A Diary of the Wreck of his Majesty s Ship Challenger, on the Western Coast of South America, in May 1835 [ROTHERY, LIEUTENANT G. A. J.] [Very Good]

FIRST EDITION, [3],160, folding engraved frontispiece panorama of Molquilla encampment, , 3 maps and plates (2 folding), contemporary inscription of Williams Library on each plate as a clear deterrent to slicers , very occasional light staining to margin, contemporary half calf, rebacked, original spine laid on, boards with printed labels of William s English & Foreign Library, Cheltenham, corners restored, 8vo, London, Longman, Rees, Orme et al., 1836. A detailed account of the seven-week ordeal which the survivors of the wrecked Challenger endured on the barren Chilean coast, by one of the ship s officers. The Challenger sailed from Rio de Janeiro on 1st April, bound for Talcahuano, under the command of Sir Michael Seymour. She was sailing off the coast of Chile when she struck rocks on 19th May 1835. It is believed it was caused by an unusual reversal of current due to the earthquake which struck Conception on 20th February, 1835. Although the Challenger was lost, the crew were able to salvage a considerable amount of her stores and to establish a camp. Concerned about the location, the survivors abandoned their camp on 8th June and established a new camp at the mouth of the Lebu River, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north. HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy, was surveying the coast and about to leave Valparaíso on 14th June when an English merchant got a letter which mentioned the shipwreck. FitzRoy was convinced it was the Challenger captained by his friend. He took HMS Blonde south to Conception to search for Seymour s Lebu camp. They had some difficulty finding the Lebu River, but they saw the signal fires at the camp. With some difficulties, they had the survivors on board on the 15th June. The account also includes a brief description of the earthquake s destruction of Conception, and concludes with Seymour s court-martial acquittal. This is the Third HMS Challenger, which is best known for its responsibility for the creation of the colony of Western Australia in 1829, under the command of Charles Fremantle. Provenance: A. Williams Library A. Williams Library moved to the Eastern side of Cheltenham s Assembly rooms in 1816, which were very tastefully and elegantly fitted up the most fashionable and agreeable retreat during the season, and although it succeeded in attracting 1,232 subscriptions by 1825, the library dwindled towards the end of the century, closing in 1896 with a 6-day sale of over 200,000 books. (Hembry, British Spas, 1997). Richard Luckett From the library of Richard Luckett, Pepys Librarian, Magdalene, Cambridge, with his neat typographical bookplate, designed by Will Carter of the Rampant Lions Press. [Sabin no. 19961; Abbey 726; Palau; Hill, 1493]