Description

Frederick William Beechey (1796-1856), naval officer and hydrographer, joined the Navy at a young age and went on to survey coastlines and oceans around the world. He published several accounts of his expeditions to destinations including the Arctic and Africa. This two-volume work, first published in 1831, describes his voyage in 1825-1828 to the Bering Strait, where he was to meet the explorers Sir John Franklin and Sir Edward Parry if they succeeded in finding the North-West Passage. Volume 1 records Beechey's outward journey, including visits to Pitcairn Island, where he met the last surviving Bounty mutineer and documented his story, Tahiti, and Hawai'i, and his first season exploring the Bering Strait. Volume 2 follows the expedition from California via China to its second Arctic summer, and includes a vocabulary of Eskimo words, notes on harbours and navigation, and a vivid description of the northern lights.