ULTIMA THULE; OR, A SUMMER IN ICELAND

London: William P. Nimmo, 1875. 2 volumes. First edition. Both volumes with lithographic frontispieces, fold-out maps and illustrations throughout. 8vo, publisher’s original blue cloth, lettered and with pictorial motifs and borders in gilt on the spines, the upper covers with large and elaborate central pictorial decorations in gilt and black, bordering decorations in black, double ruled in black, the lower covers embellished in blind with ornamental devices and double border rules. xix, 380, 16 adverts; vii, 408 pp. A pleasing, well preserved and handsome set with some light shelf abrasion to the heads and tails of the spine. Endleaves and hinges in good order but with some minor splitting to the paper, spines a bit mellowed as expected, turnovers and extremities lightly rubbed, light aging, the text blocks in excellent and especially clean state with only minor age toning. Scarce in the original cloth without repairs as in this copy. RARE FIRST EDITION IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH. In 1872 Burton received an offer from a British mining speculator to explore the sulfur mines in Iceland; he was promised expenses plus Ł2000 if large deposits should be found. Although the sulfur he found was not easily extracted, Burton was able to spend a great deal of time exploring the island; ULTIMA THULE remains one of the most important books of travel and exploration on the area and is rich with Burton's observations and evocative style. The book covers Icelandic, history, geography, geology, population statistics, taxation problems, fishing, industry, economics, and politics.
One gets the impression that Burton, the inveterate adventurer and explorer, found Iceland’s natural charms less dramatic than the Himalayas and the Andes. In his usual curmudgeonly style he,”called the geysers a gross humbug. The natives were unwashed and generally unfriendly and the women reminded him of the ‘chilly women of the north who live only by the head.’”
Despite his sometimes surly tone, Burton’s stated objective in writing the book was to be a spokesperson for Iceland’s development. He saw much hardship in the daily lives of its people and recommended three measures to improve the quality of life there: the working of the sulfur mines, the reform of the operations of the fisheries (their gold mines), and the extension of the emigration movement in a response to overcrowding. Not one of Burton’s more inspired works, still the book is infused with probing observations and colorful descriptions.
The author admits that the manuscript languished for two years after his return from Iceland as he became distracted by other writing projects. He believed that the passing of time actually increased his perspective and deepened his understanding of what he had seen. After a brief stop in London, Burton was to set off for his post in Trieste with Isabel where it is said that he labored on as many as 11 manuscripts at one time, each arranged on a separate tables.