Heading:
Author: Cook, James and James King
Title: 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. Performed under the Direction of Captains Cook, Clerk, and Gore, in his Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Discovery, In the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780
Place Published: London
Publisher:Printed by W. and A. Strahan for G. Nicol and T. Cadell
Date Published: 1784
Description:

Three volumes. [8], xcvi, 421; [12], 549; [12], 558, + [1] ad pp. Illustrated with 24 copper-engraved maps, charts and profile views (13 folding) and a folding letterpress table. (4to) 28.5x22 cm. (11¼x8¾"), period calf, raised spine bands, gilt spines with morocco title and numbering labels, marbled endpapers. First Edition.

With the decorative bookplates of Robert Hammond Elwes and Tho. Wakeham. First edition of Cook's third voyage, in which the Sandwich Islands [now Hawaiian Islands] are discovered. Cook would be killed by the initially friendly natives of Hawaii. Also, in Cook's search for the Northwest Passage, he surveyed the straits between Asia and America and ascertained the proximity between them, and there is much information on the northwest coast of North America, Alaska, Kamchatka, and other northern climes. The first two volumes were the work of Cook himself, the third was completed by Captain James King. The publication of this official account was much delayed, and, according to Holmes, "it was so eagerly awaited by the public that it was sold out on the third day after publication". Forbes declares the work to be "arguably the single most important book on the Hawaiian Islands" which "documents all aspects of Hawaiian culture at the point of discovery by Europeans. It is a magnificent summation of all the public and private journals, logs, drawings, and other observations made during the course of the voyage and is as important a record of the exploration of the North Pacific as Cook's first two voyages had been for the South Pacific." Forbes 62; Holmes 47; Howes C729a; Lada-Mocarski 37; Sabin 16250.

Wear and fading to bindings, rubbing to extremities, corners worn, some chips to heads and heels of spines, joint and hinge to top board on vol. 3 cracked, others starting; interiors solid with light scattered foxing, some toning and offsetting to plates; overall very good.