Kennedy, William:

$20,000 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

A SHORT NARRATIVE OF THE SECOND VOYAGE OF THE PRINCE ALBERT, IN SEARCH OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. First edition of the official narrative of the second Franklin search party. William Kennedy (1814-90) was the son of a Hudson's Bay Company factor and a woman from the Cree tribe. In 1851 he was chosen by Lady Franklin to lead the second private expedition in search of her husband. Although he found no trace of Sir John, the expedition discovered Bellot Strait in the far north of America. Kennedy utilized native Inuit clothing and techniques, and the expedition returned with the entirety of its crew intact. "His narrative of the expedition includes description of ice condition in the straits, sledging conditions, the country explored, rations, frostbite, and the weather; also a (four-times) daily journal of temperature, wind and weather notes" - ARCTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY. The plates show the expedition's adventures living in the Arctic, and the map details their explorations in the area.A wonderful association copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper by the dedicatee, "with Lady Franklin's kind regards"; the recipient, A. J. Wylie Esqr, has added his name and the date of the presentation, July 1853, respectively above and below Lady Franklin's inscription.

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