Heading:
Author: Kotzebue, Otto von
Title: A Voyage of Discovery, into the South Sea and Beering's Straits, for the Purpose of Exploring a North-East Passage, Undertaken in the Years 1815-1818, at the Expense of His Highness the Chancellor of the Empire, Count Romanzoff, in the Ship Rurick, Under the Command of the Lieutenant in the Russian Imperial Navy, Otto Von Kotzebue
Place Published: London
Publisher:Longman, Hurst, et al.
Date Published: 1821
Description:

3 volumes. [iii]-xiv [misnumbered xv], [2], 358; [2], 433, [1]; [4], 442 pp. 6 (of 9) copper-engraved plates with 5 hand-colored and 4 (of 7) copper-engraved maps, 2 folding after drawings by Louis Choris. 22.5x14 cm (8¾x5½"), three-quarter leather (volumes I & III matching in purple, volume 2 matching in blue), cloth boards; marbled endpapers, top edges gilt (I & III only). Volume II pages have been trimmed. First Edition in English.

The second Russian expedition into the Pacific for scientific exploration, sponsored by Count Romanzof, commanded by Kotzebue (who had sailed with Kruzenshtern in 1803-6), and including the famous artist Ludwig Choris. After rounding Cape Horn and visiting Chile, Easter Island and the Marshall Islands, Kotzebue explored the North American coast and Hawaii and searched unsuccessfully for a passage to the Arctic Ocean. Hill remarks that "the description of the northwest coast of America is a most important contribution. Graff calls the expedition "one of the great early nineteenth-century voyages of discovery." The Zamorano Eighty notes that "Kotzebue was in San Francisco about the month of October, 1816. He, like La Perouse, was critical of the condition of the mission Indian. He mentioned the Russian sailors who were taken prisoners for landing on the coast without permission." The first two volumes bound without the half-titles; Vol. II rear board professionally replaced in kind. Ownership signatures of John Land, Birkenhead, 1845, to front endpapers. Cowan p.335; Graff 2356; Hill Pacific Voyages, p.165; Hill Pacific Voyages 944 (rev. ed.); Howes K258; Sabin 38291; Wickersham 6196; Zamorano Eighty #48.

Wear to corners, one corner bumped; bookplates on pastedowns of Vol. ! and III; very good or better.