Isabella Bird Bishop
(1831-1904)

A Canter Across the Sandwich Isles in 1873.

ISBN 1590481542

First published by John Murray in 1875

Think of all the clichés that come to mind when you consider the romantic word “Hawaii.” Palm trees, hula dancers, sun-drenched beaches, an untouched tropical culture. Now interject a group of hard-riding Mexican vaqueros chasing herds of imported wild cattle across the lush green mountain sides. Throw in a crew of Yankee swindlers and missionaries bent on conquering  the island. Bring on board the local king, who is trying to preserve his realm from outsiders, and you will begin to understand the equestrian kingdom of Hawaii circa 1872.

It was into this equine maelstrom that Isabella Bird had wandered by mistake.

Bound from New Zealand to San Francisco, Isabella had come ashore at Hawaii on an impulse. What she discovered was not what she had been expecting. Soon after cattle were introduced onto the island, they went wild and could not be managed by islanders on foot. The King therefore enlisted the aid of imported Mexican vaqueros, who brought with them not only their horses and saddles, but also their sense of equestrian panache.

When Isabella Bird landed she discovered a still untrammelled tropical paradise. However, the once pedestrian Hawaiians had taken to the saddle with a vengeance. The islanders rode – everywhere – and the clergyman’s daughter soon joined them. Having never ridden astride because of the English cultural taboo, Isabella was reluctant to cast aside her native equestrian traditions. When she did, the greatest female equestrian traveller of the Victorian age came to life.

This book recounts the first of Isabella Bird’s remarkable mounted adventures. Though she went on to explore the Rocky Mountains, Japan, Persia, and Tibet on horseback, Isabella first stepped into the saddle and onto the pages of Long Rider history in Hawaii. This classic account of thrilling equestrian adventure tells the story of one woman’s discovery of both her own soul and the wide world beyond.

Travels on Horseback in 1873

ISBN 15904810333

Travels on Horseback in 1878

ISBN 159048150X and 1590481518

“Unbeaten Tracks in Japan” is one of Isabella's five famous equestrian trips. This 600 mile solo ride through Japan was a monumental mixture of mounted adventure and keen cultural observation.

Suffering from an unspecified illness, Isabella left her English home in 1878 journeying to Japan to “improve her health.” Her unorthodox cure consisted of buying a local horse and exploring the islands of the reclusive Japanese homeland. The Long Rider author carefully documented various aspects of the fascinating culture she discovered, describing a host of subjects ranging from “Children’s Games” to “A Narrow Escape.”

"I lived among the Japanese, and saw their mode of living, in regions unaffected by European contact. As a lady travelling alone, and the first European lady who had been seen in several districts through which my route lay, my experiences differed more or less widely from those of preceding travellers," she wrote.

Though her quest for equestrian adventure was to turn her into a compulsive traveller, Isabella’s famous lone trek through the interior of Japan remains a classic and is presented now in its original two volume set, complete with delightful drawings.

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Travels on Horseback in 1890

ISBN 1590481625 and 1590481534

First published by John Murray in 1891

A small ship made its way up the Tigris river in the winter of 1890. Bound for Baghdad, the steamer Mejidieh was carrying what would prove to be a historically significant load of singular humanity.

On board were two of the most important equestrian travellers of the Victorian era – Lord Curzon and Isabella Bird. Though he would later become the most celebrated Viceroy of India, George Curzon had initially made a name for himself by becoming the first Englishman to ride through  the remote Pamir mountains of Central Asia. The Long Rider turned politician was now entering Persia to ascertain its political importance to the British Raj.

Isabella had already survived so many mounted adventures that the Times of London had dubbed her “the boldest of travellers.”

She was intoxicated with the freedom she discovered on horseback and praised the “charm of the nomadic life” she had chosen to lead.

The story she weaves in “Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan” celebrates the indomitable horse­woman’s mounted explorations in this once enchanted portion of the world. It is replete with both the dangers and observations Bird was famed for. Meeting the Shah of Persia by chance, cantering away from ruffians, or wandering the bazaars in disguise were all part of her daily fare. Though her quest for equestrian adventure was to turn her into a compulsive traveller, Isabella’s ride across Persia remains a forgotten equestrian travel classic. It is presented in its original two-volume set, complete with delightful drawings.

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A Legendary 1893 Journey

ISBN 1590481143

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