stefansson-wrangel-09-31-019r

3

THE BACKGROUND OF THE STORY

round it would be possible to reach Cathay by sailing
west. They tried it; but the Americas barred the way
and the route to China around the Horn was both long
and stormy.

For men in whose lifetime the world had changed from
a pancake to a sphere, it was easy to throw by the board
as well all the other geographical conceptions of the
ancients. They forgot or disregarded the Greek and
Roman doctrine that human and animal life was not
possible in the remote North, and boldly reasoned that,
since the earth was a sphere, you could reach China not
only by sailing west, but also by sailing north. This led
to a series of voyages perhaps the most gallant in recorded
history. They were productive in terms of knowledge,
but negative with regard to the main purpose of finding
a short cut to the riches of the East.

When ice barred the way to ships steering directly
north, the navigators felt their way east or west along
the margin, hoping for a thoroughfare. Long after they
had concluded that a direct northerly route was impos-
sible * they cherished the hope of circumventing either
North America or Asia by what were known as the
Northwest and Northeast Passages. Many countries gave
to that search a list of dauntless names, but Great Britain
was honored beyond them all in Hudson, Cook, Parry,
McClintock, and a galaxy of lesser polar stars. The search
continued hopeful, and for three centuries the Arctic was
in men’s minds a potential highway to the East. But
seventy-five years ago that period of thought came to a
full stop with the colossal tragedy of Sir John Franklin.
No expedition ever sailed with higher hopes or equip-
ment more sumptuously and carefully provided. Yet
no one ever returned from the voyage, and the story is

* This is only approximately correct, for the
strange dogma of "An Open Polar Sea" was held as
late as 1870 by many who were then considered
as sound geographical authorities. See especially "The
Open Polar Sea" by Isaac J. Hayle, New York
1867. xxxxxxxxxxx ---------