Captain James Cook (1728-1779) – William Bayly (1737-1810)
The Original Astronomical Observations made In the course of a voyage to the northern Pacific Ocean, for the discovery of a North East or North West Passage… By Captain James Cooke [sic] ... published by order of the Commissioners of Longtitude. London: William Richardson, 1782.
Extremely rare astronomical records of Cook's Third Voyage. Bayly, a school-teacher with mathematical ability, was hired by Neville Maskelyne, the Astronomer Royal, to be his assistant. Bayly thus married practical astronomy to mathematics, and on Maskelyne's recommendation, the Board of Longitude appointed him astronomer in the Adventure (under Captain Furneaux) for Cook's Second Voyage departing in 1772. One of the important objects of the voyage was the testing of new longitude chronometers; Bayly was supplied two by Arnold, one of which stopped at the Cape outward bound, the other performing reasonably well throughout the 2-year voyage.

After returning to England, Bayly submitted his observations to the Board of Longitude (they were published in 1777), and then joined Cook's Third Voyage under Captain Charles Clerke in the Discovery as astronomer. He sailed in 1776, returning in the Resolution in September 1780. Once again, Bayly was commissioned by the Board of Longtitude to write up his observations, and they were published in the present work in 1782. Only three copies have sold at auction in the past 50 years (ABPC/RBH). Beddie 1542; Forbes 40 ('Bayley' [sic]); Holmes 41; Sabin 4079; not in Hill.

Small folio (290 x 230mm). Pp. vii, [i], [4], 351, [i]. Folding engraved plate (very small marginal hole in 4E2 due to paper flaw). Contemporary tree calf gilt (rebacked, preserving original gilt-tooled flat spine (extremities faintly rubbed).

Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Viscount Ridley (1874-1916, bookplate) – Lt Cdr Andrew David (bookplate)

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