The Adventure of Wrangel Island (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Adventure of Wrangel Island

Besides agreeing with my colleagues as just outlined, I had reasons of my own for not going. I had already served in arctic exploration longer than any well-known explorer I had spent ten arctic winters, as against nine for Peary, who had previously held the record for polar service, and as against seven polar winters (arctic or antarctic), the highest record, SO far as I know, for any living commander Of polar expeditions.

In a way my length of arctic service was a reason for staying at home; and still not a good one, for he who loves his work, and the field of his work, should not retire till he has become useless. But there were good reasons. If I succeeded in get ting Government Or influential private backing, I wanted to be south to organize a comprehensive arctic expedition, or series of expeditions. But whether I succeeded or failed in that, I wanted to remain south to continue my campaign of education with regard to the arctic regions. I wanted espec ially to try to reform the arctic sections of the geography textbooks, and in general to influence school and university teaching. This seemed to me not only a duty to science but also particularly my duty toward my native land, Canada, whose future depends so much on what the arctic portions of her territory are worth, and on how soon their real nature can be understood and taken advantage of.

If I were to write here all my reasons for not going North in 1921, this introduction would turn into a prospectus Of my hopes and plans for 'the rest of my life. That would not interest the reader. What I have said, when coupled with the narrative of the book, will surely make it clear enough why I stayed when my associates sailed away.

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