Beschreibung:

The English Pilot: The Fourth Book describing the West Indies Navigation from Hudson’s Bay to the River Amazones. Dublin: Boulter Grierson, 1767. The rarest edition of the American portion of the English Pilot, and one of the most important, since over half the maps are new. The Fourth Book 'had the longest publication history ... the content of the volume was established between the editions of 1706 and 1721,' and it was 'sufficiently in demand to justify thirty-seven legitimate editions from 1689 to 1794' (Verner, Bibliographical Note to the Fourth Book ). Originally composed by W. Fisher and J. Thornton, it may have been in preparation in the mid- to late-1670s. George Grierson (1680-1753) of Dublin published a pirated edition in 1749, with the plates engraved by James Barlow The present edition is by George Grierson's son, Hugh Boulter Greierson (d.1771), who employed the same plates by Barlow, but with some significant re-engraving; in fact it seems likely that over half the maps in the present lot are entirely new. Sabin finds the maps ‘have a clear, rough, old-fashioned appearance … and differ materially from the London editions of the work, containing generally more minute particulars’. Because the Griersons used the 1732 London edition of the English Pilot as a basis for their piracy, the present lot contains maps of Boston Harbor (see Burden II, 666, for 1689 and c.1691 eds only) not found in the London editions of 1758 and 1767. Some of other the maps of North America from this edition are not mentioned by Burden: see, for example, 'Harbor Grace' (II, 661); 'Bay Bulls' (II, 662), 'Cattalina Harbor' (II, 663), 'Port Bonavista' (II, 664) and 'A New Mapp of Carolina' (II, 668). Only 2 copies can be traced in institutions, at the British Library (lacking one chart), and Library of Congress. Sabin 22619; Shirley BL II M.GRI-1b; Tooley, Maps and Map-Makers p.61. Folio (464 x 282mm). Woodcut royal arms on title, 24 engraved charts on 22 sheets, the majority double-page or folding, 4 engraved maps in text, woodcut coastal profiles (title browned, creased and with minor repairs, some worming increasing in severity towards end, mainly marginal but sometimes affecting engraved areas or text, many wormholes filled in, browning and offsetting to the ‘Sea Coast of New Found Land’ and a few other plates, chart of ‘Virginia Maryland Pennsilvaniia’ with awkward tear at centre fold, several others repaired or strengthened along folds, ‘Draught of Virginia’ with tear slightly affecting cartouche ). Contemporary calf (rebacked and recornered, new endpapers).