Lieutenant William Bligh's 1792 A Voyage to the South Sea, his personal account of the famed Mutiny on the Bounty, is to lead a selection of exploration books in Art + Object's Rare Books auction in New Zealand.
 William Bligh was set adrift after the Mutiny on the Bounty in April 1789 and didn't arrive in England until March 1790 |
The April 9 auction features a selection of texts and memorabilia detailing various antipodean adventures, with the first edition of Bligh's book expected to sell for $6,843-10,265.
Bligh took command of the Bounty in 1787 and embarked on a voyage to Tahiti to bring back breadfruit trees to England for use as a food crop for sales.
However, the 3,000+ mile trip proved arduous, and on the return journey his crew mutinied and Bligh, along with the remainder of those loyal to him, was set adrift with little more than a small amount of water, four swords and a compass.
Also starring is a 1784 first edition of A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean in HMS Resolution by Captain James Cook, the famous explorer with whom Bligh had served. It is expected to make $5,000-8,000.
On March 27, Sotheby's will offer a map of the Southern and Pacific Oceans from Captain Cook in a sale dedicated to exploration memorabilia.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a fantastic signed letter from polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, which was written aboard one of his voyages.
