Lot 3062: DIXON, GEORGE, CAPTAIN. 1755?-1800.

A Voyage Round the World; But More Particularly to the North-West Coast of America: Performed in 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, in the King George and Queen Charlotte, Captains Portlock and Dixon. London: Geo. Goulding, 1789. xxix, [3], 360, 47 pp. Illustrated with 6 folding maps and 16 plates, 2 of which are folding and 7 of which are colored. 4to (286 x 229 mm). Modern half tan calf over marbled boards, gilt-lettered morocco spine label. Light offset from some plates, a few instances of light spotting, but generally very clean, binding fine.

First edition, large and thick paper issue, with the natural history plates hand-colored. A Pacific and Hawaii voyaging classic. The text consists largely of letters composed by William Beresford, super-cargo aboard the Queen Charlotte, which, along with the King George, set out to trade in furs in North America. Much important exploratory work was undertaken, including the discovery of Queen Charlotte Island, Port Mulgrave, Norfolk Bay, Entrance and Archipelago. Dixon had sailed with Cook on his third voyage, and endeavored on this expedition to map the Northwest Coast more accurately than had been possible when he sailed with Cook. Included is an appendix on the natural history observations made during the voyage, and the whole work relates valuable geographic and ethnologic information on the American coast from Nootka Sound northward, with a plate illustrating a traditional Indian song sung by the people of Norfolk Sound, facing p 243. All of the maps and charts are of either the Northwest Coast or Hawaii. This is one of the most important of early Northwest Coast voyages. Forbes 161, state D; Hill, p 23; Howes D-365; Lada-Mocarski 43; Pilling 1042; Sabin 20364 & 64390; Streeter Sale 3484; Wagner Northwest Coast 732 p 321; Wickersham 6574; TPL 593.
See illustration.