A Voyage Round the World; But More Particularly to the North-West Coast of America: Performed in 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788.
London: Geo. Goulding, 1789. Hardcover book. A nicely bound but slightly defective copy. The purpose of the voyage was to establish a fur trade along the north west coast for the King George's Sound Company, of which Dixon was a partner. The voyage commenced in the Sandwich Islands, which the ships reached via Cape Horn; it continued to the northwest coast (Nootka Sound) and the Pacific; the furs were sold in Canton, China and the ships returned to England via the Cape of Good Hope. Dixon, the captain of the Queen Charlotte, who had sailed with Cook, visited Hawaii several times during this voyage and provides much valuable information on it.
Subtitle- In the King George and Queen Charlotte, Captains Portlock and Dixon. 4to, Introduction (xxiii), Contents xxix, Errata 1pp, 360pp, including Appendix I: Natural History; Appendix II: Tables of the Route of the King George and Queen Charlotte, 47pp.
Illustrations; lacking 1 map at title page and 2 plates of 21 (The Woman from Queen Charlotte's Isles, The Indian's Song). View of Cape Edgecumbe bound in at p185 rather than at p192. Woahoo plate loose at p.55. Norfolk Sound print has horizontal tear repaired archivally. Rebound in brown leather with gilt title on spine 6 chambers and gilt deco on front and inner dentelles.
The 49 letters that describe this voyage were written by William Beresford to a friend in England. Beresford was the supercargo of the Queen Charlotte; his letters were edited by Dixon, who added the maps and the navigational and natural history information. The natural history plates were drawn by William Lewin. Very good. Item #29394
Price: $550.00