There is some possibility that I am the first person to read this particular book all the way through since the CSUS library acquired it. There were three uncut pages toward the last 1/3 of the book. Not sure why, the last part is the exciting bit, with the killing of Captain Cook by the islanders in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii). The other officers seemed puzzled by the whole event, and historians have theorized ever since. Given the descriptions of an elaborate religious rite which the captain participated in shortly before his death, I wonder whether he inadvertently volunteered as an offering to the gods. Cook was undoubtedly a good captain, very concerned with the welfare of his officers and crew. This is evidenced by the small number of men he lost to illness. He insisted on cleanliness below decks and procured as much fresh food as possible. Also carried sauerkraut to ward off scurvy. This edition would have benefited greatly from the addition of maps.

An in-depth description of Captain James Cook's 3 famous voyages of discovery & exploration of the Southern ocean and first-hand accounts of the many achievements & discoveries he & his crews made up to the revered mariner's untimely death in 1779. ( )