The China Pilot. Part 1. East Coast from Hong Kong to Shanghai, Chiefly from the Surveys of Captain Collinson, R.N., C.B. edited by Robert Loney - together with - Large Folio atlas containing 25 large double-page Admiralty Charts - Captain Richard Collinson, Robert Loney 1855 - Published by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, Printed for the Hydrographic Office - First Edition, Charts as Detailed The China Pilot contains sailing directions for the East Coast of China from Hong Kong to Shanghai, including the Meiaco-sima, Loochoo, and the islands to the north-east of them. The work was originally drawn up by Captain Collinson, C.B. from surveys of that coast made by himself, Captain Kellett, C.B. and Lieutenants Bate and Gordon, R.N., between the years 1841-5, and the appendix from surveys of Captain F.W. Beechey, Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., Rear Admiral Cecille, and the officers of the French Corvette La Sabine, and the United States Japanese Expedition, 1851-3.

Together with a large finely bound folio atlas containing 25 charts (ten are double page), published between 1840 and 1860. Of which 22 are British Admiralty charts including those of the First Survey of the China Coast by Collinson and Kellett. The remaining three are French Charts.
  There was no ‘Part II’ of The China Pilot published, but a second edition this time simply titled ’The China Pilot’ was published in 1858, and included the rest of the coast northward, as well as the coasts of Korea and Japan to the Russian Sea of Okhotsk which touches the Northern tip of Japan (full title: The China Pilot. The coasts of China and Tartary, from Canton River to the Sea of Okhotsk; with the adjacent islands. Compiled from various sources, but chiefly from the surveys of Captain Collinson, R. N., C. B. Second edition. (Revised by J. W. King [pp. xi 338. London].

Admiral Sir Richard Collinson (1811-83) entered the Navy at the age of 12. He was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1835 and in September of that year was appointed to the Sulpher, surveying vessel, in the Pacific, Ocean under Captains Frederick Beechey (1796-1856) and Edward Belcher.

He was promoted to commander in 1841 and the following year was appointed to the Plover, and with the aid of Lt. Henry Kellett in HMS Starling, surveying vessel, in which he made the first survey of the China coast. He remained in the Plover until 1846, having been promoted to Captain in 1842, he remained in China for a further four years, surveying the coast from Zhoushan to Hong Kong before returning to England in 1846 for an extended period of leave.

Collinson is known chiefly for his voyage of 1850 to 1855 in the Enterprise, during which he spent three years exploring the Arctic beyond Point Barrow in a fruitless search for Sir John Franklin and his ships the Erebus and Terror. It was, however, his second-in-command, Robert McClure , who went ahead in the Investigator, who, while equally unsuccessful in the Franklin search, achieved the transit of the North West Passage, the goal of British Arctic exploration since Elizabethan times; though losing his ship in the process, he received the major share of public acclaim. Collinson was annoyed that his work had not received more attention and that he was not given any official reward. He never again applied for employment under the Admiralty, although he attained his flag in 1862, became vice-admiral in 1869 and an admiral on the retired list in 1875 He was also an active member of the Royal Geographical Society.

The Charts, all marked XVII (with the exception of map 13 and 20, marked XVI, and the three French maps) indicating they were from a British Navy chart box:
1. The Chusan Archipelago. South Sheet. Surveyed By Comms. Collinson, 1844. (68 x 50 cm) London, 19th Nov. 1849. Chart No. 1429 [Ref: Cordier 151]

2.
Chusan Archipelago. North Sheet. Surveyed by Commander R. Collinson, 1844. (68 x 50 cm) London, 19th Nov. 1849. Chart No. 1969 [Ref: Cordier 153]

3.
The Chusan Islands, (South Sheet) Surveyed by Commd. Collinson, 1841. (68 x 50 cm) London, 9th April 1842. Chart No. 1429 [Ref: Cordier 151]

4.
The Chusan Islands, (North Sheet) Surveyed by Commder R. Collinson, 1841. (68 x 50 cm) London, 9th April 1842. Chart No. 1428.

5.
China Sheet V. Eastern Coast from Port Matheson to Ragged Point, Surveyed by Capt. Kellett and Collinson, R.N. 1843. (68 x 100 cm) London, 15th Aug. 1846. Chart No. 1761 [Ref: Cordier 149]

6.
China Sheet VI. Eastern Coast from Ragged Point to Pih-Ki-Shan, Surveyed by Capt. Kellett and Collinson, R.N. 1843. (68 x 50 cm) London, 30th July 1846. Chart No. 1754 [Ref: Cordier 151]

7.
China Sheet VII. Eastern Coast from Pih-Ki-Shan to the Hie-Shan Islands, Surveyed by Capt. Kellett and Collinson, R.N. 1843. (68.5 x 50 cm) London, 1st Aug. 1849. Chart No. 1759 [Ref: Cordier 151]

8.
China Sheet VIII. Eastern Coast. Hie Shan Islands to the Yang-Tse-kiang, Including the Chusan Islands, Surveyed by Capt. Kellett and Collinson, R.N. 1843. (68.5 x 100 cm) London, 3rd Oct. 1846. Chart No. 1199 [Ref: Cordier 151]

9.
Chapoo Road by Commander Kellett and R. Collinson, 1842. (28 x 33 cm) London, 21st Feb. 1843. Chart No. 1453 [Ref: Cordier 153]

10.
China East Coast. The River Min from the Entrance to the Pagoda Anchorage, Surveyed by Captain Kellett, R.N. CB, 1843. (68.5 x 50 cm) London, 4th May 1849. Chart No. 1593.

11.
River Min. From the Entrance to Fuchaufu, Surveyed by Captain Kellett, Collinson, and Mr. J. Richards, R.N. 1843, 1854. (68.5 x 100 cm. With inset map of Kinpai Pass) London, 4th May 1855. Chart No. 1593 [See China Pilot page 214]

12.
Yung-Kiang River, surveyed by Commd. R. Collinson and Lieut. W. T. Bate, R.N. 1841. (68.5 x 100 cm) London, 18th June 1844. Chart No. 1592 [Ref: Cordier 153]

13.
The Yung River, From the Mouth of the River to Ning-Po, Surveyed by Commd. R. Collinson and Lieut. W. T. Bate, R.N. 1841, Corrected to 1849. (68.5 x 100 cm) London, 1849. Chart No. 1592 [Ref: Cordier 153]

14.
China East Coast. Entrance of the River Han, Surveyed by Capt. R. Collinson, R.N. 1844, Additions by R. Christie 1856. (68.5 x 51.5) London, 4th Dec. 1860. Chart No. 2789 [Ref: Cordier 147]

15.
China East Coast. Kintang Channel, Surveyed by Capt. R. Collinson, R.N. CB. 1840-43. (68 x 51.5 cm) London, 15th Oct. 1846. Chart No. 1770 [Ref: Cordier 153]

16.
China East Coast. Kintang Channel (State 2), Surveyed by Capt. Collinson, R.N. CB. 1840-43. (68 x 51.5) London, 15th Oct. 1849. Chart No. 1770 [Ref: Cordier 153]

17.
Mi-A-Tau Strait and Che-Fow Harbour in the Gulf of Pe-Chili. From a M.S. Sketch found among the papers of the late John Jackson who was Master of H.M.S. Lion during the Earl of Macartney's Embassy to China, It differs so much from the Plans of Capt. D. Ross of the Bombay Marine that it has been thought fit to publish it unaltered. (33 x 42.5 cm) London, 14th April 1840. Chart No. 1260 [Ref: Cordier 155]

18.
Approach to the River Pei-Ho and the Sha-Lui-Tien Banks, by George Norsworthy, Master of H.M.S. Pylades, 1840. (49 x 68.5 cm) London, 18th June 1841. Chart No. 1391.

19.
Namquan Harbour, Surveyed by Capt. R. Collinson, 1846. (67.5 x 50 cm) London, 2nd Feb. 1850. Chart No. 1980 [Ref: Cordier 151]

20.
China East Coast. Hae-Tan Strait, Surveyed by Captains Kellett and Collinson, 1843. (67 x 100 cm) London, 20th Feb. 1850. Chart No. 1985 [Ref: Cordier 149]

21.
China East Coast. Hooetow and Chimmo Bays, Surveyed by Capt. R. Collinson, R.N. 1843. (67 x 50 cm) London, 4th Sep. 1849 . Chart No. 1959 [Ref: Cordier 149]

22.
The Kweshan Islands, Surveyed by Comm'd R. Collinson, 1841. (67.5 x 49.5 cm) London, 6th July 1842. Chart No. 1421.

No. 23 and 24, Illustrate the surveys of two ports on the Japanese Loo Choo Islands (also known as Ryuku Islands and Nansei Shoto). These surveys were made on the order of the French Admiral Cecille, Commander of the French Fleet in the China Seas to the Hydrographers J. de la Roche-Poncie and J. Delbalat on board the French Corvetts 'Sabine' to survey the Ports of Nafa (Napha) and Ounting (Oonting or Port Melville) on the Japanese Archipelago Lou Tchou (Loo Choo).

23.
Plan de la Rade et du Port de Nafa (Archipel Lou-Tchou) Levé en Mai 1846, Par Ordre de Mr. Le Contree-Amiral Cecille, Commandant la Division Navale des mers de l'Inde et de la Chine, Par MM. J. de la Roche-Poncie, Ingenieur Hydrographe, X. Estignard et J. Delbalat, Sous- Ingenieurs, a bord de la Covette la Sabine, Commandie par Mr. N. Guerin, Capitaine de Vasseau, Depot-General de la Marine, 1848. (67.5 x 100 cm). . Chart No. 1175 (the number 4593 written in pencil) [Ref: Cordier 165]

24.
Plan du Port de Ounting (Archipel Lou-Tchou) Levé en Juin 1846, Par Ordre de Mr. Le Contree-Amiral Cecille, Commandant la Division Navale des mers de l'Inde et de la Chine, Par MM. J. de la Roche-Poncie, Ingenieur Hydrographe, X. Estignard et J. Delbalat, Sous-Ingenieurs, a bord de la Covette la Sabine, Commandie par Mr. N. Guerin, Capitaine de Vasseau, Depot-General de la Marine, 1848. (67.5 x 100 cm). Chart No. 1176 (the number 6409 written in pencil) [Ref: Cordier 165]

25.
Japon. Détroit de Sangar, Copie de la Carte Levée en 1855 par M. John Richards, Commandant Assiste des Officers du Saracen de la Marine Royale Anglaise, 1860. (67 x 52 cm). Chart No. 1867. - a French printed chart of the Strait of Tsugaru of Siebold and the port of Hakodadi (Hakodate, Hokkaido) from an original survey made by Captain John Richards, R. N. British admiralty Hydrographer and Commander of the 'Saracen' who had surveyed the S.W. coast of Taiwan (Formosa).

References: Cordier
Bibliotheca Sinica [163] only notes the 1864 4th edition of The China Pilot, as compiled by Staff Commander John W. King. Nothing in Cordier under Collingwood, but for references to the maps see collier 143 onwards and chart specific notes above.

The China Pilot - Royal octavo (23.2 x 15 cm) pp. vi [2] 234 [2]. In publisher’s pale blue card wrappers, text in black to the front panel and enclosed in black double fillet border, spine rebacked in matching colour paper. Folio of Admiralty Charts East Coast China (70 x 55 cm) containing 25 charts.
  Large folio, bound in later half maroon morocco over marbled boards, gilt morocco title label on upper board, matching marbled endpapers.   Condition: Near fine, some toning to pages, blue paper spine replaced. Charts mostly in fine condition, small number with a modicum of faint spotting, folio binding fine.   Ref: 108427   Price: HK$ 220,000