Magnificent Voyagers: The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842

303 pp. "History of the expedition that surveyed 280 islands, mapped 800 miles of the Oregon coast, explored the Antarctic coast, and collected specimens from all parts of the globe." "A large-format, profusely illustrated volume issued in conjunction with the Smithsonian's exhibition commemorating the expedition of 1838-42. Controversial in its day but largely forgotten now, the expedition proved that Antarctica was a continent, produced many still-valuable maps of Pacific islands, and brought back the nucleus of the Smithsonian's natural history collections. Not a narrative history like William Stanton's The Great United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 (1975), this is a collection of essays evaluating the scientific contributions made by the expedition."