An uncommon map from Captain John Ross' second exploration of the Arctic in search of a Northwest Passage showing the Boothia Peninsula (Boothia Felix), in present-day Nunavut. Ross was in charge of the expedition and his nephew, James Clark Ross accompanied him on this voyage as second in command. Due to controversies surrounding his previous Arctic voyage in 1818, Ross was unable to secure financing from England for a second voyage. He instead was backed by the London gin magnate, Felix Booth, after whom the Boothia Peninsula is named. The map shows the track of the expedition and Somerset House, where they spent one of the four difficult Arctic winters before they were rescued by whalers in ships acquired from the wreck of the Fury, from Parry's expedition. Given up for lost, when Ross told the whalers that he was Captain Ross of the ship Victory, they grimly told him that could not be, as Captain Ross had died in the Northwest Passage two years before. Ross' record of staying in the Arctic for four winters would not be broken for 70 years. Upon returning to England, the captain was greeted as a hero.

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Condition: B

Issued folding, with a repaired binding tear on the left entering 4" into the map. Some of the folds have been reinforced with tissue on the verso and the map has some light foxing. Delicate original color delineates the water.