An Account of the Pelew Islands Situated in the Western Part of the Pacific Ocean Composed from the Journals and Communications of Captaon Henry Wilson and Some of His Officers by Keate, George (Wilson, Capt. Henry) - 1788

London, Printed for W. Nicoll, 1788. . First Octavo Edition, the three previous issues having all been in quarto; pp. x, 271; portrait frontispiece, 3 portraits as issued; contemporary full leather binding, title lettered in gilt on spine, pages browned, chipping to edges of spine, bottom edge of frontispiece margin clipped, a good copy. Hill, Pacific Voyages, p. 160, citing the first edition of 1788: "In 1783 the Antelope, commanded by Captain Henry Wilson, ran onto a reef near one of the Palau Islands, a previously unexplored group, and was wrecked. The entire crew managed to get safely ashore, where they were well treated by the natives and eventually managed to build a small vessel from the wreck in which they reached Macao. They took Prince Lee Boo, one of King Abba Thulle's sons, with them to England, where he made a very good impression; he unfortunately soon died of smallpox.".

Boston: Manning and Loring for S. Hall, W. Spotswood, et al., 1796. Later edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1796, later edition. Hardcover, small 8vo., full contemporary calf, with gilt bands and leather and gilt title label. 264 pp. Very Good. Shallow loss to leather at crown of spine; leather label chipped; minimal signs of varnish along the spine and outer hinges. Mild foxing/browning to contents. Digital images available upon request.

Boston: Manning & Loring, 1796. Later edition. Contemporary calf, rebacked, spine label; interior generally browned because of paper stock. Signature of John J. Smith dated October 29, 1803 on the fly-leaf, remnants of a bookplate on the paste-down as well as a bookseller label (Leary of Philadelphia). English poet and writer Keate (1729-1797) chronicled this important and historically significant account of Captain Henry Wilson's 1783 shipwreck in the Pelew Islands, resulting in it being one of the main sources of early knowledge on the area. Keate pieced together this work utilizing Captain Wilson's journals and communications, documenting a first-hand narration of Wilson and his crew's experience. Beginning with their departure, the author describes reaching shore after the accident and their warm welcome from the natives. This work helped reinforce the idea of the "noble savage," and is regarded and one of the most popular eighteenth century books on the Pacific.

London: Printed for Captain Wilson..., 1788. Second edition. Hardcover. Very Good+. Tree calf, handsomely rebacked, with gilt-stamped ornate rules and details on spine, gilt-stamped lettering in red leather spine label; 4to (9.5 x 12 inches); pp. xxvii, [1] (directions to the binder), 378, plus frontis., folding map, and 12 plates (one of which is folding). Spine, corners, and edges of boards a bit scuffed. Some off-setting of the plates onto facing pages, some interesting marginalia (see below), and a little worming in the gutter; otherwise, text block is nice and clean, with side margins. Armorial bookplates of John Thurlow Dering (front paste-down) and Sir Samuel Hoare, Baronet (FFEP). Ticket of "Pigge Binder, Lynn" on front paste-down. A feather has been laid-in at pp. 364-5, marking the beginning of "A Vocabulary of the Pelew Language," and a lengthy manuscript addition across the bottom margins of both pages -- an early hand, and trimmed close along the bottom edge, it… Read More

London: Printed for Captain Wilson 1789. 4to. xxvii, 378 pp. Original boards. Lacks spine covering. Corners worn and boards badly marked. Front board detached. Uncut. Lacks free endpaper. Staining to frontis.Internally clean. Frontis portrait engraving. Folding map. Fifteen full-page engravings, including many folding. With Fuimus bookplate of the Bruce family, Lords Elgin, to the front pastedown. Second bookplate of Robert Washington Oates, who was a cousin of the explorer Capt. Oates. He helped fund the Gilbert White Museum, to which he donated his natural history collection, hence the Oates Collections at Selborne. Housed in a solander to help preserve the original condition. . Good. Boards. Third Edition. 1789.