Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken, by the command of His Majesty, for making discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. Performed under the direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, and Gore, in His Majesty’s ships the Resolution and Discovery; in the years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. In three volumes. Vol. I. and II. written by Captain James Cook, F.R.S. Vol. III. by Captain James King, LL.D. and F.R.S. Published by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. The Second Edition.
London: Printed by H. Hughs, for G. Nicol, 1785.
An Exhibition Set of the Second and Best Edition of Cook's Third Voyage with Atlas
[COOK, Captain James]. [KING, Captain James]. A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken, by the command of His Majesty, for making discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. Performed under the direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, and Gore, in His Majesty’s ships the Resolution and Discovery; in the years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. In three volumes. Vol. I. and II. written by Captain James Cook, F.R.S. Vol. III. by Captain James King, LL.D. and F.R.S. Published by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. The Second Edition. London: Printed by H. Hughs, for G. Nicol, 1785.
Second edition. Complete. Three quartos volumes. (11 3/4 x 9 1/8 inches; 298 x 231 mm) plus large folio atlas volume (21 3/4 x 15 15/16 inches; 552 x 405 mm.). Three volumes: [10, prelims], xcvi, 421, [1, blank]; [14, prelims], 548; [14, prelims], 556 pp. Three text volumes with twenty-four engraved plates and charts (thirteen of which are folding) and appendix with 1 folding letterpress table facing p. 528 in Volume III. Title-pages with engraved medallion vignettes. Atlas with the remaining 63 large plates and charts. The two charts in the atlas are folding. Bound in alongside the atlas plates are twenty full-page manuscript descriptions of plates in a contemporary hand. Twenty-one plates are described on twenty sheets. No doubt this set was kept or exhibited at a museum or a library. According to Forbes, this second edition was "printed by H. Hughs rather than by W. and A. Strahan, with the wording of the title page altered and the three-volume text completely reset. A distinguishing feature of the second quarto edition is the addition of engraved vignettes of the Royal Society Medal to the title pages. Volume I has Cook in profile, and Volume II has the verso of the same medal. The Volume III title has an oval medallion portrait of Captain King... The second edition of Cook's Third Voyage is considered typographically superior to the first edition."
The first two volumes of this narrative were written by Captain James Cook. The third volume was written by Captain James King, after Cook died during the voyage.
Three volumes in contemporary speckled calf. Volumes appear to be rebacked, but the repair is invisible. Boards tooled in gilt Spines with red and green morocco spine labels, lettered in gilt. Spines elaborately stamped in gilt. Gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges speckled brown. Board edges and corners slightly rubbed and bumped. Previous owner's bookplate in front pastedown of each volume. Some minor toning from plates and a bit of foxing. Atlas is bound in early cloth boards, rebacked in half calf. Red and black morocco spine labels, lettered in gilt. Boards tooled in blind, spine stamped in gilt. All edges dyed brown. Two previous owner's contemporary bookplates and an early ownership signature on front pastedown. Approximately twelve plates in the atlas with marginal tears professionally repaired, not touching the engravings. Plates 38 and 65 with repaired tears that touch engravings, but with no loss. Both folding maps in the Atlas with some reinforcement repairs to backsides, no loss. Plate 77 is trimmed and mounted on newer paper, no loss. Some very light occasional dampstaining to Atlas margins, but generally very clean. Overall a very good, attractive set.
"The famous accounts of Captain Cook's three voyages form the basis for any collection of Pacific books. In three great voyages Cook did more to clarify the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere than all his predecessors had done together. He was really the first scientific navigator and his voyages made great contributions to many fields of knowledge" (Hill).
"Cook's third voyage was organized to seek the Northwest Passage...Officers of the crew included William Bligh, James Burney, James Colnett and George Vancouver....the expedition sailed north and discovered Christmas Island and the Hawaiian Islands, which Cook named the Sandwich Islands. Cook charted the American west coast from Northern California through the Bering Strait as far north as latitude 70 degrees, 44 minutes before he was stopped by pack ice. He returned to Hawaii for the winter and was killed in an unhappy skirmish with the natives over a boat. Charles Clarke took command and after he died six months later, the ships returned to England under John Gore... This voyage resulted in what Cook judged his most valuable discovery- the Hawaiian Islands" (Hill, p. 62).
"Captain James Cook was the most intrepid and resourceful navigator of the century, if not of all time. Thoughtful of the health of his men, just in his dealings with the natives, and strict in his discipline, he most amply justifed the Admiralty in their choice of him as commander of the three voyages that go under his name" (Cox, p. 57).
Hill 361. Mitchell Library Cook 1543; Sabin 16250. (regarding 1st Edition); Forbes 62.
HBS 68797.
$26,500.
Price: $26,500.00
Item #68797