Cook’s voyage chronicles may sell for plenty

July 1, 2005

Captain Cook’s voyage chronicles may sell for 25,000stg

Chronicles of Captain James Cook’s historic voyages to New Zealand in the 1770s could fetch 25,000stg at auction in London this month.

The editions by John Hawkesworth outline Cook’s voyages on which he masterfully charted New Zealand. They will be sold at Christie’s auction in London on July 15.

On his third voyage, he discovered Hawaii. Wintering there, Cook was killed in "an unhappy skirmish", the circumstances of which are still debated today. One of the books includes an eye-witness narrative of Cook's death.

So popular was the Hawkesworth work that the entire issue of the first edition was sold out on the third day of publication.

One of the volumes for sale includes an eye-witness narrative of Cook's death,

Also under the hammer At Christies in New York, on July 20, is an oil on canvas painting of the full-rigger Lake Superior.

The rigger often `ran’ to New Zealand in the 1980s. She claimed a record run at the turn of the century, being 28 days from Capetown to Lyttelton in the spring of 1899.

Next Tuesday, Christie’s in London will auction three tickets to the NZ v England cricket game at the Oval in 1937. The tickets, cricket photos and autographs from 1937 should make about 150stg.

Autographs in another lot including the 1937 NZ team and the England players, such as `bodyline’ captain Douglas Jardine could fetch up to 300stg.

ENDS

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