First edition of Captain William Bligh’s 'A Voyage to the South Sea, Undertaken by Command of His Majesty, for the Purpose of Conveying the Bread-Fruit Tree to the West Indies', published in 1792 by George Nicol, London. This seminal work provides a comprehensive account of the infamous HMS Bounty voyage, culminating in the most celebrated mutiny in maritime history.
Commissioned to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies, the expedition aimed to provide a cheap food source for enslaved plantation workers. Bligh meticulously documents the voyage from its 1787 departure to the 1789 mutiny. Following the successful acquisition of breadfruit in Tahiti, tensions escalated, leading Fletcher Christian to seize control on April 28, 1789, near Tonga. Bligh and 18 loyal crew members were cast adrift in a 23-foot launch.
Despite minimal provisions and navigational tools, Bligh’s extraordinary leadership enabled a 3,500-mile open-boat voyage to Kupang, Timor, in just two months, with the loss of only one life. This detailed narrative expands upon Bligh’s earlier, hastily written 1790 'Narrative of the Mutiny,' offering a revised and more accurate account of the entire expedition.
This edition is richly illustrated, featuring a stipple-engraved frontispiece portrait of Bligh by Condé after John Russell, a folding plan of HMS Bounty, a folding plan of the launch, a plate depicting the breadfruit tree, and four plans and charts (three folding).
Notably, this copy includes an original map of Pitcairn Island from James Cook’s official account of his voyage to the Pacific aboard HMS Endeavour (1768–1771). This map holds significant historical relevance, as the mutineers, led by Christian, utilised it for navigation during their flight and subsequent settlement on Pitcairn Island.
Presented in a custom-made leather solander box, this first edition is preserved in excellent condition, offering a remarkable historical artifact of one of the most compelling narratives in maritime exploration.
