Captain James Cook (1728-1779)

Lot 204
09.12.2020 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 4 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 470223
Lot 204 | Captain James Cook (1728-1779)
Estimate value
£ 4 000 – 6 000
Captain James Cook (1728-1779)

Cook's Third Voyage. 1784

COOK, James (1728-1779) and KING, James (c.1750-1784). A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken by the Command of his Majesty for making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. London: W. and A. Strahan for G. Nichol, 1784.



The first edition of Cook's third voyage, describing his final mission and death. With orders to seek the Northwest Passage, and return Omai to Tahiti, Cook set sail again in the Resolution for the final time. 'This voyage resulted in what Cook judged his most valuable discovery – the Hawaiian islands' (Hill). After charting the American West coast from California to the Bering Strait, where he was stopped by the pack ice, Cook returned to Hawaii to overwinter. The legendary captain was killed during an ill-advised attempt to kidnap Kalani'opu'u-a-Kaiamamao as part of a disagreement over a boat. This set has particualrly wide margins. Beddie 153; Hill 361; Holmes 47.



Four volumes, comprising 3 vols of quarto text (295 x 230mm) and folio atlas (575 x 420mm). 87 engraved maps, charts, plates and views, 14 of which folding, folding letterpress table of world languages (without the rare 'Death of Cook' only found in a few copies, atlas volume with a few very minor marginal tears and occasional scattered spotting, text vols with some offsetting to text from plates and some light scattered spotting and browning). Text volumes in contempoary polished calf, flat spines ruled in gilt with red morocco gilt lettering pieces (extremities lightly rubbed), atlas in contemporary half calf over marbled-paper covered boards (rebacked, preserving original spine, extremities rubbed).

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