Journal of a Tour in Iceland, in the Summer of 1809. 2 vols. 2011. (Cambridge Library Collection, Life Science). figs. maps. 930 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

Sir William Jackson Hooker (1875-1865) was an eminent British botanist,best known for expanding and developing the Royal Botanic Gardens atKew into a leading centre of botanic research and conservation. At theage of nineteen he undertook an expedition to Iceland, his firstoutside Britain. Unfortunately, all his specimens and notes weredestroyed in a fire on the return voyage, but he was able, with the help of the notes made by Sir Joseph Banks on an earlier expedition, towrite this account. His work was first published privately in 1811, buta second edition was published in 1813 and is reproduced here.Volume 1 gives a brief history of Iceland before Hooker begins hisdetailed observations of the people and topography, and the flora and fauna he found. Volume 2 includes detailed descriptions of the many volcanoes on the island.