Beschreibung:

COOK, James, Capt. -- [SECOND VOYAGE]. 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: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777. First edition of Cook’s second voyage. After the success of his first voyage, the Admiralty sent Cook on a second expedition to investigate the globe as far south as possible. He made the first crossing of the Antarctic Circle, dispelled the myth of Terra Australis and surveyed his new discoveries: Palmerston Island, Niue, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ‘This voyage produced a vast amount of information concerning the Pacific peoples and islands, proved the value of the chronometer as an aid to finding longitude, and improved techniques for preventing scurvy’ (Hill). Beddie 1216; Hill 358; Holmes 24; PMM 223; Sabin 16245. 2 volumes, quarto (290 x 230mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait of the author, 63 engraved plates and charts, many of which folding, folding letterpress table (very occasional light spotting, 70mm repaired tear in chart of the Southern Hemisphere, minor repair in chart of discoveries made in the South Pacific ocean, marginal chip in 2B2 of vol. II). Contemporary diced russia, covers with gilt roll-tooled borders (expertly rebacked to style using 18th-century diced russia to match, gilt spines, gilt morocco labels; ring mark on upper cover of vol. II). Provenance : ‘From Mr Gibbon’ (early inscription on titles) – Rollo (bookplate).