The Open Polar Sea A narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States"

SUNSET.--WINTER WORK.--MY DOG-TEAMS.--"MY BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER."--HUNTING.--PEAT BEDS.--ESQUIMAU GRAVES.--PUTREFACTION AT LOW TEMPERATURES.--SONNTAG CLIMBS THE GLACIER.--HANS...

INCREASING DARKNESS.--DAILY ROUTINE.--THE JOURNAL.--OUR HOME.--SUNDAY.--RETURN OF SONNTAG.--A BEAR-HUNT.--THE OPEN WATER.--ACCIDENT TO MR. KNORR.--A THAW.--"THE PORT FOULKE WEEK...

HANS AND HIS FAMILY.--PETOWAK GLACIER.--A SNOW-STORM.--THE ICE-PACK.--ENTERING SMITH'S SOUND.--A SEVERE GALE.--COLLISION WITH ICEBERGS.--ENCOUNTER WITH THE ICE-FIELDS.--RETREAT...

THE ARCTIC SUMMER.--THE FLORA.--THE ICE DISSOLVING.--A SUMMER STORM OF RAIN, HAIL, AND SNOW.--THE TERRACES.--ICE ACTION.--UPHEAVAL OF THE COAST.--GEOLOGICAL INTEREST OF ICEBERGS...

HOMEWARD BOUND.--ENTERING MELVILLE BAY.--ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR.--MEETING THE PACK.--MAKING THE "SOUTH WATER."--REACHING UPERNAVIK.--THE NEWS.--TO GOODHAVEN.--LIBERALITY OF THE D...

MY CABIN.--SURVEYING.--CASTOR AND POLLUX.--CONCERNING SCURVY.--DANGERS OF EATING COLD SNOW.--KNORR AND STARR.--FROST-BITES.--HANS, PETER, AND JACOB AGAIN.--COAL ACCOUNT.--THE FI...

THE ARCTIC SPRING.--SNOW DISAPPEARING.--PLANTS SHOW SIGNS OF LIFE.--RETURN OF THE BIRDS.--CHANGE IN THE SEA.--REFITTING THE SCHOONER.--THE ESQUIMAUX.--VISIT TO KALUTUNAH.--KALUT...

STARTING ON MY FIRST JOURNEY.--OBJECT OF THE JOURNEY.--A MISHAP.--A FRESH START.--THE FIRST CAMP.--HARTSTENE'S CAIRN.--EXPLORING A TRACK.--A NEW STYLE OF SNOW-HUT.--AN UNCOMFORT...

LEAVING SMITH SOUND.--CROSSING THE NORTH WATER.--MEETING THE PACK.--THE SEA AND AIR TEEMING WITH LIFE.--REMARKABLE REFRACTION.--REACHING WHALE SOUND.--SURVEYING IN A BOAT.--THE...

ON BOARD THE SCHOONER.--REVIEW OF THE JOURNEY.--THE RETURN DOWN KENNEDY CHANNEL.--A SEVERE MARCH IN A SNOW-STORM.--ROTTEN ICE.--EFFECTS OF A GALE.--RETURNING THROUGH THE HUMMOCK...

Upernavik is not less the limit of safe navigation than the remotest boundary of civilized existence. The real hardships of our career commenced before its little white gabled c...

The sun has reached to-day its greatest southern declination, and we have passed the Arctic Midnight. The winter solstice is to us the meridian day, as twelve o'clock is the mer...

I will not trouble the reader with the many gloomy reflections which I find scattered over the pages of my journal during the period succeeding the events which are recorded in...

The results of the journey recorded in the last chapter gave me great satisfaction. They furnished an important addition to the observations which I had made in former years; an...

KALUTUNAH RETURNS.--AN ESQUIMAU FAMILY.--THE FAMILY PROPERTY.--THE FAMILY WARDROBE.--MYOUK AND HIS WIFE.--PETER'S DEAD BODY FOUND.--MY NEW TEAMS.--THE SITUATION.--HUNTING.--SUBS...

Homeward Bound.--Entering Melville Bay.--Encounter with a Bear.--Meeting the Pack.--Making the "South Water."--Reaching Upernavik.--The News.--To Goodhaven.--Liberality of the D...

PASSAGE TO THE GREENLAND COAST.--DISCIPLINE.--THE DECKS AT SEA.--OUR QUARTERS.--THE FIRST ICEBERG.--CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.--THE MIDNIGHT SUN.--THE ENDLESS DAY.--MAKING THE...

THE PROSPECT AHEAD.--TO CAPE NAPOLEON.--TO CAPE FRAZER.--TRACES OF ESQUIMAUX.--ROTTEN ICE.--KENNEDY CHANNEL.--MILDNESS OF TEMPERATURE.--APPEARANCE OF BIRDS.--GEOLOGICAL FEATURES...

THE MAIN PARTY SENT BACK.--PLUNGING INTO THE HUMMOCKS AGAIN.--ADVANTAGES OF DOGS.--CAMP IN AN ICE-CAVE.--NURSING THE DOGS.--SNOW-BLINDNESS.--A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.--CAPE HAWKS....

Notwithstanding our precautions, we narrowly escaped running upon a sunken reef which lies off the Horse's Head, and is not laid down on the chart. We came also among some ice-f...

THE NEW YEAR.--LOOKING FOR SONNTAG.--THE AURORA BOREALIS.--A REMARKABLE DISPLAY.--DEPTH OF SNOW.--STRANGE MILDNESS OF THE WEATHER.--THE OPEN SEA.--EVAPORATION AT LOW TEMPERATURE...

My time became now fully occupied with preparations for my journey northward. The sun appearing on the 18th, as recorded in the last chapter, rose completely above the horizon o...

The unexpected breaking down of my strong man, Jensen, was a misfortune only one degree less keenly felt than the previous failure of the foot party, and it troubled me much; fo...

THE FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY.--A FALL OF TEMPERATURE.--ITS EFFECT UPON THE MEN.--CAMPED IN A SNOW-HUT.--THE SECOND DAY'S JOURNEY.--AT CAIRN POINT.--CHARACTER OF THE ICE.--THE PROSPEC...

THE OPEN POLAR SEA.--WIDTH OF THE POLAR BASIN.--BOUNDARIES OF THE POLAR BASIN.--POLAR CURRENTS.--POLAR ICE.--THE ICE-BELT.--ARCTIC NAVIGATION AND DISCOVERY.--THE RUSSIAN SLEDGE...

JOURNEY ON THE GLACIER.--THE FIRST CAMP.--SCALING THE GLACIER.--CHARACTER OF ITS SURFACE.--THE ASCENT.--DRIVEN BACK BY A GALE.--LOW TEMPERATURE.--DANGEROUS SITUATION OF THE PART...

LEAVING PORT FOULKE.--EFFORT TO REACH CAPE ISABELLA.--MEET THE PACK AND TAKE SHELTER AT LITTLETON ISLAND.--HUNTING.--ABUNDANCE OF BIRDS AND WALRUS.--VISIT TO CAIRN POINT.--REACH...

I named our harbor Port Foulke, in honor of my friend, the late William Parker Foulke, of Philadelphia, who was one of the earliest, and continued to be throughout one of the mo...

A full month had now elapsed since Sonntag and Hans left us, and several days of the January moonlight having passed over without bringing them back, I had some cause for alarm....

MIDWINTER.--THE NIGHT OF MONTHS.--BRILLIANCY OF THE MOONLIGHT.--MILD TEMPERATURES.--REMARKABLE WEATHER.--A SHOWER.--DEPTH OF SNOW.--SNOW CRYSTALS.--AN EPIDEMIC AMONG THE DOGS.--...

We put to sea early in the morning of the 12th, and in the evening of the same day were at Upernavik. The entrance to the harbor is somewhat unsafe, owing to a reef which lies o...

THE STORM CONTINUES.--AT WORK.--AMONG THE HUMMOCKS.--DIFFICULTIES OF THE TRACK.--THE SNOW-DRIFTS.--SLOW PROGRESS.--THE SMITH SOUND ICE.--FORMATION OF THE HUMMOCKS.--THE OLD ICE-...

SENDING FORWARD SUPPLIES.--KALUTUNAH AS A DRIVER.--KALUTUNAH CIVILIZED.--MR. KNORR.--PLAN OF MY PROPOSED JOURNEY.--PREPARING TO SET OUT.--INDUSTRIOUS ESQUIMAU WOMEN.--DEATH AND...

We were escorted into the harbor of Pröven by the strangest fleet of boats and the strangest-looking boatmen that ever convoyed a ship. They were the far-famed kayakers of Green...

THE DIFFICULTIES MULTIPLYING.--SLEDGE BROKEN.--REFLECTIONS ON THE PROSPECT.--THE MEN BREAKING DOWN.--WORSE AND WORSE.--THE SITUATION.--DEFEAT OF MAIN PARTY.--RESOLVE TO SEND THE...

The extracts from my journal quoted in the preceding chapter will have sufficed to give the reader an understanding of the results of my spring and summer sledging, and he will...

And this suggested the text for our evening conversation; and we talked long of the future and of what was to be done, with the coming again of the god of day.

Knowing that the sun would appear to-day, everybody was filled with expectation, and hastened off after breakfast to some favorite spot where it was thought that he might be see...

While the days were thus running on, the sun was crawling up toward the horizon, and each returning noon brought an increase of light. I carried in my pocket at all times a litt...

The morning dawned clear and auspicious. Upon going on board, I found that a number of friends whom I had invited to accompany us down the bay had preceded me by half an hour. A...

The Arctic Spring.--Snow disappearing.--Plants show Signs of Life.--Return of the Birds.--Change in the Sea.--Refitting the Schooner.--The Esquimaux.--Visit to Kalutunah.--Kalut...

The Arctic Summer.--The Flora.--The Ice dissolving.--A Summer Storm of Rain, Hail, and Snow.--The Terraces.--Ice Action.--Upheaval of the Coast.--Geological Interest of Icebergs...

Starting on my First Journey.--Object of the Journey.--A Mishap.--A Fresh Start.--The First Camp.--Hartstene's Cairn.--Exploring a Track.--A New Style of Snow-Hut.--An Uncomfort...

On Board the Schooner.--Review of the Journey.--The Return down Kennedy Channel.--A Severe March in a Snow-Storm.--Rotten Ice.--Effects of a Gale.--Returning through the Hummock...

The Main Party sent back.--Plunging into the Hummocks again.--Advantages of Dogs.--Camp in an Ice-Cave.--Nursing the Dogs.--Snow-Blindness.--A Chapter of Accidents.--Cape Hawks....

Kalutunah returns.--An Esquimau Family.--The Family Property.--The Family Wardrobe.--Myouk and his Wife.--Peter's Dead Body found.--My New Teams.--The Situation.--Hunting.--Subs...

The Open Polar Sea.--Width of the Polar Basin.--Boundaries of the Polar Basin.--Polar Currents.--Polar Ice.--The Ice-Belt.--Arctic Navigation and Discovery.--The Russian Sledge...

Leaving Port Foulke.--Effort to reach Cape Isabella.--Meet the Pack and take Shelter at Littleton Island.--Hunting.--Abundance of Birds and Walrus.--Visit to Cairn Point.--Reach...

Leaving Smith Sound.--Crossing the North Water.--Meeting the Pack.--The Sea and Air teeming with Life.--Remarkable Refraction.--Reaching Whale Sound.--Surveying in a Boat.--The...

My Cabin.--Surveying.--Castor and Pollux.--Concerning Scurvy.--Dangers of eating Cold Snow.--Knorr and Starr.--Frost-Bites.--Hans, Peter, and Jacob again.--Coal Account.--The Fi...

Midwinter.--The Night of Months.--Brilliancy of the Moonlight.--Mild Temperatures.--Remarkable Weather.--A Shower.--Depth of Snow.--Snow Crystals.--An Epidemic among the Dogs.--...

The First Day's Journey.--A Fall of Temperature.--Its Effect upon the Men.--Camped in a Snow-Hut.--The Second Day's Journey.--At Cairn Point.--Character of the Ice.--The Prospec...

Passage to the Greenland Coast.--Discipline.--The Decks at Sea.--Our Quarters.--The First Iceberg.--Crossing the Arctic Circle.--The Midnight Sun.--The Endless Day.--Making the...

Sunset.--Winter Work.--My Dog-Teams.--"My Brother John's Glacier."--Hunting.--Peat Beds.--Esquimau Graves.--Putrefaction at Low Temperatures.--Sonntag climbs the Glacier.--Hans...

Hans and his Family.--Petowak Glacier.--A Snow-Storm.--The Ice-Pack.--Entering Smith Sound.--A Severe Gale.--Collision with Icebergs.--Encounter with the Ice-Fields.--Retreat fr...

Increasing Darkness.--Daily Routine.--The Journal.--Our Home.--Sunday.--Return of Sonntag.--A Bear-Hunt.--The Open Water.--Accident to Mr. Knorr.--A Thaw.--"The Port Foulke Week...

The Storm continues.--At Work.--Among the Hummocks.--Difficulties of the Track.--The Snow-Drifts.--Slow Progress.--The Smith Sound Ice.--Formation of the Hummocks.--The Old Ice-...

The New Year.--Looking for Sonntag.--The Aurora Borealis.--A Remarkable Display.--Depth of Snow.--Strange Mildness of the Weather.--The Open Sea.--Evaporation at Low Temperature...

The Difficulties multiplying.--Sledge broken.--Reflections on the Prospect.--The Men breaking down.--Worse and Worse.--The Situation.--Defeat of Main Party.--Resolve to send the...

Journey on the Glacier.--The First Camp.--Scaling the Glacier.--Character of its Surface.--The Ascent.--Driven back by a Gale.--Low Temperature.--Dangerous Situation of the Part...

Sending forward Supplies.--Kalutunah as a Driver.--Kalutunah civilized.--Mr. Knorr.--Plan of my Proposed Journey.--Preparing to set out.--Industrious Esquimau Women.--Death and...

The Prospect Ahead.--To Cape Napoleon.--To Cape Frazer.--Traces of Esquimaux.--Rotten Ice.--Kennedy Channel.--Mildness of Temperature.--Appearance of Birds.--Geological Features...