First and only edition of the German translation of an account of a voyage to Australia undertaken by the Irish/British explorer James Hingston Tuckey (1776-1816), sometimes erroneously called James Kingston Tuckey. As first-lieutenant of the Calcutta he sailed to Australia to expand the British colony of New South Wales around Port Phillip (Melbourne). The Calcutta, together with the Ocean, left England in April 1803 carrying a marine detachment, free settlers and ca. 300 convicts. Tuckey made "a complete survey of the harbour of Port Phillip and a careful examination of the adjacent coast and country" (DNB), one of the earliest proper surveys of the area. To survey the area, Tuckey also visited Tasmania, founding a settlement what would late become Hobart.Tuckey describes his voyage via the Cape Verde and Rio de Janeiro, commenting on the latter's trade (including slave trade), politics and population. They continued sailing to Tristan da Cunha and Cape Town (South Africa). They arrived at Port Phillip in February 1804. In the last chapter Tuckey describes the bay and the settlements around Port Jackson and Western Port. Included at the end is an appendix, consisting of a meteorological journal of Port Phillip, a section on different types of timber in New South Wales, and a section on the selection of convicts send to Australia and how to keep them healthy during the voyage.
Library copy. First few leaves with some minor stains, but otherwise good. Binding worn, spine damaged and front hinge cracked. DNB LVII, pp. 285-286; Howgego, 1800 to 1850, T22; Wantrup, Australian books, pp. 83-84, Cat. 22.