9 volumes including atlas. First Voyage: Cook, James. An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and successively performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Cartaret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin, the Swallow, and the Endeavour. Drawn up from the Journals which were kept by the several Commanders, and from the Papers of Joseph Banks, Esq; by John Hawksworth, LL.D. 3 volumes. [12], xxxvi, [4], 139, [3], 363-676; xv, [1], 410; [6], [411]-779 pp. With 52 maps, charts & plates, many folding or double-page. London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773. * Second Voyage: 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. Written by James Cook, Commander of the Resolution. In which is included, Captain Furneaux's Narrative of the Proceedings in the Adventure during the Separation of the Ships.... 2 volumes. xl, 378; [8], 396 pp. With 64 copper-engraved plates, including maps, charts, views, portraits, etc., many of them folding or double-page; folding table. London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777. * Third Voyage: Cook, James and James King. A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken by Command of His Majesty, for making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. To determine the Position and Extent of the West Side of North America; its Distance from Asia; and the Practicability of a Northern Passage to Europe. Performed under the Direction of Captains Cook, Clerk, and Gore, in his Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Discovery, In the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. 3 volumes + atlas. Text volumes: [8], xcvi, 421; [12], 549; [12], 558, + [1] ad pp. Illustrated with 24 copper-engraved maps, charts and profile views (13 folding) and a folding letterpress table. Atlas with 2 folding charts (of the world and of the coasts of Northwestern America and Northeastern Asia) and 61 copper-engraved plates, mostly after J. Webber. Printed by W. and A. Strahan for G. Nicol and T. Cadell, 1784. Together, 3 works in 8 text volumes & 1 atlas volume. Text volumes are (4to) 11¼x8¾, period calf, uniformly rebacked in the 20th century with gilt-tooled calf, morocco lettering pieces with sailing ship vignette; atlas is (folio), 22x15¾, 20th century half calf & marbled boards, spine uniform with the text volumes. First Editions.

Complete set in first edition of the three seminal voyages of the greatest of all explorers of the Pacific Ocean, culminating in his final, fruitless search for a Northwest Passage, the discovery of the Sandwich Islands, and his death at the hands of the natives of those same islands. The first voyage details his voyage to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus, and his masterful charting of New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, etc. Presented to the world are some of the earliest descriptions and illustrations of the wonders of the Pacific, including Tahiti, the Society Islands, New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, and more. Written by John Hawkesworth from Cook's notes, but in the first person, i.e. the person of Cook. Cook was not happy with the treatment, and following his second voyage insisted on editing his own account of the expedition. The second voyage, his search for the great Antarctic continent, was written by himself, although he left on his third voyage before the book was printed so that he was never able to see the finished product. Superbly illustrated with, in Cook's words, "about sixty copper plates, which, I am of opinion, will exceed every thing that has been done in a work of this kind." The plates and maps in the present copy are particularly crisp with deep, dark impressions, very striking. Cook's third and final voyage relates the expedition in which the Sandwich Islands [now Hawaiian Islands] were discovered. Cook would be killed by the initially friendly natives of Hawaii. Also, in Cook's search for the Northwest Passage, he surveyed the straits between Asia and America and ascertained the proximity between them, and there is much information on the northwest coast of North America, Alaska, Kamchatka, and other northern climes. The first two volumes were the work of Cook himself, the third was completed by Captain James King. The publication of this official account was much delayed, and, according to Holmes, "it was so eagerly awaited by the public that it was sold out on the third day after publication". Forbes declares the work to be "arguably the single most important book on the Hawaiian Islands" which "documents all aspects of Hawaiian culture at the point of discovery by Europeans. It is a magnificent summation of all the public and private journals, logs, drawings, and other observations made during the course of the voyage and is as important a record of the exploration of the North Pacific as Cook's first two voyages had been for the South Pacific." He further notes that twelve of the plates in the atlas relate to Hawaii, as do two of the charts in the text volumes. Forbes 62; Holmes 5, 24 & 47; Howes C729a; Lada-Mocarski 37; Sabin 16250. First voyage with the bookplates of Frances M. Myers, and earlier ink name Mackreth; second voyage with the bookplates of Mrs. Gosling.