The Universal Code of Signals for The Mercantile Marine of all Nations, by the Late Captain Marryat, R.N. with a Selection of Sentences adapted for Convoys, and Systems of Geometrical, Night, & Fog Signals.

London: RICHARDSON & COMPy., 1861. xi,[i],[388]pp. Illustrated with seven coloured lithographic plates, bound in non-numerical order as issued. §"Written and published [in 1817] when Marryat was in his early twenties, the Code brought him life-long recognition and membership in the Royal Society. It continued in use well after his death, even after it was officially superceded [sic] in 1857. Its immediate forerunner was the flag code of Admiral Home Popham, the code that Nelson found not adequate to express 'England confides that every man will do his duty.' Several codes appeared nearly simultaneously with Marryat's, but these did not obtain the support of Lloyd's as Marryat's did - possibly because [his] father was chairman of the Board of Directors", (Buster, 'Captain Marryat: Sea-Officer, Novelist, Country Squire: A Bio-bibliographical Essay', 1980). "The copyright of this Code of Signals. . . became, from a very early period, the property of the late Mr. J. M. RICHARDSON. The Edition of 1841 was the last edited by the original inventor, the late Captain MARRYAT, but since then five large Editions have been issued, each greatly extended and improved", (from Preface). All editions survive in no more than a handful of copies, presumably having been read to pieces on board ship. This 1861 edition held at BL, Bodleian, Trinity College Dublin, but apparently not in the UCLA Marryat collection. Original textured blue cloth, gilt lettering, gilt & blind decoration. Spine dulled, part of upper board sunned to a lighter shade; slight fraying to spine ends. Original ribbon place-holder still attached inside rear cover, a fragile survival; corresponding marker to front lost. Edge of plate I creased. The odd minor mark or scuff. In all other respects, a very good copy.…