An Account of the Voyages undertaken by Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere

London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773. 1st edition. Hardcover. charts and engravings. 4to. This is the first printing, first state, of the famous account of what is now described as 'Cook's First Voyage', although primary credit for the creation of this account is given to John Hawkesworth (who had been commissioned by the Admiralty to edit Capt. Cook's papers). Note: there was a second edition published in the same year, containing a Preface by Hawkesworth (Beddie 650). Volume I of our offering ends at page 676, and shows page 139 as numbered 139-360 (as called for in Beddie 648). It contains 18 of the 21 charts and plates called for in this volume, lacking two charts and one plate (or 'cut' as it is called). Volume II has a large tide mark across the top of the first third, or so, of the contents. Page 189 is misnumbered 191. Old worm hole to margins of pages 119-161. Contains 16 of 22 charts and plates (five folding charts, seven folding plates, and four single page plates). The text is complete in 410 numbered pages. Volume III text commences at page 411 and concludes at page 795. All nine plates and charts are present, including the very large folding chart of New Zealand (Cook was the first to confirm that New Zealand was, in fact, an island). Lack of nine plates/ charts. The text shows foxing, severe on a few pages but, on the whole, the text is perfectly readable and, if professionally restored, the plates and charts would be magnificent.