Capt. Edward Cooke | A Voyage to the South Sea and Round the World, London, 1712, panelled calf

Capt. Edward Cooke

A Voyage to the South Sea, and Round the World, Perform'd in the Years 1708, 1709, 1710, 1711. London: B. Lintot and R. Gosling, 1712

Small octavo (190 x 117mm.), folding engraved map of Cooke's voyage around the world, printed titles, foliate bands and illuminated initials heading chapters, dedication, contents, introduction, errata, index, publisher's addendum, 19 plain engraved plates, some folding, speckled blindtooled panelled calf, spine in compartments with raised bands gilt, marbled red edges, minor foxing and offsetting, slight dampstaining, slight wear to binding

A good copy of Captain Edward Cooke's voyage around the world. The work charts the departure from Bristol, through the South Sea and South America, North America, India and the Cape of Good Hope, to Holland, including descriptions of the voyage and discoveries, and histories of the conquest of many territories. 

Cooke served as first mate on the Dutchess under Woodes Rogers' general command, in a privateering expedition that included parts of the west coast of the Americas. Their chief goal in 1708 was to capture the Manila treasure ship as it approached Acapulco. Cooke's voyage is generally accepted as the probable source for Robinson Crusoe, with Defoe using Alexander Selkirk's account of his years on Juan Fernandez Island as related by Cooke. Apparently there was considerable rivalry between the publishers of Cooke's account and those of Rogers' account to be the first to market, resulting in this one-volume edition with the second portion of the voyage compressed at the end. A two-volume set quickly followed, the latter part of the voyage being contained in the second volume. This [first] volume was issued separately, with no indication - as in the second edition - that it was volume I of an issue of two volumes, but both Sabin and Wagner incorrectly enter it as volume 1 of a two-volume edition.

LITERATURE:

ESTC T145982

PROVENANCE:

Cornwell House, ownership stamp