This volume comprises four articles by Dr. Elisha Kane, written during the second Grinnell expedition, which sought to locate the missing Franklin party.
Commissioned by Lady Franklin, Kane participated in two separate Arctic expeditions in search of her husband, Sir John Franklin. The first expedition yielded no direct results but led to the discovery of Franklin’s initial wintering site. Encouraged by this finding, Kane launched a second expedition two years later, pushing farther north than any previous explorer.
Compiled by the Smithsonian Institution, this work presents condensed versions of Kane’s scientific observations from the voyage. It includes detailed charts and diagrams documenting atmospheric pressure, temperature variations, and tidal movements, offering valuable insight into the Arctic’s extreme environmental conditions. Among these is: Chart Exhibiting in Outlines the Discoveries of the Second American Grinnell Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin, lithographed by J. Bien.
Provenance
Ownership signature of William Harkness, dated Dec. 1864, on front pastedown.
At the time of his ownership inscription Harkness serving on the Union monitor USS Monadnock. After the Civil War he worked in the United States Hydrographic Office. Harkness made contributions to the design of telescopes, and is remembered for his theory of the focal curve of achromatic telescopes, and his invention of the spherometer caliper and other astronomical instruments. He traveled extensively for astronomical research. He also served as astronomical director of the Naval Observatory (1894–99). His best known work was The Solar Parallax and its Related Constants (1891).
Bookplate of Ted Benttinen, laid in.