Includes a First-Hand Account of the Death of Capt. Cook
A Chronological History of the North-Eastern Voyages of Discovery; and of the Early Eastern Navigations of the Russians.
London: Payne & Foss ... and John Murray, 1819.
Price: $6,000.00
About the item
First edition. Two engraved folding maps. viii, 310pp. Uncut on two sides. 8vo. Contemporary tree calf, black morocco label, marbled endpapers, nicely rebacked. Scattered very minor foxing. Provenance: Alexander Waddell (signature, likely 1789-1827, of Hermitage Hill, astronomer, F.R.S.E.); Frederick E. Ellis (bookplate). Forbes 491; Hill 223; Holmes 82; Howes B1001; Mitchell Cook 1657-8; Sabin 9386; Streeter sale 3510. Not in Lada-Mocarski.
Item #371678
"Burney, who had sailed with Cook on his Second Voyage, was also on the Third Voyage. The text includes Burney's own account of Cook's return to Hawaii in 1778-1779, Cook's altercations with the Hawaiians and his death. He quotes from his own journals and discusses several points not found in other printed narratives" (Forbes).
The work, in many ways supplemental to Burney's five-volume History of the Discoveries in the South Seas, focusses on the discoveries and voyages made by all the main maritime nations in the North East Arctic regions, with much of the author's earlier research into Russian discoveries. Illustrated with two maps of the north coast of Asia and Barents Sea, the work includes accounts on the northwest coast of America and the passage through the Bering Strait.
This example with early provenance to Alexander Waddell, FRSE (1789-1827) a Scottish astronomer and inventor of optical devices.
