Vancouver, George | The first octavo edition of his voyages

Vancouver, George

A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World; in which the North-West Coast of America has been carefully examined and accurately surveyed. London: John Stockdale, 1801

6 volumes, 8vo (206 x 125 mm). Large engraved folding map, 17 folding engraved plates and 1 folding engraved chart, 2pp. publisher's ads in rear of vol. 6; scattered light foxing, folding map lightly browned with Japanese tissue repairs to fold separations and gutter tear, fold separations to chart, imprints clipped on several plates, a few lightly soiled or foxed. Antique half brown morocco over contemporary marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments, marbled endpapers; boards a bit worn, hinges reinforced.

Rare first octavo edition of the description of "one of the most important [voyages] ever made in the interests of geographical knowledge" (Hill). This first octavo edition is now almost as rare as the first edition, and has the advantage of including the definitive, corrected version of the text. The account was completed by George Vancouver's brother John, assisted by Captain Peter Puget, George having died before the work was finished. Vancouver's account of his voyage was first published in 1798 in 4 volumes (3 volumes of quarto text and 1 folio atlas volume). The text contained 1 engraved chart and 17 engraved plates, the atlas volume 10 folding engraved charts and 6 engraved plates of coastal profiles. For the present octavo edition, corrections were made to the text, and all 17 plates from the text volumes were reprinted using the original printing plates. There are only two folding charts included because the printing plates for the chart from the first edition text volumes, and the charts and plates in the first edition atlas, were lost, and the decision was made to re-engrave only two charts.

REFERENCES

Hill (2004) 1754; Sabin 98444

PROVENANCE

Bibliotheca collegii Sancti Cuthberti (bookplates)