Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE ROMANCE OF POLAR EXPLORATION

INTERESTING DESCRIPTIONS OF ARCTIC AND ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE VOYAGE OF THE "DISCOVERY"

BY

G. FIRTH SCOTT AUTHOR OF "FROM FRANKLIN TO NANSEN," "THE ROMANCE OF AUSTRALIAN EXPLORING," "COLONIAL BORN," _&c._

WITH TWENTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED 38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET 1909

"The stores were unloaded with the greatest rapidity."]

_UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME_

THE LIBRARY OF ROMANCE

_Extra Crown 8vo. With many illustrations. 5s. each_

"Splendid volumes."--_The Outlook._

"This series has now won a considerable and well deserved reputation."--_The Guardian._

"Each volume treats its allotted theme with accuracy, but at the same time with a charm that will commend itself to readers of all ages. The root idea is excellent, and it is excellently carried out, with full illustrations and very prettily designed covers."--_The Daily Telegraph._

By Prof. G. F. SCOTT ELLIOT, M.A., B.Sc.

THE ROMANCE OF SAVAGE LIFE THE ROMANCE OF PLANT LIFE THE ROMANCE OF EARLY BRITISH LIFE

By EDWARD GILLIAT, M.A.

THE ROMANCE OF MODERN SIEGES

By JOHN LEA, M.A.

THE ROMANCE OF BIRD LIFE

By JOHN LEA, M.A., & H. COUPIN, D.Sc.

THE ROMANCE OF ANIMAL ARTS AND CRAFTS

By SIDNEY WRIGHT

THE ROMANCE OF THE WORLD'S FISHERIES

By the Rev. J. C. LAMBERT, M.A., D.D.

THE ROMANCE OF MISSIONARY HEROISM

By G. FIRTH SCOTT

THE ROMANCE OF POLAR EXPLORATION

By ARCHIBALD WILLIAMS, B.A. (Oxon.), F.R.G.S.

THE ROMANCE OF EARLY EXPLORATION THE ROMANCE OF MODERN EXPLORATION THE ROMANCE OF MODERN MECHANISM THE ROMANCE OF MODERN INVENTION THE ROMANCE OF MODERN ENGINEERING THE ROMANCE OF MODERN LOCOMOTION THE ROMANCE OF MODERN MINING

By CHARLES R. GIBSON, A.I.E.E.

THE ROMANCE OF MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY THE ROMANCE OF MODERN ELECTRICITY

By EDMUND SELOUS

THE ROMANCE OF THE ANIMAL WORLD THE ROMANCE OF INSECT LIFE

By AGNES GIBERNE

THE ROMANCE OF THE MIGHTY DEEP

By E. S. GREW, M.A.

THE ROMANCE OF MODERN GEOLOGY

SEELEY & CO., LIMITED

Preface

While stories of the Polar explorers and their efforts to reach the Poles have been told again and again, the constant renewal of expeditions adds, every year, fresh incidents to the record, until it may almost be said that the fascination of the frozen regions is as inexhaustible as the list of Polar heroes is illimitable. Nor is the interest confined solely to the achievement of modern explorers. However great the results of their exertions may be, the fact that, in spite of all the advantages conferred by recent scientific discovery and modern appliances, the explorers of to-day have failed to penetrate the uttermost secrets of the worlds of ice, renders more impressively heroic the struggles of the earlier travellers, whose equipment, viewed in comparison with that of modern man, was apparently so inadequate and often inappropriate.

No series of Polar adventure stories would be complete without a prominent place being given to the earlier explorers, and especially to that British hero, Franklin, whose name is so inseparably associated with the history of Arctic exploration. The account of his daring voyages and of his tragic end, at the moment of victory, has already been given in many a form; but the tale is one which will stand re-telling for generations yet to come. In the present instance it has been of necessity briefly written, but in such a manner as will, it is hoped, without loss of interest, render clear a comparison of the conditions under which he and his brave companions worked and fought to their death, with those that existed for later expeditions and especially the expeditions of Nansen, Peary, and Abruzzi.

The Antarctic, equally with the Arctic, now commands the attention of man. In the South, as in the North, the British race has again produced explorers who have fought their way into the icy fastnesses. From the time that Captain Cook sailed round the unknown southern ocean, more than a century ago, the British flag has waved in the forefront of the advance. The work which Sir James Ross began, over half a century since, has now been carried farther than ever it was anticipated it could be. By the voyage of the _Discovery_, the Antarctic continent has been revealed to within five hundred miles of the Pole, and in the gallant exploits of the commander, Captain Robert Scott, there are many who see a repetition of all that made the name of Franklin so immortal.

The source of the information on which these stories are based (as is frequently mentioned in the text) is the personal narrative of the explorer concerned, where available; and if the interest aroused in any of them requires more to satisfy it than the exigencies of space renders possible in this volume, the attention which will thereby be drawn to the more comprehensive records will stand as a slight acknowledgment of the indebtedness of the writer of these re-told stories to the authors of the original narratives.

G. FIRTH SCOTT.

LONDON, 1906.

Publishers' Note

Our thanks are due to Lieut. Shackleton, R.N.R., of the
_Discovery_, for the use of the original drawing facing page 344,
and also for permission to use the Illustrations facing pages 310,
340, 348. To Messrs. Alston Rivers, Limited, for permission to use
the Illustration facing page 320 from Dr. H. R. Mill's "Siege of
the South Pole." To Messrs. Hutchinson and Co., for the use of
Illustrations facing pages 28 and 272, and Frontispiece, from "The
Voyage of the Polar Star," by the Duke of the Abruzzi. To Messrs.
Geo. Newnes, Limited, for the Illustration facing page 305 from
"First on the Antarctic Continent," by C. E. Borchgrevinck. To
Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co., for permission to reproduce the
Illustration facing page 256 from "New Land," by Otto Sverdrup.

Contents

CHAPTER I

THE ARCTIC REGION

PAGE

The Mystery of the North Pole--The First Explorer--"The Great Dark Wall at the End of the World"--"Frost-Smoke"--The Lights and Sounds of the North--The Aurora Borealis--Mock Moons--The Early Adventurers: Willoughby, Frobisher, Davis, Hudson, Baffin, Ross, and Parry--The North-West Passage 17

CHAPTER II

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN

Young Franklin--His Dreams of Adventure--He becomes a Sailor--His First Arctic Expedition--Fails to get through Behring Straits--Explores Baffin's Bay--The 1845 Expedition--The _Erebus_ and _Terror_--The "Good-bye" at Greenland--Wellington Channel--They select Winter Quarters--Discovery of the North-West Passage--Death of Franklin--Prisoned in the Ice--The Crew Abandon the Ships--Defeat and Death 25

CHAPTER III

THE SEARCH FOR FRANKLIN

Captain Parker's Report--Government offers a Reward--Dr. Rae's Expedition--Captain McClure's Voyage in the _Investigator_--Hardships and Perils--The Meeting with the _Herald_--Lady Franklin still Hopeful--Sir F. L. McClintock's Expedition in the _Fox_ with Lieutenant Hobson--Their Sad and Fatal Discoveries--Lieutenant Schwatka recovers the Body of Lieutenant Irving 42

CHAPTER IV

THE VOYAGE OF THE _POLARIS_

Death of Captain Hall--Crew determine to Return--Are Frozen in--A Party take to the Ice and are Cast Away--They build themselves Snow Huts--They find some Seals--An Adventure with Bears--The Perils of the Spring--They sight the _Tigress_ and are Saved--The Ship-party's Story and Rescue 69

CHAPTER V

THE _ALERT_ AND _DISCOVERY_

Sir George Nares appointed to the _Alert_ and _Discovery_--Overtaking a Season--Red Snow--The Greenland Mosquito--Peculiarities of Eskimo Dogs--And Dog Whips--Dangers of Kayaks--Advantages of Steam for Polar Regions--An Unpleasant Experience--A Huge Walrus--Arctic Scenery--A Big "Bag"--The Ships part Company--The _Alert_ reaches the Polar Sea--Winter Quarters--The North Pole attempted--Adventures and Sufferings of the Party--Lieutenant Parr's Heroism--Deliverance--The Greenland Attempt--Scurvy and Snow--Repulse Bay--In Pitiable Plight--Lieutenant Rawson to the Rescue 83

CHAPTER VI

THE GREELY EXPEDITION

The Scheme of the Expedition--Fort Conger--Arctic Wolves--Atmospheric Marvels--A Terrific Storm--Influence of the Sun--Lieutenant Lockwood's Expedition--The Second Winter--Preparations for Departure--They leave Fort Conger--A Remarkable Ice Passage--They fail to make Cape Sabine--A New Camp--Rations running Short--Fruitless Efforts to reach Food Depots--Starvation and Death--A Bitter Blow--The Arrival of the _Thetis_ 114

CHAPTER VII

PEARY IN GREENLAND

The Greenland Question--Departure of the _Kite_--Peary breaks his Leg--A Camp made--Habits of the Eskimo--A Brush with Walrus--"Caching" Food--An Arctic Christmas Feast--Peary starts for the Great Ice-Cap--A Snow Sahara--The Ice-Cap Crossed--A Marvellous Discovery--Sails on Sledges--A Safe Return 146

CHAPTER VIII

NANSEN AND THE _FRAM_

Nansen's Theories of Arctic Currents and Shipbuilding--His Theories adopted--The _Fram_ Built--A Start made--The Kara Sea reached--Good Hunting--The Ice Current reached--Frozen in--A Raid by a Bear--Will the _Fram_ stand the Pressure?--Preparing for Calamity--A Conclusive Test--Causes of Ice Movements--Life on the _Fram_--Nansen and Johansen leave the _Fram_--They reach their "Farthest North"--Incidents of their Return Journey--Some Narrow Escapes--The Meeting with Jackson--Arrival of the _Fram_ 173

CHAPTER IX

FRANZ JOSEF LAND AND SPITZBERGEN

The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition--Object of the Expedition--An Interesting Experiment--The Franz Josef Land Question settled--A Group of Islands, not a Continent--Conway at Spitzbergen--Ancient History--Bygone Splendours--Scenery in the Making--The Romance of Andree--Another Riddle 220

CHAPTER X

THE POLAR METEORITES

Eskimo Iron--A Mystery of 1818--Search and Failure--Peary and his Huskies--The Secret revealed--An Eskimo Legend--At the Iron Mountain--Removing the Trophies--A Massive Giant--Attack and Defence--The Giant Objects--A Narrow Escape--Conquered 236

CHAPTER XI

THE SECOND VOYAGE OF THE _FRAM_

Norwegian Enterprise--Mapping the Islands--Nearly Frozen--A Novel Warming-Pan--Eskimo Melody--Arctic Bull Fights--Death of the Doctor--Fire on the _Fram_--New Lands--Prehistoric People 249

CHAPTER XII

ITALY CLAIMS THE RECORD

Norwegian Aid--A Northerly Station--Premature Enthusiasm--Cold Comfort--An Arctic Greeting--A Hasty Landing--Disorganised Plans--Homeless Dogs--Making Fresh Plans--The Leader Frost-bitten--The Start for the Pole--Driven Back by Cold--A Second Start--First Detachment Lost--Anxiety for the Second--A Struggle for Life--Third Detachment Overdue--Fears of Disaster--Safe at Last--Italy sets the Record 265

CHAPTER XIII

THE ANTARCTIC REGION

The Mystery of the South Pole--Ignored by Early Navigators--An Accidental Dutch Discovery--Captain Cook Sets Sail--Discouraged by the Ice--Turns back in Despair--A Second Accidental Discovery--Weddell breaks the Barrier--Antarctic Land revealed--British resume the Search 283

CHAPTER XIV

VOYAGES OF THE _EREBUS_ AND _TERROR_

A Fortunate Choice--Characteristic Southern Bergs--First Sight of the Continent--More British Territory--A Mighty Volcanic Display--Nearing the Magnetic Pole--The Antarctic Barrier--A Myth dispelled--A Second Attempt--Held by the Ice--Third and Last Voyage--A Double Discovery 294

CHAPTER XV

THE _SOUTHERN CROSS_ EXPEDITION

British continue the Work--Carrier Pigeons in the Ice--Withstanding a Nip--A Sea-quake--Cape Adare Station--A Cosy Camp--Edible Fish--Death visits the Camp--Penguin Peculiarities--A Derelict Blue-bottle--The Welcome Postman--A Thrilling Episode 305

CHAPTER XVI

THE REVIVAL OF ANTARCTIC INTEREST

Modern Means and Methods--Private Enterprise leads--The _Valdavia_--The _Belgica_ Expedition--International Action adopted--The German Expedition--An Ice-bound Land--Fresh Trade-Winds 318

CHAPTER XVII

THE SWEDISH EXPEDITION

Sails in the _Antarctica_--Argentine Co-operation--First Antarctic Fossil--Building the Winter Station--A Breezy Corner--Electric Snow--A Spare Diet--New Year Festivities--The Missing Ship--Relief that never Came--A Devastating Nip--Castaway--The Unexpected Happens--A Dramatic Meeting--Rescued 323