WHITE, John

Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales.

> click here to see the full size image.

J. Debrett, London, 1790. Quarto, engraved title and 65 handcoloured plates; bound with the list ofsubscribers, early owner's inscription on first page of text, without the 4-pp. advertisements (but not required by Wantrup); a superb, completely uncut copy, the edges a little dusted but fine and large in modern calf. A superb untrimmed copy of the rare coloured issue. This is the deluxe issue of the first edition of this famous First Fleet book in which the plates were coloured by hand. Especially in this form, White's Journal is one of the most beautiful of Australian colour-plate books, and one of the most attractive, as well as one of the earliest, Australian bird books.

The book was an immediate success on publication, with subscribers alone accounting for seven hundred copies. It is a travel and ornithological classic by a medical voyager: John White was chief surgeon of the First Fleet, and was particularly successful in that he overcame serious medical problems in appalling conditions both on the voyage out and when the settlement was founded. He was also a keen amateur naturalist and after arriving at Port Jackson found time to accompany Phillip on two journeys of exploration. On joining the First Fleet he had begun to keep a journal in which he made notes about birds in the new colony. It was this manuscript which formed the nucleus of his journal.

The natural history content makes White's particularly noteworthy amongst the First Fleet journals. Many of the plates were drawn in England by leading natural history artists of the day, such as Sarah Stone and Frederick Nodder, from original sketches done in the colony. White's interest in natural history continued until he left New South Wales in December 1794. When the convict artist Thomas Watling arrived in the colony in October 1792 he was assigned to White and in the next two years made many drawings of birds for him. It is possible that White himself had some skill as an artist and that he was responsible for the original sketches of some of the engravings here.

White's journal also contains a good description of the voyage from London, with long, detailed accounts of the stops at Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and of the colonial voyages to Norfolk Island.
Mathews, Supplement; Nissen , 4390; Wantrup , 17.

• AUD 16,000.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: 705_962

• bookseller: Hordern House (AUSTRALIA)