"with Remarks Upon the Natural History of the Islands, Origin, Languages, Traditions, and Usages of the Inhabitants." Engravings on Wood by G Baxer. First edition fourth thousand printing 1837. Half-leather over purple buckram. Morocco spine label. Five gilt raised bands. Gilt panel borders. Coloured endpapers. xviii, [2], 590 pages. Title page portrait vognette. Facsimile frontispiece. Lithograph fold-out map of Polynesia 7 full-page plates. 17 in-text illustrations. "Rev. John Williams (1796-1839) was the ablest missionary to the Polynesian people, and his book was the most printed and widely read of all the contemporary accounts. He was killed by islanders in the New Hebrides, in November 1839. The colour frontis features a tattooed native of Raratonga. This is an important early account of London Missionary Society activity in the pPacific and scarce complete with frontis and map, especially in this condition." Shipped and insured [courier liability] by recorded delivery with UPS.