Account of the Russian Discoveries Between Asia and America. To Which are added, the Conquest of Siberia, and the History of the Transactions and Commerce Between Russia and China

xxii+[1]+344+[14]+[2 ad] pages with 4 folding engraved maps and charts (General Map of the Russian Empire. 29.7x58.5 cm.; Krenitzin's and Levasheff's Voyage to the Fox Islands in 1768 and 1769. 20x58.5 cm.; Chart of Synd's Voyage towards Tschukotskoi Noss. 43x43.5 cm.; Chart of Shalauroff's Voyage. 11x33 cm; Lacking is the engraved view of the Chinese frontier town of Maimatschin, generally found facing page 211), appendix and index. Quarto (10 3/4" x 8 1/2") bound in half leather with five raised spine bands in gilt ruling with black label in gilt over marbled boards. Second edition revised and corrected.

This second edition of Coxe's important overview of Russian discoveries in the arctic, has, as Lada-Mocarski notes, "substantially the same contents and makeup" as the first edition of the same year. The work is largely a compilation and translations of accounts of Russian discoveries after those of Bering and Tchirikoff in 1741, supplementing the work of Mueller, with whom, along with P.S. Pallas, Coxe consulted extensively. Pages [17]-174, "Account of the new discoveries made by the Russians..." is a translation from the German of Johann Ludwig Schultz's Neue Nachrichten von denednuentdekten Insuln in der See zwischen Asien und America, 1776. There was a supplement issued in 1787, "A Comparative View of the Russian Discoveries...," which is sometimes bound with the present work, and was included in the body of the third edition. Though a compilation, Lada-Mocarski observes that "Coxe's work...is a result of contemporary and authoritative sources translated into English, not to be overlooked by scholars and collectors alike...." Hill, discussing this work and its significance, notes that "Coxe made suggestions which led the Russians to promote expeditions of discovery to the northern parts of Siberia. His list of works on the subject, and his observations on the fur trade between the Russians and the Chinese, are very valuable..."

Condition:

Lacking one plate, the folding maps and charts with some foxing, stains and occasional repaired tears, period owner's signature at rear flyleaf and title, some staining to title, front end paper for-edge trimmed else about very good.