Journal of a voyage to New South Wales (deluxe coloured edition)

/ with sixty-five plates of non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions by John White Esqre., Surgeon General to the settlement. London : J. Debrett, 1790. Quarto, in an Italian binding of full white vellum, contrasting morocco title labels, decorated in gilt, engraved map from 1802 of the greater Sydney basin (extracted from a copy of Collins) pasted on the pastedown, manuscript title in pen to front free endpaper, in both English and Italian White John – Journal of a Voyage to new South Wales (Giornale del viaggio al Sud della Nuovo Galles); pp [xviii], 299, [36], 65 fine hand coloured plates by Sarah Stone on Whatman paper of Australian flora, fauna and tribal artefacts; occasional light foxing, but a fine, clean copy with wide margins.

The desirable hand coloured edition of White’s important account of the voyage of the First Fleet and the settlement at Sydney Cove, in an unusual and attractive Italian vellum binding.

As Surgeon General on the voyage, White’s scientifically trained eye was well suited to the recording of new species discovered on the island continent. His account includes much scientific detail and descriptions of the voyage and settlement not to be found in other accounts such as Phillip’s. The fine plates were engraved by Sarah Stone from live and taxidermied specimens sent to England, as well as White’s own drawings and those of Thomas Watling.

Ferguson 97; Hill 1858; Wantrup 17