Only a fraction of Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin Bellingshausen’s (aka Thaddeus, 1778-1852) long career in the Russian Navy was devoted to Antarctic exploration, his two-year expedition exploring Antarctic in 1819-21. It was nonetheless a notable venture as the second circumnavigation of the continent (the first was by Captain Cook in 1773-74), and the first actual sighting of the Continent in January 1820. His discovery of Alexander Island and the naming of the Bellingshausen Sea were not much honored in Russia since they were of little immediate practical use, but his achievements are now much more fully recognized, At least as translated and then edited in this version, Bellingshausen appears to have an easy-going if formal style of writing and shows himself to be a most judicious man in both his navigation and his leadership of the voyage, a character much doubted by his critics.
The Voyage of Captain Bellingshausen to the Antarctic Seas 1819-1821
- 1819-21 First Russian Antarctic Expedition commanded by Captain Thaddeus Bellingshausen (aboard Vostok and Mirny).
- “Discovery” of Antarctica.
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
The Voyages of Captain Scott….
- Antarctic Reading: General
A completely adulatory semi-biography, much from Scott’s writings. Ex:
Narrative of a Voyage to Hudson’s Bay in His Majesty’s Ship Rosamond Containing some Account of the North-Eastern Coast of America and of the Tribes of That Remote Region.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Chappell was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy who published two books on his Newfoundland, Labrador, and Hudson’s Bay voyages. He was one of the first English explorers to spend time with the indigenous peoples, both Indian and Esquimaux. He was rather viciously attacked by William Gifford’s Quarterly Review; his own scathing response is included at the end of some copies of both of his books.
The Wilkes Expedition: Tthe First United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842).
- 1838-42 U.S. Exploring Expedition (Wilkes).
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
p. 41, Titian Peale quoted from letter to his daughters about his stateroom: I have a little bed over and under which is packed clothes, furs, guns, Books and boxes without number, all of which have to be tied to keep them from rolling and tumbling about, and kept off the floor as it is sometimes covered with water.
Ice-Pack and Tundra: An Account of the Search for the Jeannette and a Sledge Journey through Siberia.
- 1879-81 US North Pole Expedition (commanded by George De Long aboard Jeannette).
- Arctic Reading: United States
A chatty and often witty account of the 1881 Jeannette search aboard the Rodgers by a reporter for the New York Herald.
The People of the Twilight.
- 1913-16 Canadian Arctic Expedition (Led by Stefansson with Captain Bob Bartlett commanding the Karluk).
- Arctic Reading: Canada
This version of Jennes’s account of the Stefansson Canadian expedition of 1913 to 1916?? mirrors Dawn of Arctic Alaska but told apparently as a young adult tale. There is no need to repeat passages from that book, but relevant passages can be found on these pages of the Chicago edition: 14, 26, 30, 46, 47, 53, 58, and 62. A few are worth noting here:
The Tragedy of the Italia, with the Rescuers to the Red Tent.
- 1928 Italian North Pole Flight of Umberto Nobile (aboard the airship Italia).
- Arctic Reading: Europe including Scandinavia
An account by an Italian reporter aboard a Russian icebreaker looking for Nobile after the airship had crashed.
A Sequel to the North-West Passage, and the Plans for the Search for Sir John Franklin. A Review.
- 1848-59 The Franklin Search.
- Arctic Reading: Great Britain
A summary of the history of the Franklin Search until 1858 when John Brown died. It is quite a comprehensive summary, if a bit dogmatic in Brown’s criticism of various searchers. He sounds at times like Barrow criticizing Sir John Ross for not finding the answer he wanted.
And the Whale is Ours: Creative Writing of American Whalemen.
- Whalemen's Reading
A book of extensive excerpts of whalemen’s own escape literature, their own personal journals, often sentimental claptrap about home, love, and death, but best when devoted to their trade of whaling which they tended to depict accurately and realistically.
The Southern Ice-continent: The German South Polar Expedition aboard the Gauss 1901-1903.
- 1901-03 German South Polar Expedition (Drygalski on Gauss).
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
Drygalski led the first German Antarctic Expedition in 1901-03, as part of Germany’s growing status in the international community with its own colonial aspirations. Its emphasis was scientific research and its chosen region the southern Indian Ocean as centered on the Kerguélen Islands.
The Alaska-Klondike Diary of Elizabeth Robins, 1900.
- 1900 Private Visit to Alaska by Elizabeth Robins.
- Arctic Reading: United States
Robins was an actress, singer, feminist, and something of an adventurer; this diary covers only the Alaskan portion of her active life. Among other things she translated Nansen (p. 5), and wrote several novels and other books.
And the Whale is Ours: Creative Writing of American Whalemen.
- Maritime Reading
A book of extensive excerpts of whalemen’s own escape literature, their own personal journals, often sentimental claptrap about home, love, and death, but best when devoted to their trade of whaling which they tended to depict accurately and realistically.
In Search of a Penguin’s Egg.
- 1958-59 British FIDS (BAS) Expedition at Halley Bay.
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
Norman Nelson was in the British National Service when he was transferred to a FIDS expedition to the Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula in 1958. Raymond Priestley introduced him to the prospect of following up on Edward Wilson’s penguin studies of 1911. His experience was similar.
Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Performed in the Years 1819-20, in his Majesty’s Ships Hecla and Griper.
- 1819-20 British Voyage of Discovery to the Arctic Regions (Edward Parry aboard Hecla and Griper).
- Arctic Reading: Great Britain
Disappointed at John Ross’s failure to find an open path through the Northwest Passage in 1818, the Admiralty’s John Barrow ordered this important continuation of the search. Continuing explorations eventually morphed into the Franklin Search as well by 1849.
[Journal]
- 1721-22 Dutch South Seas Expedition to Australia (Jacob Roggeveen).
- Global Circumnavigations and Cape Horn Transits.
- Maritime Reading
This voyage was intended to confirm earlier knowledge of the Falklands in its path to Australia. It was too hurried to stop at the Falklands but it did find Easter Island before it reached New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) where Roggeveen’s journal ends, 18 July 1722.