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DIXON, George.
A Voyage Round the World;
But more particularly to the North-West Coast of America: performed in 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, in the King George and Queen Charlotte, Captains Portlock and Dixon.
Publisher: London: published by Geo. Goulding, 1789
Stock code: 17430
Price: £3,750 Currency Conversion
First edition of a voyage of which two distinct accounts were published, those of the two Captains Portlock and Dixon. The bulk of Dixon's text was actually written by the supercargo of the Queen Charlotte, William Beresford; Dixon added the introduction, two significant appendices and the valuable maps. The voyage was rich in geographical results, though primarily intended to advance the fur trade, in which object it was fully successful. Dixon had served on James Cook's last voyage in 1776. He wrote to Sir Joseph Banks in August 1784, urging the overland exploration of Canada from Quebec to the north-west coast of North America, and a year later set sail in command of the Queen Charlotte in company with the King George, whose captain, Nathaniel Portlock, had been his shipmate in the Resolution and was now the commander of the expedition. They doubled Cape Horn and touched at the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands, reaching north-west America, near the mouth of Cook Inlet, on 18 July 1786. They remained there for several weeks, but bad weather prevented them entering King George's Sound (Nootka Sound), and they returned to winter at the Sandwich Islands. They reached the north-west coast of North America again in April 1787 and explored independently of each other, before sailing home via Macao. "Dixon was employed as far south as Nootka Sound (in mid-August), purchasing sea otter pelts from the Haida, taking eager note of Native American manners and customs, as well as of the trade facilities, and making a careful survey of the several points which came within his reach. James Cook had already denoted the general outline of the coast but the detail was still wanting, much of which Dixon now provided. Of these additions the most important was the large archipelago that he named Queen Charlotte Islands and later described as having surpassed 'our most sanguine expectations, and afforded a greater quantity of furs than perhaps any place hitherto known" (ODNB). "Dixon's voyage is important as a supplement to Captain Cook and for its contributions to the natural history of the Pacific Northwest" (Hill).
Quarto (279 × 210 mm). Contemporary tree calf, smooth spine with red morocco label, gilt bands. 17 plates (of which 3 are folding) and 5 folding maps. Engraved bookplate of Joseph Grote; early bookseller's ticket of J. B. Smith, Old Compton St. Skilful restoration to joints and spine-ends, some occasional foxing, stamp skilfully removed from title.
