77/2319 Cook, J. 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. London, W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777, 1st ed., 2 vols., XL,378; (8),396p., engr. frontisp. portrait, 64 (fold.) engr. maps/ charts/ plates/ portraits after W. HODGES a.o., modern unif. hcalf in antique style w. 2 contrasting mor. letterpieces, 4to.

- One fold. plate cut sl. short in lower blank margin (affecting publ. address); 13 (fold.) plates in vol. 2 (sl.) waterstained (partly hardly visible on recto). Otherwise fine.

= First edition of the official account of Cook's second voyage, published when he was away on his third voyage. Sabin 16245; Beddie 1216; National Maritime Museum London 577; Henze II p.713; Hocken p.15; Hill 358; Cox I, p.59; Mendelssohn p.377; O'Reilly-Reitman 390; Kroepelien 206; PMM 223; Smith p.53f. "The succes of Cook's first voyage led the Admiralty to send him on a second expedition, described in the present work, which was to circumnavigate the globe as far south as possible in search of any southern continents. Cook proved there was no "Terra Australis" which supposedly lay between New Zealand and South America, but became convinced that there must be land beyond the ice fields. Further visits were made to New Zealand, and on two great sweeps Cook made an astonishing series of discoveries and rediscoveries including Easter Island, the Marquesas, Tahiti and the Society Islands, Niue, the Tonga Islands, the New Hebridies, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island and a number of smaller islands (...) William Hodges was the artist with the expedition" (Hill). SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXXIV.