TERRA AUSTRALIS COGNITA, OR, VOYAGES TO THE TERRA AUSTRALIS, OR SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE DURING THE SIXTEENTH, SEVENTEENTH, AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES by Callander, John

First Edition. Half-Leather. Containing an Account of the Manners of the People, and the Productions of the Countries, hitherto found in the Southern Latitudes; the Advantages that may result from further Discoveries on this Great Continent, and the Methods of establishing Colonies there, to the advantage of Great Britain. With a Preface by the Editor, in which some geographical, nautical, and commercial Questions are discussed. Edinburgh, Printed by A. Donaldson, and sold at his shops in London and Edinburgh 1766 - 1768. Three volumes octavo, three folding engraved charts by Robert de Vaugondy; 'Straits of Magellan' (not present), 'General Chart of the Indian Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Southern World divided into Australasia and Magellanica' (a few fold tears, some repaired), and 'Reduced chart of Australasia' (piece torn from foot with loss), without the dedication to Charles Townsend, Cf. Hocken pp5-7; Spence 240; Hill Pacific Voyages p.35 ' A few neat pencil, some ink annotations in Volumes 1 & II, 6 line manuscript notes tipped in a inner margin of E3r Volume II, some page numerals cropped, a few hinges frayed, paper flaw in final leaf affecting one word, Volume III lacks final page/leaf, a few minor stains. Nineteenth century half morocco (joints rubbed). First edition of this very scarce and highly important work based on the collection of early voyages into the Southern Hemisphere published by Charles de Brosses, Paris, 1756. Some of narratives appear here for the first time in English. The final part of the work 'Of the method of forming colonies in the Terra Australis, and the Advantages that may be expected to result to Great Britain from such Establishments in that Hemisphere' was later influential in the adoption of the British strategy of colonisation by transportation on the east coast of Australia. The map of Australia "is of great interest, particularly when compared with the Tasman map of 1644. Although Van Dieman's land is still shown as part of the mainland, New Zealand and New Guinea are already known to be separate lands and in fact the outline of Australia is already complete except for the eastern coast, yet to be charted by Cook... " (Davidson)