Narrative Of A Four Month's Residence Among The Natives Of A Valley Of The Marquesas Islands; Or, A Peep At Polynesian Life. by Melville, Herman - 1846

London: John Murray, 1846, first edition second issue, octavo, xvi, map, [1] – 285 pp., bound in later 19th century ½ calf and cloth boards, black leather spine label, some wear and scuffing to extremities of binding, Glasgow bookseller's label on front pastedown, later ownership signature, some light foxing to front and rear endpapers, else a good copy.
BAL 13652, p. 19, line 1: …Pomare …
The works of Herman Melville are among the classics of the South Seas. This was Melville's first work and was published simultaneously in New York and London--one of the first books so issued. John Murray was the first to recognize Melville and obtained the prior rights of publication.
Not only was this English edition of, what is now better known as, Typee, issued earlier than the American, it contains passages deleted from the latter "to meet American squeamishness."---Wilson.

London: John Murray, 1846. First Edition of the author’s first book; BAL 13652; Second Issue, Binding Variant B; noting that “No satisfactory publishing sequence has been established for the London issues of this book.” Publisher’s red cloth; rebacked; 19th century church library blind stamp on the title page and a leaf of text; release stamp inside the back cover; one inch tear at the top of one leaf; only good. Not an attractive copy, but usually seen rebound.

John Murray, 1846. Half Leather. Very Good. in x in x in. Leather wrapped spine and corner tips. Marbled boards. Previous owner name inked on front free page: G.M. Gomez (maybe Gomez or Innez). No other markings in book. Rubbing to marbled boards and leather edges. Binding is fine. Foxing on first couple of pages and last couple of pages. First edition, first issue, with 'Pomarea' on page 19, line 1. Lacks half title and frontis map.

London, John Murray, 1846, First edition, first issue, with 'Pomarea' on page 19, line 1. . bound in modern quarter tan morocco leather, gilt rules on spine, gilt title lettering on black leather label, marbled boards, signature on half-title and on verso map, near fine, attractive copy. . small 8vo [18 x 12.5 cm]; xvi, 285 pp, map frontis. . BAL 13652, the first state. Day 51 (Pacific Islands Literature, 100 Basic Books) states that the first edition was issued first in London, and later issued in New York, entitled 'Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life', with some passages omitted. This is the first of Melville's books, and with the exception of Moby Dick, is the most widely read. 'Melville was the first author of genius to use the South Seas as material and most of those who followed say the region through his eyes and adopted his patterns' (Day). Hill p. 196 cites the 1847 London edition. Taylor 176. A picture of this book is available on request by email.