Lot 15. BYRON, John; CLERKE, Charles (attributed to).

Captained by Commodore John Byron, the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron, the Dolphin left Plymouth in July 1764 and sailed via Rio de Janeiro and the Straits of Magellan to the Pacific to make discoveries in the South Seas. In addition to exploring the Pacific, Byron’s instructions from the Admiralty also required him to investigate a South Atlantic base for monitoring vessels sailing into the Pacific. Accordingly Byron landed at Port Egmont and claimed the Falkland Islands for the British Crown in 1765 before sailing into the Pacific. Byron ‘returned to England without losing one member of his crew, a rare event in those days. It is interesting to note that this narrative does not indicate the position of the newly discovered lands. These are left blank in the text in order to prevent other nations claiming the territory. This account … became famous because of its description of the Patagonian giants’ (Borba de Moraes).

First edition. 8vo, iv, 186, [ii](adverts)pp., 3 engraved plates, contemporary calf, rebacked, red morocco label, occasional light foxing, an excellent copy.

[Borba de Moraes, p138; Hill 311; Sabin 9732; O’Reilly-Reitman 241.]