United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes USN. Atlas. Zoophytes.

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United States Exploring Expedition : during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, under the command of Charles Wilkes USN. Atlas. Zoophytes.

Author James Dwight Dana (1813 - 1895)

Printer C Sherman

Date1849

Object number00001368

NameBook

MediumCloth, handcoloured drawings, printed text on paper

DimensionsOverall: 570 x 382 x 32 mm, 5.7 kg

ClassificationsBooks and journals

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionBook titled 'United States Exploring Expedition, during the years 1838, 1838, 1840, 1841, 1842 under the command of Chalres Wilkes, U.S.N. Atlas. Zoophytes'. The book is by James D. Dana, A.M., geologist of the expedition, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences of Boston, Academy of NBatural Sciences of Philadephia, etc. Published by Authority of Congress, Philadelphia, 1849.HistoryThe United States Exploring Expedition under the command of Captain Chales Wilkes left Virginia in March 1838 and headed down the east coast of South America, calling into Rio de Janeiro. The five ship expedition rounded Cape Horn and crossed the Pacific and called into Samoa and Sydney before turning south to explore Antarctica. Captain Wilkes was the first explorer to ascertain that Antarctica was a separate continent and he mapped a large part of the eastern coastline. He then headed north to Fiji and Hawaii. In 1841 the squadron explored the west coast of North America before crossing the Pacific again and returned to New York via the Cape of Good Hope.SignificanceJames Dana spent four years as the mineralogist and geologist of the United States Exploring Expedition, commanded by Captain Charles Wilkes, in the Pacific Ocean. On his return Dana spent the next thirteen years writing this account of the journey.