THREE YEARS OF ARCTIC SERVICE. An Account of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition of 1881-84 and the Attainment of the Farthest North.

First edition, first printing. Two volumes. Publisher's original blue cloth with titles and illustration in red, silver and gilt to the upper boards and spine. Illustrated with a steel engraved frontispiece portrait in volume I, 42 full page plates (many from photographs), numerous illustrations and five maps in text from drawings, four further maps (two double page, two folding, including a large coloured map in a rear pocket of volume II, as issued). Grey coated endpapers. A very good set, the bindings square and firm with some bumping and small nicks to the spine tips. The cloth and gilt remains bright and fresh. The contents, with spotting to the prelims and occasionally to the margins are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. The large folding map in the pocket at the rear of volume II, has a couple of short closed tears to the blank margin and is otherwise sound. An attractive example.

"This United States expedition during the First International Polar Year, based at Fort Conger, Lady Franklin Bay on the east coast of Ellesmere Island, explored the north coast of Greenland from Cape Bryant to Cape Washington. As relief ships failed to reach them, members the party made a march out of the Hall Basin area, all but seven dying of starvation before rescue at Cape Sabine, Smith Sound" - Artic Bibliography.