Markham, Albert Hastings

Estimate

200 - 300 GBP

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Description

The Great Frozen Sea. A Personal Narrative of the Voyage of the "Alert" during the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6. London: Daldy, Isbister & Co., 1878
Paper

FIRST EDITION, 8vo (218 x 139mm.), xx, 440pp., [vi pp. adverts], folding map, 6 plates, illustrations, original pictorial blue cloth, gilt, dark brown endpapers, slipcase, spine slightly soiled

Literature

William Wickham, armorial bookplate

Catalogue Note

Markham commanded the HMS Alert as part of the Artic expedition of 1875-1876 under George Strong Nares (see lots 920-932). His sledging party, unaided by dogs, reached lat. 83°20'26" N, long. 64° W, in May 1876. This remained the record for the northernmost point reached by explorers until 1895, when it was surpassed by the Fram expedition led by the Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen.

Despite the outbreak of scurvy resulting from Markham’s overlooking to include lime juice in the supplies for his party, he was subsequently promoted to captain and received a gold watch from the Royal Geographical Society, of which he became president from 1893-1905.