Shores of the Polar Sea: A Narrative of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6

The narrative recounts an 1875–76 naval Arctic expedition that sails into pack ice, explores Greenland’s coasts and channels, and reaches latitudes farther north than previously attained by ship. It combines day-to-day shipboard life, the establishment of winter quarters, sledging journeys across floes, natural-history observations of plants, birds, mammals, and glacial landscapes, and encounters with local Arctic inhabitants and their material traces. Practical details include hunting, dog teams, depôts, and the effects of extreme cold on equipment and human bodies, while numerous sketches and chromolithographs accompany descriptive chapters on ice phenomena, geographical discoveries, and the hardships and routines of polar exploration.