Back, Captain [George]

Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the Mouth of the Great Fish River, and Along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean, in the Years 1833, 1834, and 1835

London: John Murray, 1836.

First Edition. Hardcover. 8vo 8" - 9" tall. Very Good. x (1) 663 pp, with 16 engraved plates, many from drawings by Back, and a folding map of the route. Lacks frontispiece. Handsomely rebound in recent quarter leather over marbled boards, with endpapers replaced. Minor scuffing to leather, else minimal wear. Pages clean and bright, without foxing. Map expertly repaired. The expedition was intended to provide assistance to the Second Ross Expedition, but became a scientific expedition after it was learned that Ross and his men had returned safely. The party traveled overland from Montreal to north central Canada, where they proceeded by canoe and portage up the Great Slave River. The narrative includes descriptions of rivers and lakes traversed; land forms, rock types, and plant and animal life; and the difficulties of canoe travel, as well as observations about the native peoples. Arctic Bibliography 851; Smith, Pacific Northwest, 393.