A Voyage Of Discovery Into The South Sea And Beering's Straits For The Purpose Of Exploring A North-east Passage

The author is Otto von Kotzebue, and the book is a recounting of his 1815 expedition to find a north-east passage. The expedition had the goal of exploring the Pacific Ocean and studying the coasts of Kamchatka and Alaska. The naturalist Chamisso and the artist Choris were both on the expedition, and they both contributed valuable information to the published account. The physician Eschscholtz also collected zoological specimens. The first volume of the book covers the expedition's inception and Kotzebue's journal of the voyage. The second volume covers the expedition's exploration of the Pacific Ocean. The third and final volume covers Kotzebue's return voyage to Russia.

An admirer of Captain Cook, Otto von Kotzebue (1787-1846) was a leading navigator, in Russian service, circumnavigating the globe three times. His 1815 expedition set out to find a passage through the Arctic, study the coastlines of Kamchatka and Alaska, and explore the Pacific. Among the personnel were the naturalist Chamisso and the artist Choris, who both contributed valuable information to the published account, while Eschscholtz, a physician, collected zoological specimens. Originally published in 1821 in Russian and German, this English translation, presented with many plates and charts, appeared the same year and formed part of Darwin's library aboard the Beagle. Volume 1 details the expedition's inception and presents the journal of the voyage, with observations of Cape Horn, Polynesia, Siberia, Alaska, California, and Hawaii. Meteorological details are regularly recorded, but this account is notable for its vivid descriptions of the peoples encountered.