Narrative of A Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the Years 1819, 20, 21, and 22 Together with: Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of The Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827, by John Franklin, Captain. Including an Account of the Progress of a Detachment to the Eastward, by John Richardson. FRANKLIN, John

The First Edition First Voyage. 1823 T.P.L. 1248. Sabin 25624. WCB 23:1. Field 560. Graff 1406. Peel 80. Arctic Biblio. 5194. ~~ This famous journey was made to the mouth of the Coppermine River, largely overland. The coast east of the mouth was surveyed. It is one of the most terrible journeys on record, many of the party dying from cold, hunger, or murder. The distance travelled was some 5,500 miles, and Franklin's narrative at once became a classic of travel literature. John Richardson and George Back, later famous Arctic explorers in their own right, were members of the expedition. The story related here is one of a most devastating and frightful journey of 5500 miles in northern Canada. One of the objects of the expedition was to determine the longitude and latitude of the northern coast of North America. The members of the expedition travelled both overland and by canoe, from Hudson's Bay westward toward Fort Chippewyan, then turned northward to descend the Coppermine River to Coronation Gulf and thence eastward over more than twelve hundred miles into Dease Strait; they finally returned to Fort Enterprise through the Barren Grounds. The expedition was decimated by murder, hunger and cold. ~~ The First Edition - Second Voyage. 1828. A.B. 5198. TPL 1434. Lande 1182. Sabin 25628. This expedition went overland via New York and York (Tor-onto) to the Mackenzie River and to the Arctic Ocean. Franklin here explored the Arctic coast from the MacKenzie delta west almost to Point Barrow. It was planned that he would met the Beechey expedition but they missed each other by 160 miles and a week. Part of the expedition led by Sir John Richardson explored the Arctic coast east to Coppermine River. Together they added 1200 miles of coast line to the map of the Canadian Arctic. 4to, 27cm, The First Edition, First Issue. (maps are dated, March, 1823), 4to., xvi,768p., with 30 plates (11 coloured), 4 folding maps; complete with errata, some light foxing or transfer on the plates and tissue guards, generally less than usual, in contemporary half calf, gilt title, match marbled boards, very good to fine complete copy of the first issue AND: 4to. 27.2cm, The First Edition, xxiv,320,clvii, [errata],pp. with 31 steel engraved plates & 6 rear folding maps inc. 1 in colour, (both dated, April, 1828), the maps have some light damp staining along the top margin & the last maps includes some foxing and an early repair, some of the plates have light dust soiling along the top margin, the title page has top two corner stained from transfer from the binding corners, in contemporary full brown calf, brown crushed morocco label, marbled boards, new endpapers, very good sound copy