1821-1825 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 and 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 William Edward Parry

Description

Early Edition, Illustrated, Leather Binding

Second edition. Sir William Edward Parry (19 December 1790 – 8 or 9 July 1855) was an English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer, who in 1827 attempted one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole. In 1818 he received command of the brig Alexander in the Arctic expedition under Captain (afterwards Sir) John Ross. This expedition returned to England without having made any new discoveries but Parry, confident, as he expressed it, "that attempts at Polar discovery had been hitherto relinquished just at a time when there was the greatest chance of succeeding", in the following year obtained the chief command of a new Arctic expedition; consisting of the two ships HMS Griper and HMS Hecla. This expedition returned to England in November, 1820 after a voyage of almost unprecedented Arctic success, having accomplished more than half the journey from Greenland to Bering Strait, the completion of which solved the ancient problem of a Northwest Passage. A narrative of the expedition, entitled Journal of a Voyage to discover a North-west Passage, appeared in 1821. Upon his return Lieutenant Parry received promotion to the rank of commander. In May 1821 he set sail with the HMS Fury and HMS Hecla on a second expedition to discover a Northwest Passage, but had to return to England in October 1823 without achieving his purpose. 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. With twenty plates to volume one and thirty-one plates to volume two (collated complete), many of which are folding. Bookplate of W. Boultbee Whall to front pastedowns.