Antarctic Adventure: Scott's Northern Party

Priestley was a member of Scott's British Antarctic Expedition (1910-13) which encompassed a number of exploration parties which went out from their main base on Ross Island. Priestley and five others (Abbott, Browning, Campbell, Dickason, & Levick) initially set out as the Eastern Party to explore the coast of King Edward VII Land but after difficulty in finding a suitable landing site, and coming across Roald Amundsen as well, they returned to Ross Island. They refocused their attention to Victoria Land’s Cape Adare and renamed themselves the Northern Party with provisions for the oncoming winter and the following summer. Unfortunately, their relief ship failed to pick them up forcing a drastic second winter in a snow cave. Priestley’s account is based on his daily diary written over the course of their two-year separation from the main party. During their absence Scott had departed with the Southern Party for the pole from which he did not return. Many copies of this first UK edition where burned by a Zeppelin bomb in the publisher’s warehouse in 1916. Uncommon.

Aagaard pg.121, AB-USN 23-63.26, Conrad p.186, Meadows 334, Renard 1254, Rosove 256.A1.a, Spence 939, Taurus 80.