Arctic Explorers

In Search of the Northwest Passage

AUTHOR: Frances Hern
FORMAT: 8.5 x 5.5 pb 128 pp $9.95
ISBN-10:1-55439-081-8
ISBN-13: 978-155439-081-6

The fabled passage through the Arctic archipelago of Canada fuelled maritime exploration from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The expeditions brought explorers to this rough, inhospitable labyrinth of islands, icebergs, and shape-shifting water routes. Fearless and dedicated men braved harsh climates and treacherous conditions in the name of discovery. Mapped out in these northern waters are the tales of struggle and survival, of mutiny and death, of mystery, and of success.

Prologue

Sir Hugh Willoughby was waiting aboard the 'Bona Esperanza' for the pilot to guide his flotilla of three ships into the harbour at Vardo, on the most northeastern tip of Norway, when a storm hit. Gale force gusts channelled down the cliffs and battered the sailboats. Afraid they would be smashed against the rocks, Willoughby gave the order to run back out to sea where his men struggled to furl the sails so the wind wouldn't tear them to shreds. The sailors spent an anxious night adrift on an ocean gone wild, where icy mist obscured any warning of approaching shoals or icebergs. It was August 1553 and Willoughby had been commissioned to find a shorter and safer route from England to Cathay (China). He was immensely relieved when the storm blew itself out in the early hours of the morning. By daybreak the mist had dispersed, but that wasn't the only thing that had gone there was no sign of the 'Edward Bonaventure' they were now without their chief navigator. Willoughby's men tried to sail the 'Bona Esperanza' and the 'Bona Confidentia' back to Vardo but they couldn¹t find it. They couldn¹t find any land at all. They sailed across the Barents Sea for seven weeks, hopelessly lost, and finally found a desolate but sheltered nook in the mouth of a river where they anchored. September was almost gone and daylight hours were fast diminishing. Ice began to coat the two ships and the water around them. They had little choice but to stay there until spring. Russian fishermen found the ships the following summer. The English sailors were all dead but, strangely, they showed no signs of discomfort from scurvy, starvation, or freezing, which were the most likely causes of death. Sir Hugh Willoughby was seated at his desk, his logbook before him, pen in hand. Other men had died while they were eating, with spoons still in their mouths. One had been opening a locker. Even the dogs looked as though they had died instantly and without warning.' The fishermen stared at the disturbing scene and wondered what unspeakable event had caused the deaths of these unfortunate men.

About the Author

Frances Hern enjoys sailing, but only in temperatures well above zero. In November 2004 she sailed from St. Lucia to Grenada but failed to encounter pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. In May and June 2005 she sailed along the Aegean coast of Turkey and then hopped across the Greek Islands from Kos to Siros. The only time she got lost was trying to return a car to a rental shop in Athens, and at no time did she suffer from frostbite or scurvy. This is Frances's second Amazing Story. Her first book, about the life of Dr. Norman Bethune, was published in 2004.

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