The Voyage of the Prince Albert in Search of Sir John Franklin
A Narrative of Every-Day Life in the Arctic Seas

A first-hand account of an 1850 Arctic rescue expedition in search of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin (1786–1847).

William Parker Snow (Author)

9781108019668, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 16 September 2010

448 pages, 4 colour illus. 1 map
21.6 x 14 x 2.5 cm, 0.57 kg

William Parker Snow (1817–1895) was a sailor, explorer and writer. In 1850 he wrote to Lady Franklin volunteering his services to lead a land expedition to recover her husband, Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin (1786–1847) who had not returned from his 1845 Arctic expedition. Lady Franklin declined his offer, but appointed him as second in command to Charles Forsyth on her first sponsored rescue expedition in 1850 to recover her husband. First published in 1851, this volume contains Snow's account of this rescue expedition. Taken from Snow's personal diary written during the expedition, he describes the hazardous conditions the expedition faced during the brief Arctic summer. The daily life of Snow and the crew, the methods used to ensure safe passage through ice floes and the dramatic Arctic landscapes are described in vivid detail, providing valuable information about nineteenth century Arctic expeditions.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Engaging the crew
3. Ready for sea
4. Fairly at sea
5. Succession of foul winds and heavy gales
6. Taking the first ice
7. Thick fog
8. The crow's nest
9. Labyrinth of icebergs
10. Ice opens
11. Slow progress through the ice
12. Better weather
13. Superior sailing qualities of the 'Prince Albert'
14. Laborious effort to work through some heavy ice
15. Cape York
16. The Esquimaux 'Adam'
17. Return towards Cape York
18. The 'Assistance', 'Intrepid', and 'Felix', proceed to Wolstenholme Sound
19. Lancaster Sound
20. Pass Batty Bay
21. Again at Whaler Point
22. Plan of future proceedings for the vessel
23. Appearance of the ice
24. Entrance of P.R. Inlet again
25. Pass Cape Liverpool
26. Information from the 'North Star'
27. Homeward bound
28. Difficulty of taking a lunar observation in a gale
Appendix.

Subject Areas: European history [HBJD]