A Whaling Cruise to Baffin's Bay and the Gulf of Boothia and an Account of the Rescue of the Crew of the Polaris

A Whaling Cruise To Baffin''s Bay and the Gulf of Boothia and an Account of the Rescue of the Crew of the Polaris. Written by Albert Hastings Markham F. R. G. S Commander Royal Navy. (1841 1918). Along with an Introduction by Rear-Admiral Sherard Osborn C. B.. F. R. S.. Second Edition published in London in 1875. (Including over 50 illustrations) Very detailed account of a successful whaling voyage to Baffins Bay by Commander Markham. Excerpts: .The successes that have of late years been achieved by the gallant explorers of other nations in the ice-bound regions of the North have no doubt materially hastened the present determination to equip and send forth an expedition on such a scale as will defy competition or failure. .We regard Arctic exploration as work peculiarly our own the birthright of Englishmen bequeathed to us by a long list of Arctic heroes containing the names of such men as Davis Hudson Baffin the Rosses Parry Franklin and Back; and we have to thank those bold and daring foreigners who have-recently returned triumphant after undergoing unheard-of hardships and privations for having aroused within us a friendly feeling of rivalry enhanced by their successes stirring up the expiring embers of our ambition and rekindling the flame of emulation which appeared to be dying-out. .The lucrative whaling trade owes its foundation to Arctic voyages of discovery; and if a new field should be discovered wherein the brave fellows who were lately my shipmates would be able to pursue with advantage their daring and hazardous trade the benefits arising from the contemplated voyage will be still further increased. The profits of the whale fishery during the last three or four years have been unusually large and the casualties excessively small results which are principally due to the wonderful advantage gained by the use of steam power. It is true that during the past year two whalers have fallen victims to the unyielding ice but in neither instance was there loss of life. The Tay was crushed by the ice floes in Melville Bay and the dear old Arctic succumbed to the irresistible pressure of the ice on the scene of her exploits of 1873 off Cape Garry. I have had the pleasure on more than one occasion of meeting my late jovial and kind-hearted captain since he returned to this country after the loss of his ship. A new Arctic has been built for him. She is without exception the finest whaler afloat. May all success attend him in his new ship and may he speedily reap the reward of his indomitable pluck and energy. The Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests we have made it digitally available and have brought it back into print for the preservation of printed works of the past. Making this copy very readable.