Manual of the Natural History, Geology, and Physics of Greenland and the Neighbouring Regions: Prepared for the Use of the Arctic Expedition of 1875, under the Direction of the Arctic Committee of the Royal Society

This 1875 manual presents a detailed scientific picture of Greenland and its Arctic environment. Edited by the geologist Thomas Rupert Jones (1819-1911), it was prepared for the British Arctic Expedition of the same year in order to inform and instruct the explorers. The work presents previously ascertained information, ranging from astronomical data, including observations of the northern lights, through to material on plant and animal life. Sir George Nares (1831-1915), the expedition’s leader, had hoped the North Pole could be reached. Though this proved impossible, a team of his men set a record for the furthest northern latitude attained at the time. Underpinning the expedition’s gathering of important scientific and geographical results, this manual clarifies for modern readers the specific objectives of late Victorian polar research. Nares’ official 1876 report and his 1878 two-volume account of the journey are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.