Voyages of Discovery in the Arctic and Antarctic Seas, and round the World: Being Personal Narratives of Attempts to Reach the North and South Poles

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. During three attempts to reach the South Pole the expedition explored the Ross Sea, described the ice barrier, and raised the British flag to claim possession. The volume ends with the abortive attempt in 1827 to reach the North Pole via Spitsbergen.