Bidspirit auction | White's Voyage to New South

White's Voyage to New South Wales - Volume with 65 Engravings & 1 Map - This first edition work with 65 originally hand-colored engravings & 1 map is Dr. John White's Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales with sixty-five plates of nondescript animals, birds, lizards, serpents... The work was published in London in 1790 by J. Debrett. Dr. John White (c1756-1832) was born in Ireland, but would serve in the Royal Navy for England. White would become the chief surgeon on the voyage to New South Wales, an expedition to establish a convict settlement at Botany Bay. He took great interest in the natural history of the new colony. The plates were devoted to ”non descript animals, birds, lizards, serpents, curious cones of trees and other natural productions.” White ”produced an extremely interesting account of the voyage of the First Fleet and of early life in New South Wales ... containing many circumstances omitted by Governor Arthur Phillip ... and other contemporary authors.” (Hill) The volume includes the engraved title page, list of subscribers, 65 hand-colored engraved plates, folding engraved map, 4 pp publisher's advertisements at end. It is bound in contemporary tree calf, rebacked preserving original spine, foliate gilt border on upper cover, spine gilt with red morocco lettering piece, marbled endpapers. A convict on the voyage, Thomas Watling, is believed to be the artist for many of the drawings. Sarah Stone completed the majority of the bird drawings from specimens sent back to England. Provenance: Wilfred Lawson, Esq., 3rd baronet, of Isell, Cumberland (armorial bookplate) Paper Size: ~ 9 1/4” by 11 3/4” Paper Type or Special Features: Volume with 65 Engravings & 1 Map