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.. Large Paper Copy of a Fundamental Arctic Exploration A large paper copy of this major source both in the early exploration of the Far North and in ethnology. George Back entered the Royal Navy in 1808, and was taken prisoner by the French in 1809, who detained him for nearly five years. Following his release he reenlisted, and served under Sir John Franklin in 1818. A true veteran of Arctic exploration, Back accompanied Franklin on both of his first two expeditions in 1819 and 1825-7, making this voyage of 1833-1835, undertaken originally as a rescue mission for the incommunicative John Ross, his third foray. Back and his party went from Montreal to Great Slave Lake, then overland to the Arctic Ocean. The detailed descriptions of the geography, native flora and fauna, and indigenous inhabitants of Northwest Canada, supplemented by beautiful engravings made after Back's own sketches, quickly made this narrative a roaring success, and it was printed in three languages and four editions by the end of the year. "This very beautiful edition of Captain Back's Journey, is exactly a counterpart, page by page, of the octavo size....The impressions of the plates are on India paper, and having as well as the text been taken with great care, the whole work is a splendid specimen of typographic art. Captain Back's Narrative is crowded with details of his intercourse with the Crees, Chippewyans, Dog Rib, and Coppermine Indians, upon whom he, as well as Captain Franklin, was obliged to depend in great measure for subsistence during the terrible privations of an Arctic winter. No intelligent comprehension of…the frozen regions of North America can be obtained without reading the narratives of Captains Franklin and Back; both of whose Journals of their overland expeditions are very largely occupied with descriptions of Indian life and peculiarities" – Field. "Regarded as one of the finest travel books of the nineteenth century" – Howgego. "After Franklin, the most important early explorer of the Canadian Northwest was George Back" – Reese. The Streeter copy sold to parties unknown for $90 in 1969. It was not a large paper copy, but it did have a short letter from Back tipped in. Thick quarto. Modern three-quarter blue morocco and cloth, spine gilt with raised bands. Minor rubbing, spine slightly sunned. Minor marginal foxing to plates. Very good. ARCTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY 851. STREETER SALE 3704. FIELD 63. SABIN 2613. HILL 42. WAGNER-CAMP 58b:1 (octavo ed). TPL 1873 (octavo ed). REESE, BEST OF THE WEST 47 (note).