The first French edition of Vancouver’s voyage, uncut in original boards. The French edition is “printed in both a more attractive manner and on better paper than the English edition” (Forbes).
“This voyage became one of the most important ever made in the interests of geographical knowledge” (Hill).
George Vancouver (1757-1798) was one of the great navigators and explorers of the eighteenth century. He completed one of the most difficult surveys ever undertaken, that of the Pacific coast of North America, from the vicinity of San Francisco to present-day British Columbia. His groundbreaking survey verified that no viable channel exists between the Pacific Ocean and Hudson Bay, in northeast Canada.
In 1771, Vancouver entered the Royal Navy aged 13, and accompanied Captain James Cook on his second (1772-1775) and third voyages (1776- 1780). On his return Vancouver would see service aboard several ships policing the waters of the Caribbean. After returning to England in 1789, he took command of the expedition to the northwest coast of North America for which he is best known.
Departing from England on April 1, 1791, he went by way of the Cape of Good Hope to Australia, where he surveyed part of the southwest coast. After stops at Tahiti and the Hawaiian Islands, Vancouver sighted the west coast of North America on April 17, 1792. He examined the coast with minute care, surveying the intricate inlets and channels in the region of Vancouver Island and naming, among others, Puget Sound and the Gulf of Georgia. By August he was negotiating with the Spaniards to take control of their former coastal station at Nootka Sound, off Vancouver Island. Continuing his coastal exploration in April 1793, he surveyed north and south to below San Luis Obispo, California. In 1794, he sailed to Cook Inlet, off southern Alaska, and, after a fresh survey of much of the coast north of San Francisco, sailed homeward via Cape Horn, reaching England on October 20, 1795.
Vancouver’s was the longest surveying expedition in history – “over four and a half years. The distance sailed was approximately 65,000 miles, to which the boat excursions are estimated to have added 10,000 miles… Almost all of the several hundred place names bestowed by Vancouver on physical features have been retained. Most notable of them is Vancouver Island, originally named Quadra and Vancouver’s Island in honour of his friend the Spanish commander” (Lamb for online)
Vancouver retired in 1795, and died, at the very early age of 40, he was within a hundred pages of completing his monumental account of his voyage, which was completed by his brother, John.