BENYOWSKY, Moric

Memoirs and Travels of Mauritius Augustus Count de Benyowsky...

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G.G.J. and J.Robinson, London, 1790. Two volumes, quarto, portrait title vignette of Benyowsky and 23 engraved plates and plans (17 folding; a further six plates listed in the Directions to the Binder as unavailable were, in fact, never issued); a fine copy, complete with both half-titles, uncut and unpressed in the original marbled boards, plain paper spines worn but attractive, original printed labels also worn, neat old repair to verso of one map; quarter calf folding boxes. First edition: a really splendid and large copy of this distinctly odd book which suffered from the time of publication until now from a perception that its narrative may not be entirely truthful. Nicholson's preface to this first edition is quite argumentative on the subject, seeking to prove its veracity by all sorts of checks against maps and other narratives. The preface has Benyowsky losing his memory, the attempted publication by subscription failing, the engraver's house burning down and thus losing many of the engravings intended for the volume (which would explain the strange gaps in numbering of the engravings), and a host of other bizarre circumstances which should perhaps come under the heading "no smoke".

Even Benyowsky's nationality is (and was) in doubt. At different times he was either by nationality or service Hungarian, Austrian, Lithuanian, German, Polish and Russian. He was exiled by the Russian government to Siberia for political involvements: 'with a handful of equally adventurous men, he escaped from Kamchatka by sea in 1771. The trip took them to Japan, Formosa, and China. The work contains interesting accounts of Siberia, the Russian fur trade, and the history, life and customs of Kamchatka. The author also describes the Kurile and Aleutian Islands, and claims to have landed on the Alaska mainland...' (Hill). 'In the Alaska-related material of this journal there is a very good general account of the Aleutian Islands, and a history and description of early Russian visits to Alaska..' (Lada-Mocarski).

As Howgego points out 'The composer Boieldieu would later write a comic opera based on Benyowski's exploits, including his escape from Kamchatka. Catherine the Great took the opera very seriously, deciding that the settlement of exiles in the Siberian northeast jeopardized Russia's situation there'.
Hill, 115; Lada-Mocarski, 45.

• AUD 11,000.00 > Andere Währungen
• Bestellnummer: 504_715

• Antiquariat: Hordern House (AUSTRALIA)