COOK'S THIRD VOYAGE.


COOK JAMES. 1728-1779; AND JAMES KING. A Voyage to The Pacific Ocean ... for Making Discoveries in The Northern Hemisphere. To Determine The Position and Extent of the West Side of North America; its Distance from Asia; and The Practicability of a Northern Passage to Europe. London: W. and A. Strahan, 1784. 3 volumes text plus atlas. 4to (293 x 226 mm) & Folio (551 x 411 mm). 85 engraved plates and maps, 2 large folding maps, and one folding table. Half calf and contemporary marbled boards, spine in six compartments, two of which are gilt-lettered, the others with gilt ship device, atlas volume in modern half calf over early boards, spine gilt. Light offset from some plates, a few stray faint spots, covers with light shelfwear, text volumes rebacked or with some repair to spine, some joints tender, brief dampstaining to top margin of final several plates in atlas volume.Provenance: after Neave (1731-1814, bookplates; Neave served as Governor of the Bank of England).FIRST EDITION of Cook's third voyage. This was Captain Cook's final voyage in which he made what he considered his most important discovery—the Hawaiian Islands, which he named the Sandwich Islands—and where he was killed in a skirmish. He also charted the Pacific coast from Northern California to the Bering Strait. The voyage was continued by Charles Clerke after Cook's death, and then, finally, by John Gore after Clerke's death. Forbes 62; Hill pp 61-62; Holmes 47; Howes C729a; Lada-Mocarski 37; Sabin 16250.