King, Phillip Parker

FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, 2 volumes, 8vo (210 x 126mm.), (vol.1) xl, 452pp.; (vol.2) viii, 638pp., [iv pp. errata and colophon], [viii pp. adverts dated 29 December 1825], half-titles, 4 engraved maps, all but one folding (see note), 13 plates, mostly aquatint, some folding, illustrations in text, contemporary French pale half sheep, gilt spines, marbled boards, red and green labels

Captain Louis de Freycinet, annotations

Ferguson 1084; Hill (2004) 927 (second issue only; "[there is] a very rare earlier version [which] had the title page dated 1826" - as here); Wantrup 84a

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

CAPTAIN LOUIS DE FREYCINET’S COPY, WITH HIS ANNOTATIONS. The copy also includes two additional unrecorded maps on thick paper by John Murray covering the same area as the one main chart in volume one. Although Wantrup (p.164) refers to the existence of a single "offprint" map on thick paper being a "reissue" of a large part of the chart (dated December 1825) in the book, the present maps are dated five months earlier, i.e. July 1825, contain a number of differences, and are unrecorded. The first issue, with titles dated 1826 rather than 1827 is, according to Wantrup, “a notorious rarity”.

“Early in 1817 King was appointed to survey the coast of Australia, and was sent out to take command of the Mermaid, a cutter of 84 tons, with eighteen officers and men. He arrived in Port Jackson in September 1817, and for the next five years was engaged, almost without intermission, on the survey. He examined and delineated the greater part of the west, north, and north-east coasts, and laid down a new route from Sydney to Torres Strait, inside the Barrier Reef. In December 1820 the Mermaid was found to be no longer seaworthy, and King was transferred to a newly purchased ship, which was renamed the Bathurst. This was about double the size of the Mermaid, and carried twice the number of men, but the work on which she was employed was essentially the same. King was promoted commander on 17 July 1821, but continued the survey until April 1822. In September the Bathurst sailed for England, arriving in April 1823. King's voyages had made significant contributions to Australian exploration. For the next two years he was occupied with the narrative and the charts of his survey. The charts were published by the hydrographic office, and formed the basis of those used for the rest of the century” (ODNB).

Freycinet's pencil notes and comments appear on 103 pages (58 in volume 1; 45 in volume 2).