The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the Paramore (by Edited by Norman J. W. Thrower)

• 1980 edition.  392 pages in Vol 1 and maps in Vol II
• Published by The Hakluyt Society, London
• Hardcover with dust jacket. Blue boards.  
• Very good condition. Minor shelf wear to dust jacket of both volumes. Small owner stamp on free front end paper of Vol 1.

Hakluyt Society Second Series Volume 156 and Volume 157.  Set of two volumes  - the second volume is a portfolio of maps and charts.  Indexed.

Edmond Halley was already a well-known astronomer, mathematician and natural philosopher when, in 1698, he took command of His Majesty's Ship Paramore.   The purpose of Halley's first two voyages was to test his geomagnetical theories; in the third voyage he investigated tidal phenomena.  

These voyages, which recieved royal approval, support from the Navy, and sponsorship by the Royal Society have been regarded as the first sea journeys undertaken for purely scientific purposes.

Halley's departure on the first voyage was delayed because of his employment by Newton; and by Tsar Peter's desire to sail in the newly-commissioned Paramore.  The first voyage ended prematurely with the court martial of Halley's lietenant.  

However, the second voyage was an eminently successful undertaking in which the Paramore made a wide sweep through the Atlantic reaching 52deg24'S latitude. Halley made many observations which enabled him to produce the first published isogonic map; this is also the earliest printed isoline map of any phenomenon.

In his third and last voyage in the Paramore, in the summer of 1701, Halley made a detailed study of the English Channel.  The voyage was also productive of highly original cartographic work, including the first tidal chart.

In this book the journals of Halley's three voyages are published in full from manuscripts now in the British Library.  The journal of the third journey is here published for the first time, and the earlier two are compared with versions published by Alexander Dalrymple in 1773 and 1775, from different source materials.

All are extensively footnoted and preceded by a scholarly introduction by Professor Thrower on the multifaceted aspects of Halley's important voyages.  The work also contains well over one hundred documents relating to the voyages, many published for the first time. The two most original but now rare maps arsing from these journeys, the Atlantic Chart and the Channel Chart (in two sheets) are reprinted in facsimile for the portfolio.   Other maps, portraits, drawings etc illustrated this work.