Description:

John Byron
n.p., n.d.
Byron's 1764-66 Circumnavigation, 1769 Spanish Edition, With Folding Map Not Found in English Editions
Books

Vice Admiral John Byron (1723-1786). Viage del Comandante Byron al rededor del Mundo, Hecho Ultimamente de Orden del Almirantazgo de Inglaterra (Commander Byron's Voyage Around the World By Order of the Admiralty of England.) BOUND WITH, AS ISSUED: Resumen Historico del Primer Viage Hecho al rededor del Mundo, Emprendido por Hernando de Magallanes (Historical Summary of the First Voyage Around the World, Undertaken by Hernando de Magallanes.) Madrid: Imprenta Real de la Gazeta, 1769. Small quarto, early full limp vellum, spine lettered in ink, remnants of ties, endpapers renewed. Text in Spanish. First published in English in 1767. Engraved frontispiece of the Patagonian "giants". With 19" x 14" folding map neatly laid down on paper. Small paper repairs to frontispiece and title page. Text quite clean. An exceptionally good copy of this scarce edition, desirable with the folding map of the Strait of Magellan.

Second and expanded Spanish edition, issued the same year as the first, of Byron's account of his 1764-66 circumnavigation of the world as captain of the HMS Dolphin, with folding map of the Strait of Magellan not present in English editions (hand-colored in outline) and engraved frontispiece depicting the "giants" of Patagonia. This second edition also incorporates the account of Magellan's circumnavigation of 1519-22, completed by Captain Juan Sebastian del Cano after Magellan's death, making him the first captain to complete a circumnavigation, which was not included in the first Spanish edition.

"Early in 1764 John Byron ('Foul-Weather Jack') was appointed in command of the Dolphin frigate, the first English vessel to be sheathed with copper, and ordered to proceed to the East Indies, with secret instructions, however, to sail to the Pacific Ocean on an exploring expedition. [He informed his crew of the true aim of their expedition only once they reached Rio de Janeiro.] The vessel sailed westward across the Pacific from the Straits of Magellan and managed, almost miraculously, to avoid discovering any islands except in the northern part of the Low Archipelago, where seven islands were discovered… He completed the circumnavigation of the globe in 22 months, an easy record up to that time, but a record which should not have been made on a voyage intended for discovery" (Cox). During the course of this voyage, Byron claimed the Falkland Islands for Great Britain. Navigational routes through the Strait of Magellan were a closely guarded secret, and it is not surprising that the English editions were published without this map. Byron's account of this voyage also gained some notoriety due to its description of Patagonian giants, which are depicted in the frontispiece. Though these giants were first observed by the crew of Magellan's fleet, and other authors refer to them, Byron's account claimed detailed sightings and interactions with these legendary "giants" - earning Byron his share of ridicule.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: small quarto
  • Medium: Books

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000