A very good copy, inscribed by Charcot on the half-title: “A monsieur Legru Cordial et reconnaissant hommage Dr. Charcot.” The Legru in question is most likely Hector Legru, a wealthy Parisian industrialist and financier. Charcot also named a bay in the Antarctic “Legru Bay” during the expedition.
Departing Le Havre on 15 August, 1908, Charcot’s second French Antarctic expedition was one of the most successful and high-yield Antarctic ventures of the Heroic Age. He discovered Marguerite Bay, Charcot Island & the Fallieres Coast, wintered at Petermann Island, and charted portions of the Palmer Peninsula. The maps, which were still being used by whalers 25 years’ later, chart nearly 2000 kilometres of the Antarctic coast. The scientific results filled 28 volumes, illustrated with nearly 3000 photographs.
Legru Bay (coordinates: 62°10′S 58°12′W) is a bay 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide, indenting the south coast of King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, immediately northeast of Martins Head. The French Antarctic Expedition, 1908–10, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot applied the name “Cap Legru” to a feature which has now been identified as Martins Head. As the latter has priority, Charcot’s name has been transferred to this bay in order to retain the name in the area in which it was originally given.
cf Conrad p.152; Denuve, 2398; Rosove 65 A1; Spence, 256; Taurus, 65.
