A Journal of Captain Cooks' Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and in Quest of a North-West Passage, Between Asia & America: Performed in the Years 1776, 1777, 1778 and 1779 by John Ledyard (2013 Softcover)

• Author: John Ledyard
• Original Publisher: Nathaniel Patten, Hartford, CT 1783
• Publisher, this copy: Forgotten Books Charleston SC U.S.A. 2013

John Ledyard (1751-1789) was an American explorer and adventurer. In June 1776, Ledyard was impressed into Captain James Cook's third and final voyage as a British marine. The expedition lasted until October 1780. During these four years, its two ships stopped at the Sandwich Islands, Cape of Good Hope, the Prince Edward Islands off South Africa, the Kerguelen Islands, Tasmania, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Tahiti, and then Hawaii (first documented by this expedition). It continued to the northwest coast of North America, making Ledyard perhaps the first U.S. citizen to touch its western coast, along the Aleutian islands and Alaska into the Bering Sea, and back to Hawaii where Cook was killed. Ledyard attempted to climb from Kealakekua Bay to Mokuaweoweo, the summit of Mauna Loa, but had to turn back. The return voyage touched upon Kamchatka, Macau, Batavia (now Jakarta), around the Cape of Good Hope again, and back to England.

Still a marine in the British Navy, Ledyard was sent to Canada to fight in the American Revolution. Instead he deserted, returned to Dartmouth, and began to write his Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage. It was published in 1783, five years after he had visited Hawaii, and was the first work to be protected by copyright in the United States. (It was in fact protected by Connecticut state copyright by special act of the legislature; federal copyright was not introduced until 1790.) Today, this work is annotated in rare-book bibliographies as the first travelogue describing Hawaii ever to be published in America.

Original's copyright has long ago expired. This copy consists of copies of the pages of a copy from the original publication (whew!) - some of which have been enlarged and "cleaned-up" for improved legibility. Pages are numbered only on original copy. Most likely, print-on-demand.

Paperback is tight, clean and unmarked. Book was always privately owned and carefully handled.

• Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall, 212 pp.
• Condition: As New Softcover

Copy of original was printed in Hartford, CT by Nathaniel Patten in 1783. This paperback printed May 3, 2013 in Lexington, KY U.S.A. under a 2012 copyright issued to Forgotten Books. No ISBN, LCCN nor MSR. PIBN 1000679202.

Notes on Condition/Edition ratings:

Fine – means like new, but any book produced over 10 years ago isn't “brand new”.  Booksellers needed some word to describe this...

Very Good – How you or I might take care of a book, closer to “as new” than standard. Might show ownership.

Good – How someone else might take care of a book. Also referred to as “standard.” The most likely condition

for books of this age & title, shows the book has been read or previously owned.

Acceptable – How a child, student or a librarian might take care of a book. (Either trying to make sure

someone doesn't steal it by plastering ownership everywhere, filled it with copious notes or

a book that has been damaged.)

Poor – Combination of “acceptable” factors above. Most likely with water damage as well. Might have

missing pages (you should ask).

Near – Means “almost” in an optimistic sense. e.g., “Near Fine” means very good, but on the high end.

1^st Thus – Unique somehow, maybe 1^st paperback, new illustrator, misprint or even the 1^st edition. A collector

might desire this copy.

Thanks for looking!