DOCSLIB.ORG

Book Reviews 111 Ship Grappled with Five English 74'S. Though

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Book Reviews 111 Ship Grappled with Five English 74'S. Though Book Reviews 111 ship grappled with five English 74’s. when the two sides clashed. Though dismasted, Revolutionaire suc- This book follows the traditional Os- ceeded in slipping away under cover of prey template, and includes chapters on darkness. opposing commanders, opposing na- On the following day, the two fleets vies, opposing plans, the campaign, and sparred and jockeyed for position. Still its aftermath. Although Osprey books struggling against the wind, Howe fi- can’t be strictly classified as academic nally ordered a general engagement. volumes, that caveat by no means de- But due to confused signals and the tracts from the author’s research. inevitable fog of war, only a handful Mark Lardas is a lifelong maritime of ships engaged. Howe personally history enthusiast, prolific author, and led the attack, which degenerated into knowledgeable authority on life at sea a disorganized melee. The fight large- during the eighteenth century. He of- ly resulted in a tactical draw, although fers a concise and gripping account of Howe succeeded in securing the weath- one of the most pivotal, if unheralded, er gauge for the next day’s fighting. naval engagements during the wars of By 1 June, Howe finally succeeded Revolutionary France. in bringing his fleet to bear in a classic Joshua Shepherd line-of-battle naval action. After intense Union City, Indiana fighting, Howe, commanding from the quarterdeck of the Queen Charlotte, succeeded in crossing the French line. Jim Lotz. Canada’s Forgotten Arctic By end of day, Villaret-Joyeuse’s fleet Hero: George Rice and the Lady Frank- had been badly battered, forcing him to lin Bay Expedition, 1881-1884. Syd- disengage. ney, NS: Cape Breton Books, www. Ultimately, both sides would claim capebretonbooks.com, 2009. 192 pp., victory: the French for having ensured illustrations, maps, bibliography. CDN the safe passage of the grain convoy, the $14.95, paper; ISBN 978- 1-895415- British for having badly mauled the en- 94-0. emy fleet. But Britain was clearly in a superior position for the continuing war After Henry Grinnell’s first expedition at sea. The Revolution’s frenzied polit- to locate Sir John Franklin in 1850, the ical assault on the French navy, which United States began to direct part of included the purges of both experienced their expansionist interests toward the officers and trained gunners, had badly extreme northern part of the American crippled her maritime capabilities. As continent. Most of the daring adven- the Napoleonic Wars unfolded over the tures that characterize the expeditions succeeding decade, France was left at a toward the North Pole during the latter decided disadvantage. part of the nineteenth century have fea- In addition to an engaging account of tured American military officials. Rel- the fleet actions that took place between atively little attention within the main- 28 May and 1 June 1794, Lardas’ Glo- stream narrative of Arctic exploration rious First of June constitutes a worthy has been reserved for people from other reference volume on the battle. The countries. The story of George Rice, a book includes an exhaustive order of Canadian photographer who joined the battle for both fleets, as well as excel- Lady Franklin Bay expedition in 1881, lent two- and three-dimensional maps is a refreshing example. that help clarify the chaos that erupted Jim Lotz, a Fellow of the Arctic In- 112 The Northern Mariner / Le marin du nord stitute of North America and author of land, while Rice reached the northern 24 books, sheds light on the life of this part of Ellesmere Island, after a dra- heroic Canadian in his book Canada’s matic journey that represents one of the Forgotten Hero: George Rice and the most interesting parts of Rice’s diary. Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, 1881- In particular, when Rice and his 1884. The book is enriched by a series companions reached Cape Hecla, they of George Rice’s Arctic photos. found that the ice floe on which they This book is mainly based on Rice’s stood was delimited by the open Arctic diary, dating from 7 July 1881, the day Sea, the existence of which was only the expedition left the port of St. John’s, supposed by previous expeditions. The Newfoundland, until 2 August 1883, crew felt lost when they realized that when all members decided to leave Fort the floe was turning around by itself, Conger in Lady Franklin Bay (Elles- leaving them at the mercy of the sea. mere Island) in a tragic attempt to save Thanks to Rice’s readiness and leader- themselves from starvation. ship skills, the men saved themselves, The Lady Franklin Bay expedition, reaching the mainland. led by US Army Lieutenant Adolphus Rice also proved himself to be a good Greely, was organized as a scientific ex- sailor, further earning the respect of ex- pedition for the third International Polar pedition members, as supported by their Year. The official purpose of this ex- private diaries. The commander, Gree- pedition, promoted by Captain William ly, was one of his strongest admirers, Henry Howgate of the US Army Signal and on many occasions, he showed his Corps, was to establish a temporary sta- confidence in Rice’s skills, giving him tion near Lady Franklin Bay, to serve responsibility for many important mis- as a base for scientific observations and sions, such as asking Rice to conduct a explorations. In reality, as Lotz asserts launch into Sun Bay, in order to prepare in his book, the expedition’s main pur- the retreat journey. On another occa- pose was part of Howgate’s ambitious sion, Greely chose Rice to lead a party scheme for colonizing the Arctic. to rescue a boat in Greenland, left by George Rice joined the other 21 the Nares expedition in 1876. members of the expedition as a vol- Lotz’s book represents an import- unteer, and during the various extreme ant document, opening a window for missions around Ellesmere Island, he readers to discover many aspects of proved to have all the necessary qual- daily life in the Arctic and the difficul- ities of a good leader. ties that people had to face there in the After reaching the western coast of nineteenth century. Another important Greenland, where two Inuit joined the feature of this book is its depiction of expedition, the Proteus got to Cape the difficulty involved in organizing a Frazer, Ellesmere Island, on 4 August, rescue expedition, partly due to the in- and finally arrived at Discovery Har- efficiency of the technology of the era, bour, on 18 August, where the carpen- but also to the disorganization of both ters started to build the Fort, named af- the expedition crew and of the military ter Michigan Senator Omar D. Conger, authorities. who had supported the expedition. The tragedy of the Lady Franklin Bay Three members of Greely’s expedi- expedition was determined by a series tion were able to reach the highest lat- of poor command decisions by Greely, itude ever attained at that time, setting who decided to conduct his crew to- off from the northern coast of Green- wards the southern part of Ellesmere Book Reviews 113 Island, after having waited two years is a biography of not one ship but two; for a relief vessel. As Lotz highlights second, both of these vessels played an in his book, Greely was ambitious but important role in Canadian and Arctic also “a rigid authoritarian, widely dis- history; third, both ships are still ex- liked by all the men of his expedition” tant—one as a museum ship, and the (1). In fact, the US had tried to send the other as a still-active sailing vessel; and Neptune to Fort Conger in the summer finally, because the author is unasham- of 1882, but the ice forced the members edly biased when it comes to the sub- of the expedition to leave 250 rations ject of the book as he is the owner of at Cape Sabine, before heading back to one of the ships. The two ships are the civilization. St. Roch, the famous British Columbian After two years, the men of the Arctic patrol vessel, today presented at Franklin Bay Expedition left Fort Con- the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and ger and started their last, dramatic jour- the lesser-known but equally interesting ney towards the south, in the hope of North Star of Herschel Island. meeting a relief vessel. Given the numerous publications al- The US sent out the Proteus again, ready available on the St. Roch, a patrol but its sinking drastically reduced the vessel owned by the Royal Canadian hope of rescuing Greely’s party. In Mounted Police that made the first cir- February 1884, the first two members cumnavigation of North America, and of the expedition died, quickly followed the fact that the author himself owns the by other men. Rice’s turn came on 9 North Star of Herschel Island, it is no April, in a courageous attempt to re- wonder that there is a certain focus on trieve some rations left at Baird Inlet by the latter vessel. What is much more previous expeditions. interesting than the portraits of the two On 22 June, the Bear and the The- ships is the way the author frames their tis reached Cape Sabine, saving Gree- biographies by focusing on their respec- ly and the last five men who remained tive contributions to securing Canadian and consigning them to history, while sovereignty over the area today known the life of people such as George Rice as Arctic Canada. had to wait more than a century to be Consequently, the book does not be- unearthed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • From Science to Survival: Using Virtual Exhibits to Communicate the Significance of Polar Heritage Sites in the Canadian Arctic
    Open Archaeology 2016; 2: 209–231 Original Study Open Access Peter Dawson*, Richard Levy From Science to Survival: Using Virtual Exhibits to Communicate the Significance of Polar Heritage Sites in the Canadian Arctic DOI 10.1515/opar-2016-0016 Received January 20, 2016; accepted October 29, 2016 Abstract: Many of Canada’s non-Indigenous polar heritage sites exist as memorials to the Heroic Age of arctic and Antarctic Exploration which is associated with such events as the First International Polar Year, the search for the Northwest Passage, and the race to the Poles. However, these and other key messages of significance are often challenging to communicate because the remote locations of such sites severely limit opportunities for visitor experience. This lack of awareness can make it difficult to rally support for costly heritage preservation projects in arctic and Antarctic regions. Given that many polar heritage sites are being severely impacted by human activity and a variety of climate change processes, this raises concerns. In this paper, we discuss how virtual heritage exhibits can provide a solution to this problem. Specifically, we discuss a recent project completed for the Virtual Museum of Canada at Fort Conger, a polar heritage site located in Quttinirpaaq National Park on northeastern Ellesmere Island (http://fortconger.org). Keywords: Arctic; Heritage, Fort Conger, Virtual Reality, Computer Modeling, Education, Climate Change, Polar Exploration, Digital Archaeology. 1 Introduction Climate change and the emerging geopolitical significance of the Arctic have important implications for Canada’s polar heritage. In many Arctic regions, thawing permafrost, land subsidence, erosion, and flooding are causing irreparable damage to heritage sites associated with Inuit culture, historic Euro-North American exploration, whaling and the fur trade (Blankholm, 2009; BViikari, 2009; Camill, 2005; Hald, 2009; Hinzman et al., 2005; Morten, 2009; Stendel et al., 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • ARCTIC Exploration the SEARCH for FRANKLIN
    CATALOGUE THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT ARCTIC EXPLORATION & THE SeaRCH FOR FRANKLIN WILLIAM REESE COMPANY 409 Temple Street New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 789-8081 A Note This catalogue is devoted to Arctic exploration, the search for the Northwest Passage, and the later search for Sir John Franklin. It features many volumes from a distinguished private collection recently purchased by us, and only a few of the items here have appeared in previous catalogues. Notable works are the famous Drage account of 1749, many of the works of naturalist/explorer Sir John Richardson, many of the accounts of Franklin search expeditions from the 1850s, a lovely set of Parry’s voyages, a large number of the Admiralty “Blue Books” related to the search for Franklin, and many other classic narratives. This is one of 75 copies of this catalogue specially printed in color. Available on request or via our website are our recent catalogues: 320 Manuscripts & Archives, 322 Forty Years a Bookseller, 323 For Readers of All Ages: Recent Acquisitions in Americana, 324 American Military History, 326 Travellers & the American Scene, and 327 World Travel & Voyages; Bulletins 36 American Views & Cartography, 37 Flat: Single Sig- nificant Sheets, 38 Images of the American West, and 39 Manuscripts; e-lists (only available on our website) The Annex Flat Files: An Illustrated Americana Miscellany, Here a Map, There a Map, Everywhere a Map..., and Original Works of Art, and many more topical lists. Some of our catalogues, as well as some recent topical lists, are now posted on the internet at www.reeseco.com.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    ARCTIC VOL. 71, NO. 3 (SEPTEMBER 2018) P. 334 – 348 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic4735 Seal Occurrence and Habitat Use during Summer in Petermann Fjord, Northwestern Greenland Kate Lomac-MacNair,1,2 Martin Jakobsson,3 Alan Mix,4 Francis Freire,3 Kelly Hogan,5 Larry Mayer6 and Mari A. Smultea2 (Received 29 June 2017; accepted in revised form 30 May 2018) ABSTRACT. Ice-associated seals are considered especially susceptible and are potentially the first to modify distribution and habitat use in response to physical changes associated with the changing climate. Petermann Glacier, part of a unique ice-tongue fjord environment in a rarely studied region of northwestern Greenland, lost substantial sections of its ice tongue during major 2010 and 2012 calving events. As a result, changes in seal habitat may have occurred. Seal occurrence and distribution data were collected in Petermann Fjord and adjacent Nares Strait region over 27 days (2 to 28 August) during the multidisciplinary scientific Petermann 2015 Expedition on the icebreaker Oden. During 239.4 hours of dedicated observation effort, a total of 312 individuals were recorded, representing four species: bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), hooded seal (Crystophora cristata), harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and ringed seal (Pusa hispida). Ringed seals were recorded significantly more than the other species (χ2 = 347.4, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). We found significant differences between species in haul-out (resting on ice) behavior (χ2 = 133.1, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). Bearded seals were more frequently hauled out (73.1% n = 49), whereas ringed seals were almost exclusively in water (93.9%, n = 200).
    [Show full text]
  • Canada Topographical
    University of Waikato Library: Map Collection Canada: topographical maps 1: 250,000 The Map Collection of the University of Waikato Library contains a comprehensive collection of maps from around the world with detailed coverage of New Zealand and the Pacific : Editions are first unless stated. These maps are held in storage on Level 1 Please ask a librarian if you would like to use one: Coverage of Canadian Provinces Province Covered by sectors On pages Alberta 72-74 and 82-84 pp. 14, 16 British Columbia 82-83, 92-94, 102-104 and 114 pp. 16-20 Manitoba 52-54 and 62-64 pp. 10, 12 New Brunswick 21 and 22 p. 3 Newfoundland and Labrador 01-02, 11, 13-14 and 23-25) pp. 1-4 Northwest Territories 65-66, 75-79, 85-89, 95-99 and 105-107) pp. 12-21 Nova Scotia 11 and 20-210) pp. 2-3 Nunavut 15-16, 25-27, 29, 35-39, 45-49, 55-59, 65-69, 76-79, pp. 3-7, 9-13, 86-87, 120, 340 and 560 15, 21 Ontario 30-32, 40-44 and 52-54 pp. 5, 6, 8-10 Prince Edward Island 11 and 21 p. 2 Quebec 11-14, 21-25 and 31-35 pp. 2-7 Saskatchewan 62-63 and 72-74 pp. 12, 14 Yukon 95,105-106 and 115-117 pp. 18, 20-21 The sector numbers begin in the southeast of Canada: They proceed west and north. 001 Newfoundland 001K Trepassey 3rd ed. 1989 001L St: Lawrence 4th ed. 1989 001M Belleoram 3rd ed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nares 2001 Geoscience Project: an Introduction
    Polarforschung 74 (1-3), 1 – 7, 2004 (erschienen 2006) The Nares 2001 Geoscience Project: An Introduction by Ian D. Reid1, H. Ruth Jackson2 and Franz Tessensohn3 Abstract: Nares Strait forms a rather straight set of narrow marine channels Onshore geological evidence, however, implied that no more between Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Islands. Since 1982, the Nares than 25 km of offset had taken place (MAY R & DE VRIES 1982), Strait dilemma forms a classical case of conflict between plate tectonics and regional geology without obvious solution. Plate tectonics postulated a sinis- and this discrepancy has given rise to a long-standing contro- tral continental transform through the strait, whereas regional geological versy. The situation is complicated by the fact that in addition mapping results could not find evidence for the required offsets. Between to the postulated Wegener Fault two more important tectonic 1982 and 2000 new data were gathered in northern Baffin Bay and on either side of the Strait, yet the Strait itself had still not been investigated. We report boundaries are mapped to lie under the waters of the northern on an expedition carried out in 2001 in the previously unexplored water co- part of Nares Strait (Fig. 1). The question: Did Greenland drift vered area. In spite of the difficult ice conditions, we gathered new marine, along Nares Strait? has been argued for more than 90 years, aeromagnetic and geological data relevant to the problem. The results are AWES presented in this volume together with compilations of the related geological and was the subject of a major symposium in 1980 (D & and geophysical data bases.
    [Show full text]
  • Adolphus Washington Greely (1844-1935) Adolphuswashington Greely Became a Worldcelebrity Officer
    150 ARCTIC PROFILES Adolphus Washington Greely (1844-1935) AdolphusWashington Greely became a worldcelebrity officer. Here he fell under the spell of Captain Henry W. almost overnight in 1884 when the six survivors of the Lady Howgate, a Signal Service officer who was an enthusiast for Franklin Bay Expedition under his leadership were rescued arctic exploration and who opened his extensivelibrary of arc- from starvation in the Arctic. Yet he was far more than the tic literature to the younger officer. It was through this chain central figure of one tragic expedition. Explorer, soldier, of events that Greely was inspiredto a deep interest in leading scientist, and author, Greely was respected as an international an arctic expedition. He hadseveral motives: to visit a strange authority on polar science from the 1880s until his death 50 and romantic part of the world, to study the physical condi- years later. tions of theFar North, to conduct signaling experiments under Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1844, Greely vol- severe weather conditions, and also, perhaps, to make a name unteered for Civil War service in the Union Army before he for himself that would help his promotion. was 18. He was grievously wounded at Antietam in 1862, but In October 1879 ai International Polar Conference held in returned to active dutythe following spring as anofficer of the Hamburg agreed ona common program of meteorological and U.S. Colored Infantry, made up of free black soldiers. When otherphysical observations by expeditionssupported by a the war ended he heldthe brevet rank of captainof volunteers dozen countries, all to be placed as far toward the top of the and decided on service in the regular army as his career.
    [Show full text]
  • Information to Users
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMT UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE HOME ONLY LONG ENOUGH: ARCTIC EXPLORER ROBERT E. PEARY, AMERICAN SCIENCE, NATIONALISM, AND PHILANTHROPY, 1886-1908 A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By KELLY L. LANKFORD Norman, Oklahoma 2003 UMI Number: 3082960 UMI UMI Microform 3082960 Copyright 2003 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Titie 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 c Copyright by KELLY LARA LANKFORD 2003 All Rights Reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • An Arctic Execution: Private Charles B
    ARCTIC VOL. 64, NO. 4 (DECEMBER 2011) P. 399 – 412 An Arctic Execution: Private Charles B. Henry of the United States Lady Franklin Bay Expedition 1881 – 84 GLENN M. STEIN1 (Received 6 January 2011; accepted in revised form 11 April 2011) ABSTRACT. Private Charles B. Henry, of the United States Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, was put to death by a summary military execution on 6 June 1884, at Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine, Ellesmere Land, in the High Arctic. An execution is an extremely rare event in Arctic and Antarctic history. Shrouded in mystery for over 125 years, Henry’s execution has been told in two contradicting accounts. By considering the actions of key persons, presenting new details, and identifying related artifacts for the first time, the author concludes that the lesser-known account is likely more accurate and that the participants in the execution had their reasons for not sharing the actual version publicly until many years later. Key words: Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, Charles B. Henry, Adolphus Greely, Brainard, Cape Clay, execution, International Polar Year expedition RÉSUMÉ. Le soldat Charles B. Henry, de l’expédition américaine de la baie Lady Franklin, a été mis à mort lors d’une exécution militaire sommaire le 6 juin 1884, au camp Clay, près du cap Sabine, Ellesmere Land, dans l’Extrême-Arctique. Les exécutions se font extrêmement rares dans l’histoire de l’Arctique et de l’Antarctique. Entourée de mystère pendant plus de 125 ans, l’exécution du soldat Henry a été racontée dans le cadre de deux récits contradictoires.
    [Show full text]
  • POL Volume 2 Issue 16 Back Matter
    THE POLAR RECORD INDEX NUMBERS 9—16 JANUARY 1935—JULY 1938 PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR THE SCOTT POLAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE CAMBRIDGE: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1939 THE POLAR RECORD INDEX Nos. 9-16 JANUARY 1935—JULY 1938 The names of ships are in italics. Expedition titles are listed separately at Uie end Aagaard, Bjarne, II. 112 Alazei Mountains, 15. 5 Abruzzi, Duke of, 15. 2 Alazei Plateau, 12. 125 Adams, Cdr. .1. B., 9. 72 Alazei River, 14. 95, 15. 6 Adams, M. B., 16. 71 Albert I Peninsula, 13. 22 Adderley, J. A., 16. 97 Albert Harbour, 14. 136 Adelaer, Cape, 11. 32 Alberta, 9. 50 Adelaide Island, 11. 99, 12. 102, 103, 13. Aldan, 11. 7 84, 14. 147 Aldinger, Dr H., 12. 138 Adelaide Peninsula, 14. 139 Alert, 11. 3 Admiralty Inlet, 13. 49, 14. 134, 15. 38 Aleutian Islands, 9. 40-47, 11. 71, 12. Advent Bay, 10. 81, 82, 11. 18, 13. 21, 128, 13. 52, 53, 14. 173, 15. 49, 16. 15. 4, 16. 79, 81 118 Adytcha, River, 14. 109 Aleutian Mountains, 13. 53 Aegyr, 13. 30 Alexander, Cape, 11. GO, 15. 40 Aerial Surveys, see Flights Alexander I Land, 12. 103, KM, 13. 85, Aerodrome Bay, II. 59 80, 14. 147, 1-19-152 Aeroplanes, 9. 20-30, 04, (i5-(>8, 10. 102, Alcxamtrov, —, 13. 13 II. 60, 75, 79, 101, 12. 15«, 158, 13. Alexcyev, A. D., 9. 15, 14. 102, 15. Ki, 88, 14. 142, 158-103, 16. 92, 93, 94, 16. 92,93, see also unilcr Flights Alftiimyri, 15.
    [Show full text]
  • A Kentucky Clay Goes to the Arctic
    IN SEARCH OF A STAR: A KENTUCKY CLAY GOES TO THE ARCTIC Lindsey Apple 'n the spring of 1880, the prosecuting attorney, of Louisville shocked the city by announcing that he would resign his elected . office to join Henry Howgate on an expedition to the Arctic. A rising star in the rough-and-tumble politics of Kentucky's largest city, he had won the office in a hard-fought campaign. He had shown considerable political energy, a quick wit, and oratorical ability in overcoming campaign rhetoric attacking his family and its prominence. Charles D. Jacob, the mayor of Louisville, was surprised at the announcement and perhaps a little embarrassed since he had helped the young man, his nephew, in the 1878 canvass. No doubt his law partners and associates, such as Basil Duke, A.E. Richards, and John Baskin, were equally surprised. The young man had shown remarkable talent as a criminal lawyer, reminiscent of another famous Kentuckian to whom he was frequently compared. His mother was aghast. She thought he was throwing away his career, his life, and his soul as well. The young man was not to be deterred. He intended to join Henry Howgate in an effort to establish a permanent colony on Lady Franklin Bay and to explore the Arctic. Ambitious, restless, and perhaps reckless as well, he was in search of manly adventure, fame, and fortune. But what role could a slightly built, inexperienced landlubber from Kentucky play on an Arctic expedition? Why would a young man with a bright future in law and politics want to go to the Arctic in the first place? The answers to these questions reveal a great deal about nineteenth-century Arctic exploration and about the burdens carried LINDSEV APPLE, PHD.
    [Show full text]
  • Polar Catalogue 2018
    AQUILA BOOKS SPRING 2018 CATALOGUE: Books and ephemera relating to all aspects of the Polar regions, as well as a selection of Klondike items AQUILA BOOKS Box 75035, Cambrian Postal Outlet Calgary, AB T2K 6J8 Canada Cameron Treleaven, Proprietor A.B.A.C. / I.L.A.B., P.B.F.A., F.R.G.S. Dear Polar Collectors: Welcome to our latest Polar Catalogue. It has been over two years since our last catalogue and over that time the shop has undergone a lot of changes, including staffing and hours, but most importantly, we have changed our cataloguing software over to a superior system, although it has taken us some time to fully implement it. We are starting to get back on track and hope that we will be able to have regular spring and fall catalogues out in the future; we are also planning to exhibit at regular bookfairs throughout the year and keep in contact with our customers that way as well. I would also like to introduce Katie Yablecki to everyone. She has been with the shop for over two years, but this is her first of, hopefully, many catalogues. We are also hoping to have a new website in place by year end; this will integrate well with the new software and replace the old and outdated website we are currently using. I feel that the current offering has some interesting and unusual material and hopefully something to interest our Arctic, Antarctic and Klondike collectors. We are already planning our next catalogue which will heavily feature a group of Polar artifacts, books and ephemera from the collection of Fred Goldberg.
    [Show full text]
  • Ghosts of Cape Sabine: the Harrowing True Story of the Greely
    REVIEWS • 317 GHOSTS OF CAPE SABINE: THE HARROWING TRUE Howgate’s breezy assertions were particularly fateful in STORY OF THE GREELY EXPEDITION. By light of later events. First, the experiences of Charles LEONARD F. GUTTRIDGE. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Francis Hall in 1871 and Nares in 1875–76 had led Sons, 2000. 354 p., maps, b&w illus., notes, bib., index. Howgate to conclude that Lady Franklin Bay could reliably Hardbound. Cdn$37.99. be reached by ship every summer. Second, he believed that ships were undesirable “cities of refuge” that hindered Depending on their personalities, explorers have always proper adaptation to the Arctic. The polar colony, he made a choice between pursuing dramatic geographical proposed, should be transported by ship, left with adequate discoveries or doing quiet, competent scientific work. supplies, and picked up three years later (Howgate, 1879). Some tried to play both sides, but the conservative ones Howgate’s optimism seemed well founded when the could never quite match the dash of the sensation-seek- Proteus, a refitted whaling ship, left the 25 men of the ers—who, for their part, feigned scientific aspirations but Greely expedition at Lady Franklin Bay in August 1881. A brought back few solid results. In the High Arctic, Robert ship was to bring mail and supplies the following summer, Peary and Elisha Kent Kane are classic examples of the and the pickup was scheduled for 1883. Adolphus Greely, melodramatic explorer, while Otto Sverdrup exemplifies an ambitious Signal Corps lieutenant who had done well the ideal leader of a nineteenth-century scientific team.
    [Show full text]