[Rarebooks] fa: 1763 Gentleman's Magazine: MAPS of FLORIDA + LOUISIANA + BRITISH NORTH AMERICA + BUACHE'S MAP OF ANTARCTICA + HARRISON & LONGITUDE &c.

[ArCh]

Auction ending Sunday, October 23. Images and more details can be found at the URL below or by searching for the seller name arch_in_la. 

https://tinyurl.com/mr33vxca

Thanks again,
Ardwight Chamberlain
Ann Arbor, MI, USA


The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. Volume XXXIII [33]. For the Year MDCCLXIII [1763]. London: Printed for D. Henry and R. Cave, at St. John's Gate, [1763]. Twelve monthly issues (Jan.-Dec.), plus the supplement, volume title, indices and preface. Thick 8vo (21.5 cm) in early/period full calf, gilt-lettered morocco spine label; [4] + 645 + [19] pp.; with numerous in-text charts and tables, woodcut diagrams and illustrations, plus 20 copper-engraved maps and plates, six of which are folding (complete).

With THREE FOLDING MAPS OF AMERICA: A Map of the British Governments in North America, agreeable to the Proclamation of October 7, 1763; A Map of Louisiana, Virginia, and Carolina; A Map of East and West Florida, and a Plan of Pensacola. Also present are numerous articles of American interest: A Description of the Country of Florida; Some Account of Louisiana, or the western Parts of Virginia and Carolina, and of the Countries that lie on both sides of the Mississippi, where a Colony from the Plantations is actually now forming; A letter from New York re. "the proposal now on foot here for settling a very extensive colony upon the finest part of the Ohio… the name of the colony to be New Wales…"; Account of the Commerce of Louisiana; An Account of the Disturbances in North America; Qualifications of American Governors; Queries relative to the Constitution of Maryland; Some Account of Guiana, in South America; etc., etc.

Other features of note include:
	- A folding CHART OF THE ANTARCTIC POLAR CIRCLE, with the Continents adjoining, According to the New Hypothesis of M. Buache, with the accompanying article: Geographical and Physical Observations, including a Theory of the Antarctic Regions, and the frozen Sea which they are supposed to contain, according to the Hypothesis of the celebrated [Philippe] Buache.
	- A folding PLAN OF DUNKIRK and the Canal of Mardick, as they were in 1757.
	- Several articles related to JOHN HARRISON & LONGITUDE, including: Harrison's Proceedings for discovering the Longitude, from the Year 1714 to the present Time; Observations of Harrison's Time-Piece for discovering the Longitude; On the Method now taking to find the Longitude at Sea; etc. "In 1714, the British government offered a prize of £20,000 to anyone who could invent a clock capable of keeping accurate time at sea. In 1730, John Harrison, a Yorkshire carpenter, submitted his first sea chronometer, and over the years he greatly improved the design and stability of his timepieces. In 1759, he produced a chronometer that was accurate to one-tenth of a second per day. This won him the prize, although it took the Government some years to pay him in full…" ("The Gentleman's Magazine: the 18th-Century Answer to Google"; Special Collections, University of Otago Library, New Zealand, 2012). Interestingly, the list of "Grants for the Year 1763," in the May issue, includes £5000 awarded "To Mr. Harrison relating to the longitude."
	- A folding plate of A new invented MACHINE for raising Water by Perpetual Motion.
	- Other PLATES include: A new Method of constructing Coaches; Elevation of the Pagoda in Kew Gardens; The young Elephant lately presented to his Majesty; etc.
	- An Account of the late DISTURBANCES AT THE PLAY-HOUSES (re. riots sparked by the decision of Covent Garden and Drury Lane to end the policy of admitting people after the third act for half-price).
	- A lengthy, multi-part Account of the REVOLUTIONS IN THE EAST-INDIES, with an Account of the taking of Manila.
	- A multi-part Account of the HARLEIAN COLLECTION of Manuscripts, now in the British Museum.
	- An Account of the Proceedings against JOHN WILKES, Esq.
	- A multi-part Remarkable Narrative concerning "the Murder of a French Lady" (Lady Mazel).
	- Account of the Life of CHRISTINE, QUEEN OF SWEDEN.
	- A Translation of a Letter from M. ROUSSEAU to his Book-seller, …who had strongly urged him to suppress (in his Emilius) the Confession of Faith made by the Savoyard Curate.
	- SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION: A remarkable Account of Fires kindled of themselves.
	- And much more...

Binding a bit rough, but internally very good: boards and spine worn and rubbed, front board detached, rear joint cracked but holding; wear and short tears to the fore-edge of two of the folding plates (Dunkirk and the Royal Palace at Kew), diminishing area of worming at the bottom of the first ca. 10-20 leaves, some generally modest toning and offsetting to the contents, else very clean. Early engraved armorial bookplate of  John English Dolben; twentieth-century bookplate of Marius Nielsen (engraved by Johannes Britze).