Lot 233: GRANT, James, Lieut. (1772-1833). The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery, performed in His Majesty's Vessel The Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen, with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales.... Including remarks

GRANT, James, Lieut. (1772-1833). The Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery, performed in His Majesty's Vessel The Lady Nelson, of sixty tons burthen, with sliding keels, in the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, to New South Wales.... Including remarks on the Cape Verde Islands, Cape of Good Hope, the hitherto unknown parts of New Holland, discovered by him in his passage... through the Streight separating that island from the land discovered by Van Dieman... London: C. Roworth for T. Egerton, 1803. 4 o (262 x 210 mm). Blank leaf d4 present, 2pp. list of "encouragers of this work" at beginning. Folding engraved chart with lengths of coastline colored in red by hand, folding engraved frontispiece (tear along fold neatly repaired), 6 engraved plates (one hand-colored). (Some minor staining.) Contemporary marbled calf, red morocco lettering piece on spine (sympathetically rebacked). Provenance: John Remmey (small ink stamp on verso of c4). FIRST EDITION of a work "of the highest significance to any collection of Australian books and no collection of books dealing with coastal discovery or with Victoria, can be without it" (Wantrup). Using a revolutionary vessel specially designed by John Schank (and illustrated on the folding frontispiece) for survey work in shallow waters, Grant carried out a series of important expeditions along the Australian coastline, including the first passage through the Bass Strait from west to east. He left England on 17 March 1800, eventually returning in April 1802. Ferguson 375; Hill 718; Sabin 28306; Wantrup 75.