PARRY WILLIAM E A set of First Editions of each of his four

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PARRY, WILLIAM E. A set of First Editions of each of his four Voyages, uniformly bound with the separately-issued Supplement to the Appendix for the First Voyage, the North Georgia Gazette and the Appendix to the Second Voyage. Together, 7 volumes in 3. 4to, uniform 19th century 1/2 morocco, worn at joints; minor browning, minor repaired tears to the folding maps in the third volume, minor dampstaining in the top margins; 20th century gift inscription on the front free endpaper of the first volume (to John Carrier Weaver), the half-title of the North Georgia Gazette inscribed to "Dr. Wollaston from the Editor" [see note below]. London: John Murray, 1821-28

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volume 1: Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. 20 maps and plates. London, 1821. Arctic Bibliography 13145; Sabin 58860; TPL 1205 A Supplement to the Appendix of Captain Parry's Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. 6 plates. London, 1824. Sabin 58861 The North Georgia Gazette and Winter Chronicle. London, 1821. Sabin 55714. Presumably inscribed by Edward Sabine to fellow Royal Society member William Hyde Wollaston, the physician, chemist and physicist best remembered for his inventions of optical apparatus.
volume 2: Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. 39 maps and plates. London, 1824. Arctic Bibliography 13142; Sabin 58864; TPL 1295 Appendix to Captain Parry's Journal of a Second Voyage. 2 plates, folding tables. London, 1825. Sabin 5886.
volume 3: Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. 11 maps and plates. London, 1826. Arctic Bibliography 13144; Sabin 58867; TPL 1362 Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole. 7 maps and plates. London, 1828. Arctic Bibliography 13146; Sabin 58868.
Over the course of his life, Parry made five Arctic voyages -- the first in 1818 under Ross and the above four under his own command. His voyages established a number of firsts: the first to cross 110ºW, the first to discover what would prove to be the entrance to the Northwest Passage (and navigate a good portion of it), the first to plan an Arctic wintering, the first to sail through Frozen Strait, and in his final voyage the establishment of a record highest northern latitude. Taken as a whole, while his goals of discovering the Northwest Passage in his first three voyages and the attainment of the North Pole in his final voyage were unsuccessful, Parry contributed an enormous amount to Arctic exploration and to the knowledge of Eskimo language and culture. Although his journals were widely published, it is extremely unusual to find complete sets of Parry's Voyages with the Appendices and the North Georgia Gazette bound together at such an early date.

From the library of Dr. John M. Levinson, with his bookplate.