Description

Published in 1884 and illustrated with over 100 of his own drawings and maps, this two-volume work by the doctor and naturalist Robert McCormick (1800-90) provides an account of his voyages in the Arctic with William Parry and in the Antarctic with James Clark Ross, noting also his part in the search for Sir John Franklin. Incorporating a very detailed autobiography, McCormick's work also provides many details relating to natural history and geology. Volume 1 is mainly devoted to his Antarctic voyage (1839-43), during which he also visited St Helena, the Kerguelen Islands, Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands and Tierra del Fuego. The volume ends with the abortive attempt in 1827 to reach the North Pole via Spitsbergen. Volume 2 describes his role in the 1852-4 mission to find Franklin in the Arctic, including an open boat voyage up the Wellington Channel. This is followed by McCormick's autobiography, tracing his struggles to gain promotion in his naval career.