The History of Greenland:

£850 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

Charming copy of this history of Greenland, written by Moravian Church missionary David Cranz (1723-1777) during a year's tour of the Moravian missions of New Herrnhut (in Nuuk) and Lichtenfels (Akunnaat). He provides much information on the life and culture of Inuits. There is a section devoted to whaling, consisting of a description of the Greenland black whale and an account of its habits; the Jupiter whale, the humpback whale, the knotted whale, whales of Bermuda, the cachelot and its store of spermaceti, the white whale, and the whaling industry in general. First English edition; two vols, 8vo (21.5 x 13.5 cm); 2 maps, 7 folding plates, armorial bookplates to pastedowns, endpapers a little browned; contemporary half calf, marble boards, flat spines gilt, lacking lettering pieces, all edges speckled, upper joints just starting, else a very good copy; lix, 405; [ii], 497 pp. Arctic Bibliography 3471; Cox 11, p. 18; Sabin 17417.

• Binding: Hardcover

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