GUNN, Dr David. [James Reid?] - The Story of Lafsu Beg, the Camel Driver. As told to ... showing how went to Australia, and what befel him there.

Sydney &c, Geo. Robertson [1896]. Narrow octavo publisher's illustrated wrapper. Spine ends and corners chipped, a used but more than acceptable copy. No.2 of the Warrigal Series. ¶ Only edition of this rare novel which is, in it's own way, as lonely as a solo camel driver lost in the desert. A small book on Islam and camel drivers in Australia joined this in 1932 and then there is another empty expanse until modern histories and academic papers began to appear. All of these cite Lafsu Beg but I only found one that indicated that the writer had read it and no-one commented on how remarkable it's sympathetic treatment of Muslims at a time of ferocious xenophobia and racism, even by Australian standards. Don't forget that "Australia for the white man" was on The Bulletin masthead until the 1960s.David Gunn is as elusive as Lafsu Beg. He enters the records with this book and exits with a very short tale in the Sydney Mail in 1899. Morris Miller made it clear that Gunn was as fictional as Beg - the name is in quotes - and Nesbitt and Hadfield (Australian Literary Pseudonyms) give us the name James Reid with birthdate 1836. There my trail ran cold; I won't drag you down the dead ends.This may not be the best copy but as it's the only copy in the wild I've seen I didn't wait for one better.

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