Death of Captain Cook

No aspect of the voyages of Captain Cook have been more controversial than Cook’s death. This book reprints one of the classic accounts of this episode, the vivid and lively narrative by one of the voyage surgeons, David Samwell. Introductory essays contextualize Samwell’s contribution within this period of Pacific maritime history.

Prof. Nicholas Thomas is Director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambrdige. He has published extensively and won many awards in the field of cross-cultural research in both the UK and Australia. Dr. Martin Fitzpatrick (retired) was formerly Senior Lecturer at the Department of History and Welsh History, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has published widely on eighteenth-century literature, Jenny Newell is Assistant Curator, Pacific and Australian Collection, Department of Ethnography, British Museum and has contributed to a number of publications on eighteenth-century travel/exploration.

List of Illustrations

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. David Samwell: an eventful career
Martin Fitzpatrick 

2. David Samwell on his hobby horse
Martin Fitzpatrick 

3. David Samwell: Pacific ethnographer and historian
Nicholas Thomas 

Notes on the texts

A Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook 

The correspondence of David Samwell

The poetry of David Samwell

Glossary of Hawaiian names

Select bibliography

Index