James Rennell and British Arctic expeditions, 1818–1829

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Griffiths, Gwyn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1993
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Arctic; Prince Regent Inlet; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400018489; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400018489

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.