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Farthest North
Farthest North
Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen
The Arctic explorer sloughs his civilisation with the same ease that he dispenses with the use of soap, and in this reversion to the primitive habits of the aboriginal there is a great and fearful joy.
Book Excerpt
high latitudes, Albert Markham's memorable march towards the north from the Alert's winter quarters, there were 33 men who had to draw the sledges, though there were plenty of dogs on board the ship. It would appear, indeed, as if dogs were not held in great estimation by the English.
The American traveller Peary has, however, adopted a totally different method of travelling on the inland ice of Greenland, employing as few men and as many dogs as possible. The great importance of dogs for sledge journeys was clear to me before I undertook my Greenland expedition, and the reason I did not use them then was simply that I was unable to procure any serviceable animals. [2]
A third method may yet be mentioned which has been employed in the Arctic regions--namely, boats and sledges combined. It is said of the old Northmen in the Sagas and in the Kongespeilet, that for days on end they had to drag their boats over the ice in the Greenland sea, in order to reach land. The first in modern times to make u
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3.7
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A wonderfully descriptive account of life on board a ship locked in the ice as it drifts North toward the pole, by the leader of the expedition. Either his English was flawless, or the translation from the Norwegian was so.
The second book (with pictures !)is available on Project Gutenberg in several formats, including Kindle with photographs. So far, it too is a great read.
The second book (with pictures !)is available on Project Gutenberg in several formats, including Kindle with photographs. So far, it too is a great read.
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A tremendous story from a thouroughly inspirational author. Like the previous reviewer, I'm looking forward to volume 2 being available in ebook format.
07/23/2010
Interesting account of early polar exploration with perhaps rather too much description of life cooped up in a frozen-in ship in the Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately the interesting bit, two men with dogs travelling over the polar ice, unsupported and with no hope of rescue from outside, is in volume 2, and not provided here.
11/15/2009
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