Letters Written during the Late Voyage of Discovery in the Western Arctic Sea

These letters, written by an anonymous officer on Parry's 1819–20 Arctic voyage, were published in 1821.

9781108073400, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 July 2014

142 pages, 3 b/w illus. 1 map
21.6 x 14 x 0.8 cm, 0.19 kg

Sir Edward Parry (1790–1855) wrote accounts of his three Arctic expeditions, which have also been reissued in this series. This book takes the form of letters written to a sibling by an anonymous member of the crew on Parry's 1819–20 voyage. It was brought out in 1821 by the enterprising publisher Richard Phillips ahead of any other narrative, as all accounts and journals had first to be handed to the Admiralty Board for the extraction of any important details. It seems likely that the work, which is carefully constructed and elegant in style, was elaborated either from notes or from a genuine series of letters, to get round the restriction on publication. This is a fascinating narrative, full of striking details, such as entertainments on board to help morale, the reappearance of the sun at the end of the Arctic winter, and the sight of the aurora borealis.

Preface
Letters 1-15
Editor's postscript.

Subject Areas: Historical geography [HBTP]