Voyage of H.M.S. Blonde to the Sandwich Islands, in the years 1824-1825.
London: John Murray, 1826. First edition. Quarto, 275 mm x 208 mm. x,260 pp. Contemporary calf rebacked, uncut, very clean , some very light spotting. A handsome copy. Chart, plan, and 13 aquatint plates. "This voyage was termed by Peter Buck (Ti Rangi Hiroa) 'One of the most gracious acts that one country has ever extended to another.' Kamehameha II of Hawaii and his queen, Kamamalu, were on a visit to London in 1824 when they both died of the measles, for which they had no immunity. This voyage, with the cousin of the poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, in command, was undertaken by the British government specifically to return their bodies to the Hawaiian Islands, " Forbes 630. Item #33095
Price: $4,500.00