Beschreibung:

Cook (James). 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, 2 volumes, 1st edition, for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777, engraved portrait frontispiece, 63 engraved plates and charts, many folding, folding letterpress table, extra-illustrated with folding 'Chart of the Island of Otaheite, by Lieut. J. Cook 1769' from Hogg's omnibus edition of Cook's voyages (1784-6) bound to face volume 2 p. 1 (this extra chart nicked, rumpled, browned, and with loss to upper outer corner), slight toning, a few portrait plates closely trimmed shaving imprint or text, volume 1 initial blank and portrait frontispiece damp-stained (barely visible in the image), faint shallow tide-mark to upper margins of a few other plates in volume 1, plates 1 and 2 ('Chart of the Southern Hemisphere' and 'Chart of the Southern Extremity of America', respectively facing volume 1 p. 1 and volume 2 p. 198) tape-repaired verso, concomitant darkening to the recto of plate 2 and further tape-repair to gutter of facing text-leaf 2C2, plate 3 ('Chart of Discoveries', facing volume 2 p. 25) with short closed tears to one fold and at gutter both touching frame only, similar closed tear to gutter of plate 4 ('Chart of the Discoveries' facing volume 2 p. 210, contemporary reversed calf, rebacked and relined at an early date, worn, volume 2 front joint partially split, 4to (28.5 x 22 cm) (Qty: 2) Provenance: presentation copy to James Furneaux, brother of Tobias Furneaux, inscribed 'Presented by the Author to J. Furneaux, my Father, 1777' on the initial blank in a contemporary hand, with a further inscription, 'The James Furneaux, of Swilly, to whom Capt Cook presented this book, was an elder brother of Capt. Tobias Furneaux', in a later hand below; thence by descent to the present owner. Cook had set out on his third and final voyage on 12 July 1776, by which time Tobias Furneaux was in North America. His ship, the Syren, was lost off Rhode Island the following year: he was taken prisoner and did not return to England until at least 1778. In Furneaux's absence, his elder brother James (1725-1785), himself a naval officer, would have been a natural recipient of any presentation copy sent on Cook's behalf. The inscription conceivably admits of the possibility that the 'author' referred to is in fact Tobias, whose narrative is also printed, in which case the date would have been recalled inaccurately by James's son (also James, 1752-1802, clergyman; another son, William, died in infancy). James Furneaux's naval career suggests a talented if unlucky sailor. He entered the navy in 1738 and after initial service in the Mediterranean was by February 1743 fourth lieutenant on HMS Burford, which that month served in the defeat at La Guaira with the loss of its own captain Edward Lushington. He was later promoted first lieutenant and is found in temporary command of the Antelope, cruising off Toulon, before returning to the Burford. In 1755 he was appointed to the Vanguard at the personal request of its captain John Byron, grandfather of the poet, and in 1757 followed him to the America, which participated in Edward Hawke's 'futile' expedition against Rochefort, cruised with success on the French coast, and later joined the fleet off Brest under Anson (ODNB). He is known to have referred to Byron for a testimonial in 1758, after which point he does not appear to have served. (See Henry Furneaux, Pedigree of the Family of Furneaux, Paignton, Paignton and Buckfastleigh, Devon; aftewards of Swilly near Plymouth, privately printed, 1876, p. 13). Beddie 1216; Hill 358; PMM 223.