FORREST, Thomas (ca 1729-ca 1802). A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan. London: G. Scott, 1779.

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FORREST, Thomas (ca 1729-ca 1802). A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas from Balambangan. London: G. Scott, 1779.

4o (285 x 228 mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait, 32 plates and maps (18 folding). (Some minor offsetting.) Contemporary speckled calf (skilfully rebacked preserving original spine). Provenance: John Rogers (armorial bookplate).

FIRST EDITION of Forrest's account of his experiences in New Guinea and the East Indies. In 1770, Forrest became involved in the settling of Balambangan, an island at the northern tip of Borneo, and in 1774 he offered his services to the East India Company in the exploration of New Guinea. For the next two years, Forrest and his party sailed in a native prahu renamed the Tartar on a 4000-mile journey of examination in search of spices beyond the Molucca Islands. The crew travelled from Borneo, through the Moluccas to the north coast of New Guinea, and then on to Mindanao, an island in the Philippines. Hill 623; Howgego F60.

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