Captain Cook''s Final Voyage : The Untold Story from the Journals of James Burney and Henry Roberts

Commissioned by the British Admiralty, Cook set sail in July 1776 to confirm the outline of North America's Pacific coastline and search for the elusive Northwest Passage. The expedition's sailing ships, the Resolution and the Discovery, traveled to the South Seas, then chanced upon the Hawaiian Islands before reaching the Oregon coastline and the Arctic. Cook chose to winter in the Hawaiian archipelago, where he died in a skirmish. His crews made a second attempt to find the coveted route, then returned to England after more than four years at sea.

James Burney was first lieutenant on the Discovery. Active in shore parties and chart preparation, he saw Cook's death from the ship's deck. One of the few accounts from the consort vessel, his writing provides new details and important, thoughtful impressions of North and South Pacific people and places. Working under the notorious William Bligh, Henry Roberts was Master's Mate on the Resolution, performing essential hydrographic and cartographic tasks. He was a few feet away when Cook was killed. His well-illustrated logbook includes coordinates, tables of routes, and records of weather at sea, but also lively accounts of shore excursions. Illustrations include maps and drawings, as well as images by the expedition's official artist, John Webber.