Book on Cook’s trip sold

Press, 13 November 1982, Page 24

Book on Cook’s trip sold

DIANA DEKKER

in London A first published account of Captain Cook's voyage round the world from 1768-71 has sold at Christie's in London for 112592 (SNZS9SB). The volume, from the first edition of “Cook: A Journal of a Voyage Round the World, in His Majesty's Ship Endeavour." was one of several items of New Zealand interest in a sale of book's on travel. topography. and natural history. The authorship of the book is attributed to an American midshipman, James Magra. who later changed his name to Matra. The book was bought by a London book dealer.

An account of Cook's voyages edited by John Hawkesworth remained unsold with a highest bid of £2200 (SNZSOS7). The offering was of nine volumes. Accounts of the first and second voyages in the Southern Hemisphere, edited by Hawkeswort'h, sold respectively for £5lB (SNZII9O) and ’£37B (SNZB69). In the same sale. Christie’s sold two red morocco volumes of crayon portraits of North American Indians by George Catlin, for £194.400 ($NZ446,896). The volumes, sole in Christie's same auction room in London in 1953 for sterling 1300 ($2988), went to Hirschl and Adler, the New York picture dealers.