First edition of the German translation by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst of George Vancouver's famous account of his exploration of the northwest coast of America and east coast of Asia. "This voyage became one of the most important made in the interests of geographical knowledge" (Hill). George Vancouver (1757-1798), who had participated in the second and third voyages of James Cook, was commissioned by the English monarch to continue the exploration of the northwest coast of America. He was made commander of a grand-scale expedition to reclaim Britain's rights resulting from the Nootka Convention, at Nootka Sound, to thoroughly examine the coast south of the 60th parallel in order to find a possible passage to the Atlantic. Vancouver put an end to the delusion that the subarctic seas in the direction of Greenland could be reached from Nootka Sound or any of the inlets in its vicinity and his description of the Port of San Francisco and the coasts of California in Spanish hands is most interesting. "This work ranks with the voyages of Cook and La Pérouse among the most important of the 18th and 19th centuries" (Cox).
In very good condition, only slightly browned. Bindings rubbed along the extremities, only minor damage to the foot of the spine of the second volume, otherwise very good. Cox II, p. 31; Ferguson 300; Howego, to 1800, V13; Lada-Mocarski 55; Sabin 98444; cf. Robert 2195; Hill 1753 (English ed.).