Lot 250: BEECHEY, FREDERICK WILLIAM

Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait... in His Majesty's Ship Blossom. London: Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1831

2 volumes in one, 4to (10 1/4 x 8 1/8 in.; 260 x 206 mm). 3 engraved maps (2 folding), 23 engraved or lithographed plates, errata slip tipped in vol. 2, numerous tables in appendix, 2 pages of publisher's advertisements inserted at the end; some marginal browning to plates. Modern half calf over marbled boards, spine gilt, leather lettering piece, edges and endpapers plain.

Hill 1:19; Sabin 4347; Streeter 6:3517; Zamorano Eighty 4.

Admiralty Office Library (stamps on title-page of vol. 2, p. 742, and text block)

First edition of "one of the most valuable of modern voyages " (Hill). In 1825, Beechey made landfall at Pitcairn Island, the final asylum of the Bounty mutineers, where he met the last survivor of the mutiny?John Adams? who for the first time provided an extensive account of the event and the fate of the mutineers on that island. While he was there, Beechey also married Adams to his fifth consort.

In the course of his voyage of four years (1825-1828), Beechey discovered several Pacific islands and also made extensive visits to the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Society Islands, Tahiti, Alaska, Hawaii, Macao, Okinawa, and the California coast. He provides an important account of Monterery and San Francisco before American annexation as well as his impressions of the missionaries.