Complete set of the three voyages.

A complete set of the official accounts of Cook's three Pacific voyages, the second voyage in the first edition, the first and third voyages in the often-preferred second editions. "Captain Cook's three great voyages form the basis for any collection of Pacific books. In three voyages Cook did more to clarify the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere than all his predecessors had done together. He was the first really scientific navigator and his voyages made great contributions to many fields of knowledge" (Hill). His contributions to the advancement of knowledge were widely recognized in his own time. Cook's many discoveries resulted in British claims in Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, the last of which he regarded as his most valuable discovery but where he met his death. "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" (PMM). This set includes some noteworthy and interesting additions: proofs before letters of "A Man of Van Diemen's Land" and "A Woman of Van Diemen's Land", in strong dark impressions, beautifully inked, both in the first volume of the third voyage, with the captioned plates also present in the atlas volume. Bound as a frontispiece in the first volume of the third voyage is the stipple engraved portrait of Cook by Francesco Bartolozzi after John Webber, published separately in June 1784. The first edition of the first voyage includes a new preface by Hawkesworth in reply to a letter from Alexander Dalrymple. The second edition of the third voyage has usually been preferred; the title pages are enhanced by the addition of vignettes of Cook's Royal Society medal and a portrait medal of Captain King, and the text was entirely reset. Forbes points out that it was always considered "typographically superior". Thirty-five years after publication, Cook's widow sent a copy to her doctor with an inscription noting that "the letter press of the second edition [is] much superior to the first both in paper & letter press". King George's copy, now held at the British Library, is also a second edition. Beddie 650, 1216, 1552; Books on Ice I.6; Hill 782, 358, 361 (last for first edition); Howgego I C173-6; NMM, Voyages & Travel, 577, 586; Printing and the Mind of Man 223 (second voyage); Rosove 77.A1 (second voyage); Sabin 16245, 16250. Together 3 works in 9 vols: 8 quarto text vols (297 x 228 mm) and folio atlas of plates (529 x 397 mm). With all plates, maps and plans as called for; two additional proof plates and portrait of Cook (see note). Contemporary marbled calf (first five text vols) and polished calf (latter three text vols), all uniformly rebacked, folio vol. in modern half calf to style, twin blue labels to spines and gilt capstan and fouled anchor devices in compartments, marbled endpapers. Ownership signature of one K. H. Hermes dated 1874 to initial binder's blank of vols. I and II, the signature apparently continental; bookplate of James Lenox William Naper (1791-1868), MP for Weobley 1813-1818, to front pastedown of vols. IV and V; contemporary ownership signature to title of vol. IV bleached out. Bindings recornered, light rubbing and surface abrasion, atlas volume with joints a little split and wear at extremities, all holding firm. Contents with sporadic foxing or browning, slight peripheral staining in vol. I and III, generally clean, leaves in sig. H in vol. II bound out of sequence. Plates with a few imprints trimmed, a few folding plates with reinforcement to folds on verso or with closed tears along folds, re.…