A New Royal Authentic and Complete System of Universal Geography

Massive folio. Circa 1790. Frontis, 108 plates of 112. Lacking 1 map and 3 plates. 70 plates with double engravings, 17 single engraving plates, 9 single leaf maps, 12 folding maps. Complete in one volume. 990 pages in double columns. Contemporary full calf. Binding is good, front board detached. Corners bumped. Scattered foxing throughout, affecting a few plates, tanning to margins, a few pages have ink blots. Tear to pages 595 and 827, affecting text. The front engraved frontispiece is torn, lacking almost half, with the remainder wrinkled. Minor loss to the corner margin of the title. Single leaf maps are in very good condition. Maps are in fair condition with heavy wrinkling to fold, tears; The Chart map, maps of Africa, North America, Italy, Europe and England are in extremely poor condition with heavy tearing and wrinkling. The engraving plates have old tears, restored by an earlier hand. Sold by subscription, with list of subscribers at rear. No edition stated, presumed to be the 2nd edition, printed 1789-1790 (1787-1788 was the 1st ed). This book went through 6 editions in the 1790s and was revised to reflect new discoveries and English interest in the colonization of New Holland. The book is divided along geographical lines. Much of the content deals with the South Pacific, Cook's voyages and Australia (New Holland). ESTC N42026. Sold with all faults. Contents: (5)-106 Book I, New Discoveries, (107)-314, Book II, Asia, (315)-460, Book III, Africa, (461)-576, Book IV, America, (577)-944 Book V, Europe, 944-947, Supplement, 947-948, Origin and Progress of the Art of Navigation, (949)-953, A General Table of Coins, (954)-959 A New Geographical Table, (960) The Superficial Contents of the Globe, (961)-980 A Guide to Geography, (981)-990 Index, + 2 pp. Directions to the Binder, + 2 pp. A List of Subscribers. For collation / edition history see: Alan Frost, Thomas Bankes's A New Royal Authentic and Complete System of Universal Geography. LaTrobe Journal of the State Library of Victoria, No 8. Oct. 1971. Prescott, A Guide to Maps of Australia in Books Published 1780-1830, p. 242. This is an oversized or heavy book, that requires additional postage for international delivery outside the US.…