4to (304 x 240 mm).  Half-title; 7 zoological plates with hand-coloring; 5 engraves folding maps, 15 engraved plates (3 folding). ORIGINAL BOARDS UNCUT, printed paper label on spine (spine repaired, upper cover detached, a few gatherings becoming loose, some light overall wear and soiling); cloth folding case. Provenance: a few early marginal annotations; Dalton Hall (library label); collector's bookplate, a few pencil marks. 

DELUXE FIRST EDITION ON THICK PAPER IN ORIGINAL BOARDS UNCUT

Dixon's account of this voyage to the Pacific Northwest, a voyage undertaken by the newly-formed King George's Sound Company to establish a fur trade between the northwest American coast and China. With Dixon as Captain of the Queen Charlotte and Nathaniel Portlock as captain of the King George, the expedition sailed to Prince William Sound where the two ships then parted. Dixon continued down the coast, discovered Queen Charlotte Island, Port Mulgrave, Norfolk Bay, and Dixon Archipelago, and made three stops in Hawaii for the purpose of trading and acquiring provisions. The ship subsequently stopped at Canton to trade and finally returned to Dover in September 1788. The text of Dixon's voyage is by William Beresford, the supercargo aboard the Queen Charlotte, written in the form of letters to a friend in London, but edited by Dixon who added the introduction, the appendix, and the maps. Cox II: 27-28; Forbes:161; Hill 117; Howes D-365; Lada-Mocarski 43; Sabin 20364; Streeter Sale VI: 3484; Wickersham 657.