MELVILLE, HERMAN

In 8s (7 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.; 185 x 123 mm). Frontispiece map. Two holes in dedication page with loss of two two-letter words and a letter in another word; tiny holes in map, three text leaves (partially injuring nine words), and two flyleaves at rear. Contemporary brown half calf over brown cloth boards, spine in 5 compartments, tan and black leather spine labels lettered gilt: "Omoo. | In One Volume. | Melville," marbled edges and endpapers; rubbed, a small stain on front cover, rear free endpaper removed, usual foxing.  

A very rare Melville presentation copy, inscribed by him to a sea-captain friend on the verso of a flyleaf  facing the title-page (tiny hole above inscription): "Capt. Josiah Paul of ship 'Yokohama' from H. M."  

In 1869 Melville's son "Stanwix had convinced his parents to let him go to sea. Through Thomas Melville [Herman's sea-faring brother and a friend of its captain] arrangements were made for him to ship on the Yokohama, commanded by Captain [Josiah] Paul, whom, according to a [1?] April 1869 letter that Augusta [Melville's sister] wrote to a cousin, Melville 'has known for years'" (Correspondence, ed. L. Horth, p. 411). The clipper ship Yokohama sailed from New York for China on 4 April 1869. A few days before, on [31 March?] a party of the Melville family visited the ship, which was docked in New York, and met with Captain Paul (Leyda, The Melville Log, pp. 700–01). One would like to imagine that Melville presented Captain Paul, to whom he was entrusting his son, with this copy of Omoo on that visit, but it is impossible to prove.  

Omoo, Melville's second novel and a sequel to Typee, describes the author's adventures in Tahiti after escaping from the Marquesas. It was first published in London in 1847; a New York edition issued by Harper followed a month later. By 1875 the novel had gone through several Harper editions.