Franklin, John: NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA, IN THE YEARS 1819-20-21-22 IN TWO VOLUMES. , London: John Murray, 1824.

2nd Edition: Vol I xix, 1 folding map, 370pp; Vol II v, 399pp, 3 folding maps. Includes Richardson's and Back's narratives. Quarterbound covers. "In 1819, Captain Franklin was appointed to command an expedition to explore by land the North American Arctic and to clarify current notions about its geography. The party included Dr. John Richardson, and Lts. Robert Hood and George Back. Starting from York Factory on Hudson’s Bay, they reached the Arctic Ocean by way of the Great Slave Lake and the Coppermine River in the summer of 1821. After exploring Coronation Gulf, which Franklin named, the expedition returned to York Factory, having experienced extreme hardship and the loss of several members of the party. Franklin’s narrative is of interest not only as a document of human courage and endurance, but also for its depiction of the Indians - Cree, Dog-Rib, and Chipewyan - on whom the survival of the expedition at last depended. Franklin delineating most of the coastline between the mouth of the Mackenzie and Coppermine rivers. Franklin’s third and final expedition in 1845 resulted in his death and the loss of the entire company" Sir John Franklin's first expedition. In 1819, Lieutenant John Franklin, a career naval officer who had been at the battle of Trafalgar, was placed in command of an expedition appointed to proceed overland from the Hudson Bay to the shores of the Arctic Sea, and to determine the trendings of that coast east of the Coppermine river. At this period the northern coast of the American continent was known at two isolated points only: this, the mouth of the Coppermine river (which, as Franklin discovered, was erroneously placed four degrees of latitude too far to the north), and the mouth of the Mackenzie far to the west. Lieutenant Franklin and his party, consisting of Dr. Richardson, Midshipmen George Back and Richard Hood, and a few boatmen, arrived at the depot of the Hudson's Bay Company at the end of August 1819, and making an autumnal journey of 700 miles spent the first winter on the Saskatchewan. Owing to the delay in the arrival of supplies which had been promised by the North-West and Hudson's Bay Companies, it was not until the summer of 1821 that the Coppermine was ascended to its mouth, and a considerable extent of sea-coast to the eastward surveyed. The return journey over the region known as the Barren Ground was marked by the most terrible sufferings and privations and the tragic death of Lieutenant Hood. The survivors of the expedition reached York Factory in June 1822, having accomplished altogether 5550 miles of travel. While engaged on this service Franklin was promoted to the rank of commander (January 1821), and upon his return to England at the end of 1822 he obtained the post rank of captain and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. The narrative of this expedition was published in the following year and became at once a classic of travel. (Wagner-Camp, p. 90). Arctic Bibliography 5194 and 5198. Field 560 and 561. Graff 1406 and 1407. Sabin 25624 and 26228. Wagner-Camp 23:1 and 35:1. Both volumes have small worm damage, age toning, mild foxing, browning to pages, maps have small tears and are heavily creased. Piece of spine detached Volume II, boards heavily worn, needs rebinding. Good (Book ref. 2094)  £175.00

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