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. 1st Edition. Hardcover. 4to, 28.6cm, The First Edition, the Rare Large Paper Issue, x,[1],663,p. with 16 engraved plates and a rear folding map, in the original cross grain cloth, blind stamped border decorations on the boards, gilt block titles in decorated borders on the spine, binding expertly restored, a fine copy. (cgc) Large Paper Copy issued to match the other quartos of the period. On this special edition the sixteen plates were produced on India paper and mounted, the thinner paper produce a better image. Chine-Colle). Thirteen are after Back and three after B. Waterhouse Hawkins. Seven were lithographed by Haghe or Day & Haghe and nine were steel-engraved by E. Finden. Back was a talented artist and the engravings are most attractive. A.B. 851. T.P.L. 1873. Lande 935. Sabin 2613. Wagner-Camp 58b:1. Streeter 3705 (trimmed). Back, who had been on both Franklin expeditions, was sent out to locate Ross, who had been unreported through three winters. News of Ross's safe return reached Back in April 1833 and he then pursued the expedition's secondary objectives. These were, firstly, to navigate the length of a river supposedly arising in the neighbourhood of the Great Slave Lake and running north to the Arctic sea, and then, secondly, to map as much as possible of the sea-coast. He was successful in both objectives, travelling 7,500 miles in total and traversing the full 440-mile length of the river (known as 'Thlueetessy' by the Indians). The Great Fish River, as Back named it, has since become known as Back River.