Beschreibung:

LISIANSKII, Iurii Fedorovich (1773-1833). Puteshestvie vokrug sveta v 1803.4.5. i 1806 godakh na korable Neve . [Voyage around the World in the Years 1803, 4, 5 and 1806 on the Ship “Neva”.] St. Petersburg: F. Drekhsler, 1812. A presentation copy of the rare first edition, inscribed by Lisianskii to Menshikov . “This is a very important and rare work on the history of Alaska in general and Sitka in particular” (Lada-Mocarski). RBH and ABPC record no copy having been offered at auction. Lisianskii’s account describes his command of the Neva during the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe, an enterprise led by Kruzenshtern aboard Nadezhda . When he reached Kodiak, Lisianskii drove back the Kolosh Indians that had slaughtered the garrison of the Russian-American Company fort at Sitka. The recipient of this copy, Menshikov, accompanied Tsar Alexander throughout his campaigns against Napoleon; later, during the Crimean War, he served as Commander-in-chief by land and by sea; and from 1836 to 1855 Menshikov was Minister of the Imperial Navy. An atlas volume was issued separately in the same year by the Naval Printing Office. Arctic Bib. 10208 (without mention of the atlas); Forbes 428; Howes L-372; Lada-Mocarski 68. Text only. Two volumes in one, octavo (205 x 129mm; some deckle edges). With errata. Frontispiece portrait engraved by A. Ukhtomskii (faint dampstain in the first few leaves; occasional light spotting; inscription cropped slightly by the binder). Contemporary Russian half sheep; the spine gilt in compartments, some centered with a floral tool; mottled edges (lacking the front free endpaper; front hinge repaired; corners and upper side worn; spine head chipped); modern buckram clamshell case. Provenance : Iurii Lisianskii (presentation inscription to:) – Aleksander Sergeevich Menshikov (1787-1869, statesman); manuscript pressmark (“17340”) on the title, perhaps unrelated – William Reese Co.