THE CHILD OF THE CAVERN; or, Strange Doings Underground by Verne, Jules - 1877

1877. Translated by W. H. G. Kingston. Numerous Illustrations. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1877. Original red cloth pictorially decorated in black and gilt, all edges gilt.

First British Edition of the tale also known as THE BLACK INDIES and as UNDER­GROUND CITY. The unusual tale takes place deep in a Scottish mine, in which a mysterious "goblin" appears to live... The peculiar wildness of Jules Verne's imagination shows with startling effect when he selects Scotland and its sober-minded people as scene and characters for his latest characteristic extravaganza. He describes a mine of fabulous wonders by and of superhuman powers, and then he has a plot that would furnish plots for several exciting novels. [from an early promotional piece cited in T&M] The pirate publisher George Munro was the first to get out an edition (THE BLACK INDIES) in English, in his triple-columned self-wrappered "Seaside Library" in the Spring of 1877. This first British edition came out in October of that year: "Pictured on the front cover is Jack Ryan kneeling on the twenty-sixth landing down the gloomy shaft. Harfang the bird [owl] is also shown on the front cover and spine" [T&M]. This copy is in red cloth; we have also had green and brown (no priority). It is an unusually clean, bright copy, in near-fine condition (a discreet repair at the head of the spine, rear endpaper cracked). Taves & Michaluk V017; Myers 10.