The First Crossing of Greenland

by Nansen, Fridtjof; Gepp, Hubert Majendie

• ISBN13: 9781108031097
• ISBN10: 1108031099
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-15
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

First published in English in 1890, this book by Norwegian explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) recounts the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, an expedition that took two months. Learning from previous failed attempts, Nansen suggested crossing from the uninhabited east to the inhabited west of Greenland, an innovation that proved successful. Nansen's account was translated by Hubert Majendie Gepp and includes an introduction written by the secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. Volume 1 describes the initial stages of the journey, including detailed accounts of the equipment, the methods used for crossing the ice and the arrival of the party on the east coast of Greenland. The volume ends with a description of previous attempts to cross the 'inland ice'. Nansen, who later served as delegate to the League of Nations, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his humanitarian endeavours.

Table of Contents

Introduction J. Scott Keltie

Preface

Introduction

The equipment

'Ski' and 'skilöbning'

The voyage to Iceland

Cruising in the ice

The bladder-nose seal and its capture

Life on the 'Jason'

Attempt to land - drifting in the ice

Still drifting

The ice-belt of the east coast of Greenland, and some account of previous attempts to penetrate it

The east coast of Greenland

The east coast - an Eskimo encampment

The east coast - another stage northwards

The east coast - further dealings with the Eskimo

Our last encampment on the east coast

Previous attempts at exploration of the 'inland ice'

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