Captain James Cook (1728-1779) is best known for his three voyages to the Pacific (1768-71; 1772-75; and 1776-79). His discoveries radically changed the western understanding of the world in the late 18th century. He was the first to circumnavigate and chart New Zealand and provided the earliest European accounts of exploration along the eastern coast of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. On February 14th, 1779, he was killed on Hawaii after attempting to kidnap the chief of the island.

Many contemporary accounts of Cook’s voyages, including charts and engravings, appeared in the late 18th century. The first official account of Cook’s first voyage was published in 1773 by John Hawkesworth in Volumes II and III of An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere... William Strahan and Thomas Cadell published the first official accounts of the second and third voyages in 1777 and 1784. Accounts of his exploration were subsequently translated into French, German, and Dutch.

Two maps on a single sheet in an uncommon format. At top is Kealakekua Bay along the Kona coast of the Big Island with numerous soundings and a couple of anchorages in the waters. It is noted near Kowrowa that " Here Capt. Cook was Killed.” At the bottom is a map featuring Hawaii and Mowee (Maui) with the tracks of Cook's voyage prominently depicted. This chart is typically seen with the maps side by side instead of one on top of the other.

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Condition: B

Issued folding with a binding trim at lower left and an associated 2.5" binding tear that has been closed with archival tape on verso. There is light offsetting and a narrow right side margin.