Bibliographer: Chayanon Rumcharoen

The travels of Hildebrand Bowman, esquire

The bibliography project considers the question of how much ink was wasted in printing a copy of Hildebrand by calculating the ratio between the number of black pixels and the total number of pixels on each page of its digital facsimile. Turning our attention to a quantitative understanding of the materiality of the novel allows us to visualize the shape of the novel differently.

Traditional Description

Anonymous. The travels of Hildebrand Bowman, esquire, Into Carnovirria, Taupiniera, Olfactaria, and Auditante, in New-Zealand; in the Island of Bonhommica, and in the powerful Kingdom of Luxo-Volupto, on the Great Southern Continent. Written by Himself; Who went on shore in the Adventure’s large Cutter, at Queen Charlotte’s Sound New Zealand, the fatal 17th of December 1773; and escaped being cut off, and devoured, with the rest of the Boat's crew, by happening to be a-shooting in the woods; where he was afterwards unfortunately left behind by the Adventure. London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1778.

 

THE| TRAVELS| OF| HILDEBRAND BOWMAN,| ESQUIRE,| Into CARNOVIRRIA, TAUPINIERA, OLFACTA-| RIA, and AUDITANTE, in| NEW-ZEALAND; in| the Island of BONHOMMICA, and in the power-| ful Kingdom of LUXO-VOLUPTO, on the| GREAT SOUTHERN CONTINENT.| WRITTEN by HIMSELF;| Who went on shore in the ADVENTURE’s large Cutter, at| Queen Charlotte’s Sound New-Zealand, the fatal 17th| of December 1773; and escaped being cut off, and| devoured, with the rest of the Boat’s crew, by happen-| ing to be a-shooting in the woods; where he was after-| wards unfortunately left behind by the ADVENTURE.| [dividing line] An Ape, and Savage (cavil all you can),| Differ not more, than Man compared with Man.| ANONYMOUS.| [double dividing line] LONDON:| Printed for W. STRAHAN; and T. CADELL, in| the Strand, 1778.

 

Pagination: xv, 400p.

 

Format: 8mo

 

Contents: A1r title, A1v blank, A2r–A3r dedication, A3v blank, A4r–A4v “A Card”, A5r–A8r contents, A8v errata, B1r–Cc8v text

 

Notes:

The physical copy is located in the British Library. It has been digitized by ECCO. The digital facsimile on Google Books is also consulted. Its original physical copy is located in Columbia University Library.

 

A handwritten letter R is found on the cover page, just below Hildebrand Bowman’s name, and right to the line that reads “Esquire.”

 

The ECCO digital facsimile omits blank pages.

 

Small x-shaped marks are found under certain chapters in the book’s table of contents. These chapters are chapter II, chapter VI, and chapter VII.

Experimental Description