Discoveries In Australia; With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43. By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.

STOKES, John Lort.

Published by London: T. and W. Boone, 1846

About this Item

First edition, seldom encountered in the original cloth, of the official account of the last voyage of the Beagle, which completed the accurate charting of Australia's north-west coast. Stokes took over captaincy of the ship in 1841, having served on her since 1824, including alongside Darwin. "His book is essential to a collection relating to coastal voyages. It is also of considerable interest to collectors of inland exploration journals" (Wantrup, p. 214). In February 1837, the Beagle was recommissioned by her former first lieutenant, Commander John Clements Wickham, for surveying in Australasian waters. The expedition was tasked with completing the survey of the north-west coast begun by Flinders and Phillip Parker King, as well as with charting the area around the Bass and Torres Straits, Adelaide, and Swan River. The Admiralty also hoped that the voyage would discover new rivers in the north-west, in order to open up the interior to exploration and settlement. After Wickham was invalided home, Stokes completed their revision of the Flinders charts and many inland expeditions, which are included in his report. "Many of the hydrographic maps prepared by Wickham and Stokes during their North Australian cruises, and later while Stokes was examining Bass Strait in 1842, were still in use during World War II" (DAB). According to Wantrup, copies of the first edition are recorded, without any priority, in variant bindings and with different arrangements of advertisements. This copy is bound without any advertisements. Ferguson 4407; Wantrup 89a; 212-3. 2 vols, octavo. Frontispieces, 24 plates, 8 folding charts in front pockets, including John Arrowsmith's map of Australia with routes added in red by hand, illustrations in text. Original horizontally ribbed blue cloth, recased, spines ruled in blind and lettered in gilt with gilt vignette of two emus, boards decoratively blocked in blind, edges untrimmed. Cloth lightly soiled, Vol. I with neat repair on spine, tips bumped, joint and hinges sometime repaired, several charts with small holes, Chart of Bass Strait repaired on verso with paper, plate facing p. 262 in Vol. II with small closed tear at fore edge, imprint slightly affected: a very good copy.

Seller Inventory # 173534

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Discoveries In Australia; With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43. By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.
• Publisher: London: T. and W. Boone, 1846
• Edition: 1st Edition