A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, in His Majesty's Ship The Endeavour.
London: Printed for Stanfield Parkinson sold by Richardson and Urquhart, 1773. First edition. Hardcover. An untrimmed copy with exceedingly wide margins. The book is the unauthorized narrative of Captain James Cook's first voyage based on the papers of Parkinson, the artist on the voyage. As draughtsman to Sir Joseph Banks, he produced a prodigious number of striking drawings, both portraits & natural history and contains the first published use of the word kangaroo (as "kangooroo", p. 149). These images were to become some of the earliest images of the South Pacific seen by European observers. Sydney died in Batavia on the return voyage and his drawings and diary were claimed by his brother Stanfield, who produced the 1st edition. In the Preface, Stanfield accused Banks of treating Sydney badly, alienating Banks & ultimately Dr. Fothergill, who tried to mediate. There was a hiccup when the publication time line preceded the official Hawkesworth account of the voyage, which provoked Hawkesworth. The resolution was to delay the publication of Parkinson's account. The end result was this wonderfully illustrated volume that has been highly regarded by voyage and travel collectors.
The book is a strong addition to any collector of Polynesian ethnography because of Parkinson's many exceptional portraits of the natives & artifacts encountered on the voyage- most of the plates are portraits of natives, either full length in regalia or head and shoulder portraits with tattooing and head gear. The natives of Terra del Fuego, Tahiti, New Zealand Maoris & New Holland are included, with fully 7 plates of New Zealand Maoris & 10 of Tahitians.
Large 4to, (11" x 13 3/4") xxiii, 212, [2]pp (errata/ directions to binder). Map, portrait and 26 engraved plates. The plates have a 1-1 1/2" margin outside the impression mark. The only one that does not conform is the map of New Zealand which has been tipped in from another copy. The period full leather binding is present but is worn and the front cover is detached. Internally, the text is mostly bright and clean; some plates are a bit foxed, and there is offsetting on the facing text pages. The verso of the front end paper bears the book plate of the Earl of Aylesford from Packington Hall, Warwickshire, UK. The family name was Finch and they were noted book collectors. Hill, p.223-5; Holmes, 7 & 49; Beaglehole I ccliii-ccliv; Beddie 712 & 714; Davidson pp 54-56; O'Reilly 371 & 372; Sabin 58787 & 58788; Streeter 2406 (1st edition only).
A prime candidate for rebinding. Good + overall. Item #29438
Price: $6,000.00