Four Years in the Pacific.; In Her Majesty's Ship "Collingwood." | From 1844 to 1848 [In Two Volumes] by Walpole, Frederick - 1849

London: Richard Bentley [Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty], 1849. First Edition. Very Good. 8ov [8.75x5.75in]; Vol. I - [iii-vii], viii-xiii, [1], 2-432 pp., woodcut frontispiece of Valpariso, 9 illustrations in text, Vol. II- [i-v], vi-ix, [1], 2-415 pp., woodcut frontispiece the Valley of Fatawa Taheite, 12 illustrations in text, all illustrations drawn by John Speer and engraved by J.W. Cook; Rebound with original calf covers and new spine in tan sheep, gilt lettering on dyed red and green fields on spine with five raised bands, covers with gilt ruled boarders and blind rules and devices on all corners, dark brown embossed lines on edges, new plain end papers, all edges trimmed with light red sprinkles; Some shelf wear to all edges, corners and cover surface, minor scuffs and cracks to covers, lacks list of illustrations and errata to Volume I [tipped in facsimiles], faint offset of partial newspaper article to back of Vol. I frontispiece, repaired tear to Vol. II frontispiece [Howgego II S17, Hill 1815, Cowan64 p. 667]. Frederick Walpole (1822-1876) was a British naval officer, politician and father of Robert Walpole. Paraphrased from Hill and Howgego, Walpole served aboard the H.M.S. Collingwood, Flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir George Seymour and the first British ship-of-the-line to enter the Pacific Ocean by Cape Horn since Anson in 1741 to establish a permanent British Pacific station. This was a four year tour of the Pacific Islands and North America to diplomatically offset the French influence in the Pacific. They arrived at Monterey, Mexican capital of Alta California, in July 1846, a few days after Commodore John Sloat raised the American Flag at the customs house and declared California part of the United States. Walpole's account of this cruise relates extensively to the Pacific coast of South America and also to Hawaii, Tahiti, and California.