ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY TO THE WEST COAST OF COREA,AND THE GREAT LOO-CH

London 1818, Murray. Contemporary full gold stamped leather, old spine laid down, 8 aquatint hand-colored engravings, 6 fold-out maps & charts, 222p., 1 b.w. engraving,ca 21.5 x 27 cm.FIRST EDITION * AUTHOR'S SIGNED, DATED LETTER TIPPED IN * .. *** **** *** . . . THE FIRST ACCURATE EUROPEAN ACCOUNT OF COREANS & COREA . . THE RARE FIRST EDITION, WITH 8 HAND-COLORED AQUA TINTS . . COPPER ETCHED ENGRAVINGS AND MAPS . THE RARE FIRST EDITION, WITH 8 HAND-COLORED AQUA TINTS . . WITH FIVE LARGE FOLDING CHARTS/MAPS . While there was an earlier smaller accounts of Korea by the Dutchman, Hamel, Hall's work is comprehensive and an accurate account of Korea's coast, and other important aspects of Koreans, hitherto not recorded. * . With a rich appendix of charts, table of observations, meteorological journal, abstract of the Lyra's Voyage, geological memorandum, &c. With glossary & vocabulary of English & Loo-Choo [Okinawan] words, alphabetically arranged with notes & references to the sentences in the second part. . * ATTRACTIVE COPY: Attractive copy, with particularly good impression of the plates. The work is a journey of exploration along the coast of Korea and the Yellow Seas, about which virtually no information existed at that time. Conducted in the sloops "Alceste" & "Lyra." . This work is the most comprehensive and first accurate and reliable account of the islands of Corea & Great Loo-Choo [Ryukyu/Okinawa] to date. . Capt. Hall, following the British embassy to China under Lord Amherst in the Alceste, was directed to take the sloop Lyra, which was part of the embassy, to the coast of "Corea" to take part in a voyage to examine the coasts of the little known island group, of which it produced the first detailed & accurate hydrographic information. . Hall's work represents the most important primary accounts of exploration and discovery in the Far East. From the beginning of his naval career he had been encouraged by his father to keep a journal, which later became the source for a series of books and publications describing his travels. These included Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea and the Great Loo-Choo Island in the Japan Sea [1818], which was one of the first accurate descriptions of Korea by a European, . *** THE FIRST EDITION: London 1818, issued in a small folio, 21 x 28 cm. . *** Hall explored Java in 1813 and as a part of a diplomatic mission to China under Lord Amherst in 1816 undertook surveys of the west coast of Korea and the outlying Ryukyu Islands of Japan. . *** NOTE: The Philadelphia 1818 edition is without most of the above, but of course contains the original account. . *** NOTES ON COPY NUMBER 2: This contains a letter from Hall, dated 11 may, 1841.To an unnamed lady, thanking her for her generous subscription to the fund for the widow of Captain Hewett, on black-edged stationery. Penned by Hall "...Your Most Obed ...," with his signature. Please see image illus05.jpg posted on our site for this letter. . Please see images posted to our website . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: . H. Cordier: BIBLIOTHECA JAPONICA 469 * Abbey: Travel 558 * Hill p.134. * Alt Japan. Cat. 614. * BASIL HALL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Hall . *** . (Inventory #: 85049701)