Beschreibung:

CAPTAIN JAMES COOK (1728-1779) A complete set of Cook's Voyages , comprising: [FIRST VOYAGE] -- John HAWKESWORTH (?1715-1779). An Account of the Voyages Undertaken ... for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere . London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773. 3 volumes, 4°. 51 plates, maps and charts, most folding. Woodcut illustrations and letterpress tables in the text. FIRST EDITION, EARLY ISSUE, without 'Directions' leaf or chart of the Straits of Magellan. Beddie 648; Hill 782. [SECOND VOYAGE] -- James COOK A Voyage towards the South Pole, and Round the World, performed in His Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775 ... In which is included Captain Furneaux's Narrative of his Proceedings in the Adventure during the Separation of the Ships . London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777. 2 text volumes, 4° and one atlas volume, 2° (485 x 295mm). Text vol.: one folding letterpress table. Woodcut illustrations and letterpress tables in the text. Atlas vol.: engraved portrait frontispiece and 63 plates, maps and charts, most folding, smaller-format plates inlaid to size. FIRST EDITION. Beddie 1216; Hill 358. [THIRD VOYAGE] -- James COOK and Captain James KING (c. 1750-1784). A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken by the Command of His Majesty, for making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. The third edition , edited by John Douglas. London: H. Hughs for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1785. 3 text volumes, 4° and one atlas volume, 2° (550 x 420mm). Text vol.: 24 engraved maps, charts and plates, most folding. Atlas vol.: 2 folding engraved maps and 62 engraved plates, including 'The Death of Captain Cook', engraved by Bartolozzi. Third edition. Beddie 1553. Together 3 works in 10 volumes, 4° (286 x 229mm) and 2° (550 x 420mm and 485 x 295mm). (Text and plates with occasional light browning, occasional offsetting, and mostly marginal spotting; many plates trimmed to the platemark; Third Voyage atlas with spotting, mostly marginal dampstaining, large folding chart with a few repaired tears.) First and second voyages in contemporary sprinkled calf, third voyage in contemporary diced Russia, with atlas in later half calf (text vols. rebacked, corners repaired, extremities rubbed, front endpaper of vol. I detached; front cover of atlas detached, rubbed, soiled, hinges repaired). Provenance : Dukes of Portland (gilt monogram and crest on bindings of first 2 voyages; bookplates in third voyage) -- William Arthur, Sixth Duke of Portland (1857-1943, bookplates in first 2 voyages). FIRST EDITIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND VOYAGES, AND THIRD EDITION OF THE THIRD VOYAGE, THE PLATES OF THE SECOND VOYAGE BOUND IN ATLAS FORMAT; FROM THE PORTLAND LIBRARY. Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (1715-1785), Duchess of Portland, was a great collector, particularly of natural history specimens and shells. Her agent purchased a considerable volume of shells and items gathered on Cook's voyages for her world-famous collection. Her passion for botany brought her into contact with Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander who visited her upon their return from Cook's first voyage. Unusually, the plates to the second voyage are here bound in a folio atlas volume, rather than folded and bound in a quarto format, as is normally the case. (10)