[Travel & Exploration] [Cook, Captain James] The Three Voyages of Captain James Cook

[Cook, Captain James]
The Three Voyages of Captain James Cook

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. Second edition. 4to. Illustrated with 52 engraved plates of maps, views, and elevations (most folding or double-page). Contemporary full tan calf, red and green morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, first volume rebacked with original spine laid down, spine ends on second volume restored, front and rear joints on third volume slightly worn; all edges trimmed; book-plate of Rev. William Goodall on front paste-down of each volume, small oval black morocco book-plate of “GNR” at top corner of same; illustrated book-plate of Samuel Alexander Cooke on front free endpaper of first and second volume; foxing on pp. 137-144, in first volume; title-page of third volume darkened. Sabin 30934

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, 1784. In two volumes. The Fourth Edition. 4to. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Cook by J. Basire after William Hodges, 63 engraved plates of maps, portraits, and views (many folding), and one folding table. Bound as above, front and rear joints of each volume slightly worn; book-plates of Goodall and Cooke in each volume, small oval red morocco book-plate of “GNR” in top corner of front paste-down in first volume; portrait of Cook trimmed along bottom with text partially excised; foxing, pp. 256-259 in second volume. Sabin 16245

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 three volumes (without atlas volume). The Second Edition. 4to. Illustrated with 24 engraved plates of maps and views (many folding). Bound as above, book-plates of Goodall and Cooke in each volume, small oval red morocco book-plate of “GNR” in top corner of front paste-down in first volume; front board of second volume starting, joints in other volumes slightly worn; repair in gutter of title-page in third volume; scattered minor spotting to text in second and third volume. Sabin 16250

A handsome set of Captain James Cook’s three voyages in the Pacific Ocean, bound in contemporary calf. Cook’s first voyage (1768-71) took him to Tahiti where he observed the Transit of Venus and mapped New Zealand and the east coast of Australia, resulting in their annexation by the British. His second voyage (1772-75) took him back to the Pacific in search of the “Great Southern Continent”, believed by some at the time to encircle the South Pole. The expedition circumnavigated the globe further south than had previously been accomplished and ruled out the existence of the continent. His ships were the first to cross the Antarctic Circle and along the way he charted several islands previously unrecorded by Europeans. His third and final voyage took him in search of the Northwest Passage, where he anchored at Hawaii (called by him the Sandwich Islands), and then explored further north, including the Alaskan coast, the Bering Strait, and then the Arctic Circle, traveling as far north as 70° 44´ N. Following Cook’s return south, he was killed in Hawaii, and the expedition was taken over by Charles Clerke and, following his death, John Gore. On their return to Great Britain, they sighted the coast of Japan, anchored in China, and circled the Cape of Good Hope.

William Goodall (1757–1844) was an English artist known for his detailed watercolor illustrations of birds and animals. He was educated at Eton and became an ordained priest of the Church of England.

Samuel Alexander Cooke (1937-2015) was a philanthropist and founder of the Manoa Heritage Center in Hawaii. Born in Honolulu, he was educated at Punahou School and Cornell University, and served on numerous foundation boards, including as founding chairman of the Board of Governors for the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, chairman of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and the Hawaii Community Foundation.