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Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842.

By Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. 

Complete in 5 Volumes with Numerous Engravings and Maps -  Published in 1849

These rare volumes tell the story in text, maps and pictures of the famous United States Exploring Expedition sent around the world by Congress before the Civil War. The historic expedition was recently memorialized in Nathan Philbrick's "Sea of Glory: American's Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition 1838-1842." Philbrick notes that Herman Melville purchased a copy of the volumes offered here and that "scholars have found traces of the U.S. Exploring Expedition throughout his masterpiece Moby Dick."

Wikipedia explains the inception and purpose of the U.S. Exploring Expedition:

In May, 1828, the United States Congress, after prodding by President John Quincy Adams, voted to send an expedition around the world, it was with the understanding that the country would derive great benefit. It was to promote commerce and to offer protection to the heavy investment in the whaling and seal hunting industries, chiefly in the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition was conducted by the controversial United States Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (pictured above) who would also gain fame during the Civil War as Captain of the San Jacinto for almost causing war with England by capturing two Confederate diplomats, Mason and Slidell, from the British mail packet Trent (the Trent Affair).  The expedition found and named Antarctica and was the first expedition to do a detailed survey the states of Oregon and Washington, with emphasis on the Columbia River.

Philbrick also explains some of the process of producing the numerous illustrations in these volumes:

"While Wilkes wrote the text, Joseph Drayton assembled the hundreds of illustrations that would grace the Expedition's narrative - Steel engravings and woodcuts based on paintings and drawings by the artist Alfred Agate, who often worked from the sketches provided by the Expedition's officers, as well as the naturalist Titian Peale."

The first two volumes have water damage and all the volumes have foxing but the set is complete and includes all thirteen maps called for, including the rare map of Oregon Territory with the 1841 Columbia River inset. Below are a small sample of the text maps and graphics from the five volumes.

Hawaiian Islands

Continent of Antarctica (found and named by this expedition)

California and Northwest

Both fold-out maps about 8 1/2 x 13 inches within the border

Oregon Territory with 1841 Inset of Columbia River (first detailed survey of what is now the states of Oregon and Washington)

New Zealand

Philbrick notes the Herman Melville's "description of Ishmael's Polynesian companion Queequeg (in Moby Dick) has been attributed to an engraving of a tattooed Maori chief in volume two" which is pictured above.

The first commercial edition of the United States Exploring Expedition report was published in 1845 (after two limited editions of 100 copies and 150 copies) comprising 5 volumes. (with 64 plates, 13 maps), with a separate folio atlas (5 maps). It was reprinted in 5 vols. until 1852. According to Howes later editions until 1852 were issued without the accompanying atlas and omitted the list of illustrations. Thus this 1849 edition is complete with the 13 maps (12 fold-outs) in the 5 volumes as listed below:

Chart of the World Shewing the Tracks of the U.S. Exploring Expedition in 1838, 39, 40, 41, & 42

Low Archipelago or Paumotu Group

Samoan or Navigator Islands

Island of Tahiti

Chart of the Viti Group or Feejee Islands

New South Wales

Map of the Hawaiian Group or Sandwich Islands

Map of Part of the Island of Hawaii Sandwich Islands Shewing the Craters and Eruption of May and June 1840 (not fold-out)

Map of the Oregon Territory from the Best Authorities (with inset of Columbian River by the U.S. Ex. Ex. 1841)

Map of Upper California by the U.S. Ex. Ex. and Best Authorities

Map of the Souloo Sea

Map of Groups in the Western Part of the Pacific Ocean

World Map of Currents and Whaling Grounds

While the early editions are priced as high as $50,000, the 1849 volumes usually are in the range of $3,500 with some earlier editions without the map atlas and condition issues as low as $750. While complete, our set has some paper loss in the first two volumes from the water damage on the bottom, not affecting the text (it reaches up to the border at one point on the world map noted above).  Still with all the maps (easily worth over $500 alone), engraved plates and complete text the price offered is quite reasonable for these historic volumes of American exploration.

Price: $775

(Insured shipping is $30 inside the United States)

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