Beschreibung:

COOK’S THIRD VOYAGE -- ELLIS, William. An Authentic Narrative of a Voyage performed by Captain Cook and Captain Clerke, in his Majesty’s Ships Resolution and Discovery during the years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780; in search of the North-West Passage between the continents of Asia and America . London: G. Robinson, J. Sewell, and J. Debrett, 1782. 2 volumes, 8° (212 x 132mm). Half-titles, folding engraved chart and 21 plates after Ellis. (Occasional light finger-soiling.) Contemporary half calf (joints of vol.I and upper joints of vol.II cracked but cords firmly holding, rear cover of vol.II detached, head and tail of spines chipped, rubbed), modern cloth box. Provenance : Humphrey Senhouse (signature on endpaper in each vol.) FIRST EDITION of this description of Cook’s third voyage, containing some of the earliest plates published on the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska and the Northwest. 'Ellis was a surgeon’s mate during Cook’s third voyage, first on the Discovery and later on the Resolution , and gives quite a good history of the expedition. This account was published two years before the official narrative. Captain Clerke, in his dying letter to Sir Joseph Banks, commended Ellis, but Ellis forfeited Banks’s regard by publishing his account of the voyage in contravention of the Admirality instruction to surrender all journals and logs' (Hill). Beddie 1599; Hill 555; Holmes 42; Sabin 22333.