Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, on Discovery ....

London: E Newberry, 1781. First Edition. State B.. Full contemporary calf.. Good; recased at some point; 3-4 inch repaired tear in the map (no loss); some offsetting and spotting; rubbing and chafing to the binding; snag at head of the spine.. 8vo, [4]. xlvi, 388 [396] pp. + folding frontispiece, folding map, four plates.
The first full account of Cook's last voyage by the second lieutenant aboard the Discovery. The text contains reports of many incidents of the voyage that differ from the official record as well as many 'firsts', e.g., the descriptions of Hawaii. An important touchstone in the Pacific bibliography. Hill #1453; Forbes #33, State B (no priority); Beddie #1607; Lada-Mocarski #32 - "Howay's research showed that Rickman's work may have been the first surreptitious issue of the Journal of Cook's last voyage to appear, almost three years before the official, authorized edition of 1784." $5,250