Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage From the Atlantic to the Pacific Performed in the Years 1821-22-23...
London: John Murray, 1824. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Marbled paper over boards, half bound in leather, title tooled in gilt onto six compartment spine, all edges trimmed, leather headbands, 4to (10-1/2 x 8 inches [26.7 x 20.4 cm]) pp. (8), xxx, (2), 571, errata, 4 fold-out charts and 4 numbered fold-out views "Appearances of Lands" bound at rear, 31 plates [inc. frontis], 5 of which are maps. Maps and plates are not included in pagination, whereas all tables are. Collated, complete and tightly bound. Stain to spine leather, rubbing to boards, light offset and browning to some foldout maps and views, occasional foxing to tissue guards and pages. Crack in front hinge near the binders twine used to sew down front endpaper - as per book binding methods of the time where "...until the early years of the nineteenth century all endpapers, were sewn on, and never merely tipped on with paste as they sometimes are today." [Middleton, 4th edition, p. 108-111]. Very Good. Item #535
Sent by the Admiralty to search for a passage along the west coast of Foxe Basin, Parry sailed north of Southampton Island instead of south, the route preferred by previous navigators, and thus became the first to sail through Frozen Strait and confirmed Middleton's discovery of Repulse Bay. In late Aug. having found no passage through Repulse Bay, he explored the coast northward, sailing as far as Ross Bay. In Feb. 1822, Eskimos visited their winter quarters on Winter Island and spent much of the winter in the expedition's company, enabling Parry and his men to make detailed observations on their customs and language. After leaving their winter quarters, they explored farther north equipped with Eskimo maps (ESKIMAUX CHART No 1, No 2 & No 3, facing p. 197, 198 and 252) and found the entrance to Fury and Hecla Strait. Ice prevented their passing through it, but overland journeys confirmed that it led westward to a sea. Parry returned to winter quarters and attempted to sail through Fury and Hecla Strait the following summer. Unsuccessful in this attempt, and fearing scurvy, he then returned home. Ref. Lande, 1385; Cooke/Holland, p 147; Sabin 58864.
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