Rare and early edition of the ‘English Pilot Oriental Navigation’

£135,000

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The English Pilot. The Sixth [in ms on paste-down as issued] Book.

Describing the Sea-Coasts, Capes Headlands, Straits, Soundings, Sands, Shoals, Rocks, and Dangers. The Islands, Bays, Roads, Harbours, and Ports in the Oriental Navigation Shewing the Properties and Nature of the Winds and Moussons in those Seas …Collected for the general Benefit of our own Country-men, By John Thornton, Hydrographer.

THORNTON, John
London,
Printed for Rich[ard] and Will[iam] Mount, and Tho[mas] Page, in Postern-Row on Tower-Hill,
1716.
Folio atlas (500 by 310mm), title, [3]–76pp. text, 40 engraved charts (of which five are folding, one full-page and one within text), chart of China and Amoy bound upside down, varying tone and slight foxing, charts on thick paper, repair to title, panelled calf, with modern upper board, spine in six compartments separated by raised bands, rebacked.
1027

To scale:

notes:

notes:

The great 'English Pilot' project had been started by John Seller in 1671, with the first edition of the 'Oriental Navigation (Third Book)' published in 1675. Seller's financial troubles, however, precluded any further editions, and it was not until four years after his death, in 1701, that the 'Third Book' was reissued by Thomas Mount and William Page. To confuse matters, John Thornton published a rival edition in 1703. Thornton was part of the consortium that had oversee...

bibliography:

bibliography:

cf. NMM 3:426 for 1716 edition with 38 charts.