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The Northwest Part of America:
The Library of John M. Steinbrugge
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Item Details
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| Heading: |
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| 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: |
London |
| Publisher: |
Printed by W. and A. Strahan for G. Nicol and T. Cadell |
| Date: |
1784 |
| Item # : |
148740 |
| Description: |
| Three text volumes and Atlas volume. Text Volumes: [8], xcvi, 421, [3 blank]; [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) 11¾x9, period calf ruled in gilt, rebacked with modern calf, raised spine bands, morocco lettering pieces, marbled endpapers. Atlas: With 2 folding charts (of the world and of the coasts of Northwestern America and Northeastern Asia) and 61 copper-engraved plates, mostly after J. Webber. 22x16¼, later half calf & mottled boards, morocco lettering pieces. Together, 4 volumes. First Edition. |
| 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. 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." He further notes that twelve of the plates in the atlas relate to Hawaii, as do two of the charts in the text volumes. Forbes 62; Holmes 47; Howes C729a; Lada-Mocarski 37; Sabin 16250. |
| Condition: |
| Normal rubbing to covers, corners showing on the text volumes; some foxing and offsetting to the charts, plates and adjacent pages in the text volumes, Vol. I title-page creased, rear ad leaf and endpaper of Vol. III detached; Atlas with folding charts a bit foxed and soiled, wear along creases, only a few instances of light foxing or mostly marginal soiling to the plates, Plates 23, 25 & 33 with short marginal tears, otherwise in very good or better condition, the plates in the Atlas quite clean overall with nice, clear impressions. |
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| Sale Number |
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287 |
| Lot Number |
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165 |
| Sale Name |
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| Fine & Rare Books including Travel & Exploration |
| Sale Date |
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06/10/2004 |
| Price realized |
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$ 13800 |
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