Prayers written at Vailima

Additional information

In cream card covers with gilt tooling and title to upper cove, some browning to edges, corners rubbed. Spine, titles in gilt, some browning,, edges bumped and worn slightly. Internally, no inscriptions, not paginated but 24 leaves of illuminated text, leaves uncut, printed to 1 side only, second impression. With an introduction by Mrs RL Stevenson. Stevenson, who for the last four years of his life made his home on his plantation of Vailima, beautifully situated 600 feet above sea-level, on the mountainside among thick woods, with fine views of the Pacific. On their arrival in Samoa from Sydney in September 1890 Stevenson and Fanny lived at Vailima in a rough cabin in the most primitive conditions while work proceeded on clearing the estate and building a suitable house. They moved into the new house in April 1891 (it was enlarged in 1893). Stevenson gathered his family around him and lived in patriarchal style, like a clan chieftain, with a number of Samoan servants in both house and plantation, in whose welfare he took the greatest interest. See ODNB.