A Voyage Round the World in the Years 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803 and 1804

1810

Hocken Library: Bliss KX T

Philadelphia: Benjamin & Thomas Kite

This battered and foxed American publication of John Turnbull’s voyage around the world on the Margaret represents one of the first ventures into the Pacific in the 19th century. Importantly, it was an expedition that was trade-orientated, not one primarily involved in exploration. Nevertheless, it did yield information on various South Seas islands, such as Norfolk Island, Tahiti, and Hawaii, and led to the discovery of the Margaret (Nukutepipi), Phillips (Makemo), and Holt (Taenga) islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Robert FitzRoy told Charles Darwin: ‘There will be plenty of room for Books.’ Darwin had his own copy of Turnbull on board the Beagle.