Beschreibung:

Ledyard, John. A JOURNAL OF CAPTAIN COOK'S LAST VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, AND IN QUEST OF THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE, BETWEEN ASIA & AMERICA; PERFORMED IN THE YEARS 1776, 1777, 1778, AND 1779... Hartford: Printed and folded by Nathaniel Patten, 1783. First Edition. 6 3/4 by 4 3/4 inches in full contemporary leather binding with a leather label to the spine. Rare account of Cook's final voyage by an American who served under Cook. First American book on Hawaii; first American book on the Northwest Coast; first American book protected by copyright. HOWES L181, "d." STREETER SALE 3477. EVANS 17998. SABIN 39691. WICKERSHAM 6556. LADA-MOCARSKI 36. FORBES 52. Condition: Lacking the rare frontis map, as is the case in most of the recorded copies. Only a handful of copies with the map have ever come to auction - most recently at Christie's in 2008 ($52,000). Prior to that was the copy sold in the Streeter Sale, 1969. This example has had professional restoration and was probably resewn retaining all original endpages. "1783" is written in ink below the Roman numeral date on the title page. Early owner's name, "Isaac Norton," is written in ink on the front free endpage. Inner hinges and two preliminary leaves with tissue-reinforcement. Sporadic toning and foxing to the contents but otherwise no major defects - and an attractive, collector's copy of a rare American imprint. Housed in a custom woven cloth clamshell with a paper label to the spine.