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James Rennell and British Arctic expeditions, 1818–1829

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Gwyn Griffiths
Gwyn Griffiths
Affiliation:
James Rennell Centre for Ocean CirculationGamma HouseChilworth Research CentreChilworthSouthampton SOI 7NS
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Abstract

During the resurgence of Arctic exploration in the early years of the nineteenth century, James Rennell was the leading British geographer. He had a deep interest in exploration, and was a close friend of many naval and scientific men involved in Arctic research. Rennell used the observations of a number of explorers in his major work on the currents of the Atlantic — the first scientific treatise on ocean currents. These observations led Rennell to form opinions on where northwest passages would and would not be found, in particular, that Prince Regent Inlet would prove to be a cul-de-sac. Rennell was also doubtful of the practicality and usefulness of such passages — his brief, commonsense dismissal being in stark contrast to many statements of his contemporaries. This paper sets out his relationship with the explorers of the time and his role as a scientific interpreter of their data.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 29 , Issue 170 , July 1993 , pp. 189 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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