296

John Rickman (1737-1818)

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

London: Printed for E. Newbery, 1781.
First English edition (published in the same year as a Dublin edition), octavo, illustrated with large folding map bound as frontispiece (mounted, correcting an old tear); 3 full-paged engravings and one folding engraving (with the map, a total of 5 plates); edges untrimmed throughout; bound in modern half white cloth with blue paper-covered boards; this issue with final two leaves, which should be numbered 393-396, instead numbered 381, 378, 379 and 388; one text leaf with clean horizontal tear mended with transparent tissue; 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.

ESTC T144513.

Rickman, an unknown second lieutenant on Cook's last and ill-fated voyage, likely published this account anonymously in order to publicly set down his version of events first. James King's official tale implies that Rickman and his men pushed hostilities with Native Hawaiians to escalate unnecessarily, inciting the melee that ended with the captain's violent death. William Bligh, along with James Burney, David Samwell and Thomas Edgar took a more nuanced position, concluding that Cook himself set the wheels turning, thus sparing Rickman direct blame.

  • Condition: A2, B-C8, D11 (with an inserted singlet, E-Ee8, Ff2.

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