The Three Voyages of Captain James Cook round the World

This seven-volume illustrated collection, published in 1821, contains the journals of Captain James Cook (1728–79) from his three voyages to the Pacific, supplemented by material from other members of his expeditions, including the influential botanist Sir Joseph Banks. 'Cook's voyages' were essential reading for later explorers, including Charles Darwin.

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During Charles Darwin's 1831–6 voyage on the Beagle, his on-board library included 'Cook's voyages' (the edition is not specified). This illustrated 1821 edition, in seven volumes, is representative of the versions available in the early nineteenth century. Volumes 1 and 2 cover the first Pacific voyage of James Cook (1728–79), the object of which was to observe the 1769 transit of Venus from Tahiti. The text replicates the version published in 1773 by John Hawkesworth (1715–73) as part of a collection of 'Voyages … in the Southern Hemisphere', which interwove Cook's account with botanical and ethnographical notes by the ship's naturalist, Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820). The journals were only published separately much later: Cook's in 1893 (ed. Wharton) and Banks' in 1896 (ed. Hooker); both are also available. Volume 2 focuses on New Zealand, Australia, and the explorers' return via Indonesia.