Vancouver, who had served on Captain Cook's second and third voyages, was made commander of this expedition to reclaim Britain's territory, resulting from the Nootka convention. The expedition sailed by way of the Cape of Good Hope to Australia, where he discovered King George's Sound and Cape Hood, then to New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Northwest coast of America. In three seasons' work Vancouver surveyed the coast of California; visited San Francisco, San Diego and other Spanish settlements in Alta California; settled the necessary formalities with the Spanish at Nootka; investigated the Strait of Juan de Fuca; discovered the Strait of Georgia; circumnavigated Vancouver Island; and disproved the existence of any passage between the Pacific Ocean and Hudson Bay.
The scarce first edition of "one of the most important [voyages] ever made" (Hill).

Collation:
Text: Three volumes, 4to (305 by 235mm), [8, including half-title, title, and dedication], xxix, [9, blank, two page advertisement, two page list of plates, and four page contents], 432pp.; [10, including half-title, title, four page contents, list of plates, blank], 504pp.; [10, including half-title, title, four page contents, list of plates, blank], 505pp., [3, errata], 18 engraved plates.

Atlas (560 x 430 mm): 16 engraved maps, charts, and coastal profiles, several folding.