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WILKES, Charles (1798–1877). Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838–1842. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845. 6 volumes, including atlas, imperial 8vo in fours (280 x 180 mm). Half–titles in text volumes. 64 engraved plates, 14 maps (5 folding and one hand–colored), and numerous vignettes in text (pale marginal foxing to plates, some tears along map folds, minor offsetting to maps). Original brown cloth stamped in blind and gilt, uncut, pale yellow endpapers (faint sunning to cover edges and spines). Provenance: George Grant MacCurdy (1814–1947), American Sanskritist and Arabist (bookplate) given to; George Grant MacCurdy (1863–1947), American Anthropologist (stamps); American School of Prehistoric Research (stamps). FIRST TRADE EDITION, unofficial edition and the last to be issued with an atlas, limited to 1,000 copies, preceded by the official government edition, published in 1844. Wilkes’ preferred edition over the 4to edition with its “beautiful style, and stereotyped – the paper and execution fully equal, and, in some respects as a library and reading book”. THE FIRST UNITED STATES EXPLORATION EXPEDITION that was the “most ambitious Pacific expeditions ever attempted” (Forbes). Wilkes surveyed the whole Northwest coast with his team of scientists and artists to survey unfamiliar ocean regions and make scientific discoveries in the South Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, California, Singapore, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena. In 1840, Wilkes discovers the Antarctic Coast just west of the Balleny Islands by sailing a substantial length of the coast for the first time, establishing that it is indeed a continent. Ferguson 4209; Forbes 1574; Haskell 2B; Hill 1867; Howes W–414; Rosove 353.B1.