NARRATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842
Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845. First Regularly Published Edition. Hardcover. Six 7" x 11" volumes bound in five in modern buckram retaining early marbled endpapers, complete with the Atlas volume bound with the last text volume. Illustrated with 64 engraved plates with tissue guards, 9 double-page maps, and over 250 woodcut and steel engraved text illustrations chiefly after Joseph Drayton and Alfred T. Agate. In addition the Atlas volume is complete with title page and 5 large folding maps, one of which (Chart of the World) is hand-colored. The first two printings are scarce, consisting of 100 and 150 copies each; this printing was limited to only 1000 sets. Subsequent editions did not include the Atlas. The Wilkes Expedition was the first governmental sponsorship of scientific endeavor and was instrumental in the nation's westward expansion. Specimens gathered by expedition scientists became the foundation collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Significant American contributions in the fields of geology, botany, conchology, anthropology, and linguistics came from the scientific work of the expedition. Wilkes's evaluations of his landfalls influenced later U.S. positions in those areas (DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY); HOWES W-414: "The first United States scientific expedition by sea. Wilkes sailed along and surveyed the whole Northwest coast and his exploring parties penetrated into the interior at many points...." Wilkes was the first to announce the existence of an Antarctic continent. The 5 Atlas maps are quite important historically and cover the Antarctic continent, the Oregon territory, the Sandwich Islands, and more. Ranking as one of the greatest voyages to the Southern Ocean, Wilkes set sail in 1838 with five poorly equipped ships, 83 officers, and 342 men. Wilkes surveyed 1,600 miles of South American coastline, and his survey of Pacific islands resulted in over 200 new charts for 280 islands, most notably in Hawaii, Fiji, the Philippines, and Micronesia. Several prominent American writers were influenced by Wilkes's narrative, including Herman Melville, who owned a copy of the book and included traces of the description and narrative in MOBY DICK, and James Fenimore Cooper, who used portions of the narrative in his sea novels. Some foxing, mostly light, to text and some plates, usually marginal. Mostly clean. A little spotting to covers. Near Fine. Item #022516
Price: $4,500.00