DIPLOMATIC

Despite the fair amount of attention bestowed on the 'Anglo-Japanese Conversation' - the secret negotiations between the British government and the Japanese ambassador at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War - it is only with the discovery of these two documents that it can be established that the two countries continued with informal negotiations until the fall of Nanking.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with Bath postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Colonel Campbell | Gatcomb House | Isle of Wight | Southampton'. Continuing a communication of the previous day, he begins with reference to 'Mr. Courtenay' (until 1807 one of the Lords of the Treasury), stating that 'there is not the least chance of his ever pushing or even simply asking Lord Howick [ Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Foreign Secretary, 1806-1807, and future prime minister ] to follow-up Mr.

Presumably printed up by Jung for circulation on his unsuccessful mission to England in 1876 to press the claims for the restoration of the Berar to Hyderabad. 23 numbered items of printed correspondence, each separately paginated, and totalling 144pp., 4to. The whole stitched together with red thread. No covers. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Entirely in English. All dated from Hyderabad unless stated otherwise. The 23 items are as follows: 1. Sir Salar Jung to Colonel Lumsden. 19 September 1872. 2pp. 2. Jung and Ameer-i-Kubeer to Colonel Lumsden. 19 September 1872. 8pp.

5pp., 12mo. The letter proper is three pages long, on a bifolium, and is accompanied by a two-page 'list of times & places' on a separate leaf. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. With 18 x 23 cm letterhead, on the cover of which Thornton has written 'To | Sir Robert Head. Bart. | III | Zimmer Strasse 97 | Hier.', with his signature 'C. Thornton' in the bottom left-hand corner.

42pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper, in worn binding. 'NOTES' and 'D. M. [Diplomatic Mission?]' in manuscript on the front cover. Written in a number of different hands, over a nine-year period, with occasional additions in red ink.

2pp., foolscap. In fair condition, on aged paper. The letter, no doubt sent to all the diplomatic missions, begins: 'I have the honour to acquaint you that The Queen has been pleased to accept of the Earl of Aberdeen's resignation of the Office of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and to confide to me the Seals of that Department.' He names a day and time when he wil be 'happy to receive' him, 'in order to confide with you on any business upon which you may have received Instructions from your Court'.

[2] + 4 + [1] pp., folio. Unstitched and unbound. Originally two bifoliums one inside the other, but the two leaves of the outer bifolium have become detached from one another. On aged and toned high-acidity paper, chipping at edges. Five documents, four of them in the original French with English translations, and the fifth ('Declaration made by the Earl of Derby before the signature of the Protocol') in English. The English titles of the four French originals are: 'Protocol' (by Münster, Beust, L. D'Harcourt, Derby, L. F.

2pp., 12mo. 49 lines of text. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf (which also carries his seal): 'For Sr Richard Bulstrode | Envoy from his Matie of greate Brittaine Att ye Court | Att Bruxells | these'.

The three items derive from the Bilainkin papers. Each is separately paginated and stapled, with the text on one side only of the leaves. All three in good condition, on lightly-aged and creased paper, with rusty staples. Item One: Titled 'ADD 1960 DIARY. Saturday, July 23.' 7pp., foolscap 8vo. With carbon copy of the same.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Charles R. Broughton Esqre | Foreign Office | London', and docketed by recipient on the same page 'Naples 22 June 1815 | Wm. Court | 12 July | A'. à Court has written 'Duplicate' in the top left-hand corner of the first page (he would have sent several copies of the letter in case one miscarried, but the fact that this is the one that was received by Broughton is evidenced by the docketing). In fair condition, on aged paper, with usual broken wafer.

The subtitle reads in full: 'Description in detail of the boundary between the British Protectorate of Sierra Leone and the Protectorate of the Republic of Liberia as it runs from the river Makona (K) or Moa (M) in the north to the river Magowi in the south: together with the list of the cairns erected and other marks to identify the same. ' 15pp., foolscap 8vo. Stapled. In fair condition, on aged paper, with staining from staples. Small grey rectangular stamp at foot of first page, completed in manuscript: 'West African | 95 | Fo 2'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Warre repeats what he has already told Gye, that 'nothing has given me greater pleasure than the news of your recent appointment, though we will miss you in London'.

From the papers of Rev. J. C. Fulton Hood who, having been Chief Chaplain British Forces in Norway in 1940, worked in Iceland between 1940 and 1941. A pencil note on the telegram (see below) refers to 'The Midnight Sun', the troops’ newspaper in Norway and Iceland which Hood founded and edited. He was made a Knight of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon in 1949. The telegram is in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, and bears an oval blue 'LANDSSIMINN' stamp. It is headed 'PRESSE PRODROME REYKJAVIK' ('Prodrome, Reykjavik' being the British Icelandic Legation's telegraph address).

2pp., 12mo. Aged and creased, on Seymour's monogrammed letterhead. The letter, on the recto of the first leaf, is addressed to 'Gentlemen' (possibly Stamfords, the London firm of map-sellers). It reads: 'I shall be much obliged to you to send me the three Maps marked overleaf, mounted on <?> in a small parcel to be left at the Foreign Office to the care of F. B. Alston Th Esqre who will have the kindness to pay for the same. / The parcel to be directed to Sir Hamilton Seymour G.C.B. H.M. Minster, St Petersburg'.

6pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight traces of previous mounting. Gurwood has delayed sending 'a history of our proceedings', as Sir Charles wrote the day after the party's arrival in Lisbon. He describes their 'disagreeable passage', 'which Sir Charles and Lord Marcus treated with contempt, and were most provokingly well all the passage - we were however unanimous as to the impossibility of your having accompanied us for the inconvenience of a crowded ship, where all are more or less selfish, are really too great for a female passenger, whatever may be her rank'.

2 pp, 12mo. 18 lines. Text clear and complete. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Ernest'. The news that Gye has been posted to Damascus is 'exciting', although 'it will be funny & deserted - like to come home & not find you at the seat of custom'. Gye had spoken of going abroad, so he was not surprised, '& Lady Armstrong said recently that you were about to seek another field'. Regarding Gye's painting, he 'will have lots of interesting things to limn (that's a good word)'.

10 pp, 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Ernest'. The Wellesleys have been back from India a couple of months. The journey out was a 'delightful trip', despite a mishap with a 'steel hawser' which 'wound itself round the screw' in the middle of the Mediterranean. After a brief reference to Ceylon he describes the Indian visit. His wife tripped up on a step in front of the Maharaja of Mysore: 'I feel sure he thought she was tight. Mysore is too modern & up to date to suit me, but Seringapatam only nine miles away is fascinating.

8vo, 14 pp (followed by blank leaf). Unbound and stitched. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Drophead title. With 'PRIVATE' in print in the top left-hand corner of the first page, and '[285]' in the bottom left-hand corner. Dated in type at end 'T. H. S. | October 1891.' Sanderson's inscription, at the head of the first page, reads 'From the Author | [signed] S | Sept. 1918'. From the collection of Sir Victor Wellesley, and with two marginal notes by him.

Folio, 3 pp. Fair, on lightly-creased and aged paper. The lengthy form is printed, and completed with typewritten additions and its own 'Registry No.'

Written in a neat, close hand (not Bernard's) on one page (the recto of the first leaf of a 12mo bifolium). Twenty-one lines. Text clear and complete. On aged, grubby and lightly-creased paper.

12mo: 48 pp. Fold-out map of Israel at rear. In original grey printed wraps. Advertisements. Pro-Israeli pamphlet, aimed at British Jews (see advertisements for the Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Review, the Zionist Review, El Al, the Anglo-Israel Association). Divided into five sections: 'A People's Destiny', 'Basic Outline of the Coalition Government Programme', 'Jerusalem and the Holy Places', 'Israel Today', 'Defence' and 'Chronology'. Uncommon: COPAC only lists copies at the BL and LSE.

All items clear and complete, and good, on lightly-aged paper. An interesting set of letters, from one scion of a leading British diplomatic family to another. Letter One (4 December 1906): 12mo, 4 pp. Written after his father Sir Edmund Monson's stroke. He finds it 'very hard to say whether my father is better or worse' as he never sees the doctor himself. 'I am never sure if my mother tells me everything, or if she keeps things back for fear of frightening me.

Both items in good condition, on aged paper. Complete Letter (12 September 1908): 12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium with mourning border. He thanks Gop [Goss?] for the 'letter of great length extended exclamation marks but otherwise agreeable & genial'. Howard 'can understand that vowing to keep silence the next best thing is to write to someone'. Gop's 'instinct is sound': Howard has 'abandoned Presque Isle which is a 12 hrs journey from here'. Gives a date for his return to Manchester.

Both letters good, on lightly aged paper. Both items concern Canning's article on 'International Relations' in the October 1877 issue of 'The Nineteenth Century'. Letter One (12mo, 4 pages, bifolium with mourning border). Knowles hopes Canning has received the proof of the article from the publishers Spottiswoodes. A judicious bit of sycophancy follows.

On piece of paper roughly 6.5 x 13 cm. Good, on creased and lightly aged paper. Reads '<...> | yours very sincerely | H. Bismark'. On reverse '<...> looking forward immensely to my visit to you. I have just been asked to lunch with a very old lady <...>'.

4to, 2 pp. Text clear and entire. On aged paper with a few closed tears to extremities and a thin strip of discoloration along one margin on reverse. 'The Royal Netherland Navy have made use of Coaltar for preserving certain parts of vessels of war from decay', but 'the Medical Department in the Netherlands' have confirmed that the use of Coaltar for that purpose has a prejudicial effect on the health of the Ships crews'. Asks to be informed 'of the results of any enquiries instituted on this Subject by order of the British Admiralty'. Docketed 'Netherland's under Secretary'.

12mo, 2 pp, 10 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, with scrap of brown paper mount adhering in top right-hand corner on the reverse (not affecting text). Concerns a volume which 'has been duly forwarded to Count Seckendorff, Comptroller of the Household of Her Majesty the Emperess Frederick'. The Ambassador Sir Edward Malet has asked Rodd to express to the correspondent 'his personal thanks for the second copy you were good enough to forward to him'.

12mo: 2 pp. Eleven lines of text. Very good. Having just received it from London, Rodd is sending Crawford the book he could not get in Rome which he wanted to send him as a birthday present. 'It is written by a great friend of mine who knows better than any one the history of the first voyages to America and the discovery of the Great Southern Sea. I think you will like it.' In an envelope, on aged paper, with postmarks and Italian postage stamp. Addressed to 'Harold Crawford, Villa Crawford, St Agnello di Sorrento'.

12mo: 1 p. Very good. Reads '8 April 1867 | Sir | I am happy to oblige you in signing myself | Yours &c | [signed] Charles Francis Adams'. Adams was Abraham Lincoln's Minister to the Court of St James's [i.e. English ambassador] from 1861 to 1868.

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 10 cm, ruckled and with stains from previous mounting on recto. Seven lines (cropped at right) on recto, and eight lines and signature on reverse. In French. He would have liked to have put 'un peu plus d'exactitude' in the matter he promised to send her, but 'l'xpedition du courrier d'Amerique' prevented it. For his part, he considers himself very happy to be able to please her.