Parker Snow (1817-1895), an eccentric English explorer, was working as a writer in New York when he claimed to have had a paranormal vision of the whereabouts of the missing Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin and immediately wrote to Lady Jane Franklin with a plan for a search. This was largely based upon the premise that if Franklin was in difficulty, he would have realised that the Admiralty would send a rescue expedition and therefore his best course of action would be to guide the relief party to him by means of leaving evidence at one of the Arctic 'beacons'. Consequently, Lady Franklin made him the civil officer of her expedition on board the ketch Prince Albert that explored the Boothia Peninsula for any sign of the missing expedition between June and September 1850, without success. On his return Parker Snow wrote the present work which Lady Franklin used to promote further expeditions.

First edition. 8vo, xvi, 416pp., 4 coloured lithograph plates. folding lithographed map, original pictorial dark blue cloth gilt, occasional light spotting, a very good example.

Sabin 85560.