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8. BEECHEY
Frederick William. Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait:
8. BEECHEY
Frederick William. Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait: - 2
8. BEECHEY
8. BEECHEY
Frederick William. Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait:
8. BEECHEY
Frederick William. Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait: - 2
8. BEECHEY

Lot 8. BEECHEY, Frederick William.

Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait:

£3000 - £4000

Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering’s Strait: 98489
to co-operate with the polar expeditions: performed in His Majesty’s ship Blossom, under the command of Captain F.W. Beechey … in the years 1825, 26, 27, 28.
London, Colburn and Bentley, 1831

The preferred quarto format, known as the Admiralty Edition, which precedes the octavo edition of the same year, and contains the appendix, not found in the smaller format. ‘One of the most valuable of modern voyages’ (Hill). Beechey arrived at Point Barrow, Alaska, within fifty leagues of Franklin before the latter was compelled to return due to bad weather. Beechey went on to visit Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Hawaii, Macao, Okinawa, and California. He provides an important account of Monterey and San Francisco beforethe American conquest. One of the plates shows Californians throwing the lasso. In the course of the voyage, Beechey met the last survivor of the mutiny on the Bounty, John Adams, who gave Beechey a lengthy account.

First edition. 2 vols, 4to, v, i, xxi, [3], 392; v, ii, vii, [i], [393]-742pp., illustrated with 3 engraved folding maps, 23 plates (including 4 lithographs), with erratum slip, contemporary diced calf, rebacked, a very good set.

[Hill, 93; Forbes, 772; Sabin, 4347; Ferguson, 1418; Lada-Mocarski, 95.]