After joining the Navy at thirteen, William Edward Parry (1790-1855) spent three years protecting the whale fisheries of Spitzbergen. He was later appointed to several Arctic expeditions. Although his first voyage in search of the North-West Passage ended without success in 1819, it provided valuable scientific data and experience. The expedition of 1821-3 was longer, with two winters spent on the ice, but also ended without success. Parry's account of that second voyage, first published in 1824, provides insights into the ...
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After joining the Navy at thirteen, William Edward Parry (1790-1855) spent three years protecting the whale fisheries of Spitzbergen. He was later appointed to several Arctic expeditions. Although his first voyage in search of the North-West Passage ended without success in 1819, it provided valuable scientific data and experience. The expedition of 1821-3 was longer, with two winters spent on the ice, but also ended without success. Parry's account of that second voyage, first published in 1824, provides insights into the early days of Arctic exploration and the character of one of its pioneers, noted for his care for his men, his precision in navigation and scientific observations, and his ability to quickly find solutions to difficult problems. The book also includes descriptions of the 'Esquimaux' encountered by the explorers, and their communities as well as a vocabulary of their language.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine. Book. 8vo-over 7¾-9¾" tall. Good-quality facsimile edition of the John Murray London 1824 edition. Original brown cloth hard covers, with gilt titling to spine. Slight toning to edges. Minor mis-folding to some maps. Otherwise clean, tight and unmarked. Very neat--a sound and handsome copy.
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Seller's Description:
Good. [x], xxx, [2], 571, [1] pages. Errata follows page 572. Folding maps and plates at back. Illustrations. Format 10.25 inches by 7 inches. Approximately 2 inches thick. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some edge soiling. Originally published in 1824 by John Murrary, London. Rear Admiral Sir William Edward Parry, RN, FRS (19 December 1790-8 or 9 July 1855) was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer. His 1819 voyage through the Parry Channel was probably the most successful in the long quest for the Northwest Passage. In 1827 he attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole. He reached 82°45 North latitude, setting the record for human exploration farthest North that stood for nearly five decades before being surpassed at 83°20 26 by Albert Hastings Markham in 1875-1876. In April 1821 he left for the Arctic commanding the Fury accompanied by the Hecla under George Francis Lyon. Others with him were George Fisher, scientist and chaplain, William Hooper, purser and diarist, Lieutenants Francis Crozier and Henry Parkyns Hoppner and James Clark Ross, then a midshipman. Experience from the previous voyage led to improvements. The two vessels were nearly identical since the Gripper had not been able to keep up with the Hecla. They had cork insulation, cork plugs for the portholes and a coal-burning stove in the lowest deck to deal with condensation. The men were issued better clothing and lemon juice was stored in kegs rather than glass bottles. The goal of this voyage was to find a passage near the northwest end of Hudson Bay. After working slowly through the ice of Hudson Strait he headed directly west to Frozen Strait which Christopher Middleton (navigator) had found impassable in 1742. He passed Frozen Strait in a fog and found himself in Repulse Bay, Nunavut which he re-checked and found land-locked. He then ran northeast and mapped the coast of the Melville Peninsula and wintered at Winter Island (Nunavut) at its southeast corner. From the Inuit he learned that northward the coast turned west. In March and May Lyon led two sledging expeditions into the interior. Freed from the ice in July he then went north and found the Fury and Hecla Strait, which was ice-filled. They waited for the ice to clear, but it did not. In September Lieutenant Ried trekked 100 miles west along the Strait to the ice-filled Gulf of Boothia, the north end of which Parry had approached in 1819. When new ice began to form they went a short distance southeast and wintered at Igloolik. The ship was not freed from ice until 8 August. Since it was late in the season and there were signs of scurvy, he turned for home and reached the Shetlands in mid-October 1823. During his absence he had in November 1821 been promoted to post rank and shortly after his return he was appointed acting Hydrographer of the Navy. His Journal of a Second Voyage, &c., appeared in 1824.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Quarto, 571, illus., charts, appendix, errata, 8 fold-out maps at end of volume. Complete title: 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, in His Majesty's Ships Fury and Hecla, Under the Orders of Captain William Edward Parry, R.N., F.R.S., and Commander of the Expedition. Illustrated by Numerous Plates. Published by Authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Reprint of the edition originally published in1824 by John Murray, London.
All Editions of 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, in His Majesty's Ships Fury and Hecla, Under the Orders of Captain William Edward Parry