GREAT WATERS Voyage Of RSS Discovery 1925 - 7 Hardy South Atlantic Antarctic Whale
Item History & Price
A Voyage of Natural History to study whales,
plankton and the waters of the Southern Ocean
in the old Royal Research Ship Discovery
with the results brought up to date by
the findings of RRS Discovery IISIR ALISTER HARDYCOLLINS, LONDON
1967
First edition.
The author— a leading British zoologist and known the world over as a writer on the sea—spent two years (1925-27) on board Captain Scott's famous old ship the Discovery, a barque-rigged ...sailing ship with only auxiliary steam, on an expedition to study the biology of Antarctic waters. On this pioneer voyage—often uncomfortable, exciting or dangerous—Sir Alister as Chief Zoologist kept a journal of his day-to-day experiences, illustrated by his own photographs, drawings and paintings.Round this vivid first-hand record he has now written a natural history of the 'great waters': both the tropical seas through which they passed on their way and the vast Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica. As well as his own exploration of the problems hidden in those rough and icy seas, he tells of the main discoveries made by subsequent expeditions up to the present day and links them with the earlier results. The book is a narrative account of modern oceanography in action, a students' summary guide to the detailed reports—hitherto available only in 33 huge technical volumes—and for the general reader a marvellously readable natural history book. As a reviewer said of his two earlier Open Sea volumes, 'Sir Alister writes as a born naturalist with an enthusiasm for all that concerns the sea and its inhabitants—from microscopic diatoms to hundred-ton whales—which he communicates to his readers on every page.'CONTENTS
PREFACE
GENESIS IN WHALING HISTORY
PURPOSE, PLANS AND PREPARATIONS
OFF AT LAST: AN INTRODUCTION TO OCEAN LIFE
THROUGH TROPICAL SEAS
FROM THE LINE TO THE CAPE—WITH A VISIT TO ASCENSION ISLAND
SOUTH-WEST VIA TRISTAN DA CUNHA
SOUTH GEORGIA---FIRST ENCOUNTER
WHALING AND WHALE RESEARCH DIPPING INTO THE DEPTHS
BACK AT THE CAPE---THE SHIP IMPROVED
SOUTH AGAIN---TO BOUVET ISLAND AND THE PACK ICE
SOUTH GEORGIA: SECOND ROUND ROUND THREE
THE KNOWLEDGE WON
IDEAS AND SPECULATIONS
TO THE SOUTH ORKNEYS AND THE SOUTH SHETLANDS
ANTARCTIC SCENE
FROM THE SOUTH TO CAPE HORN
FROM CAPE HORN TO GOOD HOPE VIA GOUGII ISLAND
MORE ABOUT WHALES
THE KINGDOM OF THE KRILL
HOMEWARD BOUND
APPENDIX: A GUIDE TO THE Discovery Reports
INDEX22 x 15 cm. 542 pp + colour and b/w plates.Very good condition, dust jacket age tanned and foxed, light spotting to top edge of text block. Ownership signature of Montague Dawson, famous maritime artist, on first blank page, otherwise clean and tidy, binding sound.