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COOK, Captain James, & Captain James King.
A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean.
Undertaken By The Command Of His Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere …Performed under the Direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, and Gore, In His Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Discovery. In the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780.
First Dublin edition of Cook's fatal third voyage, another attempt to find a north-west passage, during which he "discovered" Oahu and Kauai at the western end of the Hawaiian Islands, and, more importantly, "depicted accurately for the first time the north-west coast of America, leaving no major discoveries for his successors. In addition the scientific discoveries in the fields of natural history and ethnology were considerable and the drawings made by the artists were of great significance. There are numerous statues and monuments to Cook in many parts of the world … but the best memorial to him is the present-day map of the Pacific, which he did so much to shape" (ODNB). The voyage culminated in tragedy with Cook's death in a meaningless skirmish on a Hawaiian beach, but the Hawaiian survey was completed in spite of this. Clerke then sailed once more for the Arctic in an unsuccessful attempt to complete Cook's instructions, in spite of the fact that he was dying of tuberculosis. Clerke died in sight of Kamchatka and it was left to John Gore to bring the expedition safely back to England.
3 volumes octavo (206 × 118 mm) contemporary streaked calf, red and green labels to the spines, flat spines densely gilt with a repeated cinquefoil and ribbon motif, rebacked with the original spines laid down. Portrait frontispiece, 2 folding maps, 24 folding charts and plates, folding language comparison table. Contemporary armorial bookplates of Standish Grady of Grange, Co. Limerick, to front pastedowns. A little rubbed, one folding plate repaired, some light browning, but a highly attractive set.
