1853 · London
by Kennedy, William
London: W.H. Dalto, 1853. xiii,[1],202pp. plus folding map and four plates. Antique half morocco and marbled boards. A near fine copy. The rarest of the Franklin search narratives. William Kennedy (1814-90) was the son of a Hudson's Bay Company factor and a Cree Indian woman. 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. TPL 3270. ARCTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY 8539. SABIN 37443
(Inventory #: WRCAM54167)