p. 108, entry for “Books”: The first book published in Antarctica was Aurora Australis, a 120-page book written in 1908 by Shackleton and his 14-man crew of winterers to ward off boredom. They wrote it, printed, and bound it. Joyce and Wild typeset it, Marston illustrated, and Day created the covers. Shackleton’s printing press had been presented to him by Messrs. Joseph Causton and Sons, and they had trained Joyce and Wild in printing and typesetting. During Charcot’s Pourquoi Pas? expedition of 1908-10, Jules Rouch wrote a novel for a bet. It was called L’Amant de la dactylographe (The Typist’s Lover). Charcot brought 1,500 books with him on that trip. The Ross Sea party of 1914-17, under Mackintosh, had an Encyclopaedia Britannica available. On the other side of Antarctica Hurley salvaged some volumes of Britannica when the Endurance went down in 1915.
Antarctica: An Encyclopedia
- Heroic Age 1901-1921.
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
Illustrated Arctic News: Facsimile of the Illustrated Arctic News, Published on Board H.M.S. Resolute: Capt. Horatio T. Austin. C.B. In Search of the Expedition under Sir John Franklin.
- 1848-59 The Franklin Search.
- Arctic Reading: Great Britain
HMS Resolute , commanded by Captain Horatio Austin, together with Assistance (Captain Ommanney), was dispatched in February 1850 to search for the missing Franklin Expedition. The Illustrated Arctic News was published on-board the ships during the winter to help maintain morale. This facsimile contains 5 of the newspapers [issues] published on board, in imitation of the Illustrated London News. The facsimile is of the hand written text of the shipboard original. The text is in an italic hand, and the subsequent facsimile printed by lithograph with some hand-coloring.
Journal of a Voyage in Baffin’s Bay and Barrow Straits, in the Years 1850-1851, Performed in H.M. Ships “Lady Franklin” and “Sophia,” under the Command of Mr. William Penny….
- 1848-51 British Expedition in Franklin Search (commanded by Capt. T.E.L. Moore aboard H.M.S. Plover).
- Arctic Reading: Great Britain
These volumes recount one of the early Franklin search expeditions, originally organized by Lady Franklin but adopted and furnished by the Admiralty, and which wintered near the Resolute and Assistance, and were also close to John Ross’s Felix and Mary expedition (HBC). Sutherland was surgeon on the Sophia, and appears from these volumes to have been a most panglossian optimist, as can be seen from some of the quotations below.
The Hookers of Kew 1785-1911.
- 1839-42 British Antarctic Expedition (James Clark Ross/Terror and Erebus).
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
Joseph Hooker was part of the Erebus and Terror Antarctic expedition led by James Clark Ross, an expedition poorly equipped for scientific investigation:
South with Mawson
- 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (Mawson).
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
First published in 1947, Laseron’s account of Mawson’s AAE is a gentle and generally optimistic account, even when describing Mawson’s perilous journey.
Antarctic days with Mawson: a personal account of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition of 1929-31.
- 1929-31 BANZARE Expedition (aboard Discovery II).
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
Mawson’s expedition aboard Discovery on which Fletcher was zoologist.
How the “Mastiffs” Went to Iceland.
- Arctic Reading: Europe including Scandinavia
The Mastiff was a yacht owned by John Burns (Lord Inverclyde) who took a group of men aboard his yacht on a trip to the Faroes and Iceland in 1878. Trollope wrote this story of the voyage and published it privately in the same year. Although hardly Polar, Iceland is certainly an interesting exemplar of the print culture of the North.
At Sea with the Scientifics: The Challenger Letters of Joseph Matkin.
- Maritime Reading
An unusual contribution to our reader’s list from below decks. Matkin was a seaman, though a fairly well-educated one, on the Challenger, and uncharacteristically for lower deck men kept a journal, the basis of these personal letters about the trip.
A Whaling Cruise to Baffin’s Bay and the Gulf of Boothia. And an Account of the Rescue of the Crew of the “Polaris.”.
- Whalemen's Reading
Interesting book by Admiral Markham who had an extended Royal Navy career as well as serving the Royal Geographical Society as its long-time President. Surprisingly, I found little on reading here.
Children of the Light: The Rise and Fall of New Bedford Whaling and the Death of the Arctic Fleet
- Maritime Reading
A somewhat elegiac tale of the decline of whaling and New Bedford, contrasted with descriptions of the life of the Inuit, before and after the coming of the whalers to the Beaufort Sea area. Main focus at end is on the disastrous season at Pt. Barrow of the whaling fleet which abandoned over 25 ships, but managed to rescue over 1200 whalemen.
The Tactless Philosopher: Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798).
- 1772-75 British Naval Expedition–Second Voyage (Captain James Cook aboard the Resolution).
- “Discovery” of Antarctica.
- Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
A straightforward biography of Forster, the Anglo-German naturalist who replaced Sir Joseph Banks on Cook’s Second Voyage (1772-75), along with his son George.
Ms of Hints to McClintock re passage through Peel Sound etc. on his 1857 expedition.
- 1848-59 The Franklin Search.
- Arctic Reading: Great Britain
Includes wind and temperature tables, advice on ice conditions, hunting possibilities, articles of barter with Eskimos. Envelope dated 12 Jul 57. Refers to House of Commons orders & Arctic paper on January 1855.
Old Whaling Days.
- Whalemen's Reading
p. 59: Conclusion—Advice to Apprentices. NOW if any youth, who is intending going to sea, should read this rough sketch of the life of an apprentice, I would advise him to be very careful how he enters upon his duties. He should be civil to everybody and dutiful to his officers, doing his best to gain their good-will by performing what he is told, cheerfully. When he is set to do anything, do it quickly with a good grace. Nobody gains ill-will so soon as a sulky, grumbling boy. I will vouchsafe to say at the end of a long voyage a civil boy will be respected. Do not listen to the yarns of some men. When they wish you to stay, leave at once, and begin some trifling job, also improve your mind with reading, and your spare time in learning navigation. When the men see you are superior in education to them, they will treat you with respect. If a poor fellow cannot write, proffer to write his letters for him. It will cost nothing, and he will send a letter to his friends, otherwise he would neglect doing so, and I can assure you that he will befriend you in some way or other. Help those who are not so well educated as yourself, and do not taunt them because they are not so, although there are not so many now as formerly who cannot write.
Around the World with the Battleships
- 1907-09 US Circumnavigation by the Great White Fleet.
- Arctic Reading: United States
Not much here on reading by the sailors of the Great White Fleet but it does add some purple propaganda to the overall picture.
Race for the Pole.
- 1891-1920 Robert Peary and the Search for the North Pole.
- Arctic Reading: United States
Generally a whitewash of the Peary legend and legacy (mainly about the 1908-09 expedition) written as a homely narrative based according to Weems on thorough documentation. Although there is a decent bibliography one can’t find documentation for any given passage.