BEAUTIFUL LARGE FOLIO, WITH 76 HAND-COLORED AQUATINTS OF SCENERY ALONG THE THAMES

(BOYDELL, John and Josiah). [COMBE, William]. An History of the River Thames (Principal Rivers of Great Britain). London, 1794-96. Two volumes.

First edition, first issue, of this wonderful visual record of the River Thames, with 76 lovely folio hand-colored aquatints by Stadler after Farrington of prospects along the banks—including three very large folding plates—and a large folding map by John Cooke of “The Course of the River Thames from Its Source to the Sea.” An excellent copy in contemporary calf. $23,000.

“ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL BOOKS FOR AN AMERICANA COLLECTION”

GASS, Patrick. A Journal of the Voyages and Travels. Pittsburgh, 1807.

First edition of the "earliest full first-hand narrative of the Lewis and Clark expedition, preceding the official account by seven years" (Howes), "one of the essential books for an Americana collection" (Streeter). $20,000.

"POSSIBLY THE MOST REMARKABLE OF THE ARAB TRAVELERS"

(LEE, Samuel, translator) IBN BATTUTA. The Travels of Ibn Batuta. London, 1829.

Very scarce first edition in English of a substantial portion of Ibn Battuta's remarkable Rihla, the chronicle of his prodigious 14th-century travels through much of the known world of the time, estimated to have covered 75,000 miles in 40 years—"an enlightening picture of the culture of a whole period." This copy printed for subscriber Francis Baring, Esq., with his decorative subscription leaf before the title page. $18,000.

“AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS EVER MADE”

DANIELL, Thomas and William. Picturesque Voyage to India. London, 1810.

First edition of one of the finest and most popular hand-colored aquatint plate books of the 19th century, with 50 magnificent mounted hand-colored aquatints of views and inhabitants of China and India, with descriptive text. $12,000.

THE ASCENT OF EVEREST,SIGNED BY SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND 43 OTHER “EVERESTERS”

HUNT, John. Ascent of Everest. London, 1953. First edition, signed by Sir Edmund Hillary and 43 other Everest climbers on the half title, dedication and title pages. With eight color photographic plates, 48 half-tone plates and a number of in-text illustrations after pen-and-ink sketches. $7500.

BURNEY'S HISTORY OF THE SEARCH FOR A NORTHEAST PASSAGE, WITH HIS FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF COOK'S LAST VOYAGE

BURNEY, James. A Chronological History of North-Eastern Voyages. London, 1819.

First edition of Burney's classic work, giving a firsthand account of Cook's last voyage, with two folding maps. $6000.

SIGNED BY SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND EXPEDITION MEMBERS GEORGE LOWE AND CHARLES EVANS

(HILLARY, Edmund) HUNT, John. The Conquest of Everest. New York, 1954.

First American edition of the official account of the first summit of Mount Everest, signed on the front free endpaper by Edmund Hillary and expedition members George Lowe and Charles Evans, and with a commemorative postcard signed by Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay and author John Hunt laid in. With eight color photographic plates, 48 half-tone plates and a number of in-text illustrations after pen-and-ink sketches. $4900.

FIRST EDITION OF HALL’S VOYAGE TO CHINA AND THE YELLOW SEA

HALL, Basil. Account of a Voyage of Discovery. London, 1818.

First edition of this expedition to the East China and Yellow Seas, with eight lovely hand-colored aquatints by William Havell, two black-and-white engravings and five charts and maps (two folding), in contemporary boards. $4800.

“THE SECOND LORD ELGIN”: SALT’S VOYAGE TO ABYSSINIA, 1814

(EAST AFRICA) SALT, Henry. Voyage to Abyssinia. London, 1814.

First edition of this fascinating travel narrative, chronicling Salt’s expeditions across Egypt and Ethiopia, illustrated with two vignettes and 34 splendid copper-engraved plates and maps (four folding, one hand-colored), in contemporary calf boards. $4800.

EARLY SEARCHES FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE

FORSTER, John Reinhold. History of the Voyages and Discoveries Made in the North. London, 1786.

First edition in English of this early historical survey of attempts to discover a North West Passage, including an account of Cook's last voyage, with three engraved folding maps, handsomely bound by Bayntun. $4800.

"EVIDENCE OF THE POTENTIAL STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE NORTHWEST REGION OF NORTH AMERICA"

KOTZEBUE, Otto von. A New Voyage Round the World. London, 1830. Two volumes.

First edition in English of the chronicle of Kotzebue's second voyage to the Pacific, providing detailed information on the northwest coast of North America, with engraved frontispiece in each volume and three maps (two folding). A handsome copy of this scarce narrative in contemporary morocco and marbled boards. $4500.

BILLINGS’ EXPEDITION TO SIBERIA AND TO THE COAST OF AMERICA, 1802

SAUER, Martin. Account of a Geographical and Astronomical Expedition to… Russia. London, 1802.

First edition of this important Russian survey of the extreme northeastern parts of Asia and the coast of Siberia, with large folding chart and 14 full-page copper-engraved plates by William Alexander of views, elevations, portraits of natives, their dress and implements, as well as a comparative glossary of indigenous languages. $4000.

THE COSTUME OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE, WITH 73 HANDCOLORED FOLIO PLATES

MILLER, William. Costume of the Russian Empire. London, 1803.

Early 19th-century re-issue by John Stockdale, with 73 brightly hand-colored stipple-engraved plates by J. Dadley. $3800.

“A RICH JEWEL, SPARKLING ON THE BOSOM OF THE OCEAN”

KEATE, George. An Account of the Pelew Islands. London, 1788.

First edition of this riveting account of a “bold and hazardous enterprize,” with stipple-engraved frontispiece portrait of Captain Henry Wilson, folding map of the Palau Islands and 15 superb full-page engraved plates of native portraits (the chief, his wife and son), views and plans, weapons and utensils. $3500.

"HIS MOST IMPORTANT WORK"

NOAH, Mordecai M. Travels in England, France, Spain and the Barbary States. New-York; London, 1819.

First edition of this fascinating travelogue by Mordecai Manuel Noah, the most prominent Jew in America at the time—U.S. Consul to Tunis, the first American Jew to receive an overseas diplomatic assignment—illustrated with engraved frontispiece portrait and four engraved plates, one folding. An excellent uncut copy in contemporary marbled boards. $3400.

PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE FOR A NORTHWEST PASSAGE

PARRY, William Edward. Journal of a Second Voyage. London, 1824.

First edition of Parry's second voyage, illustrated with eight large folding maps and panoramas and 31 full-page charts and copperplate engravings, handsomely bound. $3000.

BOSSU’S ACCOUNT OF FRENCH LOUISIANA, 1751-62

BOSSU, Jean Bernard. Nouveaux Voyages aux Indes Occidentales. Paris, 1768. Two volumes bound in one.

Second edition (published the same year as the exceptionally scarce first edition, of which Sabin found no record), with four engraved plates. $2500.

“A BREATHTAKING RECITAL OF CONTINUOUS ADVENTURE”

BACK, George. Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition. London, 1836.

First edition, octavo issue of this extraordinary account of Back’s journey down the uncharted Great Fish River, with 16 full-page engravings and lithographs produced by Finden and Haghe after drawings by Back himself, and a large folding map, also by Back. $2500.

YULE’S MARCO POLO, "THE CLASSIC TRANSLATION AND THE BEST COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK IN ANY LANGUAGE"

(POLO, Marco) YULE, Henry, Colonel. The Book of Ser Marco Polo. London, 1875. Two volumes.

Second edition, substantially expanded and revised, of Henry Yule's esteemed translation of Marco Polo's travels, profusely illustrated with 33 plates, many printed in color, including frontispieces, additional illustrated title pages, portraits, facsimiles, maps and plans (several folding), and numerous in-text woodcut-engraved illustrations, in original gilt-stamped cloth. $2000.

"CHINA HAS VERY LITTLE COMMUNICATION WITH THE BARBARIANS OF THE WEST… JAPAN HAS STILL LESS, AND COREA NONE AT ALL"

MLEOD, John. Voyage of His Majesty's Ship Alceste. London, 1818.

Second and best edition, with frontispiece portrait of Captain Maxwell and five fine hand-colored aquatint plates, including a plate not present in the first edition of the preceding year. $1750.

"A SPRIGHTLY RECORD OF ENGLISH TRAVEL"

BRATHWAITE, Richard. Drunken Barnaby's Four Journeys to the North of England. London, 1723.

Third edition of Brathwaite's "rollicking" and "sprightly" travel narrative in verse, charmingly illustrated with copper-engraved frontispiece and five full-page plates, beautifully bound in full morocco-gilt by renowned French bookbinder Petrus Ruban. $1250.