Arctic Explorations V1 (e-book) (used book) | bookbook.eu

Description

Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857) was a medical officer in the United States Navy, best known for the so-called Grinnell voyages to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin's expedition. Originally published in 1856, this two-volume work documents his second expedition, between 1853 and 1855, during which his ship became ice-bound, and he and his men survived by adopting Inuit survival skills, such as hunting, sledge-driving and hut-building.

The second Grinnell expedition of 1853–1855 was an American effort, financed by Henry Grinnell, to determine the fate of Sir John Franklin's lost expedition to the North Pole. Led by Elisha Kent Kane, the team explored areas northwest of Greenland, now called Grinnell Land. While failing to determine the fate of Franklin, the expedition set a new record for northward penetration and discovered the long-sought open Polar Sea. Kane collected valuable geographical, climate, and magnetic observations before abandoning the brig Advance to the pack ice in 1855. While three crew members were lost, the epic journey of the survivors inspired the public as a vivid tale of Arctic survival.

In Volume 1, Kane recounts the dangers posed by icebergs, glaciers and fluctuating tides, which led to his ship's entrapment, and records his impressions of the Inuit whom he later relied on for survival. Along with extensive illustrations of the animals, terrain and people encountered on his mission, and a useful glossary of Arctic terms, Kane's writings reveal his own controversial personality as well as his relationship with the Inuit and his admiration for their skills.