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The first edition of this foundational Northwest Coast and Sandwich Islands travel narrative, complete with all folding maps and plates. "Portland and Dixon, who had been with Captain Cook, made this expedition to the northwest coast of America to collect furs for a group of London merchants.The expedition left Gravesend August 29, 1785, and arrived at the Sandwich Islands via cape Horn in May 1786. The mouth of Cook's River in Alaska was reached July 18 and the rest of the summer was spent in sailing down the Coast as far as Nootka Sound. The expedition wintered in the Sandwich Islands and in 1788 proceeded to the Prince William sound where they met Captain Meares. The vessels parted company in May, with Portlock exploring the Alaskan coast and Dixon sailing again for Nootka Sound, where he named 'Dixon's Entrance' and the 'Queen Charlotte Islands.' The furs were sold at Canton, China, and both ships, after a most successful voyage, arrived back in England by way of Cape Good Hope in the summer of 1788.make[s] good reading and the book is an excellent authority for the early days of fur trading on the northwest coast" - Streeter. Primarily consisting of letters written by William Beresford, super-cargo aboard Dixon's ship, the Queen Charlotte, and accompanied by a considerable introduction and appendices written by Dixon, Hill calls this work "important as a supplement to Captain Cook and for its contributions to the natural history of the Pacific Northwest." The content deals primarily with the geography, ethnology, and natural history of the American coast north of Nootka Sound, also including valuable information about the people and political landscape of Hawaii and snippets of Hawaiian and Nuu-chah-nulth vocabulary. An important text, including all of the detailed folding maps and beautiful natural history plates. HILL 117. FORBES HAWAII 161. HOWES D365, "aa." STREETER SALE 3484. SABIN 20364, 64390. PILLING, PROOF-SHEETS 1042. LADA MOCARSKI 43. WICKERSHAM 6574. TPL 593. WAGNER NORTHWEST COAST 732-35. REESE, BEST OF THE WEST 16. ESTC T82170. Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked in matching style, spine gilt, gilt morocco label. Boards somewhat scuffed and rubbed. Light scattered foxing, small tear to upper outer corner of titlepage, some minor splitting along folds of a few maps and plates. Very good.
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