Marrin's Bookshop

Synopsis

By john w. marsh, m.a. rector of st. michael's, winchester and w. h. stirling, d.d. bishop of the falkland islands.

Item Description

8vo. 7 x 4.75 inches. xiii +[iii] + 172 pp. + 4 pp. publisher's list. Bound in original navy cloth, gilt, with blind stamped borders and oval on boards, enclosing on front gilt block of anchor and with gilt decorations on spine. All edges gilt. A little wear to extremities, including corners and head and tail of spine and occasional scattered foxing, largely confined to preliminaries; otherwise a very good clean copy. 1888 signature on verso of first free endpaper. Illustrated by portrait frontispiece with facsimile signature and by four coloured maps, including one folding. Account of the missionary work of Commander Allen Francis Gardiner, R.N. (1794-1851) and of the Patagonian Missionary Society founded in 1844. After his naval career, which included successful service in the war of 1812, failed to produce any further appointment from the late 1820s, Gardiner decided to enter the missionary field. After some time in Zululand,1834-38, he decided to concentrate on the southern tip of the South American continent. His work in Chile (Tierra del Fuego), and for a while in Bolivia, led to little achievement, owing to government, Roman Catholic and indigenous people's hostility, and without significant assistance from other organised missionary groups. In the end he and his group died of starvation owing to a supply problem in an hostile environment. The joint author with John William Marsh (1822-82), Anglican clergyman, was Waite Hockin Stirling (1829-1923) who re-established the Patagonian Mission, based at Keppel Island and Ushuaia, who served as Bishop of the Falkland Islands, 1869-1900. First published 1867.