From time to time as you read Idriess, you come across words that you are not familiar with: they may be words that are antiquated or archaic or maybe spelt differently; or may be of a somewhat technical nature; or perhaps words restricted to a more limited range, such as North Queensland. Just browsing through Men of the Jungle recently, I came across several on the one page (p.257, to be exact). One was five-fingers , a type of fruit, of which I had a vague memory, and which is perhaps better known as Star Fruit or Carambola . But the other fruit - at least I think it is a fruit, it comes in a list of fruit - is something called " sweet-buks ." Anyone know what it is? The other word is kop-maori oven . This word also occurs in Drums of Mer (p.179, 2nd ed.) - and perhaps other books of Idriess. From the description it seems to be describing a Hangi , which makes sense with maori in the descriptor, but I'm not sure about the kop . Anyone have any more information?

Feain and Aroney ( Ion Idriess: An Annotated and Illustrated Bibliography ) p.24, state that this book comes in "Grey cloth with gilt on spine, issued in dust wrapper. There are two variants. The Australian version has $4.50 on the dust wrapper while the United Kingdom version has 42s. on the dust wrapper, red cloth and also states that it is the London edition on the publishing page." I have the 42s. with red cloth version, but there is nothing about this being a London edition on the publishing page (which I presume is the verso of the title page, that is, p.iv). In fact it states "Printed in Australia by Halstead Press, Sydney," and has Sydney as the first place listed under publication date (then London). Similarly, a book advertised on eBay which originates from a UK library, has 42s. and a red cover, but no reference to its being a London edition. As decimal currency came into being in Australia in 1966 (and UK 1971) a UK provenance for the 42s. price seems likely. This site (Idriess.info) says that there was a 1st edition published 1969 (actually typo says 1959!), "with a possible 1st/2nd printing" and then goes on to say that this book has "light-green/grey cloth" and that "Covers also exist with burgundy boards, which are scarcer, and it has been suggested that this was a special 1st edition printed for the UK," and then asks the question "Any priority established?" My question is: Is there a version, as Feain and Aroney intimate, stating London edition? So in fact three versions: grey, $4.50, Australia; red, 42s, possibly UK (like mine and others); and red, 42s., stating London edition (Feain and Aroney)? Or even more complicated: are there red cloth with $4.50 or grey cloth with 42s.? And, indeed, which had priority? Which was first?

I have first editions of Over the Range - and also an eighth edition, 1945. The first editions have photos interspersed - 39, including the frontispiece (some are 2 photos per page and some plates single sided) and a table of "Illustrations" on pages ix and x. My 1945 edition only has the frontispiece, with no other photos and no list of illustrations - no pages ix or x. The whole book is slimmer and the illustrations do not appear to have been removed. So my questions are: Was this a war-time saving for this edition? Or was there another reason for this edition to be published sans illustrations? Do other editions of OTR also lack these illustrations? Anybody know?