Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean and in Quest of a North-West Passage between Asia & American; Performed in the Years 1776 1777 1778 and 1779. Illustrated with a Chart shewing the Tracts of the Ships employed in this Expedition. Faithfully narrated from the original MS. of Mr. John Ledyard
17831851Hartford CT: Printed and sold by Nathaniel Patten 1783. First edition. Octavo in fours 6 5/8 x 4 3/8 inches; 169 x 111 mm. 1-208 pp. Map absent as is almost always the case see note. Contemporary full brown sheep. Red morocco spine label lettered in blind. Original stab holes present indicating that this copy was once in original wrappers with seemingly original endpapers. Boards with some rubbing and edges bumped. Inner hinges with some minor professional repairs. Date "1783" in blue ink on title-page. Front free endpaper with old ink notes. A bit of toning and staining however considerably clean and bright unusual for an American book of this period. In a custom oatmeal cloth clamshell. Overall a very good copy. <br/><br/>The first American book on the Northwest Coast and likely the first American book on Hawaii written by a significant figure in the history of American contact narratives in the South Seas. This edition "preceded publication of the official London narrative by more than a year. The author a corporal of the marines aboard the Resolution was one of several Americans on the voyage but the only one to publish an account. As all hands were ordered at Macao to ‘deliver up their journals and every writing remark or memorandum on pain of the severest punishment in case of concealment' for forwarding to the Admiralty. Ledyard relied in great part on a copy of the Rickman narrative in drawing up this account. He however includes details of the voyage not available elsewhere. The account of his stay at Hawaii including his inland expedition and the death of Captain Cook at Kealakekua Bay occupies 64 pages of the text" Forbes. An enthusiastic and detailed account of Cook's voyage.<br/><br/>Concerning the absence of the map we read in the Hawaiian National Bibliography: "The map is particularly rare and is almost always lacking even in otherwise very good copies. Due to the erratic nature of American printing of the period it may well be that the map was not produced until the work was well under way or that it cost extra to purchasers as some copes show no evidence that it was ever present as is the case with this copy. In the American Antiquarian Society copy the map is bound on a stub at page 161 the beginning of Part III. This appears to be added evidence that the map did not appear until the last part of the publication was issued" 44. <br/><br/>Evans 17998. Hawaiian National Bibliography 52. Hill I pp. 176-177. Sabin 39691. Lada-Mocarski 36. Kroepelin 717. Howes L-178. Printed and sold by Nathaniel Patten unknown books
Whitmore Rare Books · États-Unis17 500,00 $US≈ 14 806,75 €
