ROSS, John.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

A Voyage of Discovery, First edition of this richly illustrated account of Sir John Ross's first Arctic expedition, undertaken in 1818, that launched a century of polar exploration: "In effect Ross began a new era in Arctic research" (Books on Ice). Ross himself provided many of the illustrations, with one notable exception supplied by John Sackheouse, the expedition's Inuit guide.Ross sailed up Davis Strait and westward into Lancaster Sound, seeking a north-west passage. Although a mirage deceived him into believing the end of the Sound was blocked by a high range of mountains, the expedition bore important fruits. It encouraged Arctic exploration, compiled accurate geographical and ethnological data, and trained future leaders: Ross's officers included future Arctic greats William Parry, James Clark Ross, and Edward Sabine. Sackheose, an Inuit from West Greenland, was also essential to the expedition. He arrived in the UK in 1816 after stowing away on a whaling ship returning from Greenland. Ross employed him as interpreter on the voyage to Baffin Bay, and Sackheouse ensured that the crew's interactions with indigenous Western Greenlanders was highly productive and amenable.Later, Ross encountered Northern Greenlanders, who had had no prior contact with outside communities. Sackheuse's drawing of this encounter (after p. 88) is one of the most remarkable coloured plates in the Voyage. Although the languages of South and West Greenland differed, Sackheuse was able to discern

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.