A Fine Collection of American Literature and History

A Complete Set of Captain James Cook's Famous Voyages

"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 the first really scientific navigator and his voyages made great contributions to many fields of knowledge." (Hill, p. 61)

Hawkesworth, John
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...
London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1773. In three volumes. First edition. 4to. Illustrated with 52 engraved plates (most folding or double-page); with the Maps of the Straight of Magellan, Chart of Part of the South Seas, and Chart of the Coast of New South Wales bound in the atlas volume. With binder's directions at rear. Quarto volumes bound in old three-quarter speckled brown calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red and green morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, rebacked with original spines laid down, extremities and boards rubbed, spines dry; speckled red edges; some scattered light foxing to text; light offsetting from plates; a few small repairs to plate folds. Contemporary ownership signature of Adam Keir, Jr., at top of title-page of each volume. Sabin 30934; Hill, p. 139

First edition of Captain James Cook's first voyage. "The first voyage under Captain Cook's command on the Endeavour was primarily of a scientific nature. The expedition was to sail to Tahiti in order to observe the transit of Venus across the disk of the sun, to determine the earth's distance from the sun, and also to carry on the geographical discovery that John Byron had started. Entering the Pacific around Cape Horn, Cook reached Tahiti in 1769 and carried out the necessary astronomical observations. Excellent relations with the Tahitians were maintained, and ethnological and botanical work by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel C. Solander was accomplished. Leaving Tahiti in July, Cook discovered, named, and charted the Society Islands, and then, heading southwest, explored New Zealand, which resulted in a circumnavigation in a figure eight, and a detailed survey of the country. Cook then headed towards Australia and discovered and charted the eastern coast for 2,000 miles, naming the area New South Wales. He nearly lost his ship on the Great Barrier Reef. Both Australia and New Zealand were annexed by Britain as a result of this voyage which began in 1768 and ended in 1771. Cook had charted upwards of 5,000 miles of coastline under great difficulties. The Endeavour reached England without a single death from scurvy--an historic feat. Cook's discoveries won him prominence, promotion, and the opportunity to sail again." (Hill, p. 139)

Together with:

Cook, James
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...
London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1779. In two volumes. Third edition. 4to. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Cook, 63 engraved plates (many folding), and one folding table; with the Chart of the Southern Hemisphere and Chart of the Southern Extremity of America bound in atlas volume. Bound as above, rebacked with original spines laid down, boards and extremities rubbed, spines dry; scattered light foxing to text and plates; offsetting from plates; some plate edges trimmed close. Sabin 16245; Hill, p. 61 (first edition)

"The success of Cook's first voyage led the Admiralty to send him on a second expedition which was to circumnavigate the globe as far south as possible in search of any southern continents. Cook proved that there was no 'Terra Australis' which supposedly lay between New Zealand and South America but became convinced that there must be land beyond the ice fields. The men of this expedition became the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. Further visits were made to New Zealand and on two great sweeps Cook made an astonishing series of discoveries and rediscoveries including Easter Island, the Marquesas, Tahiti and the Society Islands, Niue, the Tonga Islands, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, and a number of smaller islands. Rounding Cape Horn, on the last part of the voyage, Cook discovered and charted South Georgia, after which he called at Cape Town, St. Helena and Ascension, and the Azores." (Hill, p. 61).

Together with:

Cook, James, and James King
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...
London: Printed by H. Hughs; for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1785. In four volumes including atlas. Second edition. Three 4to volumes and one elephant folio atlas. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Cook in first and third volumes, 24 engraved plates (several folding) and one folding table in 4to volumes, and 64 plates in the atlas volume (some folding), including The Death of Captain Cook (not called for). Bound as above, rebacked with original spines laid down, joints, boards, and extremities rubbed, upper and lower joints of first and second volumes slightly split, spines dry; scattered light to moderate foxing in text volumes. Atlas volume bound in three-quarter tan calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red and green morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, calf unevenly sunned; all edges trimmed; moderate to heavy foxing, toning, and offsetting in atlas volume; chip, bottom left corner of plate 16; one-inch open tear in bottom edge, plate 39; bottom edge plate 40 unevenly trimmed; plate 61 mounted and repaired; dampstaining in fore-edge of final 14 plates. Sabin 16250; Hill, p. 61-62

"Cook's third voyage was organized to seek the Northwest Passage and to return Omai to Tahiti...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° 44' 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. Despite hostilities with the United States and France, the scientific nature of this expedition caused the various governments to exempt these vessels from capture." (Hill, p. 62).