Discovering the North-West Passage

Glenn M. Stein, FRGS, has researched maritime and polar history since 1975, and regularly publishes in journals and magazines. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Life Member of the American Polar Society, member of the Orders and Medals Research Society, and the Life Saving Awards Research Society. He lives in Apopka, Florida, USA.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments delete viii

Preface delete 1

1. The Frozen Grail, up to 1845 delete 3

2. Into the Fray, 1846–50 delete 14

3. The Pacific, 1850 delete 33

4. Western Arctic Gateway, 1850 delete 54

5. The Wily Arctic, 1850 delete 66

6. The Coldest Crucible, 1850 delete 82

7. Decisions, 1850 delete 100

8. Jack Frost, 1850–51 delete 120

9. The Grand Sledding Chorus, 1851 delete 136

10. The Trap Is Sprung! 1851 delete 154

11. “The fatal error of our voyage,” 1851–52 delete 170

12. Starvation, Madness—and Mutiny, 1852 delete 188

13. Infinity’s Brink, 1853–54 delete 209

14. Scattered Bones and Frozen Memories, 1853 Onward delete 226

Epilogue. Found Beneath the Ice, 2010–11 delete 249

Appendix 1. Weights and Measurements delete 253

Appendix 2. Notes on Sources delete 254

Appendix 3. HMS Investigator Crew List delete 265

Appendix 4. Extracts from Admiralty Orders to Captain

Richard Collinson, CB, RN delete 279

Appendix 5. Notable Sled Parties of the Investigators delete 282

Appendix 6. Notes on Map Features delete 289

Appendix 7. Polar Crumbs: Creation of the Arctic Medal 1818–55 delete 292

Chapter Notes delete 307

Bibliography delete 351

Index delete 367