Urey Lisiansky

A Voyage Round the World ... in the Ship Neva
Urey Lisiansky, 1814
LISIANSKY, Urey 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 Krusenstern's voyage around the world. Lisiansky had been given a different assignment to that of Krusenstern and so he alone called at Easter Island and remained longer in Hawaii, where he discovered the island that now 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 captured 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 Krusenstern. Nonetheless, as Krusenstern commanded the expedition it is to him that credit goes for Russia's first circumnavigation. The excellent maps are from Lisiansky'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 Lisiansky's Island. 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 Marquesas, Hawaii, Kodiak, Unalaska, and Baranof [Sitka] languages. Abbey Travel 4; Arctic Bib. 10209; Forbes 443, Hill 1026; Howes L-372; Sabin 41416.
Quarto (278 x 216mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait, 8 hand-colored maps, 3 of which are folding, 2 hand-colored aquatint views of St. Paul on Kodiak and of New Archangel (Sitka), plus 3 engraved plates (a little spotting to portrait and title, some light foxing and offsetting on and near plates). Contemporary half calf, spine gilt and with green morocco lettering-piece (rebacked with original spine laid down, light wear to corners). Provenance: Frederick E. Ellis, Shaw Island (bookplate).