Polar Books Catalogue
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Sections : Antarctic; Arctic; Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society; Maps; Miscellaneous; Mountaineering; General Polar; Scott; Other travel; Whaling;
Reference 2604 (2592) Category Arctic; Author Nares, Captain Sir George S Title Journals and Proceedings of the Arctic Expedition, 1875-6, Under the Command of Captain Sir George S. Nares, Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty Publishing Information London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1877. Description 1st Edition; vii, 484 pages. DAMP DAMAGED - SOLD AS READING COPY ONLY, PRICED ACCORDINGLY. illustrated, ALL MAPS PRESENT uncolored maps (seven folding), seven colored maps (six folding), and sixteen plates (twelve folding). Pages 296 onwards are in very poor FRAGILE condition, many are torn and edges missing as are the MAPS and illustrations from Page 296 onwards. (A letter laid in from The British Library dated 1979 states the book has become damp then dried too strongly, and that there is little that can be done to restore any strength, only method will be to laminate it) pages 297,298 and page 299,300 and 482,483 are laminated but in all honesty all the rest will need doing, either that or carefully removing and copying. Map pocket in the back is EMPTY but no indication as to map being required in the index. A signature "G. S. Nares" underlined tipped onto a sheet of paper on which Vice Admiral Sir George S. Nares K.C.B., F.R.S. Leader of "Nares" expedition in Arctic regions. Reaches farthest north is written. NO PROVENANCE but nothing to exclude it from being genuine. Hardback cloth covers. This work is the official British government report of the Arctic Expedition of 1876- 7 commanded by Captain George S. Nares. The expedition's primary objective was to attain the highest northern latitude and, if possible, to reach the North Pole, and from winter quarters to explore the adjacent coasts within the reach of traveling parties. The expedition was the first to sail ships through the channel between Greenland and Ellesmere Island and as far north as the Lincoln Sea. A sledging party under Captain Albert Hastings Markham also set a new record on land, reaching as far north as 83° 20'. The "British Arctic expedition of 1875-6, in the vessels Alert and Discovery, [had] the chief aim of which was to reach the north pole. Reports of the American expeditions of Isaac Israel Hayes, 1860-61, and C. F. Hall, 1870-73, had revived the belief in an open polar sea and suggested that land extended far to the north, west of Robeson Channel. Both these theories proved to be wrong, but at the time they indicated the Smith Sound route as the best line of advance to the pole. The vessels sailed on 29 May 1875 and reached winter quarters on the coast of Grinnell Land (Ellesmere Island), the Discovery in latitude 81°44' N., and the Alert, with Nares, in latitude 82°27' N "the most northerly point hitherto reached in the Canadian Arctic" (Levere, 281). The following spring sledge parties were sent out. That led by Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich of the Alert explored the north coast of Ellesmere Island westwards. They reached its most northerly point (Cape Columbia) and continued to Cape Alfred Ernest (Alert Point) before turning back, having charted some 400 km of new coastline (Hattersley-Smith, 121). Lieutenant Lewis A. Beaumont of the Discovery followed the coast of Greenland northwards to Sherard Osborn Fjord. Meanwhile, a party led by Commander A. H. Markham of the Alert struck out over the ice in an attempt to get to the pole. They reached 83°20' N, a heroic achievement considering that the pack ice was extremely rough, and also drifting south almost as fast as they were travelling northwards. Their experience and an outbreak of scurvy affecting both ships led Nares to call off the entire expedition and return home early, in the late summer of 1876" (Oxford DNB). This official work includes reports of the expedition's two ships, the Alert and the Discovery, and various autumn 1875 and spring 1876 traveling parties (including journals of the various sledge parties). The volume provides incredible detail concerning the daily activities and experience of the expedition, including descriptions of the ice, weather, wildlife, vegetation, and the health and activities of the members of the expedition. The appendix (Nares' report on the quality and quantity of the provisions) is also of great interest, noting which supplies were particularly worthwhile and which items were useless. One of the most valuable sources for the history of exploration in northern Canada. The Nares expedition, so called after its commander George Nares (1831-1915), sailed in two ships, HMS Alert and HMS Discovery, in late May of 1875 in quest of the North Pole. The ships reached Lady Franklin Bay on North Ellesmere Island and the Alert went on to reach the extreme north of the island, the highest latitude that had yet been reached by a ship. In April 1876, three separate sledge parties set out but the men showed serious signs of scurvy and several members died. Nares was forced to abandon the expedition and returned to England in September that year. Despite the difficulties faced by the expedition, it did produce important scientific results including a study of Inuit dog disease and a volume of physical observations. The Nares expedition is one of the best documented Arctic expeditions, with eight Parliamentary Blue Books alone devoted to it between 1875 and 1878 Price £250.00 Keywords S1-Arc ISBN Add this to your basket
