British explorer James Cook's pistol goes on auction

Captain James Cook's portrait by Nathaniel Dan...

wikipedia-public domain

A brass pistol, which belonged to British explorer Captain James Cook, is auctioned. Cook was the first explorer to claim Australia for Britain in 1770. 

An early 18th century Continental Flintlock holster pistol with a 13-bore barrel made by Dutch gunmaker Godefroi Corbau Le Jeune is expected to fetch between A$100,000 to A$200,000. 

The pistol is one of few personal items remaining from the explorer. "We've got bits of his ship, and bits of this and bits of that, but for a sea captain to accumulate things was unusual and in his case very little survived that was returned to the family," said Charles Leski, founder of Leski Auctions. 

"This particular pistol because it was specifically willed to his sister and stayed in the family for all those generations - we are lucky enough to be able to draw this direct link between our founding father, so to speak, and this gun," he added.