Science and Exploration in the Pacific: European Voyages to the Southern Oceans in the Eighteenth Century

by Margarette Lincoln (Editor)

The exploration of the Pacific in the eighteenth century by western Europeans has an enduring fascination for both specialists and a wider public. Within this field, Cook's voyages have a particular appeal: they include exciting elements of danger, scientific investigation, encounters between different cultures. The essays in this volume take as their point of departure Cook's first voyage in the Endeavour (1768-71); they re-evaluate its political and social context, look at the expectations and outcomes of the event, and focus on the scientific and cultural issues emerging from this and subsequent Pacific voyages.

248 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Margarette Lincoln was director of research and collections and, from 2001, deputy director of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. She is now a visiting fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London.