ROSS, John, Sir (1777-1856). An Explanation of Captain Sabine’s Remarks on the late voyage of discovery to Baffin’s Bay. London: John Murray, 1819.

8vo (202 x 130 mm). 19th-century half blue calf, maroon morocco lettering-piece gilt (some minor wear, a few small losses to lettering-piece). Provenance: Collector's bookplate, a few pencil marks.

FIRST EDITION. Edward Sabine served as astronomer on the first Ross Arctic expedition which attempted to find the Northwest Passage. Although the expedition failed to find the Northwest Passage, it made several important scientific contributions, including the location of the Earth's north magnetic pole and the behavior of pendulums at high altitudes. Ross published his account of the expedition in 1819, in which he claimed credit for several magnetic observations. Sabine published his own remarks about the expedition, accusing Ross of publishing information that Sabine had collected without giving proper credit. In the present pamphlet, Ross responds to Sabine's claims and defends his publication of the findings and observations, although Sabine would later recover credit for them. Hill (2004) 1511; Sabin 74716; Staton m& Tremaine/TPL 1151. RARE.