Hong Kong and China.
Brooke’s journals include his accounts of Labuan and Sarawak. Oswald W. B. Brierly,
who was trained as in naval architecture, is recognised as a marine painter. Interestingly,
although Brierly only joined Meander much later in the journey in Sydney, the plates
of locations visited prior to this are all signed by Brierly.
542. Keppel, Henry. (1899). A sailor’s life under four sovereigns (Vols. 1–3). London: Macmillan.
Description: 3 v. Vol. 2: xii., 339 p. ; Vol. 3: x., 350 p., ill., maps ; 21 cm. With index.
Call No.: RRARE 910.4 KEP
Published on Keppel’s 90th year, the autobiography chronologically traces Keppel’s

sea life and adventures from his childhood until his retirement. It incorporates the
details of his journeys first described in his earlier works, namely The expedition to
Borneo of H.M.S. Dido (1846) and A visit to the Indian Archipelago (1853). Volume
1 examines Keppel’s missions and assignments on the Magicienne, the Childers and
the Dido from 1818 to 1844. Volume 2 traces the various commands of Keppel from
1844 to 1857, first on the Dido, then the Meander, and lastly on the St Jean D’Acre,
traversing mainly the East Indies as well as descriptions of the journeys made to
Crimea, China and Australia. Capturing the last leg of his journeys from 1857 to
1876, Volume 3 details his return to England where he served as a groom-in-waiting
to Queen Victoria, with descriptions of his visit to Africa, his command in China
and his last visit to the Straits Settlements. Appended is a useful index of all three
volumes along with portraits of Keppel as well as sketches and early photographs of
ships and landscapes.
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543. King, Paul Henry (Ed.). (1936). Voyaging to China in 1855 and 1904: A contrast in travel.
London: H. Cranton.
Description: 187p. : plates. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 KIN [GBH]
King contrasts two travelogues to China almost half a century apart. The first was
made on the Hamilla Mitchel in 1855 and describes a four-month journey between
London and Shanghai. The second is dated 1904, almost 50 years later and describes
a journey from Southhampton to New York on the Kaiser Wilhelm II, through North
America by train, and to Shanghai via Hawaii on the S. S. Gaelic.
544. Klindt-Jensen, Ole. (1957). Denmark before the Vikings. London: Thames & Hudson.
Description: 212 p. : ill., plates. With index and bibliography.
Series Title: Ancient peoples and places, Vol. 4.
Notes: Translated from Danish by Eva and David Wilson. Signed “Carl A. Gibson-
Hill” dated “3: 2: ‘62”.
Call No.: RCLOS 948.901 KLI [GBH]
545. Kloss, Cecil Boden. (1903). Andamans and Nicobars; the narrative of a cruise in the
schooner 'Terrapin’, with notices of the Islands, their fauna, ethnology, etc. London: John Murray.
Description: xiii, 373 p. : ill., plates, map ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 954. 88 KLO [GBH]
This publication describes Kloss’ journey to the islands in the Bengal Sea to obtain
collections for the National Museum in Washington, particularly small mammals
trapped by Kloss himself and his traveling companion. The book has 284 photographs
taken by Kloss.
546. Kolff, Dirk Hendrik. (1840). Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga, through the
southern and little-known parts of the Moluccan Archipelago, and along the previously
unknown southern coast of New Guinea, performed during the years 1825 & 1826. London:
J. Madden.
Description: xxiv, 365 p.
Notes: Translated from Dutch by George Windsor Earl.
Call No.: RRARE 991.02 KOL
This work surveys the life, commerce and customs of the people on the islands
between Timor and the southwest coast of New Guinea. It was first published in 1828
as Reize door den weinig bekenden Zuidelijken Molukschen Archipel en langs de geheel
onbekende zuidwest kust van Nieuw-Guinea, 1825 en 1826. In his introduction, George
Windsor Earl suggests that the actual intention for this government-funded voyage
was more to contain neglected Dutch colonial lands against British interests given
the recent occupation of Melville Island by the British. The expedient translation into
English was fueled by British political interest to access information on the islands.
Even so, Kolff gives useful ethnographic details on the life, trade, religion and customs
of the natives of New Guinea and the surrounding islands.
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547. Lamb, Alastair. (1961). Chandi Bukit Batu Pahat: Three additional notes. Singapore:
Eastern Universities Press.
Description: 25 p., 11 p. of plates ; 27 cm.
Series Title: Papers on Southeast Asian Subjects, No. 5, Department of History, University
of Malaya.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5122 LAM [GBH]
Lamb compares the reliquaries examined on location in the Daeng plateau and Central
Java, as well as those kept at the Museum in Jakarta, with those he discovered at the
Temple in Bukit Batu Pahat in Kedah in 1959. He also notes the similarities with
those in the Sumatran Buddhist Temple proposing that the temple in Kedah is more
closely associated with that of Sumatra than that typically found in South India. The
leaflet gives additional notes to information discussed in Chandi Bukit Batu Pahat:
A report on the excavation of an ancient temple in Kedah (1960), which is not in the
Gibson-Hill Collection.
548. Lancaster, James Sir & Markham, Clements Robert (Ed.). (1877). The voyages of Sir
James Lancaster, Kt., to the East Indies, with abstracts of journals of voyages to the East
Indies during the seventeenth century, preserved in the India Office and the Voyage of
Captain John Knight (1606) to seek the North-West passage. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xxii, 314 p. With index.
Notes: Bound to Middleton’s The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton (1885).
Edited by Clements R. Markham, this volume primarily recounts Lancaster’s travels

but include abstracts of the voyages of Keeling, Sharpie, Hawkins, Henry Middleton,
Thomas Love, Nicholas Downton and Ralph Cross. It has a useful calendar of the
ships’ journals and a list of ships employed by the East India Company in this period.
549. Lawrence, A. W. & Young, Jean (Eds.). (1931). Narratives of the discovery of America.
United States: Jonathan Cape.
Description: ix, 300 p. : map.
Notes: Bound to A true description of three voyages (1853) by Gerrit de Veer.
550. Le Guat, Francois (Leguat, Francis). (1708). A new voyage to the East-Indies and his
companions. Containing their adventures in two desart islands, and an acount of the most
remarkable things in Maurice Island, Batavia, at the Cape of Good Hope, the island of St.
Helena, and other places on their way to and from the desart isles. London: R. Bonwick,
W. Freeman and Tim Goodwin.
Description: xv, 248 pp. : ill., map. With index.
Notes: Bound to Fryke’s A relation of two several voyages made into the East-Indies (1700).
Call No.: RRARE 991 FRY
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Leguat resided in Java in 1696 after a harrowing escape from the French persecution
towards the Huguenots. Prior to his arrival in the East Indies, he had found refuge
at Rodrigues Island. The natural history of these islands and the details of his journey
to the East Indies are described in this title, accompanied by illustrations of marine
mammals such as manatees, whales and porpoises. This is the first edition of the
English translation which was published in the same year as the original French
entitled Voyage et avantures de Françdois Leguat et de ses compagnons [Travels and
adventures of Francis Leguat and his companions].
551. Letts, Malcolm (Ed.). (1957). The travels of Leo of Rozmital through Germany, Flanders,
England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy 1465–1467. Published for the Hakluyt Society
at the University Press.
Description: xv, 196p. : ill. , plates, map (folded) ; 23 cm.
Notes: Translated from the German account by Gabriel Tetzel with supplementary notes
from the Latin account as well as added translation of the Czech account by Václav Sasek.
Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “27: 7: ‘58”.
552. Leur, Jacob Cornelius van. (1955). Indonesian trade and society: Essays in Asian social
and economic history. The Hague: Published for the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam,
by W. van Hoeve.
Description: xxii, 467 p. : map (on fly leaf) ; 21 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Selected studies on Indonesia. Signed “Carl A. Gibson-Hill” dated “9: 3: ‘57”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.8 LEU [GBH]
553. Linschoten, Jan Huyghen van. (1885). The voyage of John Huyghen van Linschoten to
the East Indies. From the old English translation of 1598. The first book, containing his
description of the East (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: lii., 307 p. ; Vol. 2 : 341 p., port. ; 22 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part II, Nos. 70 & 71.
Notes: The first volume was edited by the late Arthur Coke Burnell of the Madras Civil
Service and the second by P. A. Tiele of Utrecht.
554. Linschoten, John Huygen van. (1598). Iohn Huighen van Linschoten, his discours of
voyages into ye Easte & West Indies [John Huyghen van Linschoten, his discourse of voyages
into the East and West Indies]. London: Printed by John Wolfe.
Description: 462 p. : ill., maps.
Notes: Translated from the Dutch by William Phillip
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 LIN [GBH]
In the 16th century, the earliest knowledge of routes to the East amongst the Dutch
and the English is often credited to Linschoten particularly for his contributions in
cartography. Leaving Holland at 16 years of age, Linschoten traveled to Spain where
he received an appointment as Secretary to the newly appointed Portuguese Archbishop
of Goa. This privileged position gave him access to Portuguese maps with routes to
the much sought after Spice Islands. Copying these secretly guarded maps, Linschoten
journeyed through parts of the East, in due time making his knowledge available to
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his countrymen through three published narratives including the Itinerario: Voyage
ofte schipvaert van Jan Huyghen van Linschoten naer Oost ofte Portugaels Indien,
1579–1592. This was first published in 1596 with maps and illustrations that inevitably
led the Dutch and the English to the East. So desirable was his work that merely two
years later the English and German translations were published. The 1598 English
translation was entitled Iohn Huighen van Linschoten, his discours of voyages into ye
Easte & West Indies [John Huyghen van Linschoten, his discourse of voyages into the East
and West Indies]. This is the title found in the Gibson-Hill Collection and includes Reys-
ghescrift and the Itinerario. The details of the route through Singapore are found in
chapter 20 of this English translation. Linschoten’s descriptions have also been the
inspiration for cartographers such as Evert Gijsbertsz in drafting early maps of the East.
555. Low, Hugh. (1848). Sarawak: Its inhabitants and production: Being notes during a residence
in that country with His Excellency Mr. Brooke. London: Richard Bentley.
Description: xxiv, 416 p., [7] leaves of plates : ill. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.522 LOW [GBH]
Low was trained in botany and had studied the flora of Borneo before his appointment
as Secretary to James Brooke in 1847. The book surveys the natural history of Sarawak
with many of the creatures and regions being described for the first time. He also
studies its people, namely the Malays, Bugis, Dyaks and the Kyans. In the introduction,
Low provides a brief chronology of events during Brooke’s rule in Borneo.
556. MacGregor, David Roy. (1961). The China bird: The history of Captain Killick and one
hundred years of sail and steam. London: Chatto & Windus.
Description: 366p., ill. (folded), plates, map ; 25 cm. With index.
Notes: A handwritten note “C A Gibson-Hill”.
This book celebrates the centenary of Killick Martin & Co. (K. M. & Co.), which was
founded by James Killick and James Henry Martin in 1862. The story begins with the
journey of the Challenger under Killick’s command in 1852, a rival to the American
Challenge launched just the year before. It focuses on the clipper ships used for tea trade
between 1865 and 1879. Well-illustrated with sketches of steam and sail ships, it proves
a classic text for both its details of the clipper and their trade. Since the company records
had been destroyed, the story was reconstructed based on extraneous records including
newspapers held in the National Maritime Museum and the British Museum.
557. Magalhães, Fernão de. (1874). First voyage round the world, by Magellan translated from
the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writers, accompanied by original
documents, with notes and introduction by Lord Stanley of Alderley. London: Hakluyt
Society.
Description: lx, 257 p. : ill (some fold., col.) ; 22 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 MAG [GBH]
The Society’s publication includes various versions of the journey from the logbooks
of Francisco Alvo (Alvaro), Pigafetta and Gaspar Correa, as well as the treatise on
navigation by Pigafetta's and documentary notes showing details such as the cost of
the journey.
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558. Malacca Historical Society. (1936). Historical guide of Malacca. Singapore; Melaka:
Printed by Printers Ltd.: Malacca Historical Society.
Description: [viii] 91 p : plates, fold maps (1 col.) pl ; 19 cm.
Microfilm No.: NL 9444/NL 8058
This was originally published as a guidebook to Malacca in 1924 to celebrate the

centenary year of British occupation of Malacca which began in 17 March 1824. The
historical backdrop to Malacca proved a popular topic and led to the establishment
of the Malacca Historical Society in 1930. The Society continued to research and
excavate areas in the town, with the findings incorporated into this reprint. The guide
has a historical sketch of Malacca as well as descriptions of the fall of Malacca,
historical monuments in the town including the tombstones in St Paul’s Church, St
Francis Xavier, Christ Church, the Chinese and Portuguese in Malacca, and Malay
mosques.
559. Malaya Museums Dept. (1959). Guide to ancient monuments and historic sites. Kuala
Lumpur: Printed by Caxton Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 MAL
This guide contains brief outlines of three studies of ancient monuments in Malaya. The
first article looks at the gravesite of Shaikh Ahmad Majnun dated 1467 AD and located
off Pangkalan Kempas in Negri Sembilan, otherwise known as Keramat Sungei Udang.
The second article is a study by Gibson-Hill, Han Wai Toon, Williams-Hunt and G. de
G. Sieveking, which re-examines the ancient capital at Johore from the 15th century till
its decline in the 18th century. The last article gives details of a stone inscription at
Cherok Tokun in Province Wellesley that was first examined by James Low
560. Malayan Journal of Tropical Geography (Vols. 1–5). (1953–1955). Singapore: Departments
of Geography, University of Malaya and University of Singapore.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.0913 JTG [GBH]
561. Malayan Union. (1947). Annual Report (Malayan Union). Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Union
Government Press.
Description: v ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 MAL [GBH)
562. Malcolm, Howard. (1839). Travels in south-eastern Asia: Embracing Hindustan, Malaya,
Siam, and China; with notices of numerous missionary stations, and a full account of the
Burman empire. Boston: Gould, Kendall and Lincoln.
Description: 2 v. in 1. Vol. 1: 272 p. ; Vol. 2: 321 p. : ill., map. With index.
Notes: Signed “Mrs Elizabeth J(?) A(?) Fields(?), August 1840, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania from her brother in-law Rob Howard Malcolm”
Call No.: RRARE 950 MAL
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The missionary’s journey beginning in 1835 from Boston to the East is published in
diary format. The volumes are mainly concerned with observations of Burma, its
culture, religions, tribal groups and landscapes. In particular, Volume 2 analyses the
success of Christian missions in this land and includes a chapter on the settlements
of Singapore and Malacca, giving an eye-witness account of the early Strait Settlements.
563. Markham, Clements Robert (Ed.). (1878). The Hawkins’ voyage during the reigns of
Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, and James I. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: liii, 453 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Enhanced with an introduction by the editor Clements R. Markham, this edition is

a compilation of the Hawkins family's voyage mainly through the narratives of Richard
Hawkins, his grandfather, William Hawkins, his father, John Hawkins, and cousin,
also William Hawkins.
564. Marks, Harry Julian. (1959). The first contest for Singapore, 1819–1824. s-Gravenhage:
M. Nijhoff.
Description: 262 p.
The work gives the background to the Dutch hand-over of Singapore to Britain, the
Anglo-Dutch negotiations, and the assumptions behind the decisions. Marks consulted
both British and Dutch sources for his study and highlights the errors frequently
made by scholars on either side.
565. Marryat, Frank. (1848). Borneo and the Indian Archipelago: With drawings of costume
and scenery. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.
Description: viii, 232p. : ill.
Notes: A handwritten note – “Awarded to Richard C. W. [R]aban for the best Examination
in Sincerity Bath June 1852.”
Call No.: RRARE 991.1 MAR.
Marryat’s training as a draughtsman allowed him to bring out fine details of light and
shade in his delicate illustrations. The aim of the book was to show the costumes and
scenery of the region studied, with the text serving only as secondary information
made necessary only for explaining the illustrations. Thus details of Singapore, Borneo,
Indonesia and the Philippines are presented through black-and-white as well as colour
lithographic drawings showing places, customs, cultures and costumes. This title
retains its original red cloth binding with a gold stamped image of a Mandarin on
the front cover, a rare condition for this imprint. Marryat’s work is based on his
surveying expedition of the Indian Archipelago with midshipman Edward Belcher
between 1843 and 1846, a journey which was likely made whilst Marryat was in his
late teens. The exploits of this journey is found in Belcher’s publication, Narrative of
the voyage of the H. M. S. Samarang (1848), which is also part of the Gibson-Hill
Collection. The son of Frederick Marryat, a naval officer and famed travel writer, the
younger Marryat is most recognised for his descriptions of America, particularly of
the gold rush era. He died at aged 29.
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566. Marsden, William. (1811). The history of Sumatra: Containing an account of the
government, laws, customs, and manners of the native inhabitants, with a description of
the natural productions, and a relation of the ancient political state of that island (3rd Ed).
London: Printed for the author by J. M’Creery.
Description: vii, 479 p. : ill., map.
Call No.: RRARE 992.1 MAR
Written by a still youthful Marsden who was newly recruited into the service of the
East India Company, this work captures his observations of life in Sumatra in the
18th century. This exercise was undertaken during his spare time and ignited his
passion for the island, resulting in subsequent publications on the region’s languages.
This is the third edition, with the first published in 1783 and the second in 1784. It
enlarges the earlier two editions with new insights made through personal observations
and communicated by Sumatrans. Marsden’s objective insights of the geography,
zoology and botany of the country, as well as the culture and social history of the
native people, particularly the Redjangs, are still highly valued, with reprints of this
third edition released in 1966 and again in 1986.
567. Matthews, John. (1961). A check-list of ‘Hoabinhian’ sites excavated in Malaya, 1860–1939.
Singapore: Eastern Universities Press.
Description: x, 59 p. : ill. , map ; 27 cm.
Series Title: Papers on Southeast Asian Subjects, No. 3, Department of History, University
of Malaya.
Notes: Cover signed “With best wishes John Matthews”.
Call No.: RCLOS 913.595 MAT [GBH]
This check-list marks the centenary of the first archaeological description of a Malayan
“Hoabinhian” site.
568. Maynarde, Thomas. (1849). Sir Francis Drake his voyage, 1595. Together with the Spanish
account of Drake’s attack on Puerto Rico. London: Hakluyt Society.
Edited from the original manuscripts by W. D. Cooley, this is the first publication by
the Hakluyt Society to include writings on the Society.
569. McNair, John Frederick Adolphus. (1878). Perak and the Malays: “S rong” and “kr s”.
London: Tinsley.
Call No.: RRARE 959.5131 MAC
The publication provides keen insight to the Malays, despite some peculiar Victorian
perspectives. McNair was an officer in Perak in the mid-19th century for 20 years
and penned his exepriences while recuperating from a jungle fever. Written in a
readable fashion, he brings to his English public possibly their first understanding
of this Malayan State. In the book, McNair examines the produce and agriculture of
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Perak, describes the flora and fauna, and surveys the characteristics of Malay culture
with an understanding of their history. He also touches on the murder of Perak’s first
British Resident, James Wheeler Woodford Birch in 1875 and events that followed.
The book is accompanied by fine illustrations and maps.
570. Menon, Kanichat Radhava. (1960). History in the Malayan Primary School (Book 1).
Singapore: India Publishing House.
Description: 3 v. : ill. , maps ; 19 cm.
Notes: Stamped “With best compliments of India Publishing House”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 MEN [GBH]
This textbook of the history of Malaya is one of the few that were written by Malayans
for Malayans. Menon was the former Senior History Master of Oldham Methodist
School. Some of the illustrations are courtesy of the Raffles Museum, which were
likely obtained through Gibson-Hill’s assistance.
571. Middleton, Henry & Foster, William. (1943). The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to the
Moluccas, 1604–1606. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xliv, 209 p. : ill., maps (folded), plates ; 23 cm.
Notes: A new and enlarged edition with an introduction and notes by Sir William Foster.
572. Middleton, Henry. (1855). The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to Bantam and the Maluco
Islands; being the second voyage set forth by the governor and company of merchants of
London trading into the East-Indies. From the edition of 1606. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xi, 83 p. : ill., front. (map). With bibliography, appendix [1–52 p.], index
[i–viii].
Notes: Bound with The voyages of Sir James Lancaster, Kt., to the East Indies (1877).
573. M’Leod, John. (1817). Narrative of a voyage in His Majesty’s late ship Alceste, to the Yellow
Sea, along the coast of Corea, and through its numerous hitherto undiscovered islands, to
the island of Lewchew: With an account of her shipwreck in the Straits of Gaspar. London:
J. Murray.
Description: 288 p. ; ill.
Notes: Cover page title: The embassy to China.
574. Moor, J. H. (1837). Notices of the Indian archipelago, and adjacent countries: being a
collection of papers relating to Borneo, Celebes, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Nias, the Philippine
islands, Sulus, Siam, Cochin China, Malayan Peninsula, etc. Singapore: [n. p.].
Description: 2 v. : fold. maps ; 27 cm. With index.
Call No.: RRARE 991 MOO
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This is a compilation of articles previously published in the Singapore Chronicle of 1824

to 1834 for which existing copies are no longer extant. It includes Dalton’s papers on
Borneo, along with descriptions of Singapore’s early colonial beginnings and developments
amongst its neighbours. The book’s two parts amount to more than 400 pages including
maps and charts as well as useful statistics and records. The appended subject index
makes a useful tool for further study. In the preface, Moor describes the difficulties of
publishing this title in Singapore, suggestive of the challenges early printing presented
then. A reprint of this publication was made in 1968.
575. Moore, Adey. (1915). An early British merchant in Bangkok. Bangkok: Siam Society.
Description: p. 21–42 : front. , plates ; 24 cm.
Notes: Issued as Proceedings of Siam Society, (1914), 11(Part 2).
Call No.: RCLOS 959.3 MOO [GBH]
The book follows the exploits of Robert Hunter, a merchant Scotsman who came to
Bangkok in August 1824. Hunter married a Thai of mixed descent in 1825 – Tan Puying
Sap, otherwise known as Angelina Sap. Her photographs and profile are included.
Appended are the details of the General Meeting of the Society Nos. 40 to 42.
576. Moorhead, Francis Joseph. (1957–1963). A history of Malaya and her neighbours. London:
Longmans, Green.
Description: 2 v. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 MOO [GBH]
This volume deals mainly with the history of Malaya’s neighbours from 1511 to 1641.
Part 1 of this volume discusses the early influences of China and India in Indianising
Southeast Asia in the first century, the rise and fall of the Sri Vijaya Kingdom, and
a description of Malacca’s 15th century Sultanate. Part 2 covers D’Albuquerque’s
conquest of Malacca and the Portuguese activities in the neighbouring regions. The
appendix includes maps and time-charts of Malacca and the influence of India and
China from the 1st to the 7th centuries.
577. Moreland, William Harrison (Ed.). (1931). Relations of Golconda in the early seventeenth
century. London: Printed by the Hakluyt Society.
Description: li, 109 p. : maps (folded).
578. Morris, Margery. (1955). A history of Malaya for schools. London: University of London Press.
Notes: Bookplate “With compliments of Donald Moore Ltd.”
In his foreword to this textbook, Northcote Parkinson commends Morris for this first
attempt at presenting a Malayan history for schools. Her concise summary of Malayan
history begins with cave dwellers in the Neolithic age and ends in post-war Malaya. Besides
acknowledging Parkinson, Tweedie and Williams-Hunt, the author also thanks Gibson-
Hill for allowing the use of many photographs found in the collection of the Raffles
Museum, the Raffles Library and the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
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579. Morrison, Hedda. (1957). Sarawak. London: Macgibbon & Kee.

Description: 288p. : ill. ; 26 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: “To Anne from Alastair with many thanks for all your kindness”.
Morrison’s photographic journey of Sarawak was recorded over an 8-year stint in the
country as the wife of an official there. The foreword is by Malcolm MacDonald.
580. Moseley, H. N. (1879). Notes by a naturalist on the “Challenger” being an account of

various observations made during the voyage of H. M. S. “Challenger” round the world,
in the years 1872–76, under the commands of Capt. Sir G. S. Nares and Capt. F. T. Thomson.
London: Macmillan.
Description: xvi, 620 p. : ill, plates (some col.). With index
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 MOS [GBH]
581. Mundy, Peter. (1919). The travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608–1667 (Vol.
3 Part 1): Travels in England, Western India, Achin, Macao, and the Canton River, 1634–1637.
Cambridge: Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: 5 v. in 6. l, 316 p. : ill., plates (part fold. ), maps (part fold. ) fold. , general
tab. , facsim. ; 24 cm.
Notes: From the Rawl. Ms. A. 315 in the Bodleian library, with facsimile of original t. -
p: Itinerarium mundi, that is A memoriall or sundry relations of certain voiages, journeies
ettc. By: Peter Mundy. Vol. 5 edited by the late Lt.Col. Sir Richard Carnac Temple, Bart.
and Lavinia Mary Anstey”.
582. Mundy, Peter. (1919). The travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608–1667 (Vol.
3, Part 2) : Travels in Achin, Mauritius, Madagascar, and St Helena, 1638. Cambridge:
Printed for the Hakluyt society.
Description: 5 v. in 6. viii, 317–577 p, : ill. , plates (part fold. ), maps (part fold. ) fold.,
general tab. , facsim. ; 24 cm. 260 p.. With index and list of members.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part I, No. 46
583. Murphy, Robert Cushman. (1947). Logbook for Grace; whaling brig Daisy, 1912–1913.
New York: The Macmillan Co.
Description: x p., 3 l., 3–290 p. : ill., maps, facsim. ; 25 cm.
Young Cushman’s adventures to the South Atlantic and South Georgia in the cramped
quarters of the brig Daisy parallels a post-war journey to the same destination made
by Gibson-Hill. Cushman had married just before setting off on his perilous journey
in early 1912 to collect specimens for the Natural History Museum in America. His
logbook is thus dedicated to his young bride. These private letters were published 35
years later, after Murphy had gained standing as an ornithologist. Yet they capture
the essence of a young naturalist and note valuable observations of whaling in extreme
climates. The vessel that Murphy traveled on is also noteworthy for being the last of
its kind – a New Bedford sperm-whaling brig.
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584. Murray, Hugh; Crawfurd, John et. al. (1836). An historical and descriptive account of
China: Its ancient and modern history, language and zoology (Vols. 1–3) (2nd Ed.).
Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Description: 3 v. Vol. 1: 368 p. ; Vol. 2: 416 p. ; Vol. 3: 461 p. : ill., map (fold)
Call No.: RCLOS 951 MUR [GBH]
585. Navarrete, Fernández Domingo. (1962). The travels and controversies of Friar Domingo
Navarrete, 1618–1686 (Vols. 1 & 2). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: cxx, Vol. 1: 163 p., Vol. 2: [165]–475 p. : ill. , port., maps (part fold.) facsims.
; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part II, Nos. 118 & 119.
Notes: Volume 1 and volume 2 are bound together.
Originally entitled Tratados Historicos, this edition has extracts of Navarrete’s

autobiography. It details Navarrete’s journey to China in Volume 1 while the Volume
2 has descriptions of the island of Santo Domingo. Catholic mission activites in 17th
century China is also touched upon. For example the editor J. S. Cummins, discusses
the Jesuit-Dominican controversy over Chinese rites in the introduction and the
appendix in Volume 2 discusses the detention of missionaries in 1666 to 1670 in Canton.
586. Neale, Fred Arthur. (1852). Narrative of a residence at the capital of the Kingdom of Siam:
With a description of the manners, customs, and laws of the modern Siamese. London:
Office of the National Illustrated Library.
Description: xiv, 280p. With index .
Call No.: RRARE 959.3 NEA
An account of the Siamese, their government, customs and key events during the
mid-19th century. Informally written, the journey begins in Singapore in 1840 and
ends in Madras in January 1842 after a series of adventures. Illustrated with vignettes
of Siamese life, the appendix also includes details of songs, music, language, and
Loubere’s account of the Siamese.
587. Nilakanta Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah (Ed.). (1939). Foreign notices of South India:
From Megasthenes to Ma Huan. Madras: University of Madras.
Description: xiv, 341 p. With bibliography (vii–x), index.
Call No.: RCLOS 954. 8 NIL [GBH]
The early history of Southern India derived from the Foreign Notices of South India
presented in a handy form where the information was previously scattered across
several publications.
588. Nilakanta Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah. (1955). The C las: With over 100 illustrations.
Madras: University of Madras.
Description: xv, 812 p., [32] leaves of plates : ill., maps ; 25 cm.
Series Title: Madras University Historical Series, No. 9.
Notes: “Description of figures in the plates, by P. R. Srinivasan, M. A.” : p. [749]–769.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.02 NIL [GBH]
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589. Noble, Charles Frederick. (1762). A voyage to the East Indies in 1747 and 1748, containing
an account of the islands of St. Helena and Java, of the City of Batavia, of the government
and political conduct of the Dutch, by the empire of China, with a particular description
of Canton, and of the religious ceremonies, manners and customs of the inhabitants,
interspersed with many useful and curious observations and anecdotes. London: Printed
for T. Bechet and P. A. Dehondt.
Description: vii, 341 p : ill. (part fold) ; 20 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 992.2 NOB.
Mainly on China, this travelogue also includes accounts of the author’s visit to Batavia.
The author is believed to be Charles Frederick Noble.
590. Osborn, Sherard. (1861). My journal in Malayan waters, or, the blockade of Quedah (3rd
Ed.). London: Routledge, Warne, & Routledge.
Description: xvi, 360 p. : plates, fold. col. map ; 19 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 959.5122 OSB.
The journals of Osborn describe his cruise in the late 1830s on the Hyacinth, an 18-
gun corvette under the command of Captain William Warren off to blockade Kedah
in support of Siamese territorial claims. The journey through Malayan waters is full
of information on early Singapore, Peninsula Malaya and Thailand but Osborn’s
primary aim was to vindicate the Malays and remove the existing negative perceptions
of them. Osborn gives details of local boats, ethnographic observations from a layman’s
perspective, and eyewitness accounts of the attack on Kedah and various acts of
piracy. The first edition was published in 1857 as Quedah, or, stray leaves from a
journal in Malayan waters.
591. Pacific Science Congress (9th: 1957: Bangkok, Thailand). (1957). Thailand, past and
present. Bangkok: Organizing Committee of the Ninth Pacific Science Congress.
Description: 193 p. : ill., ports, map, tables ; 26 cm.
592. Parkinson, Cyril Northcote. (1953). The Mace of the City of Singapore. Edinburgh: Pillans
& Wilson.
Description: 18 p : col. front. , ill. , plates ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 929. 8 PAR [GBH]
Originally a weapon, the mace in English tradition is now regarded as a ceremonial

symbol, reflecting an office or a parliamentary meeting in session. This golden mace
was donated in 1953 to commemorate the occasion of King George VI raising the
status of Singapore to a City in 1951. This brochure gives details of the design and
significance of each symbolic element in this particular mace. Gibson-Hill was part
of the committee consulted on the design of the mace whilst Loke had financed its
production.
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593. Parkinson, Cyril Northcote. (1954). War in the Eastern Seas 1793–1815. London: Allen
& Unwin.
Description: 478p. : ill., plates, maps ; 24 cm. With index and bibliography (450–459p.)
Call No.: RCLOS 940.27 PAR [GBH]
Building on his earlier title, Trade in the Eastern Seas 1793–1815 (1937), Parkinson
explores the naval campaigns of the Royal Navy of the same period, particularly to
protect British India against the French.
594. Parkinson, Cyril Northcote. (1956). A short history of Malaya. Singapore: Donald Moore.
Series Title: Background to Malaya Series, No. 1.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 PAR [GBH)
This was the first in the Background to Malaya Series, published in 1954. The series,
which is intended for general readers rather than academics, gives a brief overview
of Malaya’s economy, industry and socio-politics. It is likely that Parkinson, as Raffles
Professor of History at the newly instituted University of Malaya, had a hand in
developing this series.
595. Pe Maung Tin & Luce, G. H. (Translators). (1960). The Glass Palace chronicle of the kings
of Burma. Rangoon: Rangoon University Press.
Description: xxiv, 227 p : map ; 21 cm. With indexes.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.1 GLA [GBH]
A translation of King Bagyidaw’s compilation on the Burmese kings derived from

earlier Burmese chronicles. This translation is based on the 1907 Mandalay edition
and begins with the third part of the chronicles, which narrates the histories of the
kingdoms of Tagaung, Tharehkittara and Pagan. It continues with the history of Pagan
until its fall. The first edition was published in 1923 under Oxford University Press.
596. Pearson, Harold Frank. (1955). People of early Singapore. London: University of London
Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.57 PE [GBH]
Pearson fleshes out the stories of forgotten heroes and philanthropists who helped
build Singapore during its colonial days. Amongst the 19 personalities profiled,
ranging from Residents to Governors, are three local pioneers, namely Tan Che Sang,
Syed Omar bin Ali Al-Junied and Naraina Pillai.
597. Pearson, Harold Frank. (1956). A history of Singapore. London: University of London
Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.57 PEA [GBH]
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598. Pires, Tomé. (1944). The Suma oriental of Tomé Pires, an account of the East, from the
Red Sea to Japan, written in Malacca and India in 1512–1515, and The book of Francisco
Rodrigues, rutter of a voyage in the Red Sea, nautical rules, almanack and maps, written
and drawn in the East before 1515 (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: 2 v., xcvi, Vol. 1: 228 p., Vol. 2: [229]–578 p. : ill., 17 plates, 2 fold. maps. ; 23 cm.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, Second series, Part I, No.s 89 & 90.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.8 HAK
This work is translated by Armando Cortesão from the Portuguese manuscript found
in the Bibliothèque de la Chambre des deputes in Paris. Besides Books 1 to 6 of Pires’
Suma Oriental, the second volume also has Pires’ letter to King Manuel that is dated
1516.
599. Polo, Marco. (1926). The book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms
and marvels of the East; translated and edited, with notes by Colonel Sir Henry Yule. (Vols.
1 & 2) (3rd Ed.). London: John Murray.
Description: 2 v. fronts. : ill. (include coat of arms), plates (part col., partly fold.) ports.,
maps (part fold.) plans, facsims. (part fold.) ; 24 cm. With bibliography, index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 POL [GBH]
This version of Marco Polo’s sojourns is annotated and translated by Henry Yule and
Henri Cordier, with critical analysis derived from recent discoveries. Yule’s version
was first published in the late 19th century and is credited for unraveling much of
the convoluted narrative in the original work. Volume 1 includes a memoir of Henry
Yule by his daughter, Amy Frances Yu, a bibliography of Yule’s works, explanatory
notes to the text and the illustrations. The rest retells Marco Polo’s journeys to
legendary Cathay, Japan, India and East Africa.
600. Polo, Marco. (1908). The travels of Marco Polo. London: J. M. Dent.
Description: xvi, 461 p. With index.
Series Title: Everyman’s Library, No. 306.
Call No.: RCLOS 915 POL [GBH]
William Marsden’s translation was first done in 1818. This has been re-edited by
Thomas Wright with introductions by John Masefield. Marco Polo’s account captures
the panoramic landscape of 13th century Asia from the first European traveler to
visit these unknown lands.
601. Polo, Marco. (1931). The travels of Marco Polo (3rd Impression). London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul.
Description: xviii, 439 p. : ill. , facsims. , maps (1 folded). With bibliography, index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 POL [GBH]
This translation into English from the text of L. F. Benedetto by Aldo Ricci has been
considered a vast improvement in both accuracy and readability compared to Yule’s
translation. Bendetto had meticulously examined the important “Geographic Text”
– the text considered closest to Polo’s original, comparing it with other key texts and
providing exhaustive notations and an Italian translation. This is further enhanced
by the annotated index by Sir E. Denison Ross.
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602. Prado y Tobar, Diego de (1930). New light on the discovery of Australia as revealed by
the journal of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar. London: Hakluyt Society.
Description: xvi, 261, [1] p. : ill. (incl. facsims.) fold., maps (in pocket) ; 23 cm. With index.
George F. Barwick gives an annotated translation of the original Spanish manuscript

“New light on the discovery of Australia” accompanied by “Note on Prado’s Relación
de Don Diego de Prado in Spanish and English”. The appendices include a letter of
Luis Vaez de Torres and Prado’s two letters sent from Goa in 1613, as well as Barwick’s
translations of the legends on the four Prado maps.
603. Pyrard, François & Gray, Albert (Ed.). (1887, 1888, 1890). The voyage of Francois
Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil (Vols. 1 & 2).
Description: 3 v. in 2. Vol. 1: lvii, 452 p. ; Vol. 2 (Part 1): xlvii, 287 p. ; Vol. 2 (Part 2): xii,
289–572 p. : ill., map (folded).
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part II, Nos. 76, 77 & 80.
The journey of Pyrard, starting in 1601 through to 1611, to Goa and his return to
France is captured in this English translation. It includes a treatise on local flora and
fauna as well as advice for the journey to the East Indies. The third French edition
of 1619 was used for its translation by Albert Gray of the Ceylon Civil Service. He
was assisted by H. C. P. Bell. The Society’s 1889 report is appended.
604. Raffles, Sophia. (1830). Memoir of the life and public services of Sir Thomas Stamford
Raffles, F.R.S. &c., particularly in the government of Java, 1811–1816, and of Bencoolen
and its dependencies, 1817–1824: With details of the commerce and resources of the Eastern
Archipelago and selections from his correspondence. London: John Murray.
Description: xv, [1], 723, 100 p., [10] leaves of plates (some folded) : ill., maps, charts ; 28 cm.
This detailed biography begins with Raffles’ birth, followed by early career and his
service in the East, particularly his leadership in Java and Sumatra, and his founding
of Singapore before relating the circumstances of his death. The appendix includes
important documents namely, “on the administration of the Eastern Islands in 1819”,
“Minutes by Sir T. Stamford Raffles, on the establishment of a Malay College at
Singapore”, “Local laws and regulations for Singapore” and on the “Singapore Institution”.
Sophia Hull’s collation of Raffles’ posthumous memoirs is credited with saving Raffles
from obscurity. This is a first edition with only 1,500 copies published.
605. Raffles, Thomas Stamford. (1830). The history of Java. London: John Murray.
Serving as Lieutenant-Governor of Java between 1811 and 1816, Raffles’ tome on the
people and country of Java presents a survey from the perspective of a social scientist
and a colonial official. It explores the ancient history of Java, the culture of its people
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and the alluring geographical landscape of Java. His description of its flora and fauna
pre-empted Dutch writings despite their extended colonisation of the island. The
work remains highly regarded for providing insights on Javanese culture. The
publication includes 66 engravings with details of Javanese life and costume. First
published in 1817 upon Raffles’ return to England with the restoration of Java to the
Dutch, Raffles was knighted that same year for his contributions in Java.
606. Raleigh, Walter. (1848). The discovery of the large, rich, and beautiful empire of Guiana,
with a relation of the great and golden city of Manoa performed in the year 1595 by Sir W.
Raleigh. Reprinted from the edition of 1596, with some unpublished documents relative to
that country. Edited, with copious explanatory notes and biographical memoir, by Sir Robert
H. Schomburgk. London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: lxxv, xv, 240 p. : fold. map., facsim.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First Series, Part I, No. 3.
Call No.: RCLOS 988 HAK [GBH]
607. Ransonnet-Villez, Eugen, von Baron. (1876). Skizzen aus Singapur und Djohar [Sketches
of Singapore and Johore]. Braunschweig: Druck und Verlag von George Westermann
[George Westermann printing and publishing house].
Description: xi, 88 p. : ill. (col, b& w). With index. In German.
Call No.: RRARE 959.51 RAN.
Ransonnet was an Austrian artist whose travels in this region is captured in vivid
illustrations and coloured drawings.
608. Ravenstein, E. G. (1898). A journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497–1499.
Description: xxxvi, 250 p. : ill., maps (folded).
Notes: Bound to Gaspar Corrêa’s Three voyages of Vasco da Gama (1869).
609. Read, William Henry Macleod. (1901). Play and politics, recollections of Malaya by an
old resident. London: W. Gardner, Darton.
Notes: Bound with Robertson’s Straits memories (1910).
610. Rice, Tamara Talbot. (1957). The Scythians. London: Thames & Hudson.
Series Title: Ancient peoples and places series.
Call No.: RCLOS 939.51 RIC [GBH]
A survey of the Scythians, a nomadic tribe that moved around much of Central Asia
between 9th century BC and the 3rd century AD, this publication describes the people,
their tombs, produce and art. It includes 62 photographs of Scythian art objects.
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611. Robertson, E. J. (1910). Straits memories, being recollections of incidents, peoples and life
in Singapore and the Straits a generation ago. Singapore: Methodist Publishing House.
Description: [ii] 178 p.
Notes: Bound with Read’s Play and politics (1901). Signed “William Makepeace 15 August
1910”.
612. Rogers, Woodes. (1928). A cruising voyage round the world. London: Cassell.
Description: xlvii, 320 p. : plates, ill. With index.
Series Title: The Seafarers’ Library.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 ROG [GBH]
A journey beginning in 1708 saw Captain Rogers’ expedition round off Cape Horn
heading to California and then to Asia via the Pacific Ocean before ending the voyage
in 1711. Rogers provides details of the various lands visited as well as of Alexander
Selkirk whom they picked up off Juan Fernandez. His account of surviving four years
alone has been immortalised in the story of Robinson Crusoe. G. E. Manwaring’s
introduction has a biography of Rogers. This is a reprint of the 1712 edition.
613. Ruge, Sophus. (1896). The development of the cartography of America up to the year 1570.
Washington, D.C.: General Post Office.
Description: 281–296 p. : plates. XVII–XLU of maps.
Series Title: Smithsonian Report (1894).
Call No.: RCLOS 912.09 RUG [GBH]
614. Ruschenberger, William Samuel Waithman. (1838). Narrative of a voyage round the
world, during the years 1835, 36, and 37: Including a narrative of an embassy to the Sultan
of Muscat and the King of Siam (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Richard Bentley.
Description: 2 v. in 1. v., 470 p.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 RUS [GBH]
Ruschenberger was Fleet Surgeon in the United States Navy since 1826 and on this
journey traveled on board the warship, the Peacock, through Arabia to the East Indies.
In the introduction, Ruschenberger admits that circumnavigational voyages have
been so frequent that his journey may no longer be novel but he notes that the Peacock
had had an unusually extensive journey to the East. Volume 1 begins an account of
the journey with them rounding off the Cape of Good Hope providing sketches of
Africa, Rio de Janerio, Zanzibar, India and Ceylon, and traveling further to Java and
Siam. Volume 2 continues the sketches of Siam, then Cochin China, China, several
islands in the Pacific Ocean before they make the return journey, with further
descriptions of California and Mexico. Ruschenberger was also the Vice-President
of the American Philosophical Society and his knowledge of cultural and natural
history presents an informative early American narrative of the Far East.
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615. Sarawak Museum. (1949, May–1951, November). The Sarawak Museum Journal, 5(16–18).
Kuching: Sarawak Museum.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.522 SMJ [GBH]
616. Sarawak Museum. (1954, December–1955, December). The Sarawak Museum Journal,
6(4–6). Kuching: Sarawak Museum.
617. Sarawak Museum. (1956, June–1957, June). The Sarawak Museum Journal, 7(7–9).
Kuching: Sarawak Museum.
618. Sarmiento de Gamboa, Pedro. (1895). Narratives of the voyages of Pedro Sarmiento de
Gamboa to the Straits of Magellan. London: Printed by the Hakluyt Society.
Description: xxx, 401 p. : map. With index.
Translated and edited, with notes and an introduction by Clements R. Markham, the
voyages cover the period 1579–1589. Appended is the Annual Report for 1894 of the
Hakluyt Society.
619. Schoff, Wilfred Harvey. (1912). The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: Travel and trade in
the Indian Ocean. New York: Longmans, Green and Co.
Description: 323 p. : ill., fold. map. ; 24 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 913.045 PER [GBH]
Written by a first century Greek merchant, it traces ancient trade routes through the
Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The translated text, based on Muller’s
1883 version takes up less than 30 pages. A historical introduction and bibliography
precede the text. However, it is Schoff ’s annotations that add immeasurable value to
the publication, providing insights to these ancient routes drawn from both classical
writers such as Pliny as well as modern travel writers such as Oscar Wilde.
620. Schrieke, Bertram Johannes Otto. (1955–1957). Indonesian Sociological Studies: Selected
Writings of B. Schrieke (Part 1 & 2). Hague: W. Van Hoeve.
Description: 2 pts. : Part 1: 313 p.; Part 2: ix, 491p. : maps. With index.
Notes: Presented by Dato Loke Wan Tho to the National Library of Singapore
Call No.: RCLOS 959.8 SCH [GBH]
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621. Seidenfaden, Erik. (1958). The Thai peoples. Bangkok: Siam Society.
Description: v, 177 p. : ill., maps, plates. With bibliography: 171–177.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.3 SEI [GBH]
Published posthumously, this slim publication examines the various Thai-speaking

communities in the Kingdom, dividing them according to regions along with a section
on non-Thais. It captures the origins and habitats of the Thai peoples, including
ethnic Thais as well as non-Thais, a sketch of their material and spiritual culture as
well as a description of the land in general. It does not pretend to be a scientific work
and is targeted at the intelligent reader. The Danish author had been in Siam for about
40 years, mainly serving the Thai government in modernising their police agency.
His ethnographic studies are based on his long years of observation made around the
late 1940s. This work is often cited for his analysis of Chinese Thais.
622. Sewell, Robert. (1900). A forgotten empire (Vijayanagor): A contribution to the history
of India. London: G. Allen & Unwin.
Description: xx, 427 p. : facsims. With index.
Notes: A handwritten note- “Dr C A Gibson-Hill 26/2/59”.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.02 SEW [GBH]
Based on the 16th century Portuguese chronicles by Fernao Nuniz and Domingo
Paes, Sewell describes the 14th century Vijayanagor kingdom established in Southern
Indian. Sewell enhanced the information from the original texts with information
from Ephigraphia Indica and the Journal of the Bombay Asiatic Society as well as
information obtained from coins and other artifacts. It was first published in 1900.
623. Shellabear, William Girdlestone (Ed.). (1948). Sejarah Melayu, or, The Malay Annals
(3rd Ed.). Singapore: Malaya Publishing House.
Description: 2v., xx, 265 p. ; 19 cm.
Notes: In Malay with English introduction
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 SEJ [GBH]
624. Shellabear, William Girdlestone (Ed.). (1957). Sejarah Melayu or The Malay Annals
(8th Ed.). Singapore: Malaya Publishing House.
Description: 2v., xx, 265 p. ; 18 cm.
Series Title: Malay Literature Series, No. 9.
Notes: In Malay with English introduction.
625. Shelvocke, George. (1928). A voyage round the world. London: Cassell.
Description: xxii, 262 p. : ill., plates.
Series Title: The Seafarers' Library.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 SHE [GBH]
Covering Shelvocke’s voyages to Brazil, Mexico, China and England, this edition has
an introduction and notes by W. G. Perrin. The title was first published in 1726.
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626. Singapore. Ministry of Culture, Publicity Division. (1950, June). Road and street
directory and guide to postal districts, 1950. Singapore: Publicity Division, Ministry of
Culture.
Description: v. : ill., maps ; 25 cm.
627. Singapore. Ministry of Culture, Publicity Division. (1954). Street directory and guide
to Singapore with sectional maps, 1954. Singapore: Publicity Division, Ministry of Culture.
Description: v. : ill. , maps ; 25 cm.
Notes: Contains handwritten corrections and marking on the section “historical notes
of landmarks and places”.
Although only acknowledging the Raffles Museum, Gibson-Hill is believed to have

written much of the descriptions of landmarks and places that were appended here
for the first time in the Street Directory. He was known to have closely studied the
legislative reports to elicit the etymology of local streetnames and places.
628. Singapore. Ministry of Culture, Publicity Division. (1961). Street directory and guide
to Singapore with sectional maps, 1961. Singapore: Publicity Division, Ministry of Culture.
Microfilm No.: NL18279)
629. Sitwell, Edith. (1947). Fanfare for Elizabeth. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd.
Description: vii, 202 p. : front., ports. : 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 942.055 SIT [GBH]
This biography of Queen Elizabeth I is written by eccentric poetess Edith Sitwell who
herself shared the same birthdate with the Queen. The story traces the rise of the
Queen, her life of aristocracy during tumultuous times which some suggest parallels
Sitwell’s own. As early as 1953, a screenplay based on the book was written but the
planned film was never made.
630. Skelton, Raleigh Ashlin. (1954). Explorers’ maps: Chapters in the cartographic record of
geographical discovery. Routledge & K. Paul.
Description: xi, 337p. : ill., plates, map ; 26 cm. With bibliography (328 p.), index.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.9 SKE [GBH]
A reprint of 14 articles originally published in The Geographical Magazine (London)

between July 1953 and August 1956, this publication was intended as a pictorial
commentary rather than a chronological guide. The chapters are entitled “The Way
of the East” with a focus on Marco Polo and the Portuguese, “The Way of the West”
which explores the New World of the 16th century, “The Way of the North” which
examines the North-East and North-West passage, “The Spice Islands and Cathay”
which considers the rivalry for the Spice Islands and the Far East in the 16th and
17th centuries, “The South Sea”, a study of the Spanish, the Dutch and of James Cook
in the Far East, and lastly “The Continents and the Poles” covering North America,
Africa and the Polar regions in the 19th century.
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631. Smyth, Herbert Warington. (1898). Five years in Siam, from 1891 to 1896 (Vols. 1 & 2).
London: Murray.
Description: 2 v. Vol. 1: 320 p. ; Vol. 2: 337 p. : ill., maps (some folded). With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.3 SMY [GBH]
Smyth, trained as a Barrister, had served as Director of the Department of Mines in

Siam between 1891 and 1896 during a time of tremendous change in Thailand. Neither
serving a colonial master nor a scientific institution, Smyth’s account of Thailand
remains unique amongst contemporaneous travelogues, many of which were written
by colonial administrators or scientists. He was fluent in Thai and brought an insider’s
perspective to his view of Thailand. Besides describing Thailand’s geography and people,
he also makes mention of the Malay Peninsula starting at Chapter 15 of Volume 2. Of
particular relevance to Gibson-Hill’s curatorial work are likely Appendix 16, which lists
birds observed, and Appendix 18, which has sketches of Siamese watercrafts. The maps
and illustrations are by the author.
632. Spilbergen, Joris van. (1906). The East and West Indian mirror, being an account of Joris
van Speilbergen’s voyage round the world (1614–1617), and the Australian navigations of
Jacob Le Maire. Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus Reprint.
Description: lxi, 272, 40 p. : ill., facsims., maps (part folded), port. ; 23 cm. With
bibliography : p [233] –251.
633. St. John, Spenser Buckingham. (1863). Life in the forests of the Far East, or, Travels in
Northern Borneo (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Description: 2 v. : xvi, Vol. 1 :456 p. ; Vol. 2: 424 p., ill. (some col.) ; map (fold) ; 21 cm.
Notes: Two volumes bound together.
Call No.: RRARE 959.83 SAI
St. John worked for James Brooke and had explored much of Borneo’s remote areas.
His accounts include descriptions of the natural landscape and peoples, with useful
details on the Chinese in North Borneo. His keen observation of Orang Utans was
cited by Alfred Wallace in Malay Archipelago (1890). This second edition, following
the first in 1843, has an additional chapter on pirates and animals. The 1986 edition
is entitled Life in the forests of the Far East: Travels in Sabah and Sarawak in the 1860s.
634. Staunton, George T. (1853, 1854). The history of the great and mighty Kingdom of China
and the situation thereof… and now reprinted from the early translation of R. Parke.
(Vols. 1 & 2). London: Printed for the Hakluyt Society.
Description: 2 v. in 1. lxxxviii, 172 p.
Series Title: Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, First series, Part I, No. 14 (1853).
This work is based on the 1588 edition. It includes the 1852 Annual Report of the
Hakluyt Society. Bound with letters from Portuguese captives in Canton written in
1534 and 1536 with an introduction on Portuguese intercourse in China in the first
half of the 16th century by Donald Ferguson. It is compiled by the Padre Juan Gonzalez
de Mendoza, and now reprinted from the early translation of R. Parke and has an
introduction by R. H. Major.
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635. Stavorinus, John Splinter. (1798). Voyages to the East-Indies (Vols.1–3). London: Printed
for G. G. and J. Robinson.
Description: 3 v. in 2. Vol. 1: 571 p. ; Vol. 2: 512 p., Vol. 3: 598 p. : fold. maps ; 20 cm.
Call No.: RRARE 991 STA
Stavorinus was a Dutch Admiral whose travels as captain of the VOC ship, Huis ter
Meijen, through the East in the late 18th century are captured in this three-volume
work. The compilation was originally published in Dutch in 1793 as Reize van Zeeland
over de Kaap de Goede Hoop, naar Batavia, Bantam, Bengalen, enz. gedaan in de
Jaaren 1768 tot 1771 and was translated by Samuel Hull Wilcocke for this edition
with added notes by him. It describes Stavorinus’ voyage through the Cape of Good
Hope, to Batavia, Bantam and Bengal, in the years 1768 to 1771. The English translation
was reprinted in 1969 and is often refered to for its insights on cultural and ethnographic
observations of peoples from India to Indonesia.
636. Stockdale, John Joseph. (1811). Sketches, civil and military, of the island Java and its
immediate dependencies: Comprising interesting details of Batavia, and authentic particulars
of the celebrated poison-tree. London: [s. l.].
Description: xix, 17–406 p : fold. plan ; 22 cm.
Notes: Imperfect copy: lacking map of Java opposite title page.
Call No.: RRARE 992.2 STO
Stockdale’s work is considered the first British colonial account dedicated wholly to
describing Java, its people and geography. It covers aspects of the British conquest
of Java but goes beyond a mere review of the island’s physical landscapes to examine
the economic and political conditions of Java. Although it does not have illustrations,
it remains a key reference for early colonial perspectives of the island.
637. The Straits Times Annual, 1952. (1953). Singapore: Straits Times.
Description: v. : ill. (part. col. ) ; 31 cm.
638. Stutterheim, Willem Frederik. (1956). Studies in Indonesian archaeology. The Hague:
M. Nijhoff.
Description: xx, 158 p. : ill. , plates ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 992.2 STU [GBH]
This volume is the first in a series that attempts to make Dutch scholarship more
accessible to the English-speaking community. Five articles by Stutterheim translated
from Dutch to English are found in this publication. These include “Tjandi Bara-
boedoer, naam, vorm, beteeknis [Chandi Borobudur: Name, form and meaning]”
(1929), “Some remarks on pre-Hinduistic burial customs on Java” (1939), “A thousand
year-old profession in the princely courts on Java” (1935), “An ancient Javanese Bhima
cult” (1935) and “An important Hindu-Javanese drawing on copper” (1924). It includes
a bibliography of Stutterheim’s works.
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639. Swettenham, Frank Athelstane. (1895). Malay sketches. London: John Lane.
Description: [ii], 289 p.
Notes: Has the signature “Maschell [Cox]”.
Call No.: RRARE 959. 5 SWE
Microfiche No.: MFC NL 0002/116–119 (1895)
Swettenham’s sketches give a description of the character of the Malays, presents a

series of anecdotal events from tiger hunts to a murder, and a narrative of their
everyday life, including leisurely activities such as fishing and dancing. The vignettes
show sympathy towards the Malays though they are not always depicted flatteringly.
Swettenham had been Secretary for Malay Affairs in Singapore (1876 – 1895), and
contributed to the formation of the Federated Malay States serving as the first Malay
Resident-General of the Federated Malay States between 1896 and 1901.
640. Swettenham, Frank Athelstane. (1948). British Malaya: An account of the origin and
progress of British influence in Malaya (Rev. Ed). London: G. Allen & Unwin.
Description: xxi, 380 p. : ill. , map ; 22 cm.
Notes: Signed “Gibson-Hill 17 January 1953”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 SWE [GBH]
This work is a review of Malayan history, with an account of its people and the wealth
of its produce. Interwoven in the account are Swettenham’s first arguments for a
Malay Federation which he proposed in the late 19th century.
641. Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste (Baptisa), Baron d’Aubonne. (1684). Collections of travels

through Turkey and Persia and the East-Indies (Vols. 1 & 2). London: Printed for Moses
Pitt at the Angel in St. Paul’s Churchyard.
Description: 2v. Vol. 1: 214 p. ; Vol. 2: 113 p. With index.
Call No.: RRARE 991.02 TAV
The French adventurer, Tavernier, was bestowed the title Baron d’Aubonne, the title
bearing the placename of his estate in Geneva. His Six Voyages en Turquie, en Perse et
aux Indes (1676–77) was first published in French in 1676, tracing his journeys to the
East, particularly Turkey, Persia and India. Amongst various adventures encountered,
the accounts capture the exploits of the Moghul Aureng-Zebe, relations between Japan
and Tonkin as well as life within these kingdoms, and Tavernier’s travels to Java made
in the 1640s on his third journey. The narrative provides more navigational references
rather than chronological analysis. This 17th century edition is the first in English
translated by John Phillips, Edmund Everard and Henry Oldenburg. The Gibson-Hill
Collection has the 1925 translation originally done by V. Ball.
642. Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste. (1925). Travels in India (Vols. 1 & 2). London, New York:
Macmillan and Co.
Description: xc, Vol. 1: 335 p., Vol. 2: 399p. : fronts. (ports.), 5 plates (1 fold.), 2 maps
(1 fold.) ; 24 cm. With bibliography.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.02 TAV [GBH]
This narrated travels of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne in two volumes
is translated from the original French edition of 1676. It contains a biographical sketch
of the author, with notes and appendices by Valentine Ball.
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643. Taylor, Eva Germaine Rimington. (1959). The troublesome voyage of Captain Edward
Fenton, 1582–1583; narratives & documents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: lvii, 333 p. : ill. , port. , maps, facsims. ; 23 cm. With bibliography: p. xxi–xxiv.
The first full account of Edward Fenton’s 1582 failed privateering voyage to trade in the
wealth of the Moluccas. The voyage was intended to outdo Drake’s exploits in Southeast
Asia who had recently returned in 1580. Fenton’s greed and pride however scuttled his
journey, which ended at Brazil when the Spanish captured the privateers. Taylor used
the sea journals of Edward Fenton and that of the ship chaplain’s, Richard Madox, for
her informative introduction which considers the reasons for Fenton’s failure.
644. Teixeira, Pedro. (1902). The travels of Pedro Teixeira: with his “Kings of Harmuz,” and
extracts from his “Kings of Persia”. London: Printed for the Hakluyt society.
Description: 4 p. l. , cvii, [1], 292, 24 p. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.8 TEI [GBH]
At the turn of the 17th century, Teixeria traveled the breadth of Persia in the Middle
Ages journeying as far down as Malacca. Little is known of this Portuguese Jew who
converted to Christianity. However, his title remains much consulted for the detailed
description of the flora and fauna as well as life in the Persian Gulf, and more
importantly, for the study of this region, his observations of life in Malacca between
1598 and 1600. Teixeira was fluent in several European and Middle Eastern languages.
Appended to his travel narratives are Teixeira’s “A short narrative on the origin of the
kingdom of Hormuz” and “A relation of the kings of Persia”. Detailed annotations by
William F. Sinclair and a strong background introduction by Donald Ferguson enrich
this title.
645. Terpstra, Heert. (1938). De factorij der Oostindische Compagnie te Patani [The Factory
of the East India Company at Patani]. s-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff.
Description: iv, 250 p.
Notes: In Dutch.
646. T y Bunko (Japan). (n.d.). Memoirs of the Research Department of the Bunko.
Tokyo: Research Department of the Toyo Bunko.
Description: Nos. 7–9 (1935–1937).
Notes: Selected articles.
Call No.: RCLOS 950 MRDTB [GBH]
647. Travers, Thomas Otho (1960). The journal of Thomas Otho Travers, 1813–1820. Singapore:
Government Printer.
Description: 226 p. : ill. , map ; 26 cm.
Notes: Memoirs of the Raffles Museum, (1957, May), No. 4.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.802 TRA [GBH]
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648. Tronson, John M. (1859). Personal narrative of a voyage to Japan, Kamtschatka, Siberia,
Tartary, and various parts of coast of China; in H.M.S. Barracouta [1854–1856]. London:
Smith, Elder & Co.
Description: xiii p., 1 l., 414 p. : ill., front., 7 pl., 5 fold. maps ; 22 cm.
Notes: Bound to Edwards’ & Hamilton’s Voyage of the HMS Pandora (1915).
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 TRO [GBH]
Written soon after the opening of China and Japan to Western trade, this narrative
captures descriptions of places and events in both countries and along the coast of
Russia between 1854 and 1856.
649. Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes. (1957). Prehistoric Malaya (Rev. Ed.). Singapore:
Donald Moore.
Description: x, 42 p. : ill. , plates ; 22 cm. With bibliography.
Series Title: A Background to Malaya series, No. 6.
Notes: Illustrated with line drawings by K. M. Foong, Raffles Museum with photographs
by Tweedie.
650. United States National Museum. Smithsonian Institute. (1888–1939). United States
National Museum annual report collection of papers & Annual report Smithsonian
Institution collection of papers [On cover: Smithsonian papers: Korea, Japan, Easter
Island]. Washington: General Post Office.
Description: 1 v. (various pagings).
651. Valentijn, François. (1884–1885). Valentyn’s description of Malacca/ translated by Mr.

Müller, Government Translator of Valentyn's Account of Malacca. [s.l.]: [s.n.].
Description: p. 49–246 : 1 fold map ; 22 cm.
Notes: Bound with Miscellaneous notes: Malacca in the eighteenth century by Government
Translator (p. 261–267) and Manuel de Faria y Souza’s Portuguese history of Malacca.
Call No.: RRARE 959.53 VAL.
652. Varthema, Ludovico di. (1928) The itinerary of Ludovico di Varthema of Bologna from
1502–1508 / as translated from the original Italian edition of 1510 by John Winter Jones,
in 1863 for the Hakluyt Society; with a Discourse on Varthema and his travels in southern
Asia, by Sir Richard Carnac Temple. London: Argonaut Press.
Description: lxv, 121 p.
Call No.: RRARE 910.8 VAR
This publication provides an account of a six-year journey to the East including,

Arabia, India, the Malay archipelago and Burma in two volumes. The journey made
during the early 16th century by an Italian merchant included stops at Malacca, Java
and Sumatra. In the introduction, Richard Carnac Temple gives insights to the
credibility of Varthema’s journey and his character. This is a reprint of the Hakluyt
Society's number 32, The travels of Ludovico de Varthema in Egypt, Syria, Arabia
Deserta and Arabia Felix, in Persia, India, and Ethiopia, A.D. 1503 to 1508, first
published in 1864.
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653. Veer, Gerrit de. (1853). A true description of three voyages by the north-east towards
Cathay and China, undertaken by the Dutch in the years 1594, 1595, and 1596. London:
Printed for the Hakluyt society.
Description: 3 p. l., cxlii p. 1 l. , [2], 291 p. : double plates, fold. maps (incl. front. ) ; 22 cm.
Notes: Bound with a second volume, Narratives of the Discovery of America.
The original was published at Amsterdam in the year 1598, and reprinted in 1609.
It was translated into English by W. Phillip and edited by C. T. Beke with this being
a reprint of Phillip’s translation. The plates are taken from the German edition (1599)
of De Bry, and are copies of the original Dutch edition. It was re-published in 1964
as The three voyages of Willem Barents to the Arctic regions (1594, 1595, and 1596).
654. Vlekke, Bernard Hubertus Maria. (1959). Nusantara: A history of Indonesia (Rev. Ed.).
The Hague: W. van Hoeve.
Description: viii, 479 p. ; 22 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.8 VLE [GBH]
655. The voyages and cruises of Commodore Walker. (1928). London: Cassell.
Description: li, 219 p : ill., maps.
Series Title: The Seafarers’ Library.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.4 VOY [GBH]
This is a biography of the famed privateer commander, George Walker. The author
remains unknown although he claims to have accompanied Commodore Walker on
all but one of his voyages. Serving first with the Dutch before receiving a letter of
Marquee in 1740, Commodore Walker is well known for his battles and cruises in
the 18th century. The book details the voyage along the coast of Carolina as well as
up the Baltic, Walker’s imprisonment by the French, and attacks on as well as
descriptions of life in Spanish towns. First published in 1760, this edition has a strong
introduction and notes by Herbert S. Vaughan and is accompanied with 8 half-tone
plates of paintings of sailing ships and sea battles, along with two maps.
656. Wales, Horace Geoffrey Quaritch. (1937). Towards Angkor in the footsteps of the Indian
invaders. London : G. G. Harrap
Description: 249 p. : plates, maps ; 23 cm.
Notes: With a foreword by Sir Francis Younghusband.
657. Wales, Horace Geoffrey Quaritch. (1951). The making of Greater India : A study in
South-East Asian culture change. London: Bernard Quatritch
Description: 209p., ill. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 959 WAL
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658. Wallace, Alfred Russel. (1890). The Malay Archipelago: The land of the Orang-Utan and
the Bird of Paradise: A narrative of travel with studies of man and nature. London; New
York: Macmillan and Co.
Description: xvii, 515 p. : ill. , maps, port. ; 20 cm. With index.
Notes: It has notes in Gibson-Hill’s hand on flora and fauna. Also has a handwritten note
indicating that Alfred Wallace died on November 7, 1913 aged 90.
Call No.: RRARE 991 WAL
Offering a detailed description of the people and the flora and fauna of the Malay
Archipelago, this work is recognised as one of the earliest scientific study of the
natural life of this region and remains a standard reference. The publication brought
Wallace fame and attracted naturalists to explore this region. Partly through his study
of this area, Wallace conceptualised the theory of evolution inspiring Darwin who
invariably gained credit for the concept when he published his thesis first.
659. Walter, Richard. (1928). Anson’s voyage round the world. London: M. Hopkinson Limited;
Boston: C. E. Lauriat Company.
Description: lxiv, 402 p. XLIV pl. (incl. front, ports.) : 4 fold. charts ; 25 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.41 WAL [GBH]
In 1740, Commodore George Anson was sent to capture Spanish possessions in the
Pacific and in the course of his duty circumnavigated the world. By the time Anson
headed this expedition, he had had more than 20 years of sailing under his belt, often
under adverse circumstances in skirmishes against pirates and the Spanish with whom
Britain was at war. This was to put him in good stead as the journey round the world
on the Centurion was met with great losses in battle and sickness, with his ship the
only one surviving amongst a squadron of eight vessels. Besides tracing Anson’s visits
to Africa and Asia including the Philippines and China, the preface gives short
biographies of Anson as well as key officers, many of whom became seamen of great
fame. It also has good descriptions of both Spanish and English ships involved in the
expedition. First published in 1748, Walter, who was Chaplain onboard Anson’s
voyage was long believed to be the author until Williams’ 1967 Documents relating
to Anson’s voyage around the world put this into question.
660. Watson, William. (1961). China before the Han dynasty. London: Thames & Hudson.
Series Title: Ancient peoples and places series, No. 23.
Call No.: RCLOS 951.01 WAT [GBH]
661. Wheatley, Paul. (1955). The Golden Chersonese. London: Institute of British Geographers.
Description: 61–78 p. : maps ; 25 cm. With bibliography.
Notes: Reprinted from Transactions and Papers, 1955, No. 21.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 WHE [GBH]
This paper, originally published in the British geographic journal Transactions and
Papers, displays Wheatley’s keen mind and linguistic abilities. He analyses Ptolemaic
place names of Malaya based on the publication, The Geography, mapping their
original Greek names and cartographic sketches against today’s place names and
locations. Wheatley was a pioneer in geographical studies on Malaya in the 1950s,
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serving as the key lecturer in the fledgling Geography Department of the University
of Malaya and the first editor of the Department’s Malayan Journal of Tropical
Geography. His time in Singapore culminated in his doctoral dissertation The Golden
Khersonese: studies in the historical geography of the Malay Peninsula before A.D. 1500
which was published in 1961 and has become a “definitive guidepost” for those
studying this region.
662. Wheeler, Mortimer. (1954) Rome beyond the imperial frontiers. London: Bell & Sons, Ltd.
Description: xii, 192p. : ill. , maps (folded) ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 937 WHE [GBH]
Describes Roman history as reflected in their artifacts found in Europe, particularly

Germany, in Africa, especially the Sahara and East Africa, and in Asia including
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Far East.
663. Wheeler, Mortimer. (1955). Rome beyond the imperial frontiers. Harmondsworth,
Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Description : 224 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm. With index.
Call No.: RCLOS 937 WHE [GBH]
664. Wheeler, Mortimer. (1959). Early India and Pakistan to Ashoka. London: Thames &
Hudson.
Description: 241p. : ill., maps ; 21cm. Includes 57 photographs, 25 line drawings, 7 maps.
Series Title: Ancient peoples and places series.
Call No.: RCLOS 954.02 WHE [GBH]
665. Wilkes, Charles. (1845). Narrative of the United States’ exploring expedition, during the
years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Condensed and abridged. London: Whittaker.
Description: 372 p.
Call No.: RRARE 910.4 WIL [GBH]
666. Williamson, James Alexander. (1962). The Cabot voyages and Bristol discovery under
Henry VII. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Description: xvi, 332p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Call No.: RCLOS 910.8 HAK.W [GBH]
Based on Portuguese, Spanish and English archival papers, the book traces the Atlantic
journeys from 1480s to 1509 that began out of Bristol. This includes the journeys
made by John and Sebastian Cabot. R. A. Skelton contributes cartography of the
voyages.
667. Winstedt, Richard Olaf (Ed.). (1923). Malaya, the Straits Settlements and the Federated
and Unfederated Malay States. London: Constable.
Description: xi, 283 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
Notes: Stamped with “Straits Branch Royal Asiatic Society (Library)”.
Call No.: RRARE 959.51 MAL.
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668. Winstedt, Richard Olaf (Ed.). (1938). The Malay Annals, or, Sejarah Melayu; the earliest
recension from Ms. No. 18 of the Raffles collection, in the Library of the Royal Asiatic
Society, London. Singapore: Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Description: [vi] 226 p ; 24 cm.
669. Winstedt, Richard Olaf. (1950). The Malays; a cultural history. London, Routledge &
K. Paul.
Description: 198 p. : ill. With bibliography and index.
Notes: Signed “C. A. Gibson-Hill in gratitude for the plates. R. O Winstedt 15 April
1950”. Also has a signed note by Winstedt as follows: “I am glad that ‘Arts & Crafts’ are
to be brought up to date, but if my names is to be associated with it in any way, I should
much like to see the MS. The last chapter of my THE MALAYS with the bibliography
should be useful to you. Also my English-Malay Dictionary sub creese [kris- a Malay
dagger], basketry, weaving & so on, & the article I wrote on the creese [kris] for the last
Straits Times Annual – especially to the end which tries to explain the creese [kris] as
against the tumbuk lado [pepper crusher – small Malay dagger]. May you both flourish.
Yours sincerely, R. O. Winstedt”.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 WIN [GBH]
Prior to Winstedt’s work, the only notable ethnographic works on the Malays were
by Raymond and Rosemary Firth. The slim publication describes the Malays’ origin,
beliefs, social systems, political organisation, legal system, economic structure,
literature, arts and crafts and their future. This reprint contains photographs of the
Malays by Gibson-Hill.
670. Wong, K. F. (1960). Pagan innocence. London: Jonathan Cape.

Notes: An introduction by the Rt. Hon. Malcolm MacDonald. A photographic essay of
the Dayaks in Sarawak.
Call No.: RCLOS 991.12 WON [GBH]
671. Wright, Arnold (Ed.). (1908). Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya: Its history,
people, commerce, industries, and resources (Abridged Ed.). London: Lloyd’s Greater
Britain Publishing Company.
Notes: Signed “John Burns, To the Right Hon. John Burns M. P. with the editors’
sincere regards and best wishes, December 1908”.
Call No.: RRARE 959. 51033 TWE
The Impressions was published because of the need for a reference on the history and
development of British Malaya. Using resources in the India Office, this well-illustrated
publication describes the establishment and early beginnings of the Straits Settlements,
with details of the Federated Malay States. Supplementary materials include highlights
on the Christmas and Cocos-Keeling Islands, a listing of ruling governors, and the
locations of harbours and lighthouses. For this publication, Wright specifically
refrained from using government funding to avoid restrictions on its content.
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672. Wurtzburg, C. E. (1927). “An index to all the Journals (Nos. 1–86) of Straits Branch of
the Royal Asiatic Society from its foundation until its change of title to Malayan Branch
of the Royal Asiatic Society and to notes and queries 1 to IV”. Journal of the Malayan
Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 5(4), pp. 1–101.
Description: 25 cm. Bound with Gibson-Hill’s “Index Vols. 1–20 (1923–1947) of the
Society’s Journals”.
673. Younghusband, George John.(1899). The Philippines and round about with some account
of British interests in these waters. London: Macmillan.
Call No.: RCLOS 991.4 YOU [GBH]
Younghusband, a naturalist, author and the Queen’s Own Corps Guide, describes his
journey to the newly independent Philippines in time to catch the American conflict
of 1 May 1898 under the charge of Admiral Dewey. Younghusband also gives brief
biographies of Aquinaldo and Jose Rizal, besides adding extraneous details of Manila
cigars, the future of the Philippines and stopovers in Singapore, Saigon and Java. This
work is still referred to as it captured the Philippines’ transition toward independence.
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WOR K S
L’S
SON-HIL
GIB
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GIBSON-HILL’S WORKS
BOOKS
1. Lisle, John (Gibson-Hill’s pseudonym). (1936). Warwickshire. London.
2. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947). British sea birds. London: H. F. & G. Witherby.
Gibson-Hill presents the profiles of 24 sea birds which breed in the British Isles.
These include the Cormorants, Gannet, Storm Petrels, Manx Shearwater, Fulmar,
Terns, Scavenging Gulls, Blackheaded Gull, Kittiwake, Skuas, Razorbill, Guillemots
and the Puffin. Appended are the field characteristics, breeding distribution and brief
notes on migratory or stray birds. Gibson-Hill took photographs specifically to
illustrate this publication and likely sketched the maps as well. This is Gibson-Hill’s
first title under his name.
3. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, 1949). Birds of the coast. London: H. F. & G. Witherby
A handy book for both novices and experienced birders for studying coastal British
birds, the publication opens with a sketch of a Razorbill in flight. Gibson-Hill lists
the birds according to their Latin names, using the nomenclature found in Witherby’s
(1938–1941) Handbook of British Birds. He presents details of the behaviour, distribution
and habitat of coastal birds found around the British Isles describing seldom seen
shorebirds such as ducks and waders. Besides black-and-white illustrations of the
birds, Gibson-Hill also drew maps of the winter distribution of some species. In his
preface, Gibson-Hill acknowledges the help of P. A. D. Hollom and his brother-in-
law, fellow ornithologist Bruce Campbell, for reviewing his drafts. One of the copies
in the collection has handwritten notes in the preface signed off “A. W.”. This was
possibly Gibson-Hill’s working copy as these corrections were incorporated into his
1949 re-publication. The publication was commended for its detailed descriptions
and careful comparisons to similar species. American zoologist, Henri C. Siebert
considered this “one of the better bird manuals” for its details, drawings and data
which would prove useful for the identification of a wide range of birds. Its high
regard is seen in its re-publication the following year and again in 1976 as A guide
to the birds of the coast.
4. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). Singapore, twenty-four camera studies. Singapore:

Kelly & Walsh
Call No.: RCLOS 959.51 GIB (NL10071)
A series of 24 black-and-white photographs by Gibson-Hill showing scenes of post-

war Singapore with the colonial architecture thrown against stark sunlight, the rising
skyline of an emerging nation and a vibrant waterway. Each image has a short caption.
These photographic studies pre-empt the Malayan landscape (1949), which is twice
the size of this title and was published the subsequent year.
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5. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). The Malayan landscape; seventy camera studies.
Singapore: Kelly & Walsh
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 GIB [GBH] (NL10058)
Building upon his earlier visual survey of Singapore (1948), the natural and built
landscapes of Malaya in the late 1940s are presented through the lens of Gibson-Hill
in this photographic work. The images are arranged by states including Kuala Lumpur,
Singapore, Perak, Kedah, Penang, Perlis, Kota Bahru, Kuala Trengganu and Pahang.
In his introduction to this publication, Malcolm MacDonald describes it as “a picture
gallery of landscapes”, noting the absence of people from even the city landscapes.
6. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). A working list of the scientific periodicals publications
retained in the Raffles Museum and Library, Singapore. Singapore: Government Printing
Office.
Call No.: RCLOS 015.5951 RAF (NL2805)
Gibson-Hill lists serials in the Raffles Library on Zoology, Anthropology and the
History of Malaya and the region. The listing is arranged by country of publication
and was created to assist researchers in verifying the availability of a requested journal.
Many of the journals were acquired through an exchange of the Journal of the Malayan
Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and/or the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum.
7. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). Notes on the sea birds of the orders Procellariiformes
and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors to the Ceylon coast. Colombo: National
Museums of Ceylon.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.42 GIB
First published in Spolia Zeylanica (1953, 27(1), pp. 83-102, the article captures details
of birds of the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands.
8. Hancock, T. H. H & Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954). Architecture in Singapore.

Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 722.4095957 SIN [GBH] (NL10286)
This book contains at least 180 descriptions of buildings and landmarks in Singapore
in the 1950s based on a collection of photographs by Gibson-Hill, exhibited from 26
March to 5 April, 1954. The exhibition was sponsored by the Singapore Art Society
and the Institute of Architects of Malaya and was held in conjunction with a showcase
of proposed projects by the Institute. Although not all the photographs originally
exhibited are published, the book includes reproductions of paintings found in the
Raffles Museum. The notes on buildings and its architectural features are by Hancock
and Gibson-Hill.
9. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). An exhibition of Eastern & Western musical

instruments, British Council Centre, Sept. 12th to 20th, 1953. Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 781.91 SIN (NL 9939)
This is a commemorative catalogue edited for the Exhibition Committee. Besides

Gibson-Hill, the organising committee included Paul Abisheganaden, Lee Siow Mong
and R. K. Guha. Gibson-Hill also has an article titled “The musical instruments of
South-East Asia”.
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10. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956). Singapore: Old Strait & New Harbour, 1300–1870.
Singapore: General Post Office.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.51 BOG [GBH] (NL10999)
First published in JMBRAS (1956), 3: 11–116, this is a compilation of articles on

ancient references to the Keppel Harbour from sources as early as Linschoten. The
articles are entitled, “The Strait of Singapore”, “On Lung-ya men”, “On the Channel
of Santa Barbara”, “The Old Strait”, “The New Harbour”, “On not building a dry dock”,
and “On building dry docks”.
11. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1976). A guide to the birds of the coast (Rev. Ed.). London:
Constable.
A posthumous reprint of Gibson-Hill’s Birds of the Coast (1949). It includes his

original illustrations.
JOURNAL AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

12. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, February). “Common Sandpipers displaying in
winter quarters”. British Birds, 41(2), 57–58.
13. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, August). “Christmas Island”. British Malaya, 62–63.
RRARE 959.5 BRI
Gibson-Hill traces the early explorations at Christmas Island, from its first discovery
on Christmas Day 1643 until the founding of the Christmas Island Phosphate Company
in the late 19th century.
14. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, November). “The island of North Keeling”. British
Malaya, 105 – 106.
RRARE 959.5 BRI
This article follows an earlier one on Cocos-Keeling Islands. It has brief description
of North Keeling’s geography and fauna. Also of note are the details of the events
surrounding the Emden, a German battleship that had languished here during World
War I after its battle with Sydney, an Australian cruiser.
15. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, September). “Tropic-birds”. British Malaya, 303–304,
308.
RRARE 959.5 BRI
Gibson-Hill describes the three species of Tropic-birds commonly seen in islands

found in the warmer seas and oceans, especially the Indian Ocean. He details their
distribution, nesting and chick development. Three of his photographs are appended.
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16. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Introductory note: Contributions to

the natural history of Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 6–7.
A brief overview of the fauna collection history at Christmas Island between 1887
and 1908 as a preface to his own field notes of the collections made between September
1938 and November 1940.
17. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “The nature of the coast”. Bull. Raff. Mus.,
(18), 8–17.
The article describes the fauna residing around the steep limestone cliffs that surround
the coast of Christmas Island.
18. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Climatic conditions from July 1939 to
June 1940”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 18–21.
An analysis of the impact of climate, especially humidity and rains, on the insects
collected during this period. The climactic table appended is by Tan Hock Lim, who
was the chemist at the Christmas Island Phosphate Company.
19. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “The Echinodermata”. Bull. Raff. Mus.,
(18), 22–26.
The article builds on Tweedie’s collection of 30 specimens of about 13 species collected

from the Flying Fish Cove and the Little Anne Beach reef during his visit in 1932 to
Christmas Island. Gibson-Hill adds one more species and examines the rest of
Tweedie’s collection.
20. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Field notes on the terrestrial crabs”.
Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 43–52.
Gibson-Hill discusses and describes the various species of local crabs on Christmas
Island particularly their breeding and migration. The article by Gibson-Hill provides
greater details on Andrew’s earlier collection of crabs.
21. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Isoptera”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 56–57.
Gibson-Hill describes three species of termites found on Christmas Island – Eutermes

sp., Coptotermes sp. and an unidentified third specimen.
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22. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera)”. Bull. Raff.
Mus., (18), 74–80.
An article concerning the collection of butterfly specimens taken from Christmas

Island, particularly of specimens collected by Gibson-Hill from the beginning of 1939
to the middle of 1940.
23. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “The terrestrial reptiles”. Bull. Raff. Mus.,
(18), 81–86.
This describes the reptiles, especially lizards and snakes found on Christmas Island
with reference to earlier collections of reptiles made by Captain Maclear in January
1887 on the Flying Fish and by J. J. Lister in September of the same year.
24. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “Notes on the birds of Christmas Island”.
Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 87–165, 168–169.
A listing and description of birds on Christmas Island based on Gibson-Hill’s fieldwork

between September 1938 and December 1940. The study uses Chasen’s nomenclature
found in his Handlist of Malaysian Birds (1935) and builds on earlier analysis by
Lister (1888), Andrews (1897–1898) and Tweedie (1932). Seven photographic plates
of birds with notes and detailed explanations are found at the end of the article.
Gibson-Hill’s collection of 200 specimens was obtained under Chasen’s instructions.
Plans for them to be examined were unfortunately interrupted by Chasen’s untimely
death during World War II.
25. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, October). “A note on the mammals of Christmas
Island”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (18), 166–167.
This article gives a brief outline of Christmas Island’s limited number of mammals.
Gibson-Hill makes reference to findings by Lister (1887), Andrews (1896–1897,
1908), Tweedie (1932), and includes J. W. Harms’ claims of encountering indigenous
rats during his visit in 1933.
26. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, January). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum, No.1, New records for Singapore Island”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (19), 98–100.
Gibson-Hill considers four new species of birds off Singapore obtained by B. D.

Molesworth and Chasen between 1940 and 1941 and other specimens sent to the Raffles
Museum. However, their identification was only possible after the end of the war.
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Museum, No.2, An immature red-tailed Bo’sun Bird”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (19), 100–104.
This describes the species Phaethon rubricauda subsp. found between Sumatra and
the Nicobar Islands by F. G. H. Allen and given to the Raffles Museum.
28. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, January). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles Museum,
No.3, An immature Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle, taken in Johore”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (19), 104–105.
A short description of the young of a bird, Spizaetus nipalensis alboniger Blyth,

comparing it with specimens already in the Raffles Museum.
Museum, No.4. A note on the distribution of the immigrant Snipe of the genus Capella
wintering in the Malay Peninsula and surrounding areas”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (19), 105–119.
Gibson-Hill considers Swinhoe’s snipe, Capella megala (Swinhoe), the Pintail Snipe,
Capella stenura (Bp.) and the Fantail Snipe, Capella gallinago (Linn) – their description,
distribution and sightings, and specimen samples found in the Raffles Museum as
well as the British Museum. The article includes three maps describing the distribution
of each bird along with an extensive bibliography.
30. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, January). “Birds and mammal type specimens
formerly in the Raffles Museum Collections”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (19), 133–198.
A catalogue listing the type specimens of birds and mammals that were transferred
to the British Museum and the possible specimens missing on account of the war
years. It includes an index of type names of birds and mammals described.
31. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, September). “An annotated checklist of the birds
of Malaya”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (20), 5–299.
Building on Chasen’s earlier work, this listing goes beyond a mere check-list and provides
details of form, status, habitat, migration dates and breeding of local birds. The data
is based on previously unpublished data derived from field reports. Moving away from
Chasen’s use of Sharpe’s classification system, Gibson-Hill adopted Wetmore’s Systematic
Classification of the Birds of the World (1940). Fellow ornithologist, H. C. Deignan notes
however that the nomenclature used is of the pre-war period, a problem attributed to
the lack of access to more recent writings in Singapore. On the other hand, Madoc,
author of An introduction to Malayan birds (1943, 1947) considers the checklist as
offering ‘the recognised “family tree” for Malayan birds’. Gibson-Hill’s work certainly
does not lack thoroughness, having reviewed the previously published works of Hume
(1879-1880), Robinson (1907, 1910, 1927, 1928) and Chasen (1935). He had also re-
examined the specimens in the Raffles Museum. Unfortunately, except for Chasen
(1935) and Robinson (1910) none of the other titles consulted for this significant
ornithological publication are found in the Gibson-Hill Collection.
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Museum, No.5, A collection of birds’ eggs from North Borneo”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (21),
106–115.
A catalogue of a collection of eggs by V. W. Ryves collected during his visits to North

Borneo between 1938 and 1939.
Museum, No. 6, Nesting notes on the Streaked Fantail Warbler”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (21),
115–122.
The article give details on the behaviour, breeding habits and nesting instincts of the
Streaked Fantail Warbler Cisticola juncidis Malaya Lynes found commonly in the
lowlands of the Malay States.
34. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, January). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles Museum,
No.7, Nesting notes on the Yellow Breasted Sunbird”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (21), 122–129.
Gibson-Hill describes the Yellow Breasted Sunbird, Leptocoma jugularis microleuca

(Oberh.) – its general habit, call, breeding season, nesting, eggs, incubation, fledglings
and feeding of chicks.
Museum, No. 8, The nest and eggs of the Long-billed Spiderhunter”. Bull. Raff. Mus.,
(21), 129–131.
According to Gibson-Hill, only one other account of the nest and eggs of the
Arachnothera r. robusta Mull & Schleg. exists based on the sample found by Doria
in 1865 or 1866 in Sarawak.
36. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, January). “A checklist of birds of Singapore Island”.
Bull. Raff. Mus., (21), 132–183.
A list of birds occurring or likely found in Singapore and its immediate coastal waters.
The listing is based on previously published works, specimens at the Raffles Museum
and field notes by Gibson-Hill. The birds are numbered based on Gibson-Hill’s earlier
work, An annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya (1949). The article is appended
with three pages of references.
37. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “Introduction”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (22), 7–10.
The introduction provides summaries of the articles on Cocos-Keeling Islands in this

issue including aspects of its geography, flora and fauna. It also gives some insights
to Gibson-Hill's life in the Cocos-Keeling Islands and the collections he had built up.
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38. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “A note on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”. Bull.
Raff. Mus., (22), 11–28.
An illustrated description of the physical geography of the Cocos and Keeling Islands,
with aspects of their known history. It includes photographs of the island.
39. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “A note on the Arachnida found on the
Cocos-Keeling Islands, January–October”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (22), 101–102.
The article briefly makes mention of pseudoscorpions, spiders and ticks found on
the islands prior to the war.
40. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “The Myriapoda found on the Cocos-
Keeling Islands”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (22), 103–104.
Here, Gibson-Hill describes six species of Myriapoda collected, including two

millipedes and four centipedes.
41. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “Notes on the insects taken on the Cocos-
Keeling Islands”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (22), 149–165.
The article examines the reasons for the increase in insects since Darwin first studied the
atoll in 1836. Darwin’s visit was followed by subsequent visits of H. O. Forbes (1879) and
F. Wood-Jones (June 1905–September 1906) before Gibson-Hill’s own study in 1941. Gibson-
Hill notes that the number of species had increased to approximately 217 against the 13 that
Darwin originally found in 1836. He attempts a detailed study of how the increase of insects
was likely the result of the growing settlement since that of Captain Le Cour in 1825 and
subsequent generations of the Clunies-Ross from 1827. Gibson-Hill’s theory of insect
migration is followed by a listing of descriptions of each order of insect.
42. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “A note on the reptiles occurring on the
Cocos-Keeling Islands”. Bull. Raff. Mus., No. 22, pp. 206-211.
The article describes seven species of reptiles with two new species discovered whilst
the rest were previously described by Wood-Jones. The reptiles include snakes, turtles
and lizards.
43. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “Notes on the birds of the Cocos-Keeling
Islands”. Bull. Raff. Mus., No. 22, pp. 212-270.
This two-part paper beginning with a section titled “Birds breeding on the Islands in
1941.” It is based on Gibson-Hill’s observations and fieldwork made during two visits to
the North Keeling Island on 30 January 1941 and during 7–8 July 1941. The second section
is entitled “Checklist of the birds known from the Islands.” Two pages of references follow.
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44. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, April). “A note on the Cetacea stranded on the
Cocos-Keeling Islands”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (22), 278–279.
Gibson-Hill describes the Sperm Whale or Cachalot, Physeter catadon Linn, and the
Indian Pilot Whale, Globiocephala macrorhyncha Gray found stranded on the islands.
45. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, December). “Notes on the sea birds breeding in
Malayan waters”. Bull. Raff. Mus., No. 23, pp. 5-64.
Notes made on the nesting habits of sea birds off the coast of Malaya and its islands
are summarised here. This includes the Brown Booby Sula leucogaster plotus (Forster),
the Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii bangsi Mathews, the Blacknaped Tern Sterna
sumatrana sumatrana Raffles, the Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus anaethetus Scopoli
and the Chinese Little Tern Sterna albifrons sinensis Gmelin. The appendix captures
details of the Least Frigate-bird Fregata ariel ariel (G. R. Gray), the Larger Crested
Tern Thalasseus bergii cristatus (Stephens), the Common Noddy Anous stolidus
pileatus (Scopoli) and the Whitecapped Noddy Anous minutus worcesteri (McGregor).
It includes notes on maps and four plates that are photographs of birds and Malayan
islands. A list of references are appended.
46. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, December). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum, Nos.9, Notes on Abbott's Booby”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 65–76.
A study of the little known Abbott’s Booby Sula abbotti based on sightings and studies
by others. These studies include Ridgeway’s description of the specimens collected
by W. L. Abbott himself (1892) from Assumption Island, C. W. Andrews’ (1897 and
1908) at Christmas Island and Wood-Jones’ (1909) purported sightings on North
Keeling. These are measured against Gibson-Hill’s own observations during the 10
and a-half-months he spent on Cocos-Keeling Islands.
Museum, No.10, A note on the Alaska Willow-Warbler, Phylloscopus borealis (Brasiris)
in the Malay Peninsula”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 77–81.
Gibson-HIll compares the distribution of Phylloscopus borealis (Brasiris) and

Phylloscopus borealis kennicotti (Baird) and the problems of distinguishing between
the two birds.
Museum, No.11, Nesting notes on the Malayan Long-tailed Tailor-Bird, Orthotomus
sutonicus maculicollis Moore”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 82–97.
A description of the bird’s general habits, call, breeding, nesting, eggs, incubation,
fledgling and feeding is given, based on Gibson-Hill’s field work during his internment
at Sime in Singapore between 1944 and 1945 and the Raffles Museum’s collections
of the species. It includes drawings of the unique leaf nest and a young chick.
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Museum, No.12, Nesting notes on the Spotted Munia, Munia punctulata fretensis Kloss”.
Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 98–113.
The details of the bird’s general habits, voice, breeding season, nest and eggs are
described based on observations of the birds at Sime internment camp during 1944
and 1945 and after that in Tanglin, the location of Gibson-Hill’s home between 1948
and 1949. Drawings of the birds’ nests are included.
Museum, No.13, A nest and eggs of the Black Babbling-Thrush, Garrulax l. lugubris
(S.Muller)”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 114.
A description of a nest found by F. G. H. Allen and B. D. Molesworth on 29 October

1949 on Frasers’ Hill is provided in this article.
Museum, No.14, Annotations, Addenda and Corrigenda to the Singapore checklist”. Bull.
Raff. Mus., (23), 115–126.
The article gives additional notes on birds in relation to Gibson-Hill’s Checklist of the
Birds of Singapore Island that was completed in June 1949.
52. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, December). “Hemiptera collected on the Cocos-
Keeling Islands, January to October, 1941”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 206–211.
The collection of insects accumulated from January to October 1941 includes 12

species of Heteroptera and three Homoptera. They are described in this article and
compared against notes made by Wood-Jones who collected specimens between 1905
and 1906.
53. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, December). “Birds recorded from Pulau Jarak,
Malacca Strait”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (23), 263–299.
The last paper of birds from this island was a study by Robinson of E. Seimund’s
collections made in 1919 and 1932. Beginning with a detailed overview, Gibson-Hill
provides an annotated list of these birds using numbers based on the Checklis of
Malayan Birds (1949) with data correlated from collections in the Raffles Museum
that previously remained unrecorded. A fuller descriptions of the island is appended
obtained from a visit in 1950 by Audy, Harrison and Wyatt-Smith.
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54. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum No.15, Notes on the avi-fauna of the Great Redang Island (Trengganu)”. Bull.
Raff. Mus., (24), 220–240.
The overview of the Great Redang islands includes a provisional sketch of the place
with lists of sea and shore birds, land birds and migrants. This is followed by an
appendix where Gibson-Hill gives descriptions of the various islands namely Pulau
Bidong Laut (Little Redang), Pulau Lang Tengah (Pulau Lantinga), Perhentian Islands
along with details of Kloss’ collecting activities there in 1910. Appendix B has a table
of birds recorded from the Trengganu Archipelago.
Museum No.16, Notes on the alien birds recorded from Singapore Island”. Bull. Raff.
Mus., (24), 240–257.
This updates Chasen’s listing of alien birds as observed in 1924. The data is listed
under two headings – firstly, isolated occurrences and secondly birds known to breed
on the island under feral conditions. It provides insights to how human interference
introduce some of these birds to Singapore.
Museum No. 17, Notes on the birds reported from Agalega Islands, western Indian
Ocean”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 257–269.
A provisional list of the birds on the islands based on W. Bojer’s 19th century listing
with likely contributions by J. George Lionnet.
Museum No. 18; The apparent breeding seasons of land birds in North Borneo and
Malaya”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 270–293.
The breeding season of birds in North Borneo and Malaya based on notes by Banks
and Voous. Bank’s notes are based on a collection of eggs that Mr V. W. Ryves
established in North Borneo in 1938 and 1939. The paper also has an appendix
“showing size of clutches in which incubation had begun” and an appendix with “data
from Whitehead’s exploration of Mount Kinabalu.”
Museum No. 19 Notes on the avi-fauna of Pulau Senang, Pulau Pawai and Pulau Sudong,
on the north side of the Singapore Strait”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 294–321.
Based on visits to Pulau Sudong and Pulau Pawai in September 1949, and subsequently
of Pulau Senang and Pulau Pawai between 20 May and 10 June 1951, this paper
provides descriptions of the island, analysis of the indigenous bird species observed,
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and other recorded data. This article also provides little known insights to the islands
such as the origin of their names and a description of their vegetation. A sketch map
of the islands and photographs of the islands’ landscapes are appended.
Museum No. 20, New records for Singapore Island”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 321–326.
This paper gives an update of four new species to be added to the Singapore Checklist
and the first formal record of a fifth species. Also includes breeding records and the
revised totals.
Museum No.21 The birds known from Pulau Pisang, Malacca Strait”. Bull. Raff. Mus.,
(24), 326–336.
The Raffles Museum collections from this island were gained through visits in October
and December 1947 by Gibson-Hill and F. G. Allen, and again by the later in 1948
and 1949, with a Raffles Museum collector working between 9 December 1947 and
5 January 1948. The article gives a brief description of the island, a listing of species
breeding, and a discussion of resident birds. It includes photographs of the islands
and its birds.
Museum No. 22 The birds recorded from Pulau Berhala, Malacca Strait by J.C. van der
Meer Mohr”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 336–343.
A brief analysis of birds reported by van der Meer Mohr on the island along the
Malacca Straits.
62. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “A revised list of the birds known from
the Rhio-Lingga Archipelago”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (24), 344–380.
This detailed update on the birds of the Rhio-Lingga archipelago based on earlier
records includes the added species sent up from Singkep in 1950 by A. H. de Bruyn,
raising the total of species recognised to 180. It includes a sketch map and charts.
63. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, October). “Birds recorded from the Aroa Islands,
Malacca Straits”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (27), 155–179.
The Aroa Islands in the Straits of Malacca are first described along with previous
records of the birds observed including those by Kloss (1915) and G. C. Madoc (1949)
and followed by a full description of sea birds, land and shore birds. Included are
descriptions of four birds new to or rarely recorded in the Malaya Peninsula. Besides
notes on the birds reported from Barren Island, the report also highlights passage
migrants recorded.
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64. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, October). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum No. 23, Notices of four birds new to, or rare in, records from the Malay Peninsula”.
Bull. Raff. Mus., (27), 180–186.
These birds are Sula dactylatra bedouti Mathews, Sula sula rubripes Gould, Capella
memoricola (Hodgson) and Heteroscelus brevipes (Vieillot).
65. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, October). “Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum No. 24, Notes on the colouration of the soft parts in Egretta alba modenta, G.
R. Gray”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (27), 186–188.
A brief description of the pigmentation of this species based on descriptions in

published works and from notes.
66. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, October). “'Ornithological notes from the Raffles
Museum No.25, Notes on the birds reported from Barren Island (Kayu Ara) between the
Singapore Strait and Sarawak”. Bull. Raff. Mus., (27), 180–191.
An analysis of the Common Noddy on this island.
67. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1943, February). “North Keeling Islands. Their bird life
and vegetation”. The Field, 181(4704), 194–195.
68. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, March). “Boobies, Frigate-birds and Tropic-birds”.
The Geographic Magazine, 447–452.
Call No.: R 910.5 GM
The seabirds of the tropics are described, particularly the Booby, Frigate-bird and
the Tropic bird. This two-page essay describes the interaction between these birds
in the tropic, especially related to feeding activities. It also has four pages of photographs
by Gibson-Hill, with highlights of these birds in flight or nesting. These include the
Brown Booby, the Red-footed Booby and the Christmas Island Frigate bird.
69. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, October). “The Gentoo Penguin”. The Geographic
Magazine, 233–238.
Call No.: R 910.5 GM
Gibson-Hill continues a series of articles on the geographical distribution of animals

in the Southern hemisphere, including the flightless penguin. He gives details of their
distribution, its breeding and nesting behaviour and its mobility. This article contains
vivid black-and-white photographs of the penguins taken during his trip to South
Georgia.
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70. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947). “The normal food of tropic-birds (Phaethon spp)”.
Ibis, 89, 658–661.
Call No.: RCLOS 598.205 I [GBH]
An examination of Phaethon rubricauda westralis Mathews, Phaethon lepturus lepturus

Daudin and Phaethon lepturus fulvus Brandt found at Christmas Island and the Cocos-
Keeling Islands.
71. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “Occurrence of the Hen-Harrier in the Malay
Peninsula”. Ibis, 90(3), 466–467.
72. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Blackhead Gull and the Lesser Crested Tern
in the Straits of Singapore”. Ibis, 90(3), 468.
73. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “Display and posturing in the Cape Gannet Morus
capensis”. Ibis, 90(4), 568–572.
This paper describes Cape Gannets at Bird Island at the east end of Algoa in South
Africa. It includes 6 photographs.
74. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, January). “Bird type specimens formerly in the
Raffles Museum, Singapore”. Ibis, 90 (1), 145–147.
75. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, April). “Birds of the Cocos-Keeling Islands (Indian
Ocean)”. Ibis, 91(2), 221–243.
The first section of this article captures climate, ecology, numbers and breeding
seasons of birds in Cocos-Keeling Islands. The second section is an annotated list of
17 species, 17 strays and visitors and 11 recorded but not yet seen species as recorded
in 1941. The last section compares the avifauna of Christmas Island with those in the
Cocos-Keeling Islands.
76. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). “Notes on the cape hen Procellaria aequinoctialis”.
Ibis, 91(3), 422–426.
77. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “Temminck’s stint in Borneo”. Ibis, 92(1), 318–319.
78. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Storm Petrels occurring in the northern
Indian Ocean and adjacent seas”. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 47(3),
443–449.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.954 JBNHS
This paper traces the occurrences of the Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, the Black-bellied
Storm-Petrel, the British Storm Petrel and Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel in the Indian Ocean
and its surrounding seas.
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79. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “A further note on the bearded pig”. Journal of the
Bombay Natural History Society, 47(4), 658–664.
80. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “A note on the food habits of three kingfishers
occurring on Singapore Island”. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 48(1),
146–152.
81. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “Notes on the nesting habits of seven representative
tropical sea birds”. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 48(1), 214–235.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.954 JBNHS
The seven sea birds noted are the Common Noddy (Amos stolidus pileatus (Scop.),
the White Tern (Gygis alba monte Math.), the Eastern Reef Heron (Demigretta sacra
sacra (Gmel.)), the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster plotus (Forst.)), Red-footed Booby
(Sula sula rubripes Gould.), the Christmas Island Frigate-bird (Fregata andrewsi
Math.) and the Redtailed Tropic-bird (Phaethon rubricauda westralis Math.) The data
is derived from studies on Christmas Island (September 1938–December 1940) and
Cocos-Keeling Islands (December 1940–November 1941).
82. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “A note on the Rorquals (Balaenoptera spp) known
from Indian waters”. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 49(1), 14–19.
83. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “The tropic-birds occurring in the Indian Ocean
and adjacent sea”. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 49(1), 67–80.
84. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951). “Feral Albino and Piebald Rats”. Journal of the
Bombay Natural History Society, 49(2), 298–300.
85. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1941, February). “A note on the Christmas Island Canoe
(kolek)”. JMBRAS, 19(1), 125–130.
Call No.: RRARE 623.829 GIB.
The article traces the origins of the canoes built by the Malay immigrants to Christmas
Island. It also gives the boats specifications, its costs and even the various catch of
fish hauled by these boats along with the methods used of fishing.
86. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947, December). “Notes on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”.
JMBRAS, 20(2), 140–202.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS
The article provides a detailed historical background to the island’s history and
population. Gibson-Hill questions the tradition that William Keeling discovered the
island in 1609. Based on the journals of John Clunies-Ross (d. 1854), he provides
updates and details of the Keeling family and their personal lives on the island.
Ethnographic details of the Malay settlement in the 1940s are also given such as the
islander’s language, beliefs and social structure. He also looks at the construction of
their homes, boats, use of natural products and food consumed. The appendix includes
a select bibliography on the islands.
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87. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, April). “The Island of North Keeling”. JMBRAS,
21(1), pp. 68-103.
Gibson-Hill describes the geography, vegetation and fauna, particularly the seabirds
found in various parts of the North Keeling Island. The geographical descriptions
are segmented into the Lagoon, the Pisonia-Cocos belt, the Tournefortia belt, the
clumps of Pemphis Bushes, the open spaces, the seashore and the fringing reef. A
bibliography is included.
88. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, October). “Index to Volumes 1–20 (1923–1947)
of the Society’s journals”. JMBRAS, 21(3), 1–66.
The index was the first to be released by the Journal after the war and it helped significantly
raise the sales of the publications by Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
89. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, June). “Cargo boats of the east coast of Malaya”.
JMBRAS, 22(3), 106–125.
This is based on studies of the cargo boats in Malayan waters in July 1940, June 1947
and July to August 1948. It includes a bibliography.
90. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949, March). “The early history of Christmas Island in
the Indian Ocean”. JMBRAS, 22(1), 67–93.
The article begins with an overview of the physical and geographical description of
the island. This is followed by the island’s history since its discovery on Christmas
day of 1643. It concludes with observations of changes to the fauna, a result of
population changes following the establishment of the Phosphate Company. The data
were based on earlier surveys particularly those by C. W. Andrews and derived from
Gibson-Hill’s observations whilst resident on the island for more than 2 years. The
appendix includes a select bibliography of resources on the Christmas Island.
91. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, February). “The Indonesian trading boats reaching
Singapore”. JMBRAS, 23(1), 108–138.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS (NL1582)
The article describes the Indonesian boats that have increasingly become a feature
in Singapore and other Malayan waters after the war. These include the Palari or
Makassar Trader, the Golekkan or Madura Trader, the Leteh-leteh, the Sekochi, the
Lambok and the Sumatran Coasters. Illustrations and photographs accompany a
detailed description of the design of these boats. A bibliography is appended.
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92. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, February). “Short notes – The cannon on Pulau
Aur”. JMBRAS, 23(1), 139–142.
A late 18th century cannon on Pulau Aur is believed to have come from a Dutch ship.
The article provides accounts of how these cannons got to the island. A bibliography
is included.
93. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, February). “The racing jong”. JMBRAS, 23(1), 144–148.
The racing jong is a model sail boat used for races amongst the Malays. This short
article includes measurements of those held in the Raffles Museum and details of
those found at Pasir Panjang. Gibson-Hill also gives a brief description of the race
setup and includes an illustration of the jong. The article was reprinted in the Straits
Times Annual (1952), 36–37.
94. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, August). “The fishing boats operated from Singapore
Island”. JMBRAS, 23(3), 148–170.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS [GBH] (NL1582, 0011/019)
This article describes local boat designs that are powered without sails. These include
the powered boats; the keeled small boats (kolek) such as the Johore kolek, the kolek
chiau and the kolek selat; the Chinese keelless boats namely the (sampan) kotak, the
lepap, kwa-tow and the Chinese seine-boat, and the perahu payang. The illustrations
are likely by Gibson-Hill. The appendix includes a listing of fishing gear operated
from Singapore.
95. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951, February). “A note on the small boats of the Rhio
and Lingga Archipelagos”. JMBRAS, 24(1), 121–132.
This article describes the smaller boats in the region namely the jongkang, kolek,
sampan Rhio and the Chinese (Teochew) Seine-boat. The appendix includes a note
on the Skeat Collection and Smyth’s paper on Malayan boats (1902 & 1906). Sketches
of boats are likely by Gibson-Hill. It has a bibliography.
96. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951, February). “Malay hats and dish-covers”. JMBRAS,
24(1), pp. 133-138.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS [GBH] (NL9940)
Nine types of hats or terendak and ten types of dish-covers tudong saji found in the
Federation of Malaya are described. Gibson-Hill concludes that the similarity in
construction means both types of woven items have a close association. The illustrations
and photographs of hats and dish-covers found especially in Southern Malaya are
based on Gibson-Hill’s own collection of artifacts gathered in the late 1940s. It includes
a bibliography.
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97. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951, October). “The affair at Bruas (1837)”. JMBRAS,
24(3), 163–167.
This article describes attempts to remove Ahmad Taju’d-di, the ex-Sultan of Kedah
from Bruas in Perak. In particular, the focus is on Robert McCrea and his command
of the Zebra during the battle that ensued at Bruas. It includes a bibliography.
98. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “The Chinese labourers’ hats used in
Malaya”. JMBRAS, 25(1), 35–47.
Gibson-Hill looks at bamboo hats from Canton, Teochew hats from Swatow, Hokkien
hats from Amoy, and Hylam hats from Hainan. The photographs and illustrations
reveal aspects of their weave. A bibliography is appended.
99. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “Tongkang and lighter matters”. JMBRAS,
25(1), 84–110.
This article continues Gibson-Hill’s interest in the tongkang, describing three types
of Malayan boats, with one constructed primarily in Singapore. He also mentions
Southern Indian boatmen and earlier tongkang Melayu. The article concludes with
an appendix of the various tongkang used in the region. Sketches of boats are likely
by Gibson-Hill. A bibliography is appended.
100. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “Further notes on the old boat found at
Pontian, in Southern Pahang”. JMBRAS, 25(1), 111–133.
Gibson-Hill examines the remains of an ancient boat first discovered by I. H. N.

Evans at Pontian in 1926 and brought to the Perak Museum. He studies the four
recovered planks in detail, and attempts to reconstruct its structure and use based
on the context of an early habitation between the 6th and 10th centuries, as described
by Evans’ earlier paper. It includes a bibliography.
101. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “The Orang Laut of the Singapore River
and the sampan panjang”. JMBRAS, 25(1), 161–174.
This concerns the population of the Orang Laut during the time of Raffles’ landing
until the 1850s. It also has details of the sampan panjang with sketches of the boat
likely by Gibson-Hill. It includes a bibliography. The item in the Gibson-Hill collection
has corrections in his own hand,
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102. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “A possible origin of the Jong stories”.
JMBRAS, 25(1), 177–178.
Following the article by Nik Daud bin Haji Nik Mat, particularly with reference to
the Sungei Lubok Jong legend, Gibson-Hill explores some perspectives to the origins
of these tales.
103. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, August). “Notes on the series Papers on Malay
Subjects”. JMBRAS, 25(1), 194–199.
The notes give an overview of Wilkinson’s intentions and the outcome of the pamphlets
on Malay studies which first appeared in 1907. It includes a listing of the titles of the
first sixteen pamphlets and a note on the second series published by the F. M. S.
Museums, which total seven pamphlets published between 1912 and 1927.
104. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1952, December). “Documents relating to John Clunies
Ross, Alexander Hare and the establishment of the colony on the Cocos-Keeling Islands”.
JMBRAS, 25(4 & 5), 1–306.
Call No.: RCLOS 969.8 GIB (NL9980)
Gibson-Hill provides an overview of the early history of the settlement at the Cocos-
Keeling Islands with extracts from letters and unpublished documents found in the
Clunies-Ross office. Gibson-Hill’s original intent was to publish an account of the
early settlement on the Cocos-Keeling Islands. In the appendix, besides a useful
bibliography, Gibson-Hill also lists publications that had errors concerning the early
history of the Islands.
105. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953, July). “Notes on the old cannon found in Malaya
and known to be of Dutch origin”. JMBRAS, 26(1), 145–174.
The article describes in detail seven canons of Dutch origin found in various parts
of Malaya including Malacca, Penang, Kuala Trengganu, Kota Bharu and Negri
Sembilan. It includes photographs, illustrations and footnotes as well as a bibliography.
106. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953, July). “The Singapore Chronicle (1824–37)”. JMBRAS,
26(1), 175–199.
Gibson-Hill traces the publishing history of The Singapore Chronicle, Singapore’s first
newspaper, along with the personalities behind them including Francis James Bernard
who originally applied to publish it, William Campbell who took over Bernard’s role
after the later resigned following a row with Crawfurd, James Loch to whom Campbell
discharges his duties, William Renshaw George who buys over Loch’s interests, John
Henry Moor who followed George until George sold the papers to Walter Scott
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Lorrain, with the editorship ending with James Fairlie Carnegy. The article also looks
at the tensions and misunderstandings between the various owners of the papers and
their editors. Gibson-Hill’s sources included the official Register, Straits Settlement
Records, published exchanges in the Singapore Chronicles and Singapore Free Press,
and Moor’s Notices.
107. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953, July). “The Dutch-Malay word list of Peter Floris
(1604)”. JMBRAS, 26,(1), 204–206.
Floris’ list is considered the earliest attempt to list the Jawi vocabulary. Gibson-Hill
gives a brief background to Floris and how his manuscript came to the library of
Erpenius, a well-known Dutch scholar. It includes bibliography.
108. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953, July). “The origin of the Trengganu Perahu Pinas”.
JMBRAS, 26(1), 206–210.
This article traces the European origins of Trengganu Perahu Pinas with reference
to articles and notes from 1840 to the early 1900s.
109. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953, December). “Introduction & appendixes to personal
accounts of the Cambridge University expedition to parts of the Malay Peninsula,
1899–1900 by W. W. Skeat and Dr F. F. Laidlaw”. JMBRAS, 26(4), (5–8), 165–174.
Gibson-Hill gives an introduction to the expedition with a brief biography of Skeat.

The introduction highlights the original diaries that were destroyed by enemy bombing
in 1941 and is an abridged version of Skeat’s second attempt in writing his expedition
notes. The appendix gives collecting localities and Skeat's place names of the East
Coast of the Malayan Peninsula.
110. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, May). “The steamers employed in Asian waters,
1819-39”. JMBRAS, 27(1), 120–162.
This chronological listing of steamers employed in Asia in the early 19th century
includes details of steamers such as their names, location built, description and
journeys in Asian waters. It includes a bibliography.
111. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, May). “Singapore – notes on the history of the Old
Strait, 1580 – 1850”. JMBRAS, 27(1), 163–214.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS (NL0029/078)
Gibson-Hill looks at early references of a passageway through the Straits and their
relationship to Keppel Harbour. The article includes references to current and obsolete
maps used in the study.
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112. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, May). “Short notes – A landing on Christmas Island
in 1864”. JMBRAS, 27(1), 218–220.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS (NL0029/078)
Landings at Christmas Island are notably hazardous with few early accounts available.
Gibson-Hill thus considers Captain E. G. Gardner’s landing on April 1864 important.
The account by the Captain of the British brig Guyon was published in the Straits
Times of 21 May 1864.
113. Sieveking, G. de G.; Wheatley, Paul and Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, May).
“Recent archaeological discoveries in Malaya (1952–53) – the investigations at Johore
Lama”. JMBRAS, 27(1), 224–233.
The paper examines the archaeological finds of Williams-Hunt and Wheatley at

Johore Lama, particularly discussing the 16th century fortification and the village
that seemed to have persisted until the present day. The paper serves as an update
to Williams-Hunt’s papers in Volume 24 and 25 of JMBRAS after his untimely death.
It includes a bibliography.
114. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, May). “[Review of] An anecdotal history of olden
times in Singapore by C. B. Buckley, Singapore, 1902”. JMBRAS, 27(1), 235–243.
Gibson-Hill critically analyses the inadequacies in Anecdotal history and Buckley’s

shortcomings in publishing errors, reflecting “little real interest in the people that
came under his view” (p. 242). It includes a bibliography.
115. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1954, June). “The boats of local origin employed in the
Malayan fishing industry”. JMBRAS, 27(2), 145–183.
Here is one of Gibson-Hill’s more detailed descriptions of Malayan fishing boats that
use the sail for propulsion. It covers both Malay and Chinese boats in the East, South
and West Coast of the Peninsula. Various perahu, kolek and sampan are described
and drawn. The illustrations are likely by Gibson-Hill himself. Two appendices
compiled by T. W. Burdon and Gibson-Hill provide Malay names of salt-water fish
and a bibliography of works on sea fisheries of Malaya and Singapore. The article
concludes with photographs by Burdon and Gibson-Hill and a bibliography.
116. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, March). “Short notes– Jerat tempurong”. JMBRAS,
28(1), 172–173.
A short study on a receptacle made of half a coconut shell used for catching ground-
feeding birds.
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117. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, March). “Short notes – Six wooden images in the
Cheng Hong Teng, Malacca”. JMBRAS, 28(1), 173–179.
This is an examination of the unique features of six beam-supporting figures. Some

of these bear a resemblance to Europeans and are believed to have been carved by
South Indians. Comparisons are made with those found in temples in Singapore. It
includes photographs of the six images and a bibliography.
118. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, March). “Short notes – Animal studies on Chinese
export wares”. JMBRAS, 28(1), 179–183.
Swatow porcelain produced for export is studied in this article. They have writings
in Arabic and Persian with unusual animal designs that not commonly found in
China, such as tree-shrews and the short-tailed Macaque.
119. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, March). “Short notes – Raffles, Alexander Hare
and Johanna van Hare”. JMBRAS, 28(1), 184–191.
The friendship between Raffles and Alexander Hare, a merchant in Malacca who
came from Malacca, are discussed in this article. Hare’s personal life and involvement
with his mistress Johanna, is also mentioned. It includes a bibliography.
120. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, March). “Short notes – The date of Munshi Abdullah’s
first visit to Singapore”. JMBRAS, 28(1), pp. 191-195.
The article corrects some mistaken assumptions found in Munshi Abdullah’s writing
particularly the erroneous belief that Raffles visited Singapore only once in 1819
when in fact he had come twice. It includes a bibliography.
121. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955, May). “Johore Lama and other ancient sites on the
Johore River”. JMBRAS, 28(2), 126–197.
RCLOS 959.5142 GIB [GBH] (NL11202)
This reviews early accounts of expeditions into Johore Lama. Sited off the Johore
River, the history behind its 16th century fortifications is elaborated upon with a
genealogy of Johore rulers (1530 – 1720) and a historical overview of the river city
during this period. Findings from archaeological excavations conducted in the 1930s,
late 1940s and the 1950s are also examined.
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122. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1955). “Appendix C: Notes on the printed maps illustrating
this paper or consulted in preparing it (Kuala Lumpur, town and environs) 1855 to
1875–1878”. JMBRAS, 28(4), 170–172.
The notes gives details on the maps used to illustrate J. M. Gullick’s paper Kuala
Lumpur, 1880-1895 published in the same issue of JMBRAS.
123. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, May). “Raffles, Acheh and the Order of the Golden
Sword”. JMBRAS, 29(1), 1–19.
Gibson-Hill examines Raffles’ choice of the Order of the Golden Sword for his coat
of arms and studies its use particularly in Acheh, expanding his research to Raffles’
relations with others in Acheh. A bibliography is appended.
124. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, May). “On the alleged death of Sultan Ala’u’d-din
of Johore at Acheh in 1613”. JMBRAS, 29(1), 125–145.
A bibliography is appended.
125. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, May). “Magindano”. JMBRAS, 29(1), 184.
A short note on the possible origin of the term “Magindano”.
126. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, May). “The Malay Annals: The history brought
from Goa”. JMBRAS, 29(1), 185–188.
In this article, Gibson-Hill examines the possibility that the Malay Annals, as found
in MS Raffles 18 and recognised as the oldest version, could have ended up at Goa.
He makes reference to the 17th century archivist of the Goa Archives, Diogo do
Couto, along with other Portuguese sources in his study.
127. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1956, August). “The fortification of Bukit China, Malacca”.
JMBRAS, 29(3), 156–181.
Using a 19th century map of Malacca from the Raffles Museum collections, Gibson-
Hill examines the 18th century fortifications of the ancient city with reference to 17th
and 18th century textual sources as well as contemporaneous maps and illustrations.
The article includes a bibliography.
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128. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1958, May). “Notes on the administration of the Singapore
Post Office, 1819–67”. JMBRAS, 31(1), 145–162.
Gibson-Hill gives a peek into the workings of the earliest Post Office in Singapore whose
operation was closely linked with that of the Master Attendant’s Office. The challenges
faced by the postal services and the clerks and the first few Post Masters are explored
in this paper. Discussions of the need for an independent postal service found in the
local dailies are also re-examined here. The article was written after the related article,
“Singapore Master Attendants” (JMBRAS, 1960), but was published first.
129. Bastin, J. & Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1958, May). “Five early watercolour sketches
of Penang and Malacca”. JMBRAS, 31(1), 163–171.
The life of Augustus Earle, an itinerant English painter is analysed along with five
watercolour perspectives of Penang and Malacca executed by him in 1828. The article
includes reproductions of the paintings along with several plates of these towns in
the early 19th century. It includes a bibliography.
130. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1959, May). “George Samuel Windsor Earl”. JMBRAS,
32(1), 105–153.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.57 GIB [GBH] (MFC NL 0029/076)
This article gives an extensive biography of Earl who had served as Resident Councillor
in Penang in the 1860s but who had had rounds of duty at Batavia and Singapore,
prior to this posting. A bibliography is appended.
131. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1960, May). “The Master Attendants (Harbour Masters)
at Singapore, 1819–67”. JMBRAS, 33(1), 1–63.
The article arose out of “a request for accurate information about the post and its
holders” during the said period. Gibson-Hill provides the details despite limited
information with no record or extant official list previously available. It includes a
bibliography.
132. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, February). “Mammal type specimens formerly in
the Raffles Museum”. Journal of Mammalogy, 29(1), 66–67.
133. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1946). “Boats and fishing on the Cocos-Keeling Island”.
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 76(1), 13–23.
The article takes a special look at the Cocos-Keeling Dukong, the fishing methods
employed by the local Malays along with their treatment of the catch, and a listing
of sailing and fishing terms.
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134. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Robber Crab”. Malayan Nature Journal, 3(1),
10–14.
Call No.: RCLOS 574.9595 MNJ
The Robber Crab is scientifically known as the Birgus latro Linn. Gibson-Hill
encountered it in Christmas Island and the Cocos-Keeling Islands. The article includes
a description, photograph, illustration, details of habitat and feeding habits. Of its
taste, Gibson-Hill says “that the flesh is not unlike chicken, but with a rather fuller,
almost Teal-like flavour.”
135. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Brown Booby”. Malayan Nature Journal,
3(2), 67–69.
Here, Gibson-Hill describes the only known species of Booby found in Malaya and
includes a photograph of a Brown Booby in flight.
136. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Malayan Frigate-birds”. Malayan Nature
Journal, 3(3), 109–113.
A description of the Frigate-birds commonly seen in Malaya is presented, accompanied

by drawings of Frigates at different levels of maturity and of different gender.
137. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948). “The Malayan Swiftlets”. Malayan Nature Journal,
3(4), 190–200.
Based on a month’s travel in 1948 along the East Coast of the Malay Peninsula visiting
various islands, Gibson-Hill describes three cave-nesting swiftlets and six species of
the genus Collocalia. It includes photographs of some of these swiftlets.
138. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). “The calls of the Silvered Leaf Monkey”. Malayan
Nature Journal, 4(1), 40.
A brief article on four distinct types of the monkey’s calls based on observations by
Derek Headly, the District Officer at Fort Hill, Kuala Selangor.
139. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). “Notes on the nesting of the Bridled Tern on the
Malayan Coast”. Malayan Nature Journal, 4(1), 19–23.
Gibson-Hill describes the nests, breeding habits and eggs of the Bridled or Panayan
Tern found at Fairway Rock off the coast of Perak. It includes photographs of the
terns and location islands.
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140. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). “The whales, porpoises and dolphins known in
Malayan waters”. Malayan Nature Journal, 4(2), 44–61.
Gibson-Hill attempts to explore the occurrences in Malaya of the order Cetacea,

which include dolphins, porpoises and whales. The article describes nine such species
and includes eight drawings and photographic studies of these watery mammals.
141. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “Myna matters”. Malayan Nature Journal, 5(2),
58–75.
With little previously written about local Mynas, Gibson-Hill provides brief descriptions,
nidification and range of these birds in Malaya. A total of five species are described,
along with drawings of the birds showing their details and a map of their distribution.
142. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander.(1950). “Pulau Perak”. Malayan Nature Journal, 5(1), 1–4.
This description of specific species of birds found on Pulau Perak includes four plates
of photographs.
143. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “A note on the Crested Tree-Swift”. Malayan Nature
Journal, 5(1), 5–8.
A summary description of these birds nesting as observed by Madoc, Molesworth

and Gibson-Hill between May to June of 1944, off Sime Road Civilian Internment
Camp.
144. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “The Dugong”. Malayan Nature Journal, 5(1),
25–29.
Gibson-Hill describes the Dugong, an aquatic mammal. The article gives details of
its habitat, its occurrence in Malaya, its uses and hunting of the animal until recently.
145. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). “Notes on the sea birds of the orders
Procellariiformes and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors to the Ceylon coast”.
Spolia Zeylanica, 27(1), 83–102.
First published in Spolia Zeylanica, 1953, 27(1), 83–102, the article captures information
on birds of Cocos Keeling and Christmas Islands. It includes a bibliography.
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146. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1948, November 18). “The bird sanctuary of North
Keeling”. The Straits Times, p. 8.
Beginning with an overview of North Keeling island’s geography, Gibson-Hill gives

details about the Emden that had run aground after being gunned by the Australian
cruiser Sydney in World War I. This is followed by descriptions of frigate-birds at
North Keeling including how to catch them for a meal. Photographs of the birds are
also by Gibson-Hill
147. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950, May 5). “The Ikan Todak and the Sword-fish”. The
Straits Times, p. 6.
Gibson-Hill makes a distinction between the Ikan Todak or Garfish, the Half-beaks,
Ikan Layer or Sail-fish, Ikan Parang and the Swordfish.
148. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). “Boat traders of South-East Asia”. The Straits Times
Annual, 1952, pp. 106-111.
Gibson-Hill traces the history of regional boats calling at Singapore from China,
India as well as nearby Malay fishing boats from Bugis and the Celebes, between the
1820s and just after World War II. He gives highlights of the early boats and ships,
along with their cargo, the reasons for the decline of boats from China and the
innovative boat designs in Singapore where Chinese and Indian elements were
integrated. Particular boats such as the Palari, Letch-Letch and the Twakow commonly
found in Singapore are described through photographs accompanied by images of
boatmen.
149. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951). “The dragon that became an island”. The Straits
Times Annual, 1952, pp. 43-45.
The article gives the history and legends of the Tioman Island and its surrounding
islands. It also includes details of Pulau Aur, tracing its history from ancient days
when it was used as a landfall for sailing ships enroute to China. The fauna on the
islands are also studied and the article is illustrated with scenic photographs by
Gibson-Hill.
150. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). “New year sea sports”. The Straits Times Annual,
1952, pp. 34-39.
This traces the history of the New Year’s Regatta since it had its first run in 1834,
looking especially at the types of local and regional boats that took part in the race.
Photographs of the kwatows, the sampan Rhio and the racing koleks illustrate the
article. There are also several photographs of wrestling on the grease pole and tub
racing.
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151. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “The Maccaroni Penguin at Hercules Bay, South
Georgia”. Zoo life, 5(2), 39–45.
Gibson-Hill describes his encounter with the Maccaroni Penguin at South Georgia,
with details of their characteristics and breeding habits. The photographs are of the
penguins on a rookery and of a Sheathbill.
152. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “Frigate-birds”. Zoo life, 6(1), 6–8.
Gibson-Hill examines the flight, feeding habits, nesting and breeding of the frigate-
birds possibly studied during his time at Christmas Island. It includes photographs
of the frigate-bird in flight.
153. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). “A note of the Charadriiformes listed from Sumatra
by Robinson and Kloss 1918 and 1923”. Zoologische Mededeelingen, 30(22), 309–310.
PHOTOGRAPHS, PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS

AND ILLUSTRATIONS
154. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (19-). Singapore 1959–1984 [picture]. National Museum,
National Library, Archives & Oral History Department.
Call No.: RCLOS 959.570074 SIN
A poster-sized reprint of Gibson-Hill’s photograph of the mouth of Singapore River

taken in 1959.
155. Madoc, G. C. (1947). An introduction to Malayan birds. Kuala Lumpur : Malayan Nature.
First written in Changi Prison and later republished in Malayan Nature Journal (1947,
November), 2(3 & 4). It includes illustrations by Gibson-Hill.
156. Straits Times Press. (1948). Straits Times Pictures. Singapore: Straits Times Press.
Call No.: RCLOS 779.99595 STR [GBH] (NL11180 (1948)
The 1948 edition includes photographs by Gibson-Hill, providing a “scenic tour of

Malaya” supplemented with those by staff photographers.
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157. Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. (1949). Malayan fisheries; a handbook prepared for the
inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific Council, Singapore, March 1949. Singapore: Malayan
Publishing House.
Call No.: RCLOS 639.2 IND [GBH] (NL 8801)
This handbook includes an article by Gibson-Hill entitled “The fishing boats used
on the coasts of Malaya” and 34 of his photographs in the appendix.
158. Colony of Singapore annual report, 1949. (1950). Singapore: Govt. Print. Off.
This government report on developments in Singapore includes some of Gibson-

Hill’s photographs.
159. Hawkins, Gerald. (1952). Malaya. Singapore: Government Printing Office.

Call No.: RCLOS 959.5 HAW [GBH] (NL10187)
The photographs of this visual panorama of the history of the Federation of Malaya
and Singapore are by C. A. Gibson-Hill.
160. Singapore. Public Relations Office. (1953). The coronation of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II; Singapore celebrations programme. Singapore: Public Relations Office.
Some of the photographs in this commemorative programme are taken by Gibson-Hill.
161. (1953, November). “Photograph contributed by Gibson-Hill on Stadt house and church
at Malacca Chinese Holiday procession”. Malaya: The Journal of the Association of British
Malaya, 652
162. (1953, March). “Two photographs contributed by Gibson Hill on beautiful Malaya”.
Malaya: The Journal of the Association of British Malaya, 199
The photographs taken by Gibson-Hill are entitled “Fishing boats lying off Kampong
Tanjong, Kuala Trengganu” and “Chinese trading boats lying off the Beach Road
waterfrong, Singapore; early morning”.
163. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1951). “Telok Ayer – old and new”. Straits Times Annual,
1952, p. 27
A painting by Percy Carpenter of Mount Wallich done in 1856 contrasts a photograph

by Gibson-Hill taken almost a century later in 1950 showing the changes along Telok
Ayer Street.
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164. Harrison, John Leonard & Alfred, Eric R. (Ed.). (1955). The apes and monkeys of Malaya
(including the slow loris). Singapore : Government Printing Office
The drawings are by Gibson-Hill.
165. Harrison, John Leonard. (1956). Malayan bats. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Call No.: RCLOS 599.4 HAR [GBH] (NL11768)
166. Harrison, John Leonard & Alfred, Eric R. (Ed.). (1962). The apes and monkeys of
Malaya (including the slow loris) (2nd Ed.). Singapore: Government Printing Office.
167. Harrison, John Leonard. (1962). Malayan squirrels (including Tree Shrews and the Flying
Lemur) (2nd ed.). Singapore: National Museum.
MISCELLANEOUS
168. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1905–1949). Papers on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean).
Singapore: s.n.
Call No.: RCLOS 969.9 GIB [GBH] (NL 11202)
This compilation of Gibson-Hill’s articles include reprints of articles by Gibson-Hill

from the Journal of the Straits and Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
(JMBRAS), and the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum (Bull. Raff. Mus.), bound in a single
volume. The articles are mainly on Christmas Island although other works such as
Ridley’s “Expedition to Christmas Island”, JSBRAS, (1905), (15) are included.
169. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1947–1952). Papers on Malayan birds, 1947–1952.

Call No.: RCLOS 598.295 GIB [GBH] (NL 9941)
These are a compilation of papers from the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum, mainly the
Ornithological Notes from Nos. 1–22. Other titles bound with these notes are “Notes on
the Birds of Christmas Island”, “Bird and mammal type specimens formerly in the Raffles
Museum Collections”, “A checklist of the Birds of Singapore Island”, “A note on the Cocos-
Keeling Islands”, “Notes on the Birds of the Cocos-Keeling Islands”, “Notes on the Sea
Birds breeding in Malayan Waters” and “Birds recorded from Pulau Jarak, Malacca Strait”.
It is otherwise labeled as Papers relating to the fauna of Christmas Island, Singapore.
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170. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1949). “The fishing boats used on the coasts of Malaya”.
In Geoffrey Leighton Kesteven (Ed.), Malayan fisheries; a handbook prepared for the
inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific Council, Singapore, March 1949 (pp. 58–66). Singapore:
Malayan Publishing House.
Call No.: RCLOS 639.2 IND [GBH] (NL 8801)
Here, Gibson-Hill describes non-power driven fishing boats in Malaya, dividing them
into two categories, namely the East Coast boats and secondly, the South and West
Coast boats. A total of 16 boats ranging from Koleks to Perahus are briefly described
accompanied by several sketch drawings.
171. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1950). Papers on the fauna of Cocos-Keeling Islands. Based
on material and data collected in the group by C. A. Gibson-Hill between December 1940
and November 1941. Singapore: Government Printing Office.
Call No.: RCLOS 571.09595 RMSB [GBH]
Articles by Gibson-Hill from the Bulletin of the Raffles Museum particularly from
April, 1950 are bound in this volume. These include articles entitled “A note on the
Cocos-Keeling Island”, “Reptalia”, “Ares”, “Mamalia” and “Cetaeca”.
172. Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander. (1953). “The musical instruments of South-East Asia”. An
exhibition of Eastern & Western musical instruments, British Council Centre, Sept. 12th
to 20th, 1953. Singapore: Singapore Art Society.
Call No.: RCLOS 781.91 SIN (NL 9939)
Gibson-Hill examines the unifying principles behind many of the musical instruments
peculiar to the Southeast Asian region. He highlights the unique role of the Gamelan,
an orchestra that is evident from Burma to Bali; bamboo instruments particularly
the angklung and the xylophones; drums, gongs and the rejang, a gong chime unique
to Java and Bali; and lastly stringed instruments.
173. Singapore. Ministry of Culture. Publicity Division. (1954–196-). Street directory and
guide to Singapore with sectional maps, 1954. Singapore: Publicity Division, Ministry of
Culture.
Gibson-Hill is believed to have written much of the descriptions of landmarks and

places that were appended for the first time to the Street Directory in 1954. The details
seem to be derived from the 1954 publication by Hancock and Gibson-Hill, Architecture
in Singapore. Deriving the history of the street names required tedious examination
of legislation and obscure texts.
216

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JOURNAL LISTING
British Malaya
British Birds
Bulletin of the Raffles Museum - Bull. Raff. Mus.
The Geographical Magazine (London)
Ibis
Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society
Journal of the Malayan/Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society – JMBRAS
Journal of Mammalogy
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute
Malayan Nature Journal
The Straits Times (Singapore)
The Straits Times Annual (Singapore)
Spolia Zeylanica
Zoo Life
Zoologische Mededeelingen
Geoffrey Hodgson (1966:16) also notes that Gibson-Hill had been published in other popular
magazines and journals but the actual articles were not listed and these journals were not found
in the Gibson-Hill Collection. The listing of other journals he may thus have contributed to,
based on Hodgson, are as follows:
Ostrich (South Africa)

The Seafarer (London)
Straits Times (Singapore)
Sunday Times (Singapore)
Travel (New York)
The Warwickshire Journal (UK)
Wild life (Sydney)
217

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AUTHOR INDEX
(Numbers given indicate item number in catalogue, not page number)
Abdullah Abdul Kadir, Munshi, 388 Cabaton, Antoine, 431

Abraham Nicolaas Jan à'88 van der, 239 Campbell, Bruce, 102
Adam, Leonhard, 308 Carr, Frank George Griffith, 256
Adams, Ansel, 309 Cavenagh, Orfeur, 432
Adamson, J. Spencer, 310 Cerruti, Giovanni Battista, 103
Adler, Elkan Nathan, 390 Chan, Goh Sin, Charles, 8
Aitken, Edward Hamilton, 79 Chardin, John, 433
Alexander, Wilfrid Backhouser, 80 Chasen, Frederick Nutter, 104-108
Allen, Arthur Augustus, 311 Chatterton, Edward Keble, 9, 257-258, 320
Alvares, Francisco, 391 Chau, Ju-Kua, 10
Amstutz, Hobart B., 392 Cheeseman, Harold Robinson, 11
Anderson, John, 1 Chen, Chong Swee, 347
Anderson, Roger Charles, 253 Chen, Wen Hsi, 347
Anderson, Romola, 253 Cheng, Te-k‘un, 434
Andrews, Charles William, 82 Childe, Vere Gordon, 259, 435-436
Annandale, Nelson, 83 Chong, Soo Pieng, 347
Aymar, Gordon Christian, 84 Churchill, Awnsham, 437
Bagshawe, Thomas W., 85 Churchill, John, 437
Baker, Edward Charles Stuart, 86 Clark, Arthur Hamilton, 12
Bampfylde, Charles Agar, 396 Clarke, Edward Daniel, 438
Barbosa, Duarte, 395 Clay, Theresa, 225
Baring-Gould, Sabine, 396 Clifton, Talbot (Violet), 439
Barlee, John, 87 Clodd, Harold Parker, 440
Barrow, Terry, 100 Coates, W. H., 13
Bastin, John Sturgus, 2-3, 397-400 Cocks, Richard, 441
Beamish, Tony, 312-313 Colani, Madeleine, 109
Beckingham, Charles Fraser, 401 Collis, Maurice, 442
Begbie, Peter James, 402 Comber, Leon, 15
Belcher, Edward, 403-404 Corner, Edred John Henry, 111
Bennett, George, 405 Corrêa, Gaspar, 452
Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 88-89 Cott, Hugh Bamford, 112
Berg, Wolfang Friedrich, 316 Cotton, Evan, 16
Berry, John, 90 Cousins, J. H., 344
Beyer, Henry Otley, 91-92 Cowan, Charles Donald, 453
Bird, Isabella L., 406 Crawford, Osbert Guy Stanhope, 454
Birdwood, George Christopher Molesworth, 317 Crawfurd, John, 17, 455-458, 584
Biswas, Biswamoy, 93 Crooke, William, 535
Blunt, Wilfrid, 407 Culver, Henry Brundage, 18
Bogaars, George, 4, 408 Cummins, John, 427
Bossert, Helmuth Theodor, 318-319 Curle, Richard, 459
Bourne, William, 409 Dalrymple, Alexander, 460
Bowen, Frank Charles, 254 Dampier, William, 461
Bowrey, Thomas, 410 Damrong Rajanubhab, 19
Boxer, Charles Ralph, 5-6 Darling, Frank Fraser, 113-114
Brassey, Annie Allnutt, 412 Das, S. A., 462
Brenchley, Julius L., 413 Davidson, G. F., 463
Bridges, William, 414 Davies, John, 464
Briggs, Lawrence Palmer, 415 Deignan, Herbert Girton, 115
Brooke, James, 425 Delacour, Jean, 116
Brown, C. C., 426 Della Valle, Pietro, 465
Brown, William Henry, 98 Dennys, Nicholas Belfield, 466
Browne, Montagu, 99 Dickinson, A. H., 20
Buhler, Alfred, 100 Diderot, Denis, 260
Bulkeley, John, 427 Djamour, Judith, 21
Burnell, John, 430 Doggett, Marjorie, 321
Burton, John, 101 Drake, Francis, 467
218

Composite
Duyvendak, Jan Julius Lodewijk, 322 Hancock, T. H. H., 332-333

Earl, George Windsor, 117, 469-470 Hanitsch, R., 35
Edwards, Edwards, 471 Harris, John, 512
Edwards, William, 472 Harrison, Brian, 513
Ellerman, John Reeves, 107 Harrison, John Leonard, 148-152
Elliott, Alan John Anthony, 22 Harrisson, Tom, 153, 514
Elliott, Robert, 473 Harvey, Godfrey Eric, 515
Elmore, H. M., 23 Hawkesworth, John, 516
Emcee Chand [M. C. Chand Chirayu Ratchani], 323 Hawkins, Gerald, 517-518
Ennion, Eric Arnold Roberts, 118 Hedges, William, 519-520
Erith, John, 324 Heekeren, H. R. van, 154
Evans, Ivor Hugh Norman, 24, 119 Heine-Geldern, Robert, 36
Ewart, Ernest Andrew (Cable, Boyd [pseud]), 25 Henderson, Murray Ross, 155-157
Falla, Robert Alexander, 120 Herbert, E. G., 158
Ferrand, Gabriel, 474 Herbert, Thomas, 521
Finn, Daniel J., 121 Herklots, Geoffrey, 159
Firth, Raymond William, 261 Herklots, Gerhard Andreas, 535
Fisher, James, 122-124 Hewicker, Friedrich, 334
Fitter, Richard, 125 Hickey, William, 522-525
Foenander, Eric Carl, 325 Hiler, Hilaire, 335
Forbes, Henry Ogg, 475 Hill, A. H., 336
Forbes, James, 476 Hill, Anthony, 526
Forman, Werner, 326 Hill, J. E., 166
Forrest, Thomas, 477 Hirth, Friedrich, 337, 527
Fortune, Robert, 478-479 Holttum, Richard Eric, 282
Foster, William, 535, 571 Honey, William Bowyer, 283
Fox, Robert B., 26 Honig, Pieter, 160
Fryer, John, 482 Hoogerwerf, A., 37
Fryke, Christopher, 483-484 Hornell, James, 280, 284-285
Gardner, Gerald Brosseau, 327 Horsfield, Thomas, 161
Gatrell, V. C. G., 262 Hose, E. S., 38
Gibb, Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen, 531 Hosking, Eric John, 338-339
Gibson-Hill, Carl Alexander, 27, 127-139, 263- Hourani, George Fadlo, 39
269, 328, 332, 408, 485-497 Hughes, John Scott, 528
Gillespie, Thomas Haining, 140 Hürlimann, Martin, 529-530
Gilliland, H. B., 141 Hutson, Henry Porter Wolseley, 162
Glenister, Archibald Gerald, 142 Ibn Batuta, 531
Glover, Bertram Thomas Johnson, 329 Iredale, Tom, 174
Goetz, Hermann, 330 Irwin, Graham, 534
Gomes, Edwin Herbert, 143 Ja'far Shar ff, 535
Gooch, Winslow Lamont, 28 Johnson, Robert, 340
Gray, John Henry, 498 Jones, Frederic Wood, 536
Greenberg, Michael, 29 Josey, Alex, 41
Greenlee, William Brooks, 502 Jourdain, John, 537
Groeneveldt, Willem Pieter, 503 Kadang, K., 341
Grose, John-Henry, 504 Kano, Tadao, 42
Guerreiro, Fernao, 30 Keppel, Henry, 540-542
Guillemard, Francis Henry Hill, 505 Kerr, A., 163
Gullick, J. M., 31- 32 Khien Yimsiri, 323
Gurney, John Henry, 144 Kidder, Jonathan Edward, 164
Gyldenstolpe, Nils, 145-146 Klindt-Jensen, Ole, 544
Habersham, Alexander Wylly, 506 Kloss, Cecil Boden, 108, 165, 222, 545
Haddon, Alfred Cort, 280 Kolff, Dirk Hendrik, 546
Haile, N. S., 147 Kooijman, Simon, 342
Hakluyt, Richard, 507 Koyama, Soji, 68
Hale, A., 508 Kramrisch, Stella, 343-344
Haley, Nelson Cole, 281 La Varende, Jean de, 290
Hall, Daniel George Edward, 33, 510-511 Lamb, Alastair, 43, 547
Hamilton, Arthur Wedderburn, 34 Lancaster, James Sir, 548
Hamilton, George, 471 Laufer, Berthold, 44
Han, Huai Zhun, 331 Laurie, Eleanor M. O., 166
219

Composite
Lawrence, A. W., 549 Noble, Charles Frederick, 589

Le Guat, Francois (Leguat, Francis), 550 Nooteboom, Christiaan, 295
Leach, Edmund Ronald, 45 Oberholser, Harry Church, 183
Leur, Jacob Cornelius van, 552 Okada, Y., 362
Leuzinger, Elsy, 345 Osborn, Sherard, 590
Levick, George Murray, 168 Parkinson, Cyril Northcote, 592-594
Linschoten, Jan Huygen van, 553 Pe Maung Tin, 595
Linschoten, John Huygen van, 554 Pearson, Harold Frank, 596-597
Linton, Ralph, 346 Peters, James Lee, 207
Liu, Kang, 347 Peterson, Roger Tory, 208
Locke, Arthur, 349 Phillips, William Watt Addison, 209
Lockley, Ronald Mathias, 122, 169 Pires, Tomé'8e, 598
Loebè'8fr, Johannes Aarnout, 348 Poduval, R. Vasudeva, 344
Loke, Wan Tho, 170 Polo, Marco, 599-601
Low, Hugh, 555 Poole, Arthur J., 210
Low, James, 291 Portmann, Herausgegeben von Adolf, 211
Lubbock, Basil, 46-48 Posewitz, Theodor, 212
MacGregor, David Roy, 292, 556 Prado y Tobar, Diego de, 602
Mackenzie, Compton, 49 Purcell, Victor, 54
McNair, John Frederick Adolphus, 569 Purchas, Samuel, 55
Madoc, G. C., 171-172 Pyrard, Franç'8dois, 603
Magalhães, Fernão de, 557 Raffles, Sophia, 604
Malcolm, Howard, 562 Raffles, Thomas Stamford, 605
Marks, Harry Julian, 564 Raleigh, Walter, 606
Marryat, Frank, 565 Rand, Austin Loomer, 215
Marsden, William, 566 Ransonnet-Villez, Eugen, Baron, 607
Mason, Herbert B., 51 Ravenstein, E. G., 608
Mathews, Gregory Macalister, 174 Read, William Henry Macleod, 609
Matthews, John, 567 Reid, Hugh Alistair, 245
Maxwell, William George, 351 Rice, Tamara Talbot, 610
Maynarde, Thomas, 568 Richardson, J. A., 216
Mayr, Ernst, 175-176 Ridgway, Robert, 217
Menon, Kanichat Radhava, 570 Riley, Joseph Harvey, 218
Middleton, Henry, 571-572 Roberts, Austin, 219
Mijer, Pieter, 352 Roberts, Brian Birley, 210-221
Milburn, William, 52 Roberts, Brian, 56
Mitsuoka, Tadanari, 353 Robertson, E. J., 611
M'Leod, John, 573 Robinson, Herbert C., 83, 222-223
Molesworth, Hender Delves, 354-355 Rogers, Woodes, 612
Moor, J. H., 574 Rogerson, Sydney, 224
Moore, Adey, 575 Róheim, Géza, 57
Moorhead, Francis Joseph, 576 Ronsil, René, 364
Morris, Margery, 578 Rothschild, Miriam, 225
Morrison, Hedda, 579 Ruge, Sophus, 613
Morrison-Scott, Terence Charles Stuart, 107 Ruschenberger, William Samuel Waithman, 614
Mortensen, William, 356-358 Safford, William Edwin, 227
Moseley, H. N., 580 St. John, Spenser Buckingham, 615
Moses, Henry, 359 Saletore, Bhasker Anand, 58
Moulton, John Coney, 177-178 Salomonsen, Finn, 228-229
Mountford, Charles P., 100 Sarmiento de Gamboa, Pedro, 619
Mundy, Peter, 581-582 Schantz, Viola S., 210
Mundy, Rodney, 425 Schoff, Wilfred Harvey, 620
Murphy, Robert Cushman, 180-181, 583 Schrieke, Bertram Johannes Otto, 621
Murray, Hugh, 584 Schweitzer, Christopher, 483
Naish, George Prideaux Brabant, 294 Scott, Adolphe Clarence, 59
Navarrete, Fernández Domingo, 585 Segawa, Kokichi, 42
Neale, Fred Arthur, 586 Seidenfaden, Erik, 163, 622
Needham, Joseph, 182 Serventy, Dominic Louis, 230
Newberry, Cyril William, 339 Sewell, Robert, 623
Nibbelink, Don D., 361 Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, 231-233
Nilakanta Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah, 588 Shelvocke, George, 626
220

Composite
Silcock, Thomas Henry, 60 Valentijn, François, 651

Simms, Eric, 235 Varthema, Ludovico di, 652
Sitwell, Edith, 630 Veer, Gerrit de, 653
Skelton, Raleigh Ashlin, 631 Vesey-Fitzgerald, Brian, 246
Skinner, Martyn, 370 Vlekke, Bernard Hubertus Maria, 654
Slimming, John, 63 Volker, Tys, 378
Smith, Grafton Elliot, 64 Wagner, Frits A., 379
Smith, Neville W., 380 Wakefield, George Leslie, 380
Smith, Stuart, 236 Wales, Horace Geoffrey Quaritch, 69-70, 656-657
Smith, Thomas Edward, 65 Wall, Edward John, 381
Smyth, Herbert Warington, 299, 632 Wallace, Alfred Russel, 658
Speiser, Werner, 371 Walter, Richard, 659
Speltz, Alexander, 372 Wang Ling, 182
Spilbergen, Joris van, 633 Warmington, Eric Herbert, 71
Spinks, Charles Nelson, 373 Waters, David Watkin, 303
Staunton, George T, 634 Watson, George E., 247
Stavorinus, Johan Splinter, 635 Watson, William, 660
Stevens, Guy William Willis, 300 Welsh, James, 72
Stockdale, John Joseph, 636 Wheatley, Paul, 661
Storer, Robert E., 247 Wheeler, Mortimer, 662-664
Stresemann, Erwin, 237 Whistler, Hugh, 248
Stutterheim, Willem Frederik, 638 White, E. W., 304
Sutter, Ernst, 211, 238 White, Walter Grainge, 249
Swettenham, Frank Athelstane, 639-640 Whittell, Hubert Massey, 230
Tan, Cheng Lock, 67 Wilkes, Charles, 665
Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste (Baptisa), Baron Willetts, William Y., 382
d’Aubonne, 641 Williams-Hunt, Peter Darrell Rider, 73-74
Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste, 642 Williamson, James Alexander, 666
Taylor, Eva Germaine Rimington, 643 Wilson, Thomas, 250
Teixeira, Pedro, 644 Winstedt, Richard Olaf, 75, 383, 669
Terpstra, Heert, 645 Wong, K. Chimin, 305
Thomas, Andrew Frank, 68 Wong, K. F., 670
Thomassen Thuessink Hoop, 239 Worcester, George Releigh Gray, 306
Tilney, Frederick Colin, 375 Wray, Leonard, 307
Tinbergen, Niko, 240 Wright, Lawrence, 77
T y Bunko, 646 Wu, Lien-the, 305
Travers, Thomas Otho, 647 Wurtzburg, C. E., 672
Tronson, John M., 648 Wynne-Edwards, V. C., 251
Tunnicliffe, Charles Frederick, 224, 376-377 Younghusband, George John, 673
Tweedie, Michael Willmer Forbes, 241-245, 301, Zheng, Xiuling [Zung, Cecilia S. L.], 387
649 Zusi, Richard L., 247
Underhill, Harold Alonso, 302
221

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TITLE INDEX
(Numbers given indicate item number in catalogue, not page number)
The A. B. C. of preserving animals (1922), 104
Abstracts of papers (1957), 191
Abstracts of papers presented to the Eighth Pacific Science Congress and the Fourth Far Eastern Prehistory
Congress, November 16 to 28, 1953 (1953), 185
An account of the voyages undertaken by the order of His present Majesty for making discoveries in the
southern hemisphere, and successively… (1773), 516
Acta XI Congresons Internationalis Ornithologici (1955), 211
Admiralty catalogue of charts, plans, views, and sailing directions, &c(1866), 468
The adventures of John Smith in Malaya, 1600-1605 (1909), 508
The affair of the “Madre de Deus”: A chapter in the history of the Portuguese in Japan (1929), 5
Africa: the art of the Negro peoples (1960), 345
An Amstutz newsletter: covering 20 January 1942 to 7 September 1945 (1945), 392
Ancient accounts of India and China (1733), 389
The ancient Khmer empire (1951), 415
Ancient porcelain: a study in Chinese mediaeval industry and trade (1888), 337
Ancient South-east Asian warfare, 69
Andamans and Nicobars: the narrative of a cruise in the schooner ‘Terrapin’, with notices of the Islands,
their fauna, ethnology, etc (1903), 545
An annotated checklist of the birds of Malaya … occurring, or known to have occurred, in the territories
of the Federation of Malaya and the Colony of Singapore (1949), 131
Annual report [Malayan Union] (1947), 561
Anson’s voyage round the world (1928), 659
Antarctic Penguins; a study of their social habits (1914), 168
The Antarctic pilot: comprising the coasts of Antarctica and all islands southward of the usual route of
vessels (1948), 275
The apes and monkeys of Malaya (including the slow loris) (1955), 148
The apes and monkeys of Malaya (including the slow loris) (2nd Ed.) (1962), 149
Arab seafaring in the Indian Ocean in ancient and early medieval times(1951), 39
Archaeological finds on Lamma Island near Hong Kong (1933-1936), 121
Archaeology in China (Vol. 1) (1959), 434
Architecture in Singapore (1954), 332
The art of India: traditions of Indian sculpture, painting and architecture (2nd Ed.) (1954), 343
The art of retouching photographic negatives, and practical directions how to finish and colour photographic
enlargements, etc. (12th Ed.) (1930), 340
222

Composite
Art of Southwestern New Guinea: a preliminary survey (1956), 342
The arts and crafts of Travancore (1948), 344
The arts of Malaya (1954), 313
Arts of the South Seas (1946), 346
Asia (1957), 530
The Auk: a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology, (Vols. 70, 72- 74) (1953, 1955, 1956, 1957), 81
Australian totemism: a psychoanalytic study in anthropology (1925), 57
The avifaunal survey of Ceylon conducted jointly by the British and Colombo Museums (1944), 248
Ba li lu hang hua ji (1953), 347
Bali: studies in life, thought, and ritual (1960), 394
Batiks, and how to make them (1921), 352
Bay of Bengal pilot: comprising the southern and eastern coasts of Ceylon, the eastern coast of India …
(1940) , 271
A bibliography of Antarctic ornithology (1941), 56
Bibliography of Malaya, being a classified list of books wholly or partly in English relating to the Federation
of Malaya and Singapore (1959), 11
Big game of Malaya: their types, distribution and habits (1952), 325
Bigger and better, the book of enlarging (1952), 361
Bird flight: a collection of 200 action photographs (1936), 84
Bird islands of Peru; the record of a sojourn on the west coast (1925), 180
The bird life of Louisiana (1938), 183
Bird migrants, some aspects and observations (1952), 235
Bird portraiture (1945), 377
Birds [of the British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (1929-1931) and of the
Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914)] (1937), 120
Birds collected by Dr. Sten Bergman during his expedition to Dutch New Guinea (1955), 146
Birds from Siam and the Malay Peninsula in the United States National Museum collected by Hugh M.
Smith and William L. Abbott (1938), 218
Birds in action (1949), 339
Birds of Malaysia (1947), 116
The birds of North and middle America: a descriptive catalogue of the higher groups, genera, species, and
subspecies of birds known to occur in North America … (1919), 217
The birds of northern Thailand (1945), 115
Birds of the coast (1948), 130
The birds of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and Penang: an account of all the Malayan species, with a
note of their occurrence in Sumatra, Borneo, and Java … (1951), 142
223

Composite
Birds of the ocean, a handbook for voyagers containing descriptions of all the sea-birds ... (1928), 80
Birds of the Southwest Pacific; a field guide to the birds of the area between Samoa, New Caledonia, and
Micronesia (1945), 176
Birds on the wing (1947), 87
Birds recorded from Pulau Jarak, Malacca Strait (1950), 134
Birds recorded from the Aroa Islands, Malacca Strait (1956), 139
Boats and fishing on the Cocos-Keeling Islands (1946), 263
The boats of the Ganges: the fishing methods of the Ganges (1924), 285
Bombay in the days of Queen Anne; being an account of the settlement written by John Burnell... with
an introduction and notes by Samuel T. Sheppard … (1933), 430
A book of British waders(1939), 246
The book of Duarte Barbosa (1918-1921), 395

A book of King Penguins (1932), 140
The book of old ships and something of their evolution and romance, wherein will be found drawings and
descriptions of … (1924), 18
The book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East (1926), 599
De boomstankano in Indonesie (1932), 295
Borneo: Its geology and mineral resources (1892), 212
Borneo and the Indian Archipelago: with drawings of costume and scenery (1848), 565
The breeding behaviour of Penguins: with special reference to Pygoscelis papua (Forster) (1940), 220
Britain and Chinese Central Asia; the road to Lhasa, 1767-1905 (1960), 43
The British bird (1943), 118
British fishing-boats and coastal craft (Vols. 1 & 2) (1950-1952), 304
British Malaya: an account of the origin and progress of British influence in Malaya (Rev. Ed) (1948), 640
British Mariner’s directory and guide to the trade and navigation of the Indian and China seas …
(1802), 23
British sea birds (1947), 127
British South East Asia recovers (1949), 499
British trade and the opening of China 1800-42 (1951), 29
Bulletin of Raffles Museum Singapore (1949-1950), 214
Bulletins et travaux – Pour 1941 (1942), 40
Burma (1956), 510
Burma, Ceylon, Indo-China, Siam, Cambodia, Annam, Tongking, Yunnan: landscape, architecture,
inhabitants (1930), 529
Butterflies: all known British butterflies shown lifesize in colour and 56 colour photographs of living
specimens (1953), 126
224

Composite
The Cabot voyages and Bristol discovery under Henry VII (1962), 666
Canoes of Oceania (1936-1938), 280
Cargo boats of the East Coast of Malaya (1949), 264
Catalog of the type specimens of mammals in the United States National Museum, including the biological
surveys collection (1942), 210
Catalogue of the Accipitres, or diurnal birds of prey, in the collection of the British Museum (Vol. 1) (1874),
231
Catalogue of the birds of Mauritius (1952), 226
Catalogue of the watercraft collection in the United States National Museum (1923), 293
Catalogue of works dealing with linguistics & ethnography in the library of the Federated Malay States
Museums at Kuala Lumpur and Taiping (1925), 24
Catholics in Singapore (195-), 8
Ceramic art of Japan (4th Rev. Ed.) (1956), 353

Chandi Bukit Batu Pahat (1961), 547
The changing balance of the early Southeast Asian pepper trade (1960), 3
Characters of light: a guide to the buildings of Singapore (1957), 321
Chau Ju-Kua: his work on the Chinese and Arab trade in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries (1911), 10
A checklist of birds of Singapore Island (1950), 133
Check-list of birds of the world (Vols. 1-4, 6) (1931, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1948), 207
A check-list of ‘Hoabinhian’ sites excavated in Malaya, 1860-1939 (1961), 567
Checklist of New Zealand birds (1953), 184
Chen Wen Hsi: exhibition of paintings in the British Council Gallery on May 4- May 13 (1956), 369
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (1949), 67
Cherish the sea: a history of sail (1955), 290
Cherita jenaka: ia-itu Pa’Kadok, Pa’Pandir, Lebai Malang, Pa’Belalang, Si-Lunchai (1957), 383
China and the Roman Orient: researches into their ancient and mediaeval relatives as represented in old
Chinese records (1885), 527
China before the Han dynasty (1961), 660
The China bird: the history of Captain Killick and one hundred years of sail and steam (1961), 556
The China clippers (1946), 48
China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 1), comprising the Western Shore of the China Sea from Tanjong Penawar … (1st
Ed.) (1937), 270
China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 2), comprising the Western and North-Western Coasts of Borneo, the Philippine
Islands … (2nd Ed.) (1950), 278
China: a history of the laws, manners, and customs of the people (1878), 498
225

Composite
China: spirit and society (1960), 371
Chinese ancestor worship in Malaya (1954), 15
Chinese art (Vol. 1) (1958), 382
Chinese clay figures (1914), 44
Chinese costume in transition (1958), 59
The Chinese in Malaya (1948), 54
Chinese Junks: an exception: the Tongkung (1940), 303
Chinese spirit-medium cults in Singapore (1955), 22
Clean and decent: the fascinating history of the bathroom & the water closet … Great Britain, France &
America (1960), 77
The clipper ship era; an epitome of famous American and British clipper ships, their owners, builders,
commanders, and crews, 1843-1869... fully illustrated (1910), 12
The Cocos-Keeling Islands : a demographic laboratory (1960), 65
The C las: with over 100 illustrations (1955), 588
Coleman of Singapore (1955), 333
Collecting butterflies in Malaya (1952), 241
Collecting butterflies in Malaya (2nd Ed.) (1957), 243
Collecting shells in Malaya (1957), 244
A collection of voyages and travels, some now first printed from original manuscripts, others now first
published in English (Vols. 1-6) (1732), 437
Collections of travels through Turkey and Persia and the East-Indies (1684), 641
Collins pocket guide to British birds (1952), 125
Colony of North Borneo annual reports (1952-1953), 443
Colony of Singapore Annual Report (1949-1955, 1957) 444-451
The commerce between the Roman Empire and India (1928), 71
Commercial history of Japan (1936), 68
The common birds of India (1947), 79
Common Malayan plants: selected drawings (1958), 141
A company of birds (1957), 170
The Condor: Journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society, (Vols. 61-64) (1959-1962), 110
Coral and atolls; a history and description of the Keeling-Cocos Islands, with an account of their fauna
and flora, and a discussion of … (1912), 536
The coronation of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; Singapore celebrations programme (1953), 62
The Crawfurd papers: a collection of official records relating to the mission of John Crawfurd sent to Siam
by the Government of India in the year 1821 (1915), 458
226

Composite
The cruise of the Marchesa to Kamschatka & New Guinea (1886), 505
A cruising voyage round the world (1928), 612
Dampier’s voyages: consisting of a new voyage round the world, a Supplement to the voyage round the
world ... (1906), 461
Decorative art of Egypt and Asia: four hundred decorative motifs in colour, forming a survey of the applied
art … (1956), 319
Deep-water sail (1952), 302
A definitive exhibition of Malay arts & crafts [at the] British Council Centre, Stamford Road -Singapore,
July 21st to 29th, 1951 (1951), 365
Denmark before the Vikings (1957), 544
A descriptive dictionary of British Malaya (1894), 466
A descriptive dictionary of the Indian Islands & adjacent countries (1856), 457
The development of the cartography of America up to the year 1570 (1896), 613
Diary of Richard Cocks: Cape-merchant in the English factory in Japan, 1615-1622, with correspondence
(Vols. 1 & 2) (1883), 441
The diary of William Hedges, esq. (afterwards Sir William Hedges) during his agency in Bengal, as well
as on his voyage out and return overland (1681-1687). (Vol. 2) … (1888), 519
The diary of William Hedges, esq. (afterwards Sir William Hedges) during his agency in Bengal, as well
as on his voyage out and return overland (1681-1687). (Vol. 3) … (1889), 520
Diderot pictorial encyclopedia of trades and industry, manufacturing and the technical arts in plates
selected from L’Encyclopie, … (Vols. 1 & 2) (1959), 260
The discovery of the large, rich, and beautiful empire of Guiana, with a relation of the great and golden
city of Manoa performed in the year 1595 by Sir W. Raleigh (1848), 606
Dissertation on the soil and agriculture of the British settlement of Penang or Prince of Wales Island …
(1836), 291
The distribution and habits of Madagascar birds (1936), 215

Diversion in Malaya: an incidental account of five years’ residence in the Federated Malay States,
1937-42 (1948), 526
Dong nan ya she ying ji (1952), 386
An early British merchant in Bangkok (1915), 575
Early English intercourse with Burma (1587-1743) (1928), 33
The early history of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean (1949), 487
Early history of Philippine relations of foreign countries especially China (1948), 92
Early India and Pakistan to Ashoka (1959), 664
Early travels in India, 1583-1619 (1921), 535
The East and West Indian mirror, being an account of Joris van Speilbergen’s voyage round the world
(1614-1617) … (1906), 633
East Asian history today: lecture delivered in the University of Hong Kong on May 20th, 1959 (1959), 511
227

Composite
East Indiamen: The East India Company’s Maritime Service (1949), 16
The Eastern seas, or, voyages and adventures in the Indian Archipelago, in 1832-33-34 (1837), 469
The economy of Malaya: an essay in colonial political economy (1955), 60
The edibility of birds: illustrated by five years’ experiments and observations (1941-1946) on the food
preferences of the hornet, cat and man; and … (1946-1951), 110
The effect of the opening of the Suez Canal on the trade and development of Singapore (1955), 4
Elephants and ethnologists (1924), 64
Encyclopæ'bedia of ships and shipping (1908), 51
English intercourse with Siam in the seventeenth century (1890), 1
English privateering voyages to the West Indies, 1588-1595; documents relating to English voyages to the
West Indies from the defeat of the Armada to the last voyage of Sir Francis Drake … (1959), 393
Essays on Indonesian and Malayan history (1961), 400

Ethiopian itineraries, circa 1400-1524, including those collected by Alessandro Zorzi at Venice in the years
1519-1524 (1958), 454
An exhibition of Malay arts & crafts organised by the Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association at the
Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur, March 28th, 29th & 30th, 1952 (1952), 350
The expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido for the suppression of piracy (1846), 540
Explorers’ maps: chapters in the cartographic record of geographical discovery (1954), 631
Exposure: the fundamentals of camera technique (1950), 316
De factorij der costindische compagnie te Patani. s-Gravenhage (1938), 645
Fanfare for Elizabeth (1947), 630
Fasciculi Malayenses, anthropological and zoological results of an expedition to Perak and the Siamese
Malay States, 1901-1902 (1903), 83
A field guide to the birds, giving field marks of all species found east of the Rockies (1947), 208
Fiftieth anniversary publications (No. 2) (1960), 429
Finding nests (1953), 102
The first contest for Singapore, 1819-1824 (1959), 564
First voyage round the world, by Magellan translated from the accounts of Pigafetta … (1874), 557
The fishing boats operated from Singapore Island (1950), 265
Five years in Siam, from 1891 to 1896 (Vols. 1 & 2) (1898), 632
Fleas, flukes and cuckoos: a study of bird parasites (1953), 225
Folk art of primitive peoples: six hundred decorative motifs in colour, forming a survey of the applied art
of … (1955), 318
Fore & aft craft and their story: an account of the fore & aft rig from the earliest times to the present day
(1927), 258
Foreign notices of South India: from Megasthenes to Ma Huan (1939), 587
Forest industries of the Philippines; a cooperative project of the Bureau of Forestry … (1953), 28
228

Composite
A forgotten empire (Vijayanagor): a contribution to the history of India (1900), 623
The fortification of Bukit China, Malacca (1956), 496
The Friends of Singapore: report and accounts for the period ending 30th June 1955 (1955), 481
From carrack to clipper: a book of sailing-ship models (Rev. Ed.) (1948), 254
The fulmar (1952), 124
Further notes on the old boat found at Pontian, in Southern Pahang (1952), 268
The game-birds of India, Burma, and Ceylon (Vol. 2): Snipes, Bustards and Sand Grouse (1921), 86
The Gannet: a bird with a history (1913), 144
General programme. Eighth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association and fourth Far
Eastern Prehistory Congress … (1953), 186
General programme. Ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, November 18th
to December 9th 1957 (1957), 192
Geographical account of countries ‘round the Bay of Bengal, 1669-1679 (1905), 410
The geology and mineral resources of the Lupar and Saribas Valleys, West Sarawak (1957), 147
George Samuel Windsor Earl (1959), 497
Glass: a handbook for the study of glass vessels of all periods and countries & a guide to the museum
collection (1946), 283
The Glass Palace chronicle of the kings of Burma (1960), 595
The golden Chersonese (1955), 661
The golden Chersonese and the way thither (1883), 406
Government Offices: distribution of work, 1st May, 1950 (1950), 14
The great ship from Amacon, 6
Guide to ancient monuments and historic sites (1959), 559
Guide to the collection of Bornean birds in the Sarawak Museum (1914), 177
Guide to the zoological collections of the Raffles Museum, Singapore (1908), 35
Handbook of British North Borneo (1890), 7
A handbook of the birds of Western Australia (1948), 230
Handbook of the Eighth Pacific Science Congress and the Fourth Far Eastern Prehistory Congress (1953),
187
A handlist of Malaysian birds; a systematic list of the birds of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and
Java, including the adjacent small islands (1935), 106
A handlist of the birds of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra (1910), 223
A hand-list of the genera and species of birds = [Nomenclator avium tum fossilium tum viventium] (Vols.
1-5) (1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1909), 232
A hand-list of the genera and species of birds = [Nomenclator avium tum fossilium tum viventium]
(General Index Vol. 1-5) (1912), 233
The Hawkins’ voyage during the reigns of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, and James I (1878), 563
229

Composite
History of Burma, from the earliest times to 10 March 1824, the beginning of the English conquest (1925),
515
The herring gull’s world; a study of the social behaviour of birds (1953), 240
Historians of South East Asia (1961), 509
An historical and descriptive account of China: its ancient and modern history, language and zoology
(1836), 584
An historical collection of the several voyages and discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (1770 – 1771),
460
Historical Guide of Malacca (1936), 558
Historical notes on Indonesia and Malaya compiled from Chinese sources (1960), 503
History in the Malayan Primary School (Book 1) (1960), 570
History of Chinese medicine; being a chronicle of medical happenings in China from ancient times to the
present period (1936), 305
history of Java (1830), 605
A history of Malaya and her neighbours (1957-1963), 576
A history of Malaya for schools (1955), 578
The history of Sarawak under its two white rajahs, 1839-1908 (1909), 396
A history of Singapore (1956), 597
The history of Sumatra (1811), 566
The history of the creation of the Malacca Police (1941), 20
The history of the great and mighty Kingdom of China and the situation thereof … and reprinted from
the early translation of R. Parke. (Vols. 1 & 2) (1853, 1854), 634
History of the Indian Archipelago, containing an account of the manners, arts, languages, religions,
institutions, and commerce of its inhabitants (1820), 455
The history of the Tahitian Mission, 1799-1830. With supplementary papers from the correspondence of
the missionaries (1961), 464
History, science, the arts and nature in Sarawak (1960-61) (1961), 514
Hong Kong birds (1953), 159
How to run a simple aquarium (1961), 301
A hundred year history of the P. & O., Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (1937), 25
The Ibis: Quarterly Journal of the British Ornithologists’ Union (1930 Supp, 1947, 1950-1952, 1954-1958),
97
An illustrated ethnography of Formosan aborigines (Rev. ed.) (1956), 42
In Malay forests (1957), 351
Index Vols. 1-20 (1923-1947) of the Society’s Journal (1948), 486
An index to all the Journals (Nos. 1 - 86) of Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from its foundation
until its change of title to Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society … (1927), 672
230

Composite
India Antiqua; a volume of oriental studies presented by his friends and pupils to Jean Philippe Vogel, on
the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his doctorate. (1947), 532
India: five thousand years of Indian art (1959), 330
India, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, British North Borneo, Hong-Kong (Vol. 1) (1899), 66
India's diplomatic relations with the East (1960), 58
Indigenous political systems of Western Malaya (1958), 32
Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council: [proceedings] 3rd meeting 1st - 16th February 1951, Madras- India, Section
I to III (1951-1952), 287-288
Indonesia: the art of an island group (1959), 379
Indonesian Sociological Studies: selected Writings of B. Schrieke (Part 1 & 2) (1955, 1957), 621
Indonesian trade and society: essays in Asian social and economic history (1955), 552
The Indonesian trading boats reaching Singapore (1950), 266
The industrial arts of India (1884), 317
The Institute for Medical Research 1900-1950 (1951), 289
Instructions for preparing mammal skins (1917), 165
Into the East, notes on Burma and Malaya (1923), 459
An introduction to Malayan birds (1947), 171
An introduction to Malayan birds (Rev. Ed) (1956), 172
An introduction to the Malayan aborigines (1952), 73
Iohn Huighen van Linschoten, his discours of voyages into ye Easte & West Indies [John Huyghen van
Linschoten, his discourse of voyages into the East and West Indies] (1598), 554
Island of Skomer: a preliminary survey of the natural history of Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire …
(1950), 101
Island years (1952), 114
The itinerary of Ludovico di Varthema of Bologna from 1502-1508 (1928), 652
Jahangir and the Jesuits with an account of the travels of Benedict Goes and the Mission to Pegu (1930),
30
Japan before Buddhism (1959), 164
Java, Sumatra and the other islands of the Dutch East Indies (1911), 431
Jerat tempurory; Six wooden images in the Cheng Hong Teng, Malacca; ... The date of Munshi Abdullah’s
first visit to Singapore (1955), 492
Jewish travelers (1930), 390
Johore Lama, and other ancient sites on the Johore River (1955), 493
Jottings during the cruise of H.M.S. Curacoa among the South Sea Islands in 1865 (1873), 413
Journal of an embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava, in the year 1827 (2nd Ed.)
(1834), 456
The journal of John Jourdain, 1608-1617, describing his experiences in Arabia, India, and the Malay
archipelago (1905), 537
Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (1947, 1958), 94
231

Composite
A journal of the first voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497 – 1499 (1898), 608
Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. (1947-1955, 1959), 538
Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society: Miscellaneous Papers. (1950), 539
The journal of Thomas Otho Travers, 1813-1820 (1960), 647
A journey to the tea countries of China; including Sung-Lo and the Bohea Hills; with a short notice of the
East India Company’s tea plantations in the Himalaya Mountains (1852), 478
The junks and sampans of the Yangtze; a study in Chinese nautical research (Vols. 1 & 2) (1947), 306
Keris and other Malay weapons (1936), 327
Kings of the Cocos: the story of the settlement on the atoll of Keeling-Cocos in the Indian Ocean: composed
mainly from contemporary accounts (1950), 528
L’art francais dans le livre d’oiseaux. (Eléments, d’une iconographies, ornithologique francaise) (1957), 364
The land of the great image, being experiences of Friar Manrique in Arakan (1943), 442
The last of the windjammers (1927-1929), 46
Letters to Malaya written from England to Alexander Nowell M.C.S. of Ipoh. Vol. V (1947), 370
The life cycle of Wilson’s petrel Oceanites Oceanicus (Kuhl) (1940), 221
Life histories of North American shore birds. Order Limicolae (1927), 89
Life histories of North American diving birds. Order Pygopodes (1919), 88
Life in the forests of the Far East (1863), 615
List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes, and adjacent islands, 1758-1952 (1954), 166
List of New Guinea birds; a systematic and faunal list of the birds of New Guinea and adjacent island
(1941), 175
A loan exhibition of Chinese art of the early periods [at the] British Council Centre, Singapore, May 7th
to 16th, 1954 (1954), 368
A loan exhibition of Chinese art of the Ming and Ching periods (1953), 366
Logbook for Grace; whaling brig Daisy, 1912-1913 (1947), 583
Ma Huan re-examined (1933), 322
The Mace of the City of Singapore (1953), 592
Making a photograph: an introduction to photography (1948), 309
The Making of Greater India: a study in South-East Asian culture change (1951), 657
Malacca Strait pilot, comprising Malacca Strait and its northern approaches, Singapore Strait and the West
coast of Sumatra (1946), 272
Malay Annals, or, Sejarah Melayu (1938), 668
The Malay Archipelago: the land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise … (1890), 658
Malay fishermen: their peasant economy (1946), 261
Malay hats and dish-covers (1951), 328
The Malay keris and other weapons (1956), 336
Malay kinship and marriage in Singapore (1959), 21
232

Composite
The Malay magician, being Shaman, Saiva and Sufi (1951), 75

Malay proverbs (1937), 34
Malay proverbs; a compilation of proverbs and proverbial expressions … (1933), 38
Malay sketches (1895), 639
Malaya (1st Ed.) (1952), 517
Malaya (3rd Impression) (1956), 518
Malaya and its civil administration prior to Japanese occupation (1944), 501
Malaya, the Straits Settlements and the Federated and UnFederated Malay States (1923), 667
Malaya: The Journal of the Association of British Malaya (1953-1958, 1960-1961), 416-423
Malayan bats (1956), 151
Malayan fisheries; a handbook prepared for the inaugural meeting of the Indo-Pacific Council, Singapore,
March 1949 (1949), 286
Malayan garden plants. Vol.4. Ten flowering climbers (1951), 95
Malayan garden plants. Vol.6. Ten herbaceous plants (1954), 96
Malayan Journal of Tropical Geography (1953 – 1955), 560
Malayan landscape; seventy camera studies (1949), 488
The Malayan Nature Journal (1948-1951, 1952-1960), 167
The Malayan Peninsula, embracing its history, manners and customs of the inhabitants, politics, natural
history &c. from its earliest records… (1834), 402
Malayan squirrels (including Tree-shrews and the Flying Lemur) (1954), 150
Malayan squirrels (including Tree-shrews and the Flying Lemur)(2nd Ed.) (1962), 152
Malayan wild flowers: Monocotyledons (1954), 157
Malayan wild flowers: Part I Polypetale (1950/51), 155
Malayan wild flowers : Part II Gamopetalae & Part III Apetalae (1950/51), 156
Malaya’s first British pioneer: The life of Francis Light (1948), 440
The Malays: a cultural history (1950), 669
Mammals of Malaysia. Part 1: Malaysian Ungulates (1922), 178
A manual of the birds of Australia (1921), 174
The marks on Chinese porcelain (1954), 312
Mast and sail in Europe and Asia (1906), 299
Masterpieces of bird photography (1947), 338
Megalithes du Haut-Laos (Hua Pan Tran Ninh) (Vols. 1 & 2) (1935), 109
Megalithic remains in South-Sumatra (1930), 239
Memoir of the life and public services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, F.R.S. &c., particularly in the
government of Java, 1811-1816 … (1830), 604
Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko (1935-1937), 646
Memoirs of William Hickey (1749 – 1809) (Vol. 1-4) (1923-1926), 522-525
233

Composite
Microphotography: photography at extreme resolution (1957), 300

Military reminiscences; extracted from a journal of nearly forty years’ active service in the East Indies
(1830), 72
Military Report on Malaya, 1932 (1932), 500
Minor products of Philippine forests (Vols. 1 & 2) (1920) 255
Miscellaneous notes on Philippine birds (1953), 229
Modern control in photography (1951), 324
A monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean): physical features and geology (1900), 82
Mortensen on the negative (1949), 357
My country book (1942), 376
My friends the savages: Amongst the Sakais in the Malay Peninsula (1908), 103
My journal in Malayan waters, or, the blockade of Quedah (1861), 590
My last cruise; or, where we went and what we saw: being an account of visits to the Malay and Loo-Choo
Islands … (1857), 506
Myna matters (1950), 135
Nan yang mei shu zhuan ke xue xiao hua kan 1951 nian 1951 (1951), 360
Nan yang yi liu de zhong guo gu wai xiao tao ci (1960), 331
Narrative of events in Borneo and Celebes, down to the occupation of Labuan: from the journals of James
Brooke (1848), 425
Narrative of a residence at the capital of the Kingdom of Siam (1852), 586
Narrative of a voyage in His Majesty’s late ship Alceste, to the Yellow Sea … (1817), 573
Narrative of a voyage round the world, during the years 1835, 36, and 37 (1838), 614
Narrative of a voyage round the world, performed in Her Majesty’s ship Sulphur, during the years 1836-
1842 (1843), 403
Narrative of the United States’ exploring expedition, during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 (1845),
665
Narrative of the voyage of the H. M. S. Samarang, during the years 1843-46 (1848), 404
Narratives of the discovery of America (1931), 549
Narratives of the voyages of Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa to the Straits of Magellan (1895), 619
The native policies of Sir Stamford Raffles in Java and Sumatra: an economic interpretation (1957), 2
The native races of the Indian archipelago: Papuans (1853), 117
Natural history in the Highlands & islands (1947), 113
A naturalist’s wanderings in the Eastern Archipelago, a narrative of travel and exploration from 1878 to
1883 (1885), 475
Nature conservation in western Malaysia, 1961 (1961), 50
Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca, or, A complete collection of voyages and travels … (1705), 512
The Negritos of Malaya (1937), 119
Nests and eggs of birds in Central Siam (1923-1926), 158
234

Composite
A new account of East India and Persia: being nine years travels, 1672-1681 (Vols. 1-3) (1909, 1912, 1915),
482
New light on the discovery of Australia as revealed by the journal of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar
(1930), 602
New light on the most ancient East: the oriental prelude to European prehistory (1935), 435
A new voyage to the East-Indies and his companions. Containing their adventures in two desart islands
... (1708), 550
Nikko: the fine art and history (19--), 362
A (1952) revised checklist of the birds of Ceylon (1953), 209
Nineteenth-century Borneo: a study in diplomatic rivalry (1955), 534
Nineteenth-century Malaya: the origins of British political control (1961), 453
A note on the small boats of the Rhio and Lingga Archipelagos (1951), 267
Notes by a naturalist on the “Challenger” being an account of various observations made during the voyage
of H. M. S. (1879), 580
Notes on a collection of birds made in the Western Highlands, Central New Guinea, 1951 (1955), 145
Notes on the administration, welfare and recording of technical data relating to the Malayan aborigines
(1951), 173
Notes on the birds of Christmas Islands (1947), 128
Notes on the habits of the Gentoo and Ringed or Antarctic penguins (1938), 85
Notes on the old Dutch cannon found in Malaya (1953), 489
Notes on the Sea Birds breeding in Malayan waters (1950), 136
Notes on the sea birds of the orders Procellariiformes and Pelecaniformes recorded as strays or visitors
to the Ceylon coast, 27 (Part 1) (1953), 138
Notes on the technique of painting (1934), 335
Notices of the Indian archipelago, and adjacent countries (1837), 574
Nusantara: a history of Indonesia (Rev. Ed.) (1959), 654
Oceania and Australia: the art of the South Seas (1962), 100
Oceanic art (1954), 334
Oceanic birds of South America; a study of species of the related coasts and seas, including … (Vols. 1-
2) (1936), 181
The old ‘country trade’ of the East Indies (1911), 13
The old East Indiamen (1914), 9
Old sea paintings, the story of maritime art as depicted by the great masters (1928), 320
On birds from the northern portion of the Malay Peninsula, including the islands of Langkawi and Terutau
(1911), 222
On the alleged death of Sultan Ala’u’d-din of Johore at Acheh, in 1613 (1956), 494
On the habits and distribution of birds in the North Atlantic (1935), 251
On the taxonomy of some Asiatic pygmy woodpeckers (1950), 93
The opium clippers (1933), 47
235

Composite
The Orang Laut of the Singapore River and the Sampan Panjang (1952), 27
Oriental commerce; or, The East India Trader’s complete guide (1825), 52
Oriental memoirs: a narrative of seventeen years residence in India (Vols. 1 & 2) (1834), 476
The origins and ethnological significance of Indian boat designs (1920), 284
Ornithological bibliography, having particular reference to the study of the birds of Java (1953), 37
The ornithologists’ guide: Especially for overseas (1956), 162
Our bird book (1947), 224
Outdoor portraiture; problems of face and figure in natural environment (1947), 358
An outline of the geomorphological evolution of British Malaya. Hertford (1947), 216
Pagan innocence (1960), 670
Papers from Journal of the Natural History Society of Siam (1914-1926) 234
Papers from Treubia (1921-50), 108
Papers on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) (1905-1949), 485
Papers on Malayan birds, 1947-1952 (1947-1952), 129
Papers on the fauna of Cocos-Keeling Islands (1950), 137
Paradiesvogel und Kolibris: Bilder aus dem leben der Tropenvogel [Birds of Paradies and Humming Birds:
illustrations of the lives of these tropical birds] (1953), 238
People of early Singapore (1955), 596
The peoples of Sarawak (1959), 153
Perak and the Malays (1878), 569
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: travel and trade in the Indian Ocean (1912), 620
Personal narrative of a voyage to Japan, Kamtschatka, Siberia, Tartary, and various parts of coast of China;
in H.M.S. Barracouta [1854-1856] (1859), 648
Philippine and East Asian archaeology, and its relation to the origin of the Pacific Islands population
(1948), 91
The Philippines and round about with some account of British interests in these waters (1899), 673
The photographic darkroom; its arrangement and use (1933), 381
The pick of ‘Punch’: an annual selection, (1954), 363; (1956), 314; (1958), 315
Pictorial lighting (1935), 356
A picture book of ship-models (1953), 294
Pietro’s pilgrimage; a journey to India and back at the beginning of the seventeenth century (1953), 407
Pilgrims to the Isles of Penance: Orchid gathering in the East (1911), 439
The Pinatubo negritos : Their useful plants and material culture (1953), 26
Play and politics, recollections of Malaya by an old resident (1901), 609
Poisonous snakes in Malaya (1956), 245
Porcelain and the Dutch East India Company: as recorded in the Dagh-Registers of Batavia Castle, those
of Hirado and Deshima and other contemporary papers, 1602-1682 (1954), 378
236

Composite
Pot plant culture in Singapore (1951), 282

The practical sugar planter; a complete account of the cultivation and manufacture of the sugar-cane,
according to the latest and most improved (1848), 307
Practical taxidermy: a manual of instruction for the amateur in preserving, and setting-up natural history
specimens of all kinds (Rev. 3rd Ed.) (1922), 99
Prehistoric Malaya (Rev. Ed.) (1957), 649
Prehistory and religion in South-Easgt Asia, 70
Preliminary field guide to the birds of the Indian Ocean, for use during the International Indian Ocean Expedition
(1963), 247
Preserving books and prints in the tropics (1953), 74
Press comments on the Siamese embassy to England (1928), 19
Prester John of the Indies: a true relation of the lands of the Prester John, being the narrative of the
Portuguese Embassy to Ethiopia in 1520 (Vols. 1 & 2) (1961), 391
Primitive art (3rd Ed.) (1954), 308
The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques & discoveries of the English nation, made by sea or overland
to the remote & farthest distant quarters … (Vol. 1 & 5) (1907, 1927), 507
The principles of photographic pictorialism (1930), 375
Print perfection (1950), 329
Proceedings of the eighth Pacific Science Congress held at the University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City, 16th November to 28th November 1953 (Vol. 4A) Botany (1954), 188
Quezon City, 16th November to 28th November 1953 (Vol. 1) (1955), 189
Quezon City, 16th November to 28th November 1953 (Vol. 2) Geology and geophysics Meteorology (1956),
190
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 6) Coconut
Problems (1958), 193
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 11) Forest
resources (1958), 194
Proceedings (of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957) (Vol. 14) Museums
(1958), 195
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 16) Oceanography
(1958), 196
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 20) Special
Symposium on climate vegetation and rational land utilization in the humid tropics (1958), 197
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 7) Conservation
(1959), 198
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 13) Meteorology
(1959), 199
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 15)
Nutrition (1959), 200
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 2) Animal
improvement (1960), 201
237

Composite
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 8) Crop
improvement (1960), 202
Proceedings of the ninth Pacific Science Congress of the Pacific Science Association, 1957. (Vol. 18) Soil
and land classification (1960), 203
Fisheries (1961), 204
Geology & Geophysics (1961), 205
Zoology (1961), 206
Proceedings of the 3rd Congress of Prehistorians of the Far East at Singapore 24th-30th January 1938
(1940), 213
Pvrchas his Pilgrimage. Or, Relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places
discouered, from the creation vnto this present (1613), 55
Raffles’ ideas on the land rent system in Java and the Mackenzie Land Tenure Commission (1954), 397
Raffles, Acheh and the Order of the Golden Sword (1956), 495
Realms of silver: One hundred years of banking in the East (1954), 49
A regiment for the sea, and other writings on navigation (1963), 409
A relation of two several voyages made into the East-Indies (1700), 484
Relations de voyages et textes geographiques, Arabes, Persans et Turks relatifs a l’Extreme-Orient du VIII
au XVIII siecles (1913), 474
Relations of Golconda in the early seventeenth century (1931), 577
Reminiscences of an Indian Official (1884), 432
Report of the FAO Fisheries Mission for Thailand (1949), 296
Report of the government commission, with plan of proposed line, tables of statistics, and copy of
government concession to the company of land and privileges, etc (1866), 61
Report on the “Birds’ Nest” caves and industry of British North Borneo, with special reference to the
Gomantong Caves (1931), 105
Report: Singapore Agri-Horticultural Society (1866), 297
Retouching and finishing for photographers (4th Ed.) (1947), 310
Road and street directory and guide to postal districts (1950,1954, 1961), 627-629
Roberts birds of South Africa (1957), 219
Rome beyond the imperial frontiers (1954, 1955), 662-663
The sailing ship: six thousand years of history (1926), 253
Sailing ships; the story of their development from the earliest times to the present day with a hundred and
thirty illustrations (1909), 257
A sailor’s life under four sovereigns (Vols. 1-3) (1899), 542
Sarawak (1957), 579
The Sarawak Museum Journal (1949-1951, 1954-1957), 616-618
Sarawak: its inhabitants and production (1848), 555
238

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Science and civilisation in China (Vol. 1): Introductory Orientations”] (1954), 182
Science and scientists in the Netherlands Indies (1945), 160
Sculpture in England- Medieval (1951), 354
Sculpture in England- Renaissance to early 19th century (1951), 355
The Scythians (1957), 610
Sea fights in the East Indies in the year 1602-1639 (1931), 53
The sea gypsies of Malaya: an account of the nomadic Mawken people of the Mergui Archipelago with a
description of their ways of living, customs, habits, etc., etc., etc. (1922), 249
Sea-birds: an introduction to the natural history of the sea-birds of the North Atlantic (1954), 122
Secrets of the Chinese drama: a complete explanatory guide to actions and symbols as seen in the
performance of Chinese dramas (1937), 387
Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals; A translation of Raffles MS 18 (1952, October and 1953, February), 426
Sejarah Melayu or The Malay Annals (3rd Ed.) (1948), 624
Sejarah Melayu or The Malay Annals (8th Ed.) (1957), 625
Seventeen years among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo: a record of intimate association with the natives of the
Bornean jungles (1911), 143
Shearwaters (1942), 169
A short history of Malaya (1956), 594
Siamese pottery in Indonesia (1959), 373
The Singapore Artist (Vol. 1, Nos. 1-3) (1954-1955), 367
The Singapore Chronicle, 1824-37 (1953), 490
Singapore: notes on the history of the Old Strait, 1580-1850 (1954), 491
Sir Francis Drake his voyage, 1595. Together with the Spanish account of Drake’s attack on Puerto Rico
(1849), 568
Sir John Chardin’s travels in Persia (1927), 433
Sketch of the island of Borneo: communicated in a letter to the Right Hon. Sir Alexander Johnston (1837),
470
Sketches, civil and military, of the island Java and its immediate dependencies (1811), 636
Sketches of shipping: views in Portsmouth Harbour (1824), 359
Skizzen aus Singapur und Djohor (1876), 607
Smithsonian papers: ethnology (18-- ), 428
[Smithsonian papers: prehistory] Prehistoric art; or the origin of art as manifested in the works of prehistoric
man (1888), 250
The snakes of Malaya (1953), 242
Social science research in Sarawak (1950), 45
Social structure in Southeast Asia (1960), 179
Some problems of migration in the Pacific (1952), 36
Some records of Ethiopia, 1593-1646 (1954), 401
239

Composite
South China in the sixteenth century, being the narratives of Galeote Pereira ... (1953), 411
South Indian Ocean pilot: comprising Madagascar, Iles Comores, Ile de la Reunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles
… (1946), 273
South-east Asia: a short history (1954), 513
Specimens of type (1955), 298
Stalking birds with color camera (1951), 311
The status and distribution of wild geese and wild duck in Scotland (1939), 90
The steamers employed in Asian waters, 1819-39 (1954), 269
The story of tools (1944), 259
Straits memories, being recollections of incidents, peoples (1910), 611
The Straits Times Annual, 1952 (1953), 637
Straits Times Pictures (1948), 374
Studies in Indonesian archaeology (1956), 638
The study of modern Southeast Asian history (1959), 398
Style of the house (1950), 262
The styles of ornament, from pre-historic times to the middle of the XIXth century (1910), 372
Suma oriental of Tomé Pires, an account of the East, from the Red Sea to Japan … (1944), 598
Supplement No. 5, 1949 relating to the Bay of Bengal Pilot, (7th Ed) … (1949), 276
Supplement No. 6, 1946 relating to the China Sea Pilot, (Vol. 1, 1st Ed.), 1937 … (1946), 274
Supplement No. 6, 1949 relating to the Eastern Archipelago Pilot, (Vol. 4, 2nd Ed.),1939 … (1949), 277
Supplement No.2, 1950, relating to the South Indian Ocean Pilot (6th Ed.), 1946 … (1950), 279
Supplement to Chasen (1940) a handlist of Malaysian mammals containing a generic synonymy and a
complete index (1955), 107
A survey of the Malay weavers and silversmiths in Kelantan in 1951 (1952), 31
Swords and daggers of Indonesia (1958), 326
Synchronized flashlight photography (1945), 380
A synopsis of the report on the economic aspects of Malaysia (1963), 76
Systematic notes on some Philippine birds (1952), 228
The Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, 1864-1905 & Singapore (1956), 408
The tea clippers: an account of the China tea trade and of some of the British sailing ships engaged in it
from 1849-1869 with drawings by the author (1952), 292
Techniek en sierkunst in Ned-Indië (Vols. 3- 8) (1913), 348
Temiar jungle: a Malayan journey (1958), 63
Thai monumental bronzes (1957), 323
The Thai peoples, 622
Thailand, past and present (1957), 591
240

Composite
Thailand: nature and industry: ethnology (Rev. Ed.) (1950), 163

The travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667(Vol. 3, Part 1-2) (1919), 581-582
Three sea journals of Stuart times; being, first, The diary of Dawtrey Cooper ... Secondly, The journals of
Jeremy Roch … Thirdly, The diary of Francis Rogers (1936), 533
Three voyages of Vasco da Gama and his viceroyalty (1869), 452
The tigers of Trengganu (1954), 349
Towards Angkor in the footsteps of the Indian invaders (1937), 656
Trade and travel in the Far East, or, Recollections of twenty-one years passed in Java, Singapore, Australia
and China (1846), 463
Trade unionism in Malaya (1954), 41
The tragic history of the sea, 1589-1622; narratives of the shipwrecks of ... (1959), 422
The travels and controversies of Friar Domingo Navarrete, 1618-1686 (Vols. 1 & 2) (1962), 585
Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325-1354, translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb ... with an introduction
and notes (1929), 531
Travels in India (Vols. 1 & 2) (1925), 642
Travels in Persia, 1627-1629 (1928), 521
Travels in south-eastern Asia (1839), 562
Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa (1816-1818, 1824), 438
The travels of Leo of Rozmital through Germany, Flanders, England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy 1465-
1467(1957), 551
The travels of Marco Polo (1908), 600
The travels of Marco Polo (3rd Impression) 601
The travels of Pedro Teixeira: with his “Kings of Harmuz” and extracts from his “Kings of Persia” (1902),
644
The travels of Pietro della Valle in India. From the old English translation of 1664 by George Havers (1892),
465
The troublesome voyage of Captain Edward Fenton, 1582-1583; narratives & documents (1959), 643
A true description of three voyages by the north-east towards Cathay and China, undertaken by the Dutch
in the years 1594, 1595, and 1596 (1853), 653
Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya (1908), 671
Ukiran rumah Toradja (1960), 341
United States National Museum annual report collection of papers & Annual report Smithsonian Institution
collection of papers (1888 - 1939), 650
The urn cemetery at Melolo, East Sumba (Indonesia) (1956), 154
The useful plants of the island of Guam: with an introductory account of the physical features and natural
history of the island … (1905), 227
Useful plants of the Philippines (Vol. 1) (1949), 98
Valentyn’s description of Malacca (1884 -1885), 651
Vanishing craft; British coastal types in the last days of sail (1934), 256
241

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A view of the present state and future prospects of the free trade and colonisation of India (1828), 17
Views in India, China, and on the shores of the Red Sea (1835), 473
A visit to the Indian Archipelago, in H.M. ship Maeander (1853), 541
Vogel vom Fluss kajan (Nordost-Borneo) [Birds from the river Kajan (Northeastern Borneo)] (1938), 237
A voyage from Calcutta to the Mergui Archipelago, lying on the east side of the Bay of Bengal (1792), 477
A voyage in the ‘Sunbeam’ (1881), 412
The voyage of Abdullah: being an account of his experiences on a voyage from Singapore to Kelantan in
A.D. 1838 and a description of the countries which he visited and their customs ... (1949), 388
The voyage of Francois Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil (Vols. 1
& 2) (1887, 1888, 1890), 603
Voyage of HMS Pandora despatched to arrest the mutineers of the “Bounty” in the South Seas, 1790-91
(1915), 471
The voyage of John Huyghen van Linschoten to the East Indies (1885), 553
The voyage of Nicholas Downton to the East Indies, 1614-15, as recorded in contemporary narratives and
letters (1939), 480
The voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and India, from contemporary documents and narratives
(1938), 502
The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to Bantam and the Maluco Islands ... (1885), 572
The voyage of Sir Henry Middleton to the Moluccas, 1604-1606 (1943), 571
A voyage round the world (1928), 626
A voyage to the East Indies in 1747 and 1748, containing an account of the islands of St. Helena and Java,
of the City of Batavia … (1762), 589
A voyage to the East-Indies, with observations on various parts there (1757), 504
The voyage to the South Seas in His Majesty’s ship, the Wager, in the years 1740-1741 (1927), 427
The voyages and cruises of Commodore Walker (1928), 655
The voyages of Sir James Lancaster, Kt., to the East Indies, with abstracts of journals of voyages to the East
Indies during the seventeenth century … (1877), 548
Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga, through the southern and little-known parts of the Moluccan
Archipelago, and along the previously … (1840), 546
Voyages to the East Indies (1929), 483
Voyages to the East-Indies (Vols. 1-3) (1798), 635
Voyaging to China in 1855 and 1904: a contrast in travel (1936), 543
Wanderings in New South Wales, Batavia, Pedir Coast, Singapore, and China: being the journal of a
naturalist in those countries during 1832, 1833, and 1834 (1834), 405
War in the eastern seas 1793-1815 (1954), 593
Watching birds (1940), 123
Wayside trees of Malaya (Vols. 1 & 2) (1940), 111
The Western element in modern Southeast Asian history (1960), 399
Whale hunt: the narrative of a voyage (1950), 281
242

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The whales, porpoises and dolphins known in Malayan waters (1949), 132
What happened in history (1954), 436
Who’s who in Malaya and Malayan Year Book 1947-1948 (1948), 462
Wild animals of the world (1948), 414
Wonders of wild life photography: being a selection of photographs from the second ‘Country Life’
International Exhibition. (1950), 384
The world encompassed by Sir Francis Drake: being his next voyage to that to Nombre de Dios, collated
with an unpublished manuscript of Francis Fletcher … (1854), 467
Xiang xue zhuang shu hua xuan ji (1950), 385
Yedo and Peking: a narrative of a journey to the capitals of Japan and China with notice of … (1863), 479
Yellow Wagtail (1950), 236
Yi bai san shi zhou nian ji nian te kan (1952), 78
De Zieke reiziger or, Rambles in Java and the Straits in 1852 by a Bengal civilian (1853), 472
Zoo life: Bulletin of the Zoological Society (Vols. 1-6) (1946-1951), 252
Zoological researches in Java, and the neighbouring islands (1824), 161
243

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful thanks are due to the following – Ivan Polunin, Eric Alfred and Eileen Lee
for their informative interviews; Prof. Peter Ng, N. Sivasothi and H. K. Lua for
access to resources and support from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research;
Ng Ching Huei for research support from the National Museum of Singapore; and
from within the National Library Board, Norisah Mansor, Chong Kah Eng, Sudha
Subramanian and team members from Library & Professional Services for their
faithful assistance; and National Library Singapore staff, namely Noryati A Samad,
Irene Lim, Chan Fook Weng, Ang Seow Leng, Chong Boey Im, Ashif Padili, Heirwin
Mohd Nasir, Irfan Shafiq Tan, Ang Siew Fong, Azizah Sidek, Timothy Pwee and
Makeswary Periasamy.
244

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cover 11/12/08 10:09 AM Page 1

A N O RIENTALIST ’ S T REASURE T ROVE O F M ALAYA A ND B EYOND

C ATALOGUE O F T HE G IBSON -H ILL C OLLECTION A T T HE N ATIONAL L IBRARY S INGAPORE

COMPILER: BONNY TAN

© National Library Board Singapore 2008

Published by: National Library Board Singapore

National Library Singapore

National Library Board Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data -

Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

1. Malaya – History – Catalogs. 2. Gibson-Hill, C. A. (Carl Alexander), 1911-1963 – Books

This catalogue aims to highlight the Gibson-Hill Collection, giving a background

AN ORIENTALIST’S TREASURE TROVE OF MALAYA AND

The Collection was donated to the National Library

the National Library prior to his own tragic death

The oldest publication in the Gibson-Hill Collection, Linschoten’s Discours of Voyages

Published acknowledgements thanking Gibson-Hill for his help as well as handwritten

(1943, 1947) which simply acknowledges Gibson-

CARL ALEXANDER GIBSON-HILL: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Boarding school at Malvern College, a

NATURAL TREASURES FROM PARADISE ISLES

SURVIVING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

A tale of Syonan-To (1981) by E. H. Corner,

[Gibson-Hill] was seated barefoot in an old chair, one leg sprawling

Angered by the apparent lack of respect, Tanakadate

The years in internment was not necessarily

COLLECTING MALAYAN HERITAGE

An outcome of his bird studies was An annotated

Gibson-Hill’s love for coastal birds, along with

U NUSUAL W ORK HABITS

Of his workspace, Clark (1965: 20) paints a vivid picture:

PHOTOGRAPHING MALAYAN LIFE

Gibson-Hill’s images however went beyond

Many of his black-and-white photographs that capture Singapore’s built environment

ERUDITE EDITOR AND RESOLUTE SCHOLAR

However, Gibson-Hill’s health had deteriorated by the mid-1950s. A diabetic, he did

Clark, Kathleen. (1965). Carl Gibson-Hill. JMBRAS, 38(2), 17-21.

Corner, E. H. (1981). The Marquis: a tale of Syonan-to. Singapore: Heinemann Asia.

Pembroke College. 1900-1950, Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Personal interviews with Eileen Lee, 2007.

Personal interviews with Eric Alfred, 2007.

Personal interviews with Ivan Poulinin, 2007.

(1) Bibliographies, Ethnographies and Maritime Histories (DDC 000–399)

OVERVIEW OF THE CATALOGUE

study on Malay kinship (1959), there are

Complementing these works are studies on

BIRDS AND ANIMALS

An unusual study of sea and coastal birds is

Gibson-Hill’s knowledge of ornithology extended beyond his homeland to his

This section also has nature journals that

SAILING VESSELS AND RIVER CRAFTS

Besides a number of Gibson-Hill’s own monographs on local boats published

The catalogue section on travelogues and history continue with descriptions of

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

The titles by the Singapore

supported by Gibson-Hill who had tediously searched the legislative reports to

This section houses practical guides on art

TRAVELOGUES AND HISTORY

8. Chan, Goh Sin, Charles. (195-). Catholics in Singapore. Singapore: C. G. S. Chan.

This is a directory of names, postal addresses and telephone numbers of government