First Crossing of Spitsbergen

The First Crossing of Spitsbergen. Being an account of an inland journey of exploration and survey, with descriptions of several mountain ascents, of boat expeditions in Ice Fjord, of a voyage to North-East-Land, the Seven Islands, down Hinloopen Strait, nearly to Wiches Land, and into most of the fjords of Spitsbergen, and of an almost complete circumnavigation of the main island.

By Sir William Martin Conway

With contributions by J. W. Gregory, D. Sc., A. Trevor-Battye, and E. J. Garwood.

London, J. M. Dent & Co., 1897. First Edition, 4to, [xii], 371pp., with 7 coloured plate, 56 plates, some 44 other illustrations and 2 folding maps, original two-tone cloth with beveled boards, gilt titles, top edges gilt : light foxing to the preliminary leaves and intermittent pronounced foxing throughout, internal hinges strong and showing beginning signs of cracking, exterior with bright gilt and in very nice condition. No prior ownership labels. A complete and attractive copy.

"The author spent the summer of 1896 and 1897 exploring the interior of West Spitsbergen. This volume is an account of the first season’s voyage to the island, and the trips there during which Conway, Gregory, Trevor-Battye, Garwood, and H.E. Conway crossed overland from Advent Bay to Bell Sound, thence northward to Sassen Bay, and from there to Agardh Bay on the east coast and returned to Advent Bay. They made in all 13 mountain ascents, produced a survey sketch of about 600 square miles of central West Spitsbergen, almost completed a circumnavigation of the main island, and made valuable geologic and natural history collections" — Arctic Bibliography 3378