Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific; [and] Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole.

Handsome copies of Parry's third voyage to the North-west Passage and his fourth voyage to the North Pole.

The goal of the third voyage was to reach Prince Regent Inlet at the west end of Baffin Island where Parry had been blocked by ice in 1819. Heavy ice slowed them up from the outset, and HMS Fury was eventually shipwrecked on a remote beach. The remaining expedition piled onto HMS Hecla and turned home. The wreck site, Fury Beach, near 72°30′N 92°30′W, became an important landmark, saving Sir John Ross when he reached the same location in 1829 and was in desperate need of supplies. While not achieving any success in finding a North-West Passage, the third voyage collected useful additional scientific information about the Arctic region of North America.

Parry's fourth voyage was important for its use of sledge-boats in attempting to reach the North Pole via Spitzbergen, as recommended by William Scoresby, Jr. Rather than use dogs Parry experimented with reindeer, only to find them unable to move his very heavy sledge boats across difficult ice. Nevertheless, he achieved the latitude of 82°45′N which remained the record for the most northerly human expedition for the next 49 years.

First editions; 2 vols, 4to (28 x 22 cm); [third voyage] 11 engraved plates and charts, 2 of which folding, touch of offsetting from plates otherwise clean internally; [Attempt to Reach the North Pole] 6 engraved plates, 1 folding chart, light marginal staining, text-block professionally cleaned, repaired tear to contents leaf without loss; full contemporary calf, gilt spines in six compartments with gilt red morocco lettering pieces, all edges speckled, with third volume lower board starting to split, a little wear, otherwise a very good set.

Books on Ice 2.8, 2.10; Hill 227; Sabin 58867, 58868; Staton & Tremaine 1295, 1362.