Tuttle Capt Francis (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Washington, octavo, iv, 5-144 p., numerous photographic plates, and color folding map of the rescue route. ***CONTENT: This is the harrowing, highly descriptive narrative of the rescue of whaling ship crews that had become trapped in polar ice near Point Barrow. Following the directive of President McKinley, the "Bear" was dispatched to rescue the stranded whalers. However, the wooden cutter was unable to pass through the winter Arctic ice south of the Bering Straits, and so a rescue party was landed at Cape Vancouver, Alaska. From there, crew members, Native Alaskan guides and herders proceeded overland, bringing with them a herd of reindeer to supply food to the starving whalers. Rescuers travelled via dog sleds, snowshoes, and skis; provisions were carried on sleds pulled by reindeer. After a trek of some 1500 miles, the group reached Point Barrow, rescuing four of the shipwrecked crews. The text and associated photos splendidly chronicle the scenery, weather, native contacts and villages, and daily experiences, as well as documenting the hardships and successes of this remarkable expedition. ***CONDITION: This is a complete, very Fine copy bound in the original pebbled, blind-ruled blue cloth, with gilt titles on the backstrip. The covers are fresh and bright, with scant rubbing to the corners; spine lettering bold. Joints and hinges solid, binding firm. The text pages and illustrations are pristine: fresh, clean, and bright, as is the color map, which unfolds to 30 by 25.5 inches. The only evidence of previous ownership is an old, inked signature on the front pastedown. This is a most handsome copy of this historical travelogue. International shipping will be extra, but only at my cost.