An Account of a 1785-94 Geographical and Astronomical Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia (Alaska, Aleutian Islands and Eastern Russia): By Command of Her Imperial Majesty Catherine the Second, Empress of all Russians, by Commodore Joseph Billings in the years 1785 to 1794.

An Account of a 1785-1794 Geographical and Astronomical Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia, for ascertaining the degrees of latitude and longitude of the mouth of the River Kovima; of the whole coast of the Tshutski, to East Cape; and of the Aleutian islands in the Eastern Ocean, stretching to the American Coast. By command of Imperial Majesty Catherine the Second, Empress of all Russians. One of the most important Russian expeditions to Siberia and Alaska, with much material on the land and people, views of Kadiak, Aleutians, Kamchatka, etc. Captain Joseph Billings, who had sailed with James Cook on Cook's last voyage, became an officer in the Russian navy and was given command of this expedition by the Empress. He had, as his secretary, Martin Sauer, who was responsible for this, the fullest account of this important expedition. Visits were made to Kodiack, Montague Island, and Prince William Sound. Eventually a scarcity of provisions forced the return of the expedition to the mainland. The map, A Chart of the Strait between Asia and America, is by Arrowsmith. "Englishman serving in Catherine's navies sails and rides horseback along the north Russian coast, 1785-94. He provides a valuable description of the land and the natives by word and sketch". Context: After first landing in Alaska in 1741, Vitus Bering claimed the Alaskan country for the Russian Empire. In 1778, Captain James Cook charted the Bering Strait and the shores of Alaska. This book about the expedition commissioned by the Empress of Russia, was led by Commodore Joseph Billings in the years 1785 to 1794. Alaska and the Aleutian Islands were a part of Russia until it was sold in 1867 in the United Sates.

Provenance: On the inside cover there is a pasted name plate with "Rev. John Holmes, Gawdy Hall" and his coat of arms. Holmes was born 1774, died 1831 which fits with the 1802 book publication date. Gawdy Hall in Norfolk was held by the Holmes family until 1938 when it was sold by auction. It was in a major need of repair and the decision was then made to demolish the Hall in 1939. It is possible that the book was sold around then (there is a pencilled marking "£2") on the inside cover to James L. Chaworth-Musters who had an interest in remote arctic exploration as in 1921, as he co-led an expedition to visit Jan Mayen (Norway) island in the Arctic Circle along side a don from St. John's College, Cambridge, the geologist James Wordie. Chaworth-Musters was unlikely to have bought the book after 1939 as he was based in Norway and London with the Special Intelligence Service throughout WW2 and died in 1946. The book has been in the Chaworth-Musters family to present day.

First Edition Hardcover. 4to. 26.7cm, xxvi,[2],332,58p., (appendix: vocabularies). Large engraved folding map of Bering's Strait by S.J. Neele after A. Arrowsmith and 14 engraved ethnological plates and coastal profiles by J. Powell, R.H. Cromek, Neele, et al. after W. Alexander, list of engravings and errata at c1-2 (without half-title, folding map and plates lightly stained.

Fine Condition: Given the book is 210+ years old, the condition is fine with no apparent defects. Original Spine, Original Boards, Text and Plates are relatively clean. With light foxing commensurate with aging and some rubbing in the middle of the outside boards. No stamped or written markings except pencil marks on top left of inside front cover. Rebound with repaired corners by third generation restorer / bookbinder (ex - Zaehnsdorf, C.E. Smart Bookbinder, E.C Rare Books).