1777 1ed Captain James Cook 2nd Voyage MAPS Tahiti Antarctica Arctic COMPLETE 3v
"Remember, the greater the opportunity, the fewer are those who see it."
– James Cook
James Cook was an 18th-century British explorer known for these three major world voyages. His second voyage, which was supported by the British government, was set out to circumnavigate the world by means of going as far south as possible. This voyage, which is significantly less reported on than his third and final voyage, took Cook to locations such as Easter Island, Tahiti, and the Arctic Circle – Cook became the first to cross the Arctic Circle. Perhaps the most important discovery from this voyage was proving that no continent existed between New Zealand and South America – a common theory amongst centuries of European navigators and historians.
This complete first edition is an exceptional work! It is supplemented with 63 engravings, some double-page and folding, depicting his adventures in the Southern hemisphere.
Hill states,
"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."
According to Lowndes,
"This account of the second voyage of Capt. Cook is chiefly devoted to the description of scientific and philosophical subjects."
Per 'Printing and the Mind of Man',
"Cook earned his place in history by opening up the Pacific to western civilization and by the foundation of British Australia. The world was given for the first time an essentially complete knowledge of the Pacific Ocean and Australia, and Cook proved once and for all that there was no great southern continent, as had always been believed. He also suggested the existence of Antarctic land in the southern ice ring, a fact which was not proved until the explorations of the nineteenth century."
Item number: #8761
Price: $5500
COOK, James
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. Written by James Cook, commander of the resolution. In which is included, Captain Furneaux's narrative of his proceedings in the adventure during the separation of the ships. In two volumes. Illustrated with maps and charts, and a variety of portraits of persons and views of places, drawn during the voyage by Mr. Hodges, and engraved by the most eminent masters.
London: Printed for W. Strahan; And T. Cadell in the Strand, MDCCLXXVII. [1777]. First edition. 1st printing
Details:
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Collation: Complete with all pages; 3 volumes
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Vol 1 – xxxvi, 378
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Vol 2 – [8], 396
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63 engraved plates in atlas tome
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References: Sabin 25130, Sabin 16245; Hill 358/p,123; Lowndes 820; PMM 223
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First edition notes:
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'List of the Plates' page – no notice of note for plate xxiv. This note appears in editions following the first.
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"At the foot of the first page of the List of Plates (p. xxxvii) is a note regarding the plate of a plant used by the Tahitians to catch fish by intoxicating them (pl. XXIV); this note does not appear in the first edition." - Catalogue (Gaston no. 359).
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Our example is the TRUE 1st edition
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Language: English
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Binding: Leather; tight & secure
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Size: ~11.5in X 9.5in (29.5cm x 24cm)
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Extremely rare and desirable with auction records and price comparisons at $10,000+
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8761