The Siege and Conquest of the North Pole

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Bryce George. The Siege and Conquest of the North Pole

PREFACE

GLOSSARY OF ARCTIC TERMS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I. PARRY’S EXPEDITION OF 1827

CHAPTER II. KANE’S EXPEDITION (1853, ’54, ’55)

CHAPTER III. EXPEDITION COMMANDED BY DR. HAYESIN 1860−61

CHAPTER IV. THE GERMAN EXPEDITION (1869−70)

CHAPTER V. VOYAGE OF THE POLARIS (1871−73)

CHAPTER VI. THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION (1872−74)

CHAPTER VII. THE BRITISH EXPEDITION OF 1875−76

CHAPTER VIII. THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE (1879−81)

CHAPTER IX. GREELY’S EXPEDITION (1881−84)

CHAPTER X. THE NORWEGIAN POLAR EXPEDITION (1893−96)

CHAPTER XI. SVERDRUP’S EXPEDITION (1898−1902)

CHAPTER XII. ITALIAN EXPEDITION (1899−1900)

CHAPTER XIII. PEARY’S EXPEDITIONS (1886−1909)

CHAPTER XIV. DR. COOK’S EXPEDITION (1907−9)

Отрывок из книги

Beset, so enclosed by floating ice as to be unable to navigate.

Bore, to force through loose or recent ice.

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On 22nd January, Kane and Hans left the brig to make an attempt to reach Etah. Unfortunately, a severe snowstorm came on soon after they reached a half-way hut. After being storm-bound two days, they attempted to push on, but found that the snow had accumulated to such an extent that it was impossible to complete the journey. They returned to the hut, and next day tried the land-ice, but in vain. Kane, however, climbed a hill from which he discovered a trough through the hummock-ridges, and level plains of ice stretching to the south. Had the dogs not been disabled and the moonlight waning, they could now have made the journey; but as it was, they were forced to return to the brig, which they reached thoroughly exhausted.

Petersen and Hans started on 3rd February to make another attempt. They returned on the 5th, having found that the snow had become impassable. At this time only five of the party were able to work, and even these were not free from scurvy. On 28th February Kane had to report: “The scurvy is steadily gaining on us. I do my best to sustain the more desperate cases; but as fast as I partially build up one, another is stricken down. The disease is perhaps less malignant than it was, but it is more diffused throughout our party. Except William Morton, who is disabled by a frozen heel, not one of our eighteen is exempt. Of the six workers of our party, as I counted them a month ago, two are unable to do outdoor work, and the remaining four divide the duties of the ship among them. Hans musters his remaining energies to conduct the hunt. Petersen is his disheartened, moping assistant. The other two, Bonsall and myself, have all the daily offices of household and hospital. We chop five large sacks of ice, cut 6 fathoms of 8-inch hawser into junks of a foot each, serve out the meat when we have it, hack at the molasses, and hew out with crowbar and axe the pork and dried apples, pass up the foul slop and cleansings of our dormitory; and in a word, cook, scullionise, and attend the sick. Added to this, for five nights running I have kept watch from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., catching cat-naps as I could in the day without changing my clothes, but carefully waking every hour to note thermometers.”

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