Beschreibung:

LISIANSKII, Iurii Fedorovich (1773-1837). A Voyage Round the World, in the years 1803, 4, 5, & 6; performed, by order of His Imperial Majesty Alexander the First, Emperor of Russia, in the Ship Neva . London: S. Hamilton for John Booth and Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1814. A very handsome copy of the rare first edition in English, by the commander of the Neva on Kruzenshtern's voyage around the world. Lisianskii had been given a different assignment to that of Kruzenshtern in the Nadeshda and so he alone called at Easter Island and remained longer in Hawaii, where he discovered the island that bears his name. His stay in Alaska was also longer and he spent a productive time recording his observations and trading for furs. At Sitka he became involved with Baranof's retaking of the Russian fort which had been overrun by the Tlingit Indians. From Kodiak he made straight for Canton with his furs and a hasty voyage to Kronstadt, arriving two months ahead of Kruzenshtern. Nonetheless, as Kruzenshtern commanded the expedition it is to him that credit goes for Russia's first circumnavigation. The excellent maps are from Lisianskii's own surveys; the large map shows the track of the voyage and there are charts of the Coast from Behrings Bay to Sea Otter Bay, Washington Island, and Lisianskii's Isle. The superb views of Kodiak and Sitka are from his drawings. The English edition was translated from Russian by the author and contains his ship's log and vocabularies of the languages of the Marquesas, Hawaii, Kodiak, Unalaska, and Baranof [Sitka]. Abbey Travel 4; Arctic Bib. 10209; Forbes 443, Hill 1026; Howes L-372; Kroepelien 740; cf. Lada-Mocarski 68; Sabin 41416; Wickersham 6261. Quarto (278 x 216mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait, 8 handcolored maps, 3 of which are folding, 2 handcolored aquatint views of St. Paul on Kodiak and of New Archangel (Sitka), 3 engraved plates (a few pale foxmarks, mostly to pl. 3). Contemporary tree calf gilt, red morocco label (expertly rebacked). Provenance : Reg and Philip Remington, Books.