Lot 101: LISIANSKY, Urey F. (1773-1837). A Voyage Round the World, in the years 1803, 4, 5, & 6; performed, by order of His Imperial Majesty Alexander the First, Emperor of Russia, in the Ship Neva. London: S. Hamilton for John Booth and Longman,

LISIANSKY, Urey F. (1773-1837). A Voyage Round the World, in the years 1803, 4, 5, & 6; performed, by order of His Imperial Majesty Alexander the First, Emperor of Russia, in the Ship Neva. London: S. Hamilton for John Booth and Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1814.

4υo (277 x 219 mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait, 8 hand-colored maps (3 folding), 2 hand-colored aquatint views of Kodiak and Sitka, 3 engraved plates; dedication, list of officers. Contemporary calf (some minor rubbing).

VERY RARE FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH by the commander of the Neva on Krusenstern's voyage around the world, dealing with discoveries on the Northwest Coast of America. Lisiansky had been given a different assignment to that of Krusenstern in the Nadeshda and so he alone called at Easter Island and remained longer in Hawaii, where he discovered the island that bears his name. His stay in Alaska was also longer and he spent a productive time recording his observations and trading for furs. At Sitka he became involved with Baranof's retaking of the Russian fort which had been overrun by the Tlingit Indians. From Kodiak he made straight for Canton with his furs and a hasty voyage to Kronstadt, arriving two months ahead of Krusenstern. Nonetheless, as Krusenstern commanded the expedition it is to him that credit goes for Russia's first circumnavigation. The excellent maps are from Lisiansky's own surveys, the large map shows the track of the voyage; additionally there are charts of the Coast from Behrings Bay to Sea Otter Bay, Washington Island, and Lisiansky's Isle and the superb views of Kodiak and Sitka are from his drawings. The English edition was translated from Russian by the author and contains his ship's log and vocabularies of the languages of the Marquesas, Hawaii, Kodiak, Unalaska, and Baranof [Sitka] in the appendix. Abbey Travel 4; Arctic Bibliography 10209; Forbes 443; Hill 1026; Kroepelien 740; see Lada-Mocarski 68 (Russian edition); Sabin 41416.