CARRUTHERS, Douglas. Arabian Adventure. To The Great Nafud in Quest of the Oryx. London, H.F. & G. Witherby, 1935.
8vo. Original brick cloth; spine lettered in white; in the original pictorial dust-wrapper; map endpapers; pp. xii, 208; with thirty-three photographic plates and two colour folding maps; extensive flaws to wrapper; light foxing here and there; author's presentation inscription to half title, with a loosely inserted letter from the author dated Oct 14, 1935; a good copy in the damaged wrapper.
First edition, first impression. In his journey through the country of Jordan and Western Arabia, Carruthers (1882–1962) had visited these remote places (Hul, Taima, etc.) in 1909 not visited by Europeans since Doughty, and before Lawrence. His Preface states: "In my search for the Oryx ... I am most grateful to Mr. H. St. J.B. Philby, who is doing so much to help us to unravel some of the problems of wild life in Arabia ... Col. T.E. Lawrence I thank for his co-operation over many years in an attempt to answer various riddles of a geographical nature, so as to enable us to improve the bad maps of that Shrarat Wilderness, which he described as The Veritable Desert ... " There is an addendum to the preface: "Since going to Press, the tragedy of T.E. Lawrence's death causes me to explain that my quotations from his writings and his letters are made with permission of his executors."
Carruthers explored 'the countries south-east of Syria and shot certain rare deer, among them the Arabian oryx, one species of which was hitherto unknown. He also made a collection of marmots, one of which was new. … His work showed alertness to the impact of climatic and physical variations on all forms of life: a thought which ran through most of his lecturing and writing' (ODNB). - This copy is accompanied by a signed autograph letter by the author (date identical with the presentation inscription). 'I have been at work on this for the last year, and it is a success; going well and running into its second impression'.
O'Brien F0193.
#2112971