POCOCK, Roger Ashwell (1865-1941, editor), and others. The Frontiersman's Pocket-Book, London, 1909, small square 8vo, frontispiece, 6-pages of "signals" printed in colours, original limp roan gilt (rubbed). FIRST EDITION. RARE.

POCOCK, Roger Ashwell (1865-1941, editor), and others.  The Frontiersman's Pocket-Book. Compiled and Edited by Roger Pocock on Behalf of the Council of the Legion of Frontiersmen. London: John Murray, 1909. Small square 8vo (145 x 105mm). Half title, half tone frontispiece by H. W. Koekkoek, 6-pages of "Signals" printed in colours, illustrations and diagrams, advertisements (some spotting and staining). Original burgundy limp roan gilt, gilt edges (some scuffing and rubbing). Provenance: Lt. Col. R. Bray, 7th Royal Berkshire Regt. (pencil inscription on title); 3-lines of notes written in pencil on ruled blanks at the end. FIRST EDITION of an early precursor of the "survival guide" whose author formed the "Legion of Frontiersmen", a nationalist paramilitary organisation, in 1905. The list of the many contributors includes Robert Baden-Powell. "For a man on the frontier in time of need, the conditions are: That he is broke, and beyond reach of shops, while he wants water, food, guidance, fire, shelter, clothing and equipment. Only a tenderfoot takes pride in dirt and disorder which he calls 'roughing it' and mistakes for hardihood. A real traveller is known by his cleanliness, method, health, speed, and freedom from accident; he concentrates large efficiency into scant supplies, and will not burden the army transport with his luggage on active service" (from the Preface). Despite a colourful and highly eventful life as an adventurer, explorer, war journalist, soldier, and one-time member of the Canadian North-West Mounted Police, the author died, a little disappointingly, in Weston-super-Mare at the age of 76. RARE.