(London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1934).

FIRST EDITION OF THIS HIGHLY REGARDED WORK CONCERNING ANSON'S HISTORIC VOYAGE. Vice-Admiral Somerville has compiled the information here from the records and diaries of several officers of the Commodore's ship 'Centurion', as well as Anson's own official reports. The chief source being the famous book compiled Richard Walter, Chaplain aboard 'Centurion', which was written under the direction of Anson himself.
Quite a remarkable voyage; in 1770 Commodore George Anson led a squadron of eight ships on a mission to disrupt or capture the Pacific Ocean possessions of the Spanish Empire. Four years later he returned to England by way of China, thus turning the mission into a circumnavigation. Anson's fleet suffered horrible losses from disease, only 188 of the original 1854 crew survived to return to England. The return of Anson's expedition raised interest in the Pacific as an object of British trade and imperial power. This resulted in the century-long quest to find a North-West Passage due to the treacherous conditions around Cape Horn, and the Spanish hold of South America. Item #31626

First Edition. With ten plates depicting illustrations from various sources and 8 maps, plans & charts. Tall 8vo, publisher's original polished black cloth, the upper cover with gilt nautical device on the upper cover, the spine gilt lettered, cartographic endleaves. xvii, 317 pp. A very fine copy, the book is essentially as pristine.