Beschreibung:

WILKES, Charles (1798-1877). Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838-42 . Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845.
WILKES, Charles (1798-1877). Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during the Years 1838-42 . Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845. 6 volumes, including atlas, imperial 8 o (280 x 190 mm). Half-titles in text volumes. 64 plates, 3 double-page tables, 14 maps (5 folding and one hand-colored), and numerous vignettes in text (a few tears to maps along folds, some minor offsetting to maps). Original cloth, stamped in blind and gilt (some wear, especially at spine ends, joints starting). Provenance : M.J. Locke (pencilled signature on front free endpaper of vol. I). FIRST TRADE EDITION, Haskell's "unofficial issue" 2B, limited to 1,000 copies. This edition is preceded by the official government edition, published in 1844 and limited to 100 copies, and the unofficial edition, published by Lea and Blanchard in 1845 and limited to 150 copies. Wilkes, along with a number of able scientists and artists, set sail on the first American naval exploring expedition in August 1838 to survey the remote and poorly charted regions of the South Pacific. Wilkes and his men explored the South Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, California, Singapore, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena and studied in detail the flora and fauna of each country visited. Among its greatest achievements is the expedition into the Antarctic in the winter of 1839-1840 with Wilkes being the first to announce the existence of an Antartic continent. Ferguson 4209; Haskell 2B; Howes W-414. (6)