Parry, William Edward

Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific: performed in the years, 1819-20, in His Majesty's ships Hecla and Griper, under the orders of William Edward Parry [...]

London: John Murray, 1821. 1st ed., quarto, full leather binding, newly rebacked with gilt-stamped decoration, raised pands, gilt-stamped title in panel. Lacking the first polar chart facing the title page, but all other plates and charts are present and in very good condition, including the large folding chart (with fold-down lower panel) of Discoveries along the progress of the ships, the chart of the Winter Harbour and the surrounding region. the folding chart of a part of Baffin's Bay, and the folding chart of the River Clyde and part of Baffin's Bay. There is some offsetting along edges of the title page as well as to the maps, with a folding tear along part of the fold of the first Baffin's Bay map. Armorial bookplate front endpaper. Very good condition.

The journal of William Edward Parry (1790 - 1855), of his voyage for the discovery of a North-west passage through the Canadian Arctic in the years 1819-1820 aboard the Royal Navy ships HMS Hecla and HMS Griper. This first edition was published for the Admiralty by John Murray in 1821. It includes official instructions to Parry from the British government on undertaking the expedition, details of land and sea exploration, encounters with Inuit ("Eskimos") and fauna in the region, lists of supplies, chronometric, magnetic and lunar observations, numerous plates and maps, and a glossary of technical terms. Parry's voyage, which had taken him through what is now the Parry Channel three-quarters of the way across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, was probably the single most productive voyage in the quest for the fabled Northwest Passage, which was not successfully negotiated until 1906. The charts and views in the journal are remarkable, and there are beautiful engraved illustrations of towering icebergs, with the relatively tiny exploration ships in the foreground. An excellent copy of the first edition of a landmark work in both early Arctic exploration and the quest for the much sought-after North-west Passage. Item #105532

Price (AUD): $1,950.00   Other currencies