Beschreibung:

COOK, Captain James (1728-1779). Three Voyages, comprising: [FIRST VOYAGE] — John HAWKESWORTH (?1715-1779). An Account of the Voyages Undertaken ... for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere . London: 1773 — [SECOND VOYAGE] A Voyage towards the South Pole, and round the World. London: 1777 — [THIRD VOYAGE] COOK and James KING (c.1750-1784). 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 Practicality of a Northern Passage to Europe. London: 1784. Complete set of the first editions of Captain Cook’s Southern Hemisphere, South Pole, and Pacific Ocean voyages, including the famous ‘Death of Cook’ plate. 'Captain Cook's three great voyages form the basis for any collection of Pacific books. In [these] voyages Cook did more to clarify the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere than all his predecessors together had done. He was the first really scientific navigator, and his voyages made great contributions to many fields of knowledge' (Hill). Beddie 648, 1216, 1543; Hill 782, 358, 361; Holmes 5, 24, 361; Sabin 30934, 16245, 16250. Together 9 volumes, comprising 8 quarto text volumes (290 x 228mm), folio atlas for the third voyage (525 x 396mm). Engraved maps, charts, views and plates thus: first voyage 51 (without the plate of the ‘Streight of Magellan’ and the directions for the placing of the cuts, indicating an early issue); second voyage 64; third voyage 24 in the text vols and 2 charts and 62 plates in the atlas, including the rare ‘Death of Cook’ plate. The text volumes in contemporary speckled calf (rebacked to style with gilt spines), atlas in contemporary red half morocco, gilt spine (extremities rubbed). Provenance : P. Gell (armorial stencil on atlas flyleaf).