Voyages of Discovery and Research within the Arctic Regions, from the Year 1818 to the Present Time

This 1846 description of Arctic exploration vividly reports experiences of polar bears and icebergs, frostbite and scurvy, hardship and heroism.

The diplomat Sir John Barrow (1764–1848) published this popular account of twelve recent Arctic expeditions in 1846. Drawing on eye-witness reports, Barrow describes the Arctic landscape, fauna and climate, the explorers' diet and health, and their encounters with 'Esquimaux', providing fascinating insights into the experiences of nineteenth-century polar explorers.Sir John Barrow (1764–1848) was Second Secretary to the Admiralty for forty years. He was responsible for promoting polar exploration, and published two books on the subject for general readers. A Chronological History of Voyages into the Arctic Regions appeared in 1818, and this 1846 publication continues the story. Drawing on the explorers' own accounts, Barrow describes twelve voyages connected with the search for the North-West Passage. These include two voyages by Sir John Ross, four by Sir William Parry, and two by Sir John Franklin (whose last, fatal expedition was under way when the book was published). Barrow documents the Arctic landscape, fauna and climate, the explorers' clothes and provisions, scurvy (cured by preserved gooseberries and freshly grown mustard and cress), frostbite (necessitating amputations), on-board entertainments, and encounters with 'Esquimaux', providing fascinating insights into the realities of polar expeditions in the mid-nineteenth century.