Cook's Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean on Discovery was based on the illicit copy of his journal that Rickman (Second Lieutenant on the Discovery) managed to retain, despite the Admiralty's orders that all logs, journals, maps and illustrations should be handed over to Captain King and sealed. Due to this injunction, the work was published anonymously in 1781 (leading to spurious attributions of the text both to John Ledyard and to William Ellis), thus predating the official account by more than two years; 'the text, especially as regards details of Cook's death, differs considerably from other accounts' (Hill, 1453). The English edition was followed by a German translation in the same year and a French translation the following year. The first French edition, which bears the statement Cet Ouvrage s'est imprime avec tant de rapidite, qu'il s'y est glisse plusieurs fautes on the verso of the half-title, is known in two states; the first is uncorrected and has no imprint on p508, and the second, present state is corrected and bears the printer's name at the foot of p508.

First French edition, second issue. 8vo, x, 508 pp., engraved folding frontispiece, folding map, contemporary mottled calf gilt, red morocco label, a fine copy.