The Last of the Arctic Voyages;

£3,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

the search for Sir John Franklin Belcher's voyage was the last officially sent in search of Sir John Franklin, who disappeared during an Arctic expedition in 1845. Belcher, in his narrative, offers no conclusion as to the fate of Franklin, nor to the existence of the Northest Passage to the Pacific. In fact the expedition proved quite unsuccessful, with the loss of four ships icebound in the Wellington Channel. First edition; 2 vols, royal 8vo (25 x 16.5 cm); 4 maps, 3 of which folding, 36 lithograph plates of which 15 chromolithographs or tinted, discreet blind library stamps to titles and frontispieces, discreet reference ticket to pastedown and number to title of vol. I, still nice and clean internally; later half blue morocco, pebbled cloth boards, gilt monogram to upper boards, all edges marbled, library stamps to bottom edge, evidence of shelf marks to spines, nonetheless a very good set; xx, 383; viii, 419pp. Hill 106; Abbey (Travel), 645; Sabin 4389; NMM 921.

• Binding: Hardcover

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