A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 2nd ed. Vol. II

1785

de Beer Ec 1785 C

London: Printed by H. Hughs, for G. Nicol; and T. Cadell

The two main goals of Cook’s third voyage (July 1776-August 1780) were to seek out the Northwest Passage in the northern Pacific, and to return Omai to Tahiti. After discovering the Cook Islands, and the Hawaiian Islands (his most valuable discovery), Cook charted the American West coast from Northern California through to the Bering Strait. A safe haven was found in Nootka Sound, near Vancouver Island, in March 1778. While there he sketched the topography of the harbor and took depth soundings.