The American Coast Pilot; Containing the Courses and Distances Between the Principal Harbours, Capes & Headlands, From Passamaquoddy Through the Gulph of Florida; With Directions for Sailing Into the Same.

8vo. A Rare Early Printing of THE seminal early American coastal navigation guide. This is the 3rd Edition, published according to an Act of Congress. All of the Newburyport editions are quite scarce, and particularly so in original bindings. Original leather, with gilt ruling to spine. Square tight binding. xvi, 17-251, [5]. Generally clean interior, save for the end pages, which have wonderful contemporary signatures and notes, dating to the year 1800, the year of publication. Most of the notes are wrtten by one Captain Lathley Rich, who purchased the book in Newburyport, MA in 1805, one of the ownership notes dated to 1805 aboard the schooner 'Rover' while at sea. In another ownership note, captain Rich warns others to: "steal not this book for fear of shame for here you see the owner's name", also dated in 1805. Leather binding rubbed and worn with a chip to the front board near the top fore edge corner, and a chip to the rear board near the lower joint. Spine label mostly gone, save for a fragment of red and gilt. Binding cord holding tight, though there is a front joint separation along lower third. Overall a handsome, sound, and quite rare early Newburyport edition of Blunt's defining work. …