History of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean
In Which The Geography of the Early Accounts is examined and compared with that of Modern Navigation; especially for the purpose of settling the Situations of the Lands which have not been seen since their first Discovery. The Whole drawn up in Chronological Order, And illustrated with Charts and Other Plates. Two volumes. London: Printed by Luke Hansford & Sons, near Lincoln's-Inn Fields, 1803-1806.
First Edition. Hardcover. Tall quartos. Dark cloth covered boards, Black leather spines with raised bands, gilt decorations and gilt lettered titles. Black leather corners. Reddish marbled end papers. Volume I - "Commencing with the earliest Discovery of the South Sea by Europeans; and terminating with the Voyage of Francis Drake, in 1579": [1], xii, [8] pages (contents, errata, directions for binder), 391 pages. Illustrated with folding frontispiece, "Chart of the Discoveries made in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean" and 4 more folding plans. Volume II - "From the Year 1579, to the Year 1620": [2], vi, [10] pages (contents, errata), 482 pages. Volume II is illustrated with 14 plates and cuts including the frontispiece - Sailing Canoes. There is a binder's error in placement of the illustrations. The current frontispiece is supposed to face page 385. The instructions for placement of the original frontispiece, "Chart of the Islands discovered in the South Sea, to the Year 1620, with the Tracks of some of the principal Discoverers", now faces page 1. Leather is rubbed on the board edges and the spines. Interior contents and folding plates are in very good condition. This set was expanded to five volumes with additional volumes published in 1813, 1816, and 1817. James Burney, 1750-1821, was an English Rear Admiral. He accompanied Captain Cook on his last two voyages.
Howes B 1002; Sabin 9387. Very good. Item #11954
Price: $4,000.00