A Voyage of Discovery, into the South Sea and Beering's Straits, for the Purpose of Exploring a North-East Passage
Undertaken in the Years 1815–1818, at the Expense of His Highness the Chancellor of the Empire, Count Romanzoff, in the Ship Rurick

A three-volume translated account, published in 1821, of the pioneering Russian expedition that mapped the coast of Siberia and Alaska.

Otto von Kotzebue (Author), H. E. Lloyd (Translated by)

9781108057592, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 May 2013

458 pages, 1 b/w illus. 1 colour illus. 2 maps
21.6 x 14 x 2.6 cm, 0.58 kg

An admirer of Captain Cook, Otto von Kotzebue (1787–1846) was a leading navigator, in Russian service, circumnavigating the globe three times. His 1815 expedition set out to find a passage through the Arctic, study the coastlines of Kamchatka and Alaska, and explore the Pacific. Among the personnel were the naturalist Chamisso and the artist Choris, who both contributed valuable information to the published account, while Eschscholtz, a physician, collected zoological specimens. Originally published in 1821 in Russian and German, this English translation, presented with many plates and charts, appeared the same year and formed part of Darwin's library aboard the Beagle. Volume 3 continues with Chamisso's detailed observations as well as contributions by other members of the expedition. Flora and fauna are identified, mineral samples taken, and aerometric readings recorded along with the temperature of the sea.

Remarks and opinions of the naturalist of the expedition, continued: Teneriffe
Brazil
Chili, with notices from Father Alday, and a tabular view of the missions
California
The Philippine Islands
The Mariana Islands. Guahon
Extract from the archives of San Ygnacio de Agaña
On our knowledge of the First Province of the Great Ocean
Radack, Ralick, Repith-Urur, Bogha, the Cornwallis Islands
The Caroline Islands
The Penrhyn Islands
The Low Islands. Romanzoff Island
Waihu, or Easter Island
The Sandwich Islands. Johnstone Island
Methods of kindling fire
Kamtschatka. The Aleutian Islands and Beering's Straits
Meteorology. The magnet
Appendix by other authors: General remarks on the voyage
On the coral islands
On the nature of the rocks Moritz von Engelhardt
List of minerals J. F. Eschscholtz
Description of a new species of monkey J. F. Eschscholtz
Observations on the Medusae, Velellae, and Porpitae J. F. Eschscholtz
Description of new foreign butterflies J. F. Eschscholtz
Aerometrical observations, from 18th of July, 1816, to the 13th of April 1818
Temperature of the sea-water at different depths in the years 1815, 1816, 1817, 1818
Remarks on the observations on the specific gravity of the sea-water in different latitudes, and on the temperature of the ocean at different depths J. C. Hörner
Postscript Adalbert von Chamisso.

Subject Areas: Historical geography [HBTP]