The Polar Regions

About this book

A reprint of a classical work in the Cambridge Library Collection.

The Arctic explorer Sir John Richardson (1787-1865), who had accompanied both John Franklin and John Rae on major expeditions, expands here an article which had appeared in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Organised in two parts, and published in 1861, The Polar Regions covers first the Arctic and then the largely unexplored Antarctic. Adopting a chronological approach in the first part, Richardson covers Roman knowledge of the far north, Norse voyages, and later exploration by the British, Dutch and Russians. He then deals in detail with the search for the North-West Passage, including the expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin. Later chapters cover Spitsbergen, Arctic weather, ice, currents, geology, vegetation and zoology, as well as the three principal groups of native people: the Inuit, Lapps and Samoyeds. In the second part, Richardson outlines Antarctic exploration since 1576, providing an overview of what little was known of this part of the globe.

Contents

Preface

Part I: Introduction
1. Ante-Columbian period, BC 52–AD 1494
2. AD 1492–1527
3. Voyages to the north-east from England, AD 1548–80
4. Dutch north-eastern voyages, AD 1594–7
5. English north-west voyages, AD 1576–1636
6. American continent etc., AD 1668–1790
7. Russian voyages along the Siberian coast, AD 1598–1843
8. Nineteenth century, England AD 1817–45
9. Nineteenth century, Sir John Franklin
10. Searching expeditions, AD 1847–59
11. Spitzbergen
12. Currents of the polar seas
13. Ice
14. Winds
15. Temperature
16. Vegetation
17. Zoology
18. Geology
19. Eskimos
20. Samoyeds
21. Laplanders of Yugrian origin

Part II:
1. AD 1576–1840, Antarctic polar regions
2. Discovery of Victoria Land
3. Remarks on the physical geography of the Antarctic region

Postscript
Index

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