NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT, TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE POLAR EXPEDITIONS: Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom under the Command of Captain F.W. Beechey, R.N.in the Years 1825, 26, 27, 28

Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, London, 1831. Early Edition. Cloth. Fair/No Dust Jacket. The 1st Admiralty Edition in quarto; Two volumes, Vol I, fep, folding map, title page, vii-xxi, [1, directions to the binder], 392pp; illustrated, 14 plates, 3 charts, (2 folding). MISSING 5 PLATES AND PAGES v-vi, 329-336), Up to page viii, detached as is pages 387 to 392. Vol II (2), errata slip, vi-vii, directions to binder pages 393-742 (2 publishers advertisements), illustrated 7 plates. (MISSING 1 plate). Half bound marbled boards. Beechey’s expedition on board the H.M.S. Blossom formed part of a double-pronged assault on the western approaches to the Arctic. Sent by way of Bering’s Strait to explore the northern coast eastward, Beechey was to eventually link up with Franklin’s second expedition, working westward from the Mackenzie River. The two parties came within several hundred miles of each other, one of Beechey’s vessels managing to penetrate as far as Cape Barrow, while Franklin turned back at Return Reef at about 149 degrees west. The narrative contains scientific data, descriptions of Eskimo life and culture, and much of importance relating to Alaska (including the Aleutian, Pribilov and other islands), the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Society Islands, and Tahiti, Hawaii, and the coast of California. There are also valuable accounts of Monterey and San Francisco prior to the American conquest, as well as a lengthy account of the mutiny of the Bounty, as related by its sole survivor, John Adams. "Beechey's expedition went to the Bering Strait "As a relief expedition to await the separate expeditions of Captains Franklin and Parry." Beechey heard at Kamchatka that Parry had turned back, but he waited at Kotzebue Sound for Franklin through the Summers of 1827-8. "Near Point Barrow, Alaska, Beechey and Franklin had arrived within fifty leagues of each other, when the latter was compelled by the weather to turn back." Also described are visits to Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Alaska, Hawaii, Macao, Okinawa, and the coast of California. On Pitcairn, Beechey met the last survivor of the Bounty mutiny, John Adams. "He also gives an important account of Monterey and San Francisco before the American conquest." Beechey rose to Rear-Admiral, and between 1836-47 undertook a survey of the coast of Ireland. "From 1850 until his death he was superintendent of the marine department of the Board of Trade; he was consulted on all Arctic issues, including the search for Sir John Franklin by the Arctic council In 1855 he was elected president of the Royal Geographical Society, an office which he still held at his death, on 29 November 1856 Beechey was an outstanding professional hydrographer who served in the last years of heroic endeavour, and lived to publish the results of his scientific observations on tides" (ODNB) Arctic Bibliography 1227; Field 105; Hill 93; Howes B-309; Lada-Mocarski 95; Sabin 4347; Wickersham 6541. Both volumes need rebinding, Hugh Cecil Earl of Lonsdale bookplate, verso front board both volumes, some slight foxing, mainly to plates and tissue paper guards, bump and tear mainly affecting top of pages 567-600. Fair PLEASE NOTE: This book will incur extra postage and insurance charges. Please contact us for a quote. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 5 kilogram. Category: Arctic & Antarctic; Antarctic; Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 2036. . This book is extra heavy, and may involve extra shipping charges to some countries.