Beschreibung:

Title: Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage, to the Pacific Ocean, on Discovery: Performed in the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779 and 1780. Illustrated with Cuts, and a Chart, Shewing the Tracks of the Ships Employed in this Expedition Author: [Rickman, John] Place: London Publisher: Printed for E. Newbery Date: 1785 Description: [8], lvii, [1] pp. With 10 copper-engraved plates including the folding frontispiece; folding copper-engraved map. (8vo) 8x5, period calf. Enlarged and revised edition of John Rickman's rare first-hand account of James Cook's final, fateful voyage of discovery the Pacific. The 1781 first edition was, as noted by David Forbes, "The first full acount in English of Cook's Third Voyage, published anonymously to avoid legal action by the Admiralty. The author, John Rickman, was a second lieutenant aboard the Discovery (being discharged to the Resolution on August 23, 1779)." Although all personal diaries of the expedition were ordered turned over to Captain King, and searches and seizures of such journals took place under orders of the Admiralty, Rickman was able to secretly retain his journal, which formed the basis for this text. Forbes states that "It provides an important supplement to the official account of the Third Voyage published in 1784." This edition is "An entirely re-edited version..., expanded and altered in many details to conform with the official London 1784 account..." It maintained its anonymous nature, and it was not until 1921 that Rickman was firmly established by the author. Of the ten plates in this edition, three were present in the first edition (including the folding plate of Captain Cook's death used as the frontispiece); the other seven are copied, in reduced scale, from the plates in the official account. The map differs from that of the first edition. With ink ownership signature of Jane Vanderlyn(?) at top of title-page. Forbes 106; (Hill p.253); Holmes 53; Howes R276; (Streeter 3474). Lot Amendments Condition: Front cover detached, as are the flyleaves, half-title and frontispiece; frontispiece torn in two along fold, crudely restitched with thread, no significant loss; map worn, creased spotted, torn along several folds with loss, a number of holes, old paper repair on vero; pp. 219-20 detached, gutter margin torn off but present affecting text, attached to preceding plate with paper-clip, some foxing and aging within, fair to good copy, but a rare and important book worthy of restoration. Sold as is. Item number: 151842