Byron, George Anson (Captain The Right Hon. Lord Byron), Commander

Voyage of H.M.S. Blonde to the Sandwich Islands, in the Years 1824-1825. [1826]. Illustrations by Robert Dampier

London: John Murray, 1826. Robert Dampier (Illus.). 1st ed., quarto, original half-leather with marbled boards, later spine with raised bands and gilt. Complete with all 15 aquatint plates including folding frontispiece view of the great Volcano at Peli, folding chart of the voyage, map, views. Previous owner's bookplate fep.Some scattered foxing and toning mainly to edges of first two plates and edges of other plates (apart from the foxing to the large folding frontispiece, the remaining images themselves are clean), foxing also to final pages of Appendix. Corners lightly bumped and rubbed, leather title label scuffed top edge. From the library of book collector,George John Dupuis, with his Heraldic bookplate (Suffield, 1839) to inside front cover. Very good condition.

Describes the voyage to the Hawaiian Islands to return the bodies of King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu, who had died of measles on a visit to England. The Blonde was captained by George Anson Byron, 7th Lord Byron and the cousin of the poet. The crew included the botanist James Macrae, the naturalist Andrew Bloxam and the artist Robert Dampier. The ship's party visited a volcano and the place of death of Captain Cook, and the royal tomb. from which they took "almost all that remained of the ancient deities of the Islands". The book was compiled by Maria Graham, another cousin of Captain Byron, from the records of the ship's chaplain Richard Bloxam. The folding 'World Map' by J&C Walker and the plates described below image, "From a drawing taken on the spot by Robert Dampier" Item #101561

Price (AUD): $2,500.00   Other currencies