The Best Edition of Harris’ Navigantium
Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca. Or, a complete collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of above six hundred of the most authentic writers ... And the voyages under the direction of the East-India Company in Holland, in Dutch. Together with such other histories, voyages, travels, or discoveries, as are in general esteem ... Containing whatever has been observed worthy of notice in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; in respect to the extent and situation of empires, kingdoms, provinces, &c. The climate, soil, produce, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, of each country: Likewise the religion, manners, and customs of the several inhabitants, their government, arts and sciences, public buildings, mountains, rivers, harbours, &c. Illustrated by proper charts, maps, and cuts. To which is prefixed, a copious introduction, comprehending the rise and proress [sic.] of the art of navigation, and its successive improvements; together with the invention and use of the loadstone, and its variation ... Now carefully revised, with large additions, and continued down to the present time; including particular accounts of the manufactures and commerce of each country. Vol. I [Vol II.].
London: Printed for T. Osborne [and seventeen others], 1764.
Third and best edition, much enlarged. Two folio volumes (16 1/8 x 10 1/4 inches; 410 x 260 mm.). [10], xvi, 984; [12]. 1056, [19, index], [1, plate list] pp. (þ2 a2É‘2 b-e2 2É‘2 B - 11R2; a2 b-c2 (-C2) B - 12R2). Complete with sixty-one engraved plates, including fifteen folding maps. Title-pages in red and black.
Beautifully bound in period-style Cambridge-paneled speckled calf with blind-tooling, spine compartments densely gilt in a repeating leaf pattern, red and green morocco gilt lettering labels, marbled endpapers. Scattered light foxing. A small owner’s stamp in purple ink to the outer margin of the title-page of Volume II. A closed tear in the center of leaf 5Z2 in Volume II has been expertly repaired. Overall a very good, remarkably clean and bright copy of this important collection of voyages.
"A collection of all known voyages ... [Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca] is valuable for the original impressions of the fine series of maps by Herman Moll, including a very good one of America. Also there is one of the world according to Mercator's projection, with improvements, showing the northern coast line and part of the west and south coasts of Australia together with parts of Tasmania and New Zealand. Among voyages included are those of Magellan, Drake, Cavendish, Schouten, Hawkins, Narbrough, and Dampier. This work includes an interesting list of subscribers and indexes of places and persons" (Hill). This expanded edition is particularly valuable to collectors for is inclusion of a printing of Tasman’s original map and two short articles about the map. Also present here, and absent in the first edition, are the narrations of Christopher Middleton to Hudson Bay, 1741-1742, Bering to the Northeast, 1725-1736, Woodes Rogers‘ circumnavigation, 1708-1711, Clipperton and Shevlocke‘s circumnavigation, 1719-1722, and Anson’s voyages, 1740-1744.
Cox 1, p. 10. Sabin 30483. National Maritime Museum 34. Hill 775 (second edition).
HBS 65407.
$12,500.
Price: $12,500.00
Item #65407