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5 volumes. Engraved plates, maps. (Large 8vo) 26.6x18 cm (10½x7") original blindstamped green cloth with gilt cover vignettes, lettered in gilt on spines. Early popular edition.

An early popular edition of, as Howes notes, "The first United States scientific expedition by sea. Wilkes sailed along and surveyed the whole Northwest coast and his exploring parties penetrated into the interior at many points..." Hill notes that Wilkes "sailed into the Antarctic Ocean and along the Antarctic Continent from 150° to 97° East, reporting land at a number of points in the region now know as Wilkesland. He visited Tonga, the Fiji group, and the Hawaiian Islands in 1840, and in 1841 explored the west coast of North America. The findings were timely, in view of the dispute with Great Britain over the Oregon Territory, and he also visited San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River...." The numerous engravings and plates include striking depictions of Pacific islands and their natives, Hawaiian volcanoes, Australia, the continent of Antarctica, an early rendition of the outpost at Astoria, an encampment on the Sacramento with Californios relaxing, mountains in the distance, Mt. Shasta, etc. Howes W414; Wagner-Camp-Becker 175; Cowan p.538; Hill 1867; Forbes 1575 (all for first edition).