The Three Voyages of Captain James Cook

London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell in the Strand. H. Hughs for G. Nicol, Bookseller to His Majesty, in the Strand, 1785. 8 Volumes, 4to; Atlas, folio. Vols: (11 1/4 x 9 inches). Atlas: (22 x 16 inches). Contemporary tan calf paneled with gold floral tooling, spines elaborately decorated with gilt foliate in six compartments with raised bands, red morocco lettering-piece in second compartment with brown letter-piece in third compartment giving the years covered in each volume in gilt. Atlas bound to matching style in half-calf with contemporary marbled paper boards, spine in seven compartments with red morocco lettering-piece in second compartment and brown morocco lettering-piece in third compartment

Provenance: Bookplates of Rev. William Goodall, Samuel Alexander Cooke, and G. N. R.

A magnificent complete set of Cook's three voyages in eight volumes with very fine uniform original full calf bindings, paired with an unusually fine atlas.

"Captain Cook's three great voyages form the basis for any collection of Pacific books. In three voyages Cook did more to clarify the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere than all his predecessors had done together. He was the first really scientific navigator and his voyages made great contributions to many fields of knowledge." (Hill) The set comprises: An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and Successively Performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin, the Swallow, and the Endeavour. Vols. I-III. London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1773. Three volumes. Second edition. Vol. I: [12] [i]-xxxvi [12] [1]-456. 21 cuts. 516 pp. Title, Dedication, Contents, Introduction, Nautical Terms, Cuts Description, Cuts Placement, Preface, Byron, Wallis, Carteret, Compass Table. Vol. II: [i]-xiv [1]-410. 22 cuts. 424 pp. Title, Contents, Introduction, Cook's Voyage. Vol. III: [1]-395. 8 cuts. 395 pp. Title, Contents, Cook's Voyage. 51 engravings, folded maps, and charts. A classic work of exploration, this is the official account of Cook's first voyage commanding the Endeavour, edited from his journal by Hawkesworth. It also contains the official accounts of the voyages of Commodore John Byron (1723-1786), Captain Samuel Wallis (1728-1795), and Captain Philip Carteret (1733-1796). Cook herein travels to Tahiti where he observed the Transit of Venus, then mapped New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. [With] A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round the World. Performed in His Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775. Vols.I-II. London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell in the Strand. 1784. Two volumes. Fourth edition. Vol. I: [i]-xl [1]-378. 37 engraved plates. 418 pp. Frontispiece portrait by J. Basire after William Hodges, Title, Contents, Introduction, Plate List, Voyage Towards the South Pole. Vol. II: [8] [1]-396. 27 engraved plates. 404 pp. Title, Contents, Advertisement, A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Around the World. 64 engraved plates of maps, portraits, and views, many of which folding. "The voyage where Cook proved there was no 'Terra Australis' which supposedly lay between New Zealand and South America and was the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. This voyage produced a vast amount of information concerning the Pacific peoples and islands, proved the value of the chronometer as an aid in finding longitude, and improved techniques for preserving scurvy, in addition to the aforementioned discoveries." (Hill). [With:] 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. Vols. I-III and Atlas. London: Printed by H. Hughs; for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1785. In three volumes 4to with an atlas folio. Second Edition. Vol. I: [10] [i]-xcvi [1]-421. 7 engraved plates with the rest in the Atlas. 528 pp. Title, Contents, Introduction, To the Memory of Captain James Cook, List of the Plates with Directions for Placing Them, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Vol. II: [14] [1]-548. 11 engraved plates with rest in Atlas. 562 pp. Title, Contents, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Vol. III: [14] [1]-556. 6 engraved plates with the rest in the Atlas. 570 pp. Title, Contents, Appendix, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Appendices I-VII. Atlas: 63 engraved plates including 2 fold-out maps. Cook's third and final voyage was a search for the Northwest Passage, during which he anchored in Hawaii, explored the Alaskan coast, the Bering Strait, and the Arctic Circle. On his southerly return, Cook was killed in Hawaii. The expedition was then taken over by Charles Clerke, and following Clerke's death, John Gore. While en transit back to the UK, the voyagers sighted Japan, anchored in China, and circled the Cape of Good Hope. Provenance: William Goodall (1757-1844), Lord of the manor, Dinton Hall, Buckinghamshire, and an English artist known for his detailed watercolor illustrations of birds and animals.

Beddie 648-50, 1216-7, 1543, 1552. Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography, 62, 85. Hill 358, 361, 782-3. Holmes 5, 24, 47A. Howes C729a. Howgego I C174. Jenks, The Great Events, Vol XVII, p.238. Kroepelien, 535. Lada-Mocarski 37. Mitchell Library, Cook, 648. O'Reilly, Tahiti, 433. Printing and the Mind of Man 223 (Second voyage). Rosove 77 (Second voyage). Sabin 16245, 16250, 30934. Spence 314.