David Spilman Fine Books

Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World; [Six Volumes]; In which the Coast of North-west America has been carefully examined and accurately surveyed ...to Ascertain the Existance of ah Navigable Communication between the North Pacifc and North Atlantic Oceans... 1790 ...1795 in the Discovery ... and Chatham

Vancouver, George

London: John Stockdale, 1801. Very Good. Second Edition. A New Edition with Corrections, Octavo [8.25x5.25in], Vol I: [33] 410 pp., two folding charts, one plate, Vol II: [2], 418 pp., six plates, Vol III: [2]. 435 pp., one plate, Vol IV: [2], 417 pp., three plates, Vol V: [2], 454 pp., three plates, Vol VI: [2], 412 pp., three plates, [two pp. of advertisements lacking], 17 folding plates in all; Contemporary half-calf with marbled paper boards, gilt lettering in desgns on spine, all edges trimmed with new binding in 1823 or after [new flyleafs watermark "1823"]; This is a Very Good set with some shelf wear to covers, edges and corners of all volumes, with rubbing, scratches and cracks in leather, archival repair to joints on Vol I, all volumes are soundly bound, text and plates age-toned with occassional light foxing, shadows, and small closed tears along leading edges, charts have light age-toning with a few small spots, old tape stains, have been refolded with archival repairs to closed tears at edges and creases, ink signature and date of "Henry Hackforth, Mar. 25th, [18]24" on front end paper in all volumes, recent ink signatures, 1953 and 1978, in volumes I and II. [Hill 1754; Howes V23; Volkmann-Zamorano 80 77a, Howes V-23, Smith 10470, Cowan II 655 (1st), Norris , Wickersham 6601, Ricks p. 245, Lada-Mocarski 55 (1st), Lande 1495 (1st), Streeter VI 3497, Wagner NW 853-860]. Item #14438

George Vancouver (1757-1798) was a British Naval officer and hydrographer, and explorer of the Pacific and the North American west coast. He began his Royal Navy career at 14 when he signed on the 'Resolution' as a midshipman with James Cook's Second voyage to the South Pacific and Antarctic Ocean from 1772 to 1775. On that voyage he learned to be a seaman and an officer with summers in the Antarctic Ocean to discover land, and winters exploring the South Pacific Islands. Vancouver was part of Cook's Third Voyage 1776-1779 to the west coast of North America to discover the outlet of a Northwest passage and establish British claims on the land. During a Hawaiian stop for provisions, he led one of the boats to rescue Cook's body from an attack by the natives for an unknown provocation. Over the next 12 years, Vancouver was promoted to command and gained experience in surveying, charting and commerce.

The "Voyage of Discovery ...." is an important book on Vancouver's five year expedition that was assigned to create better charts of the Hawaiian Islands and the North American west coast, along with enforcing the 1790 Nootka Sound Convention and reestablishing British claims to the fur trading commerce. Vancouver was selected to command the new 'Discovery' and William Broughton to command the 'Chatham'. The 1791-1795 surveying and reconnaissance voyage of the 'Discovery' was important in the more detailed charts of the coast than Cook generated. In examining the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver discovered the future named Vancouver Island. During that survey, he encounter other Spanish ships surveying the inlet and strait (Strait of Georgia) . Vancouver continued on to Nootka Sound to meet with Bodega y Quadra and negotiate the terms of the British claims to the Sound. (Vancouver originally name the Island Quadra-Vancouver Island. Over the years, under British control, Quadra was dropped from the name). Vancouver's surveys, negotiations of British claims and his involvement in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under Kamehameha were influential in shaping the Islands and the Northwest Coast of North America.

The large chart in Vol I prior to Chapter 1, p 81, is "A Chart shewing part of the Coast of N. W. America with the tracks of his Majesty’s Sloop Discovery and Armed Tender Chatham Commanded by George Vancouver Esq. and prepared from the Original surveys under his immediate inspection by Lieut. Edwd. Roberts in which the continental shore has been correctly traced and determined…during the summers of 1792, 1793 and 1794. [Sheet 31.5x26in, Neat line 30x23in] The engravings of charts for the 1798 edition were stolen and new engravings were needed for this edition. The new engravings were by S.J. Neele, B.T. Pouncy, J. Landseer, J. Heath, and J. Fittler. The re-engraved charts have imprint: London Published May 1st 1798. Republished (Second edition) 25th Sepr. 1801, by I. Stockdale, Piccadilly.”

The second folding chart , Vol I facing p161, includes five charts on single sheet [Sheet 13.5x17in, Neat line 10.5x15in] – A Chart showing part of the S.W. Coast of New Holland with the tracks of H.M. Sloop Discovery and Armed Tender Chatham, 1791; Hergest’s Islands discovered by the Daedalus Store Ship, Lt Hergest Commander and surveyed by M. Gooch, Astronomer; Chatham Island, Cape Young; A Sketch of the Snares with he track of the Chatham between them; The Island of Oparo.

Illustrations drawn by W. Alexander from sketches "made on the spot" by J. Sykes, T. Heddington, Z. Mudge, and H. Humphrys. The views retain their original imprints: London Published May 1st, 1798, by R. Edwards New Bond Street, J. Edwards Pall Mall & G. Robinson Paternoster Row [or] London Published May 1st, 1798, by J. Edwards Pall Mall & G. Robinson Paternoster Row. The trimming of the charts removed the imprints from a number of the plates.The seventeen plates are listed below:
- A Deserted Indian Village in King George III. Sound, New Holland Vol I p175
- Four remarkable supported Poles, in Port Townshend, in the Gulph of Georgia Vol II p77
- Mount Rainier, from the South part of Admiralty inlet Vol II p134
- Village of the Friendly Indians, at the entrance of Bute's canal Vol II p 234
- Cheslakees Village, in Johnstone's Straits Vol II p269
- The Discovery on the Rocks in Queen Charlotte's Sound Vol II p300
- Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound. Vol II p336
- The Mission of St. Carlos near Monterrey Vol III p17
- Salmon Cove, Observatory inlet Vol IV p126
- The New Eddystone in Behm's Canal Vol IV p160
- The Presidio of Monterrey Vol IV p306
- The Crater on the Summit of Mount Worroray, Owhyhee Vol V p23
- Port Dick, near Cook’s Inlet Vol V p255
- Icy Bay and Mount St. Elias Vol V p349
- A Remarkable Mountain near the River of Monterrey Vol VI p123
- The Town of Valparaiso on the Coast of Chili Vol VI p237
- The Village of Almandral, in the Bay of Valparaiso, with a distant View of the Andes Vol VI p253.

Price: $4,900.00