BEECHEY, Frederick William (1796-1856). Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait, to co-operate with The Polar Expeditions: performed in H.M. Ship Blossom,... in the years 1825...28. In Two Parts. London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1831.

2 parts in 1 volume, 4to (271 x 209 mm). 23 engraved or aquatint plates, and 3 maps (2 folding); errata. (Lacking half-titles, some spotting and browning to plates, some offsetting.) 19th-century calf decorated in gilt and blind, red morocco lettering-pieces gilt (some light wear to extremities). Provenance: Newspaper clippings from the 1830s tipped in (see below); Sir Richard Arman Gregory, 1st Baronet FRS, FRAS (1864-1952) British astronomer; collector's bookplate, a few pencil marks.

FIRST EDITION, LARGE-PAPER "ADMIRALTY ISSUE," OF BEECHEY'S MOST FAMOUS VOYAGE. "One of the most valuable of modern voyages, containing a most interesting visit to Pitcairn Island, the coast of California, etc." (Sabin). At Pitcairn Beechey met one of the last survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty, John Adams, and transmits his lengthy account along with a portrait. He also describes the Eskimos, San Francisco and Monterey. The Admiralty issue is the scarcest and best edition in larger format, with better plates, and added text not in the octavo edition. Arctic Bibliography 1227; Forbes 772; Hill 93, Howes B-309; Lada-Mocarski 95; Sabin 4347; Tourville 467; Wickersham 6541; Zamorano 4.

[Tipped in:] 19th-century newspaper clippings relating to arctic exploration, each with dates written in a contemporary hand, comprising: "Hudson's Bay Company's Arctic Discovery Exhibition" (from the Morning Chronicle, 20 April 1838); "Royal Geographical Society -- North-Western Passage" (publication unknown, 23 April 1838); "Arctic Land Expedition in Search of Captain Ross and Crew" (publication unknown, 16 November 1832); two short stories describing the removal of inhabitants from Pitcairn's Island to Otaheite (from the New South Wales (Sydney) Papers, 12 December 1831), and the return of the inhabitants to Pitcairn's Island (from the American Paper, 1832), both tipped to p.85.

BEECHEY, Frederick William (1796-1856). Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait, to co-operate with The Polar Expeditions: performed in H.M. Ship Blossom,... in the years 1825...28. In Two Parts. London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1831.