Pays de galles

1788 · 28294 — London: C. Buckton and sold by P. Elmsly 1788. ARGUABLY ONE OF THE RAREST PUBLICATIONS ON COOK’S FIRST VOYAGE. This example appears to be an unrecorded early issue as pages 93 & 96 are printed back-to-back and pages 94 & 95 are omitted. It is sold with a corrected issue of the complete text 1788 with pages 94 & 95 printed. <br /> <br /> This is the first scientific publication relating to Captain Cook’s first voyage on HMS Endeavour 1768-1771 to the Pacific. Officially it was to observe the transit of Venus in the South Pacific but secretly it was to search for the mythical Southern Continent. In the process Cook became the first European to set foot on New Zealand and the east coast of New Holland or Australia. Of all the works associated with the First Voyage this is one of the rarest. Only two examples of this work are recorded at auction on Rare Book Hub since 1985. It was not in the Parks collection arguably one of the finest in living memory on the works of Cook. It was also not in the libraries of Davidson or Parson’s. It includes two large charts representing the east coast of Australia and New Zealand much improved from those published in John Hawkesworth’s official account of the first voyage.<br /> <br /> William Wales bap.1734-96 was an English mathematician and astronomer. In 1768 the Royal Society sent him to Hudson Bay to observe a transit of Venus in June 1769. His observation were the first scientific measurements to be made in Canada and were taken at the Prince of Wales Fort. Whilst there he computed a series of tables for calculating longitude using chronometers. In 1772 he was appointed to the second voyage 1772-75 of Captain James Cook. He replaced his brother-in-law the astronomer Charles Green 1735-71 who had died on the return leg of the first voyage. His meticulous attention to detail is noted in his frustration ‘I begin to despair …of doing any thing to the Purpose here and yet I am such a slave to it that I have scarce time to eat’. Suarez noted that in Malekula he took 32 sets of observations and at Tanna 45! He was able to correct the longitude of the South Island of New Zealand placing it 40 minutes further west an error at Cook Strait of about 34 miles. Cook himself wrote in his journal that ‘Mr Wales whose abilities is equal to his assiduity lost no one observation that could possibly be obtained’ ODNB.<br /> <br /> This resulted in the more often found ‘The Original Astronomical Observations’ 1777 publishing the findings. Of that book Davidson wrote in 1970 that it was ‘as important as it is rare … I have not noted a copy for sale in recent years and should a copy become available it would certainly arouse great competition between collectors …’. He then became responsible for publishing the same from the results of Cook’s first voyage based on the observations of Cook Clerke and Green. Wales would become Master of Mathematics at Christ’s Hospital in 1775 and served on the Board of Longitude until his death in 1798.<br /> <br /> This example appears to be an unrecorded early issue as pages 94-95 are omitted 93 and 96 are printed back-to-back. The signature of this leaf is Bb and there is no Bb2. The next leaf paginated 97 bears the signature Cc as expected. The title page of the second copy is identical to the first as are all the other text pages with some slight variation in the darkness of the impression. In the second copy Bb is complete with the pages numbered 93-96 and CC begins on page 97. Pages 94 to 95 are continuations of the discussions about longitude begun on page 93. At this point Captain Cook's log was near the entrance of the harbour of Rio Janiero sic. The entire work is a detailed analysis of what the longitudinal readings are and should be referencing Capt. Cook's and Mr. Green's observations. <br /> <br /> The two charts are engraved by James Basire 1730-1802 who was the son of Isaac Basire 1704-68 also an engraver. He was clearly regarded in some standing as he was named engraver to the Society of Antiquaries in 1759 and to the Royal Society in 1770. That of the east coast of New Holland extends from Point Hicks in the south to the tip of Cape York with accompanying track of the ‘Endeavour’. The book records the observation not only of Cook but his predecessors in the Pacific; John Byron on the Dolphin 1764-66 Samuel Wallis on the Dolphin 1766-68 and Philip Carteret on the Swallow 1766-69. The final third of the book is on ‘Deductions from the Observations’. An extremely rare work of great significance. Beaglehole 1955-67 I p. cclxiv; Beddie 1970 719; Davidson 1970; ESTC T141525; not in Ferguson 1975; not in Hill 1974; Holmes 1952 71; Howgego 2003 W3; ODNB; Sabin 1868-1936 101029; Suarez 2004 pp. 133-5; not in Tooley Australia 1979; Worms & Baynton-Williams 2004. <br /> <br /> The printer's error volume - Small folio 285 x 235 mm. in nineteenth century half calf marbled paper boards spine with ornate gilt bands with ornate gilded green leather title label small area of professional restoration to upper and lower portions of spine yellow edged. With typographic title Contents Errata Introduction pp. 4 xii 4 146 text block 286 x 232 mm with two large folding engraved maps unrecorded early issue printers’ error of pp. 94-95 omitted some foxing on pp. ix-xii tear without loss to p. 59 otherwise in very good condition. <br /> <br /> The complete text volume lacking the two maps - Small folio 305 x 242mm with typographic title Contents Errata Introduction pp. 4 xii 4 146. Text block 297 x 233 mm. Lacking the two folding maps. Rebound in full brown morocco gilt title untrimmed. Library stamp of the Royal Observatory on the title page only. C. Buckton and sold by P. Elmsly unknown