Narrative of the United States Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea 1849

Item Details

Philadelphia, Lea and Blanchard, 1849, Hardcover

New & Revised, Good

Narrative of the United States Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea by W F Lynch (US Navy). Published by Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia, 1849. New and revised edition. Hardcover blind stamped with gold lettering on the spine. Lynch carried out the first successful navigation of the Dead Sea, travelling down the Jordan from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea in 1848. Half the party travelled overland, the other half navigated the river. The boats had to be carried overland by camels from Acre to the Sea of Galilee. Lynch also visited Ephesus, Smyrna and Constantinople. Conducted from 1847 to 1848, with the official narrative published in Philadelphia in by Lea and Blanchard. The expedition descended the River Jordan using specially designed metallic boats (copper and galvanized iron), navigating violent rapids, dams, and ancient bridge obstructions. They even documented the region's topography, geology, and plant life, while providing early Western scientific data on the lowest and saltiest water body on Earth. The plates are after drawings by members of the expedition." Includes 2 folding lithographed maps & 28 wood-engraved plates including the frontispiece. 8vo. 508 pages. Covers have mild general wear. The endpapers are medium foxed while the main body has some light foxing. Old owner signature and later inscription on the ffep. Both fold out maps remain good except for small tears where attached to the book. (Most have these small tears.) See images.