| CHAPTER I |
| THE ARCTIC REGION |
| PAGE |
The Mystery of the North Pole—The First Explorer—"The Great
Dark Wall at the End of the World"—"Frost-Smoke"—The
Lights and Sounds of the North—The Aurora Borealis—Mock
Moons—The Early Adventurers: Willoughby, Frobisher, Davis,
Hudson, Baffin, Ross, and Parry—The North-West Passage | 17 |
|
| CHAPTER II |
| SIR JOHN FRANKLIN |
Young Franklin—His Dreams of Adventure—He becomes a
Sailor—His First Arctic Expedition—Fails to get through Behring
Straits—Explores Baffin's Bay—The 1845 Expedition—The
Erebus and Terror—The "Good-bye" at Greenland—Wellington
Channel—They select Winter Quarters—Discovery of the
North-West Passage—Death of Franklin—Prisoned in the
Ice—The Crew Abandon the Ships—Defeat and Death | 25 |
|
| CHAPTER III |
| THE SEARCH FOR FRANKLIN |
Captain Parker's Report—Government offers a Reward—Dr. Rae's
Expedition—Captain McClure's Voyage in the Investigator—Hardships
and Perils—The Meeting with the Herald—Lady Franklin still
Hopeful—Sir F. L. McClintock's Expedition in the Fox with
Lieutenant Hobson—Their Sad and Fatal Discoveries—Lieutenant
Schwatka recovers the Body of Lieutenant Irving | 42 |
|
|
| CHAPTER IV |
| THE VOYAGE OF THE POLARIS |
Death of Captain Hall—Crew determine to Return—Are Frozen in—A
Party take to the Ice and are Cast Away—They build
themselves Snow Huts—They find some Seals—An Adventure
with Bears—The Perils of the Spring—They sight the Tigress
and are Saved—The Ship-party's Story and Rescue | 69 |
|
| CHAPTER V |
| THE ALERT AND DISCOVERY |
Sir George Nares appointed to the Alert and Discovery—Overtaking
a Season—Red Snow—The Greenland Mosquito—Peculiarities
of Eskimo Dogs—And Dog Whips—Dangers of Kayaks—Advantages
of Steam for Polar Regions—An Unpleasant Experience—A Huge
Walrus—Arctic Scenery—A Big "Bag"—The Ships part Company—The
Alert reaches the Polar Sea—Winter Quarters—The North Pole
attempted—Adventures and Sufferings of the Party—Lieutenant Parr's
Heroism—Deliverance—The Greenland Attempt—Scurvy and
Snow—Repulse Bay—In Pitiable Plight—Lieutenant Rawson to the Rescue | 83 |
|
| CHAPTER VI |
| THE GREELY EXPEDITION |
The Scheme of the Expedition—Fort Conger—Arctic Wolves—Atmospheric
Marvels—A Terrific Storm—Influence of the Sun—Lieutenant Lockwood's
Expedition—The Second Winter—Preparations for Departure—They
leave Fort Conger—A Remarkable Ice Passage—They fail to make
Cape Sabine—A New Camp—Rations running Short—Fruitless Efforts
to reach Food DepÔts—Starvation and Death—A Bitter Blow—The
Arrival of the Thetis | 114 |
|
|
| CHAPTER VII |
| PEARY IN GREENLAND |
The Greenland Question—Departure of the Kite—Peary breaks his
Leg—A Camp made—Habits of the Eskimo—A Brush with
Walrus—"Caching" Food—An Arctic Christmas Feast—Peary
starts for the Great Ice-Cap—A Snow Sahara—The Ice-Cap
Crossed—A Marvellous Discovery—Sails on Sledges—A Safe Return | 146 |
|
| CHAPTER VIII |
| NANSEN AND THE FRAM |
Nansen's Theories of Arctic Currents and Shipbuilding—His Theories
adopted—The Fram Built—A Start made—The Kara Sea
reached—Good Hunting—The Ice Current reached—Frozen
in—A Raid by a Bear—Will the Fram stand the Pressure?—Preparing
for Calamity—A Conclusive Test—Causes of Ice Movements—Life
on the Fram—Nansen and Johansen leave the Fram—They reach their
"Farthest North"—Incidents of their Return Journey—Some Narrow
Escapes—The Meeting with Jackson—Arrival of the Fram | 173 |
|
| CHAPTER IX |
| FRANZ JOSEF LAND AND SPITZBERGEN |
The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition—Object of the Expedition—An
Interesting Experiment—The Franz Josef Land Question settled—A
Group of Islands, not a Continent—Conway at Spitzbergen—Ancient
History—Bygone Splendours—Scenery in the Making—The Romance
of AndrÉe—Another Riddle | 220 |
|
|
| CHAPTER X |
| THE POLAR METEORITES |
Eskimo Iron—A Mystery of 1818—Search and Failure—Peary and
his Huskies—The Secret revealed—An Eskimo Legend—At
the Iron Mountain—Removing the Trophies—A Massive Giant—Attack
and Defence—The Giant Objects—A Narrow Escape—Conquered | 236 |
|
| CHAPTER XI |
| THE SECOND VOYAGE OF THE FRAM |
Norwegian Enterprise—Mapping the Islands—Nearly Frozen—A
Novel Warming-Pan—Eskimo Melody—Arctic Bull Fights—Death
of the Doctor—Fire on the Fram—New Lands—Prehistoric People | 249 |
|
| CHAPTER XII |
| ITALY CLAIMS THE RECORD |
| Norwegian Aid—A Northerly Station—Premature EnthusiasmR
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