The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage of HMS Challenger.

Corfield, Richard. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 2003.
  • 1872-76 Challenger Expedition of Natural History (George Nares and Frank Thompson).
  • Global Circumnavigations and Cape Horn Transits.
  • Maritime Reading
 Preview 

Corfield concentrates on the science of the expedition without neglecting the human relations of the scientifics. One notable chapter is called “The Library of Time,” in which the biological remains dredged from the ocean body, tiny creations which would eventually yield the details of earth’s climatic and oceanographic history: For the geologist and oceanographer there is simply nothing to match the detailed information trapped in the sediment of the deep sea; it is the library of time. [p. 135].

A Voyage to the North Pole, by Benjamin Bragg, Accompanied by his Friend, Captain Slapperwhack; with an Account of the Dangers and Accidents They Experienced in the Frozen Seas of the Polar Circle. Also, the Manner of their Wintering on the Island of Spitzberg, and Discovery of the Polar Continent.

Bragg, Benjamin, pseud. (London: Published by G. Walker, Great Portland-Street, 1817).
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
 Preview 

An imaginary voyage posing as a piece of juvenile literature, though on a sophisticated level with remarkable insights into the Arctic at such an early date. Apart from land in the North Pole region, it gets many of the details right and one wonders whether Mary Shelley could have read it. I’ve not detected who the author was, though there was a bookseller of the time named Benjamin Bragg.

James Eights, 1798-1882: Antarctic Explorer, Albany Naturalist, His Life, His Times, His Works.

McKinley, Daniel L. Albany, NY: State Education Department, 2005. New York Museum Bulletin 505.
  • 1829-30 First Preliminary US Exploring Expedition (Annawan and Seraph with Captains Nathaniel Palmer and Benjamin Pendleton).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
 Preview 

Eights was listed as “Naturalist and Surgeon” on the Annawan Antarctic voyage of 1829-1831 and there are fragmentary results of his work on natural history in the published record, but he is an enigmatic figure, excluded like Reynolds from the Wilkes ExEx in 1838. I see no signs of his readings in the impressive library he helped create for the preliminary expedition.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket….

Poe, Edgar Allan. New York: Library of America, 1984. p. 1003-1182.
  • Whalemen's Reading
 Preview 

Fictional account of mutiny on Grampus, June 1827, followed by rescue by a whaler which sailed nearly to the South Pole. Very little about books, but the cabin of Pym’s friend Augustus contained “a table, a chair, and a set of hanging shelves full of books, chiefly books of voyages and travels” (p. 1021). When Pym, a stowaway, was first hidden before departure he describes his hideaway on p. 1024: “I now looked over the books which had been so thoughtfully provided, and selected the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the mouth of the Columbia. With this I amused myself for some time, when growing sleepy, I extinguished the light with great care, and soon fell into a sound slumber.” That seems to be the last mention of books in this exciting and inventive tale.

Nova Zembla (1596-1597). The Barents Relics, Recovered in the Summer of 1876, by Charles L. W. Gardiner, Esq. and Presented to the Dutch Government.

De Jonge, Jan K. J. Described and explained by J. K. J. de Jonge…. London: Trubner, 1877.
  • Arctic Reading: Russia
 Preview 

Preface by translator: The first discoveries of vestiges of the Barents Voyage were made by Capt. Elling Carlsen in 1871, the first to enter Ice Haven since Barents in 1596. Discoveries were made on Sept. 9 and 11, 1871. He found the Barents “Behouden-huis” or house of safety and some relics, but was intent on circumnavigating the island. The 80 items described in de Jonge’s first report (see the 1873 Hakluyt volume on Barents’ voyages) included some books bought by an English tourist, Ellis C. Lister Kay, but the Dutch government went after them, and obtained them for the same price. They were placed in the Naval Department at the Hague where a replica of the house (with open front) houses the relics.

The Voyages of William Baffin, 1612-1622.

Baffin, William. Edited with Notes and an Introduction by Clements R. Markham. London: Hakluyt Society, 1881.
  • 1612-22 British Voyages of William Baffin.
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
 Preview 

p. 150: Wherefore I cannot but much admire the worke of the Almightie, when I consider how vaine the best and chiefest hopes of men are in thinges vncertaine ; and to speake of no other then of the hopeful passage to the North-West. How many of the best sort of men haue set their whole endeauoures to prooue a passage that ways? not onely in conference, but also in writing and publishing to the world. Yea, what great summes of money haue been spent about that action, as your worship hath costly experience of. Neither would the vain-glorious Spaniard haue scattered abroad so many false maps and journals, if they had not beene confident of a passage this way; that if it had pleased God a passage had beene found, they might haue eclipsed the worthy prayse of the adventurers and true discouerers. And for my owne part I would hardly haue beleeued the contrary vntill my eyes became witnesse of what I desired not to haue found; still taking occasion of hope on euery likelihood, till such time as we had coasted almost all the circumference of this great bay.

Diary, 1881 July 7—l883 Aug 2.

Rice, George W. Stefansson MSS. 186, Dartmouth College Library.
  • 1881-84 International Physical Year US Expedition to Lady Franklin Bay (led by Adolphus Greely).
  • Arctic Reading: United States
 Preview 

A record of Rice’s experiences as photographer on the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, 1881-1884. Unpaged but carefully dated throughout.

The South Pole Expedition 1910-1912.

Amundsen, Roald. Geir O. Kløver (ed.). Oslo, Norway: Fram Museum, 2010.
  • 1910-12 Norwegian National Antarctic Expedition (Amundsen on Fram).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
 Preview 

A heavily illustrated English translation of Amundsen’s diaries from his South Pole expedition. The overwhelming impression of the first 100 pages is Amundsen’s love affair with the dogs, even when he is killing them or sacrificing them for food for the others.

Deadly Winter: The Life of Sir John Franklin.

Beardsley, Martyn. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2002.
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
 Preview 

A facile and not very original biography of Franklin, sloppily edited and proofread, but a decent enough overview.

Under the Pole Star: The Oxford University Expedition, 1935-6.

Glen, Alexander Richard. London: Methuen, 1937.
  • 1935-36 Oxford University North East Land Spitzbergen Expedition (led by Alexander Glen).
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
 Preview 

A British expedition to North East Land of Spitsbergen, with a mixture of English and Norwegian crew, scientists and sailors. Glen was the expedition leader and wrote this account with a debonair and detached style. The assignment was to survey the north east region of the archipelago. Obviously this was a bookish group who did a good deal of reading but seldom reporting on what they were reading. The author himself seems prone to boredom and speaks of it fairly often.

Arctic Justice: On Trial for Murder, Pond Inlet, 1923.

Grant, Shelagh D. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002.
  • Arctic Reading: Inuit and other indigenous people
 Preview 

Fascinating book on the introduction of European-based law into a culture that had no reason to understand it, given its communitarian consensual approach to justice. Well-written and badly proofed, but worth the read.

Narrative of an Expedition to the Polar Sea, in the Years 1820, 1821, 1822, & 1823. Commanded by Lieutenant, Now Admiral, Ferdinand von Wrangell…

Wrangell, Ferdinand Petrovich, baron. Edited by Major Edward Sabine.London: James Madden and Co., 1840.
  • 1820-23 Russian Journey Exploring Siberia and the Northeast Passage (led by Baron Wrangell).
  • Arctic Reading: Russia
 Preview 

Gives introductory summary of prior expeditions to Northeast and Siberia, before describing Wrangell’s expedition across the entire Northern coast of Siberia, as based on Wrangell’s journals, edited by Sabine, and translated from German by Mrs. Sabine. This journey takes place at the same time as Franklin’s land journey. The travel route was St Petersburgh, Moscow, the Urals, Irkutsk, to the Lena and then by river both to the north, Siberia & Jakuzk, with a view to studying the inland fur trade. The work is a combination of geography, anthropology, and adventure.