Brett's Colonists' Guide and Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge

According to the preface this is the second edition of the Guide. The preface states that the first edition of 5000 copies was "disposed of several years ago" adding that respose indicated that it was "widely appreaciated and has been of great service." The preface said that: "Only the great labour involved in the task has delayed the issue of a new edition, long promised." In that time it became practically a new book "preserving all that was of value. but adding adundanty . and branching out into new departments." Athough "matter of minor importance has been eliminated the volume has swelled in bulk from 830 to 1208 pages." Without doubt a vast amount of information useful to new settlers was included in this mammoth volume. The 39 "departments" listed on the contents page range from an agricultural calendar and ales, wine and spirits to bee keeping and canning, to legal memoranda and Maori pharmacopoeia to viticulture and weeds and noxious fungi. Although the title page states "Illustrated with 553 plates," this refers to the b/w illustrations, full page and intext, that appear throughout, along with numerous diagrams, plans, sketches and tables. The 1208 pages include a comprehensive index. This copy has been professionally rebound with red cloth binding, using the original front cover surface with its decorated borders and gilt titles, gilt titles applied to spine. New endpapers with the original text block, dated 1897 on title page, VG with short tear top edges pages 579/580, 583/584, 585/586 more substantial tears top and lower edges pages 581/582 but in no case as there any loss, the upper corner of page 559/560 has been torn off, but is present in the book, again without loss. In spite of these imperfections this is a VG copy of this early edition of the guide. A heavy book, almost 1.5ks unpacked.…