"THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION of 1875 left England on 29th May, crossed the Atlantic to Davis Straits in a succession of storms, and entered the Arctic regions on 4th July. It sailed with orders to 'attain the highest northern latitude, and, if possible, reach the Pole.'" This is the story of the crew of the HMS Alert, on its voyage of exploration up the Baffin Sea and toward northern Greenland. volunteers wish to thank the volunteers of Distributed Proofreaders for their work over the last 20 years to convert public domain books into e-books. "Shores of the Polar Sea" was DP's 35,000th title. Congratulations and Happy 20th Anniversary Distributed Proofreaders! .

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, the January Number. It includes the following articles: Three Weeks in Hubbard Bay, West Greenland, by Robert Stein. The Samoan Cocoanut, by A. W. Greely The Modern Mississippi Problem, by W J McGee Our Foreign Trade, by Henry Gannett The Presidency of the National Geographic Society Geographic Literature, by H. T Newcomb Miscellanea

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, the February Number. It includes the following articles: Gardiner Greene Hubbard, by Rev. Teunis S. Hamlin, D. D. Gardiner Greene Hubbard, Memorial Meeting Geographic Literature Miscellanea

When John Muir was a student in the University of Wisconsin he was a frequent caller at the house of Dr. Ezra S. Carr. The kindness shown him there, and especially the sympathy which Mrs. Carr, as a botanist and a lover of nature, felt in the young man's interests and aims, led to the formation of a lasting friendship. He regarded Mrs. Carr, indeed, as his "spiritual mother," and his letters to her in later years are the outpourings of a sensitive spirit to one who he felt thoroughly understood and sympathized with him...

This is the eleventh volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Part XI contains stories about Canadian history and about the discovery of Central and South America, from the early Inca and Aztec civilizations to the 20th century revolutions and upheavals. - Summary by Sonia Cast list for The Court of Justice of General Gomez: Major: Jim Locke / Gomez: Monika M.C. / Narrator: Sonia

Arthur Henry Patterson was a self-taught naturalist with an immeasurable knowledge and perspicacity of the Broadland region’s flora and fauna – especially the area around Great Yarmouth and Breydon Water. He was the author of many books about Broadland and was a regular and popular contributor to the local county newspaper. From an early age, he developed an affinity with the natural history of the Broads and kept extensive daily notes on the area’s wildlife – which ultimately led him to collate and distil the observations that he had recorded over 25 years into this book...

Exeter, county town of Devon, is one of England's most historic cities with remains of the Roman occupation and medieval times still on view. Exeter cathedral, founded in 1050 and completed 400 years later, has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in the country. This short book in Blackie & Sons' Beautiful England series details the history of the city and it many sites of interest, with chapters on the city, the cathedral and the River Exe. Readers who can access the printed version of the book on Internet Archive, may enjoy looking at E. W Haslehursts' 12 colour illustrations while listening to this audiobook. - Summary by Phil Benson

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, the March Number. It includes the following articles: Dwellings of the Saga-time in Iceland, Greenland, and Vineland, by Cornelia Horsford Completion of the La Boca Dock Two Hundred Miles up the Kuskokwim, by Charles Hallock The Mt St Elias Expedition of Prince Luigi Amadeo of Savoy, by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore The Origin of the French Canadians The Height of Mt Rainier, by Richard U. Goode Geographic Work by the Bureau of American Ethnology, by W. J. McGee A Relic of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition, by Cyrus C. Babb An Interesting Rumor Concerning Andree, by John Hyde Geographic Names in West Greenland, by Ralph S. Tarr

Arthur Henry Patterson was a self-taught naturalist who, from a very early age, devoted much of his free time to observing, discovering and documenting all aspects of the natural history of the Norfolk Broads, especially the area around Breydon Water near his home town of Great Yarmouth. At some 75000 acres , the Broads are the largest protected wetland in Britain. AHP was the author of many books about Broadland as well as submitting numerous papers and articles to nature societies and journals...

"The [Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee] shall conduct an independent review of ongoing U.S. human space flight plans and programs, as well as alternatives, to ensure the nation is pursuing the best trajectory for the future of human space flight – one that is safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable. The Committee should aim to identify and characterize a range of options that spans the reasonable possibilities for continuation of U.S. human space flight activities beyond retirement of the Space Shuttle...

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, April 1898, the Klondike Number. It includes the following articles: The Northwest Passes to the Yukon, by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore Overland Routes to the Klondike, by Hamlin Garland The Future of the Yukon Gold Fields, by William H. Dall Notes on the Wild Fowl and Game Animals of Alaska, by E. W. Nelson Climatic Conditions of Alaska, by A. W. Greely A Yukon Pioneer, Mike Lebarge, by William H. Dall Alaska and its Mineral Resources, by Samuel Franklin Emmons The Civil Government of Alaska, by George C...

This is the twelfth volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Part XII compiles stories about the early history of the United States, starting with the first explorators, the fights with the native Americans, the early settlers and culminating with the struggle for independence from the European leaders. - Summary by Sonia

Another entry in Carpenter's geographical reader series with information on the peoples, cultures, and everyday life of this Asian area. - Summary by BettyB

This book is part history and part travelogue, an account of a brief visit by a wealthy, white U.S. politician during a lamentable time in Haiti’s history of its invasion and occupation by the U.S. military. Dryden offers his views of elements of Haitian culture such as education, religion and commerce, with some optimism but with the shallow understanding of a casual observer who has not been immersed in the culture enough to provide truly insightful understanding. One chapter is an account of his duck hunting expedition. This is, nonetheless, valuable in helping us understand how many understood the Haitian situation in the early twentieth century. Summary by Larry Wilson.

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, May 1898, the Cuba Number. It includes the following articles: Cuba, by Robert T. Hill The Florida Coast Line Canal The Origin of West India Bird Life, by Frank M. Chapman Trade of the United States with Cuba, by John Hyde Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, U. S. N., by Henry Gannett Reception to Captain C. D. Sigsbee, U. S. N., by John Hyde Geographic Literature - Geographic Serials

The book describes a voyage undertaken in 1889 by an English barrister Edward Frederick Knight to the South Seas. This delightful story takes the reader on a voyage to the forbidding desert island of Trindade, where it is rumored that immense treasure lies buried. Though the heroes of this treasure-hunt do not have to contend with malicious people, they have their share of adventures. Almost inaccessible desert island, changing weather, hideous land crabs and heavy digging in the mud are enough challenges for the brave adventurers.

"This account of the Way trodden by the pilgrims of the Middle Ages through the South of England to the shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury originally appeared in the Art Journal for 1892, with illustrations by Mr. A. Quinton. It was published in the following year as a separate volume, and reprinted in 1895 and 1901. Now by the courtesy of Messrs. Virtue’s representatives, and in response to a continued demand, it appears again in a new and revised form, with the additional attraction of illustrations from original drawings by Mr. Hallam Murray. - Summary adapted from the Preface

In this book, Isabella L. Bird, who had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society only 2 years prior, describes her travels through Korea from 1894 - 1897 in her well-known style. She went on lengthy trips through the interior of what is today both North- and South Korea and vividly describes the landscapes, people and customs of the "Hermit Kingdom". Isabella's sojourn coincided with a time of great turmoil in Korea. Shortly after her arrival, the Japanese occupied the country, ostensibly to protect their expatriate community...

A coasting voyage boyage in a small yacht from Hammersmith in the UK to Copenhagen and back, including various visits to places on the Baltic. - Summary by Jane Bennett

In this fine sailing and exploring yarn, Edward Frederick Knight , sometime English barrister, journalist, sportsman, and amateur seaman, conspires over a fish dinner in Harwich to buy and refit the tiny yacht Falcon, recruit a crew of four , and sail across the Atlantic Ocean to South America. This they do, despite naysayers who advised painting the yacht's name conspicuously on her keel to aid identification when found floating upside down in some foreign sea. The book provides detailed descriptions...

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat and woman of letters. In 1716, she accompanied her husband to Vienna, and thence to Adrianople and Constantinople, where he took up his post as the new British ambassador. The couple remained there until 1718. Lady Mary told the story of their voyage in a series of private letters full of vivid descriptions and unconventional commentary. Their posthumous publication in 1763 presented to the public the first secular work written by a European woman about the Muslim Orient...

This is the thirteenth volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Part XIII is the second volume of the history of the United States, exploring topics from the Civil War, the settlement on the West Coast, and new scientific discoveries from the 19th and early 20th centuries. - Summary by Sonia

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, June 1898, the Philippines Number. It includes the following articles: The Philippine Islands, by F. F. Hilder Notes on Some Primitive Philippine Tribes, by Dean C. Worcester Commerce of the Philippine Islands, by John Hyde The Disposition of the Philippines, by Charles E. Howe

"I fell an easy prey to the beckonings of the other principal feature of California's topography, the dreamy, dreary desert. Long ago, on short expeditions into and across it at various points, I had fallen under its inexplicable charm; now I determined to know it more closely, by daily and nightly intercourse through months of travel in its sun-blasted solitudes: gaining the experience I desired at the price, certainly, of some discomfort, and, possibly, of a trifling degree of danger — merely enough for spice. This volume, then, is the fruit of over two years continuous camping and traveling on the desert." - Summary by Steven Seitel

Jules Verne takes aim at some amusing stereotypes of Americans in this story of a pre-rocketry attempt to shoot a cannonball to the Moon. Those Yankees don’t do anything by halves! His means is a Columbiad cannon so enormous that it must be bored 900 feet into the ground, so immense that 1200 smelting furnaces would be needed to create the iron for its casting, so stupendous that 100 tons of guncotton would be needed to loft its cannonball heavenwards. The journey must be watched from the tallest peak of the Rocky Mountains through a new telescope with a reflector measuring 16 feet in diameter and a tube reaching skyward 280 feet...

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, July 1898, the N.E.A. Number. It includes the following articles: American Geographic Education, by W J McGee Origin of the Physical Features of the United States, by G. K. Gilbert Geographic Development of the District of Columbia, by W J McGee The Historical Development of the National Capital, by Marcus Baker Geographic Work of the General Government, by Henry Gannett The Geologic Atlas of the United States, by W J McGee The Topographic Atlas of the United States, by W J McGee

Edmund Plauchut spent many years in China and gives an account of his observations of the places, people, and culture as he experienced them through the eyes of a European near the beginning of the 20th century.

Gertrude Bell's Syria: The Desert and the Sown describes her travels in the Levant during the first years of the 20th century. In this vivid and painstakingly documented narrative, Bell recounts her visits to Damascus, Jerusalem, Beirut, Antioch and Alexandretta, as well as the time she spent in the deserts of the region. Fluent in Arabic and several other languages, Bell brings to her account a level of insight beyond the reach of an average travel writer. She would later go on to play a highly influential role in the politics of the Middle East, drawing on the knowledge and personal connections she built up during these and other travels...

In these little sketches [1899] of a few out of the innumerable multitude of ways in which the sea has spoken to me during my long acquaintance with it, I have tried with ’prentice hand to reproduce for shore-dwellers some of the things it has told me. His whales and sharks and other monsters of the deep are creatures with whom one is proud to be associated. These Idylls—little pictures—strike me as some of the most vivid things ever written about the sea. I take it that only a man who has used the sea as a common sailor, and before the mast, really knows it in all its humours,… It is not conventionally that I have called Mr...

Roald Amundsen and six hearty seafarers tackle the North West Passage in search of the elusive wandering magnetic North Pole.

Published in 1907 by Arthur Henry Patterson, a self-taught local naturalist, Wild Life on a Norfolk Estuary was one of his defining books on the seasonal nature and natural history of the Norfolk Broads. The book is presented in two sections - The first part documents life on and around Breydon Water and the Broads throughout each season of the year, whilst the second part is a continuation of a previous AHP book – Notes of an East Coast Naturalist. AHP’s approachability, enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of the natural history of the Broads region would allow him to develop regular contacts with a wide range of fellow naturalists...

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, August 1898. It includes the following articles: Papagueria, by W. J. McGee Gomez and the New York Gulf, by L. D. Scisco Wellman Polar Expedition, by John Hyde

James Marr was a Boy Scout selected to go along with Sir Ernest Shackleton aboard the Quest in 1921 for the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition to Antarctica. This book provides a description of what would be Shackleton's last exploration due to his untimely death en route. - Summary by mleigh

Another entry in Carpenter's series of World Travels focusing on Canada and Newfoundland.

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, September 1898. It includes the following articles: The Growth of the United States, by W J McGee Bitter Root Forest Reserve, by Richard U. Goode Atlantic Estuarine Tides, by Mark S. W. Jefferson The Forest Conditions and Standing Timber of the State of Washington, by Henry Gannett American Association for the Advancement of Science, by John Hyde

Volume II of Roald Amundsen's The Northwest Passage. Roald Amundsen and six hearty seafarers in the tiny sloop Gjöa are the first to make the complete passage across the top of the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. With a Supplement by First Lieutenant Godfred Hansen, Vice Commander of the expedition. - Summary by Steven Seitel

Although Cairo is most famous for the ancient Egyptian pyramids of Giza located at its outskirts, the city as we know it today dates back only to 969. Since then, numerous rulers of different Muslim dynasties built fortifications, mosques and other buildings that earned Cairo the name "city of a thousand minarets". In this book, Stanley Lane-Poole traces the history of Cairo from the early Muslim period to the British Invasion of 1882. While doing so, he gives vivid descriptions of many of the mediaeval buildings that shape Cairo's cityscape to this day. This book is part of the "Mediaeval Town" series published in the early 20th century. Proof listeners: SaraHale and MrsHand

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, October 1898. It includes the following articles: Lake Chelan, by Henky Gannett Frederic W. Putnam, by John Hydic Mesa Verde, by F. H. Newell The Geospheres, by W J McGee Miscellanea

Sketches of those who braved the 'Great White North' in exploration and adventure. - Summary by KevinS

Lively descriptions of the people, places, and customs that the author encounters as he attempts to retrace the steps of the early Spanish conquistadores in the Americas: Columbus, Cortez, Pizarro, Balboa, Coronado.

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, November 1898. It includes the following articles: Sumatra's West Coast, by David G. Fairchild What is the Tide of the Open Atlantic? by Mark S.W. Jefferson The Peak of Itambe Geographic Aspects of the Monroe Doctrine Geographic Literature Miscellanea

An adventurer and explorer of no mean repute, Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka leads an expedition by mule train into the forbidding Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico to one of the richest silver mining regions in the world. He offers lively descriptions of the the unfamiliar flora and fauna of this often desolate region, of the cliff and cave dwellings inhabited and abandoned, and of the social customs of the various peoples he meets. He marvels at the unmatched running prowess of the Rarámuri Indians of the Barranca del Cobre--the famous Copper Canyon of Chihuahua State. He writes always with humor that keeps the narrative light and the reader smiling.

"The narrative of these two journeys is of special interest, because the first one, that made by my twin sister, Mrs. Lewis, and myself, in 1892, led to the discovery of an early and important codex of ancient Syriac gospels... while that made by us this year in company with [more Cambridge scholars and their wives] was undertaken for the purpose of deciphering the precious manuscript to which we have alluded. "Abler pens than mine will write about these Syriac gospels... yet on me devolves the task of telling how the codex was found...

This book is a collection of sketches first published in the Atlantic Monthly magazine and gathered into book form in 1901. The focus here is on 4 parks in the west. Six of the 10 articles focus on Yosemite National Park; also described are Yellowstone, Sequoia, and General Grant National Parks. - Summary by TriciaG

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol IX, December 1898. It includes the following articles: The Five Civilized Tribes and the Survey of Indian Territory, by C. H. Fitch Cloud Scenery of the High Plains, by Willard D. Johnson Atlantic Coast Tides, by Mark S. W. Jefferson President Alexander Graham Bell on Japan, by John Hyde Geographic Literature

The author, John Buchan, maintains that "the main lines of the earth's architecture have been determined" during the first two decades of the twentieth century, and all that remains is but "amplifying our knowledge of the groyning and buttresses and stone-work." In this history of exploration, he tells of nine of those momentous final discoveries that placed the earth's last big secrets firmly on the map, from the mysterious "cloud city" of Lhasa, to the slopes--but not yet the summit--of Mount Everest. - Summary by Steven Seitel

Back in the late 1880s, Walter Rye and a number of friends accompanied by an American couple , took a holiday on the Norfolk Broads and enjoyed a leisurely tour around the waterways of this unique part of Eastern England.This book documents some of the highlights of their trip on board the wherry Zöe and the hybrid wherry/cutter Lotus, as they sailed and explored many places of interest of the region. Although born in London, Walter Rye's family came from Norfolk, a county that he moved back to early in his life...

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol X, January 1899. It includes the following articles: The Stikine River in 1898, by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore The U. S. Board on Geographic Names and its Foreign Critics The West Indian Hurricane of September 10-11, 1898 by Professor E. B. Garriott Colonial Systems of the World by O. P. Austin LLoyd's Journey Across the Great Pygmy Forest Growth of Maritime Commerce Senor Don Matias Romero

Miss Mitton was an unusual English woman of her time. As a published author, this unmarried woman in her early 30s recorded her visit to Burma at the turn of the 20th century. Her language is picturesque, and her attitude toward the natives of this country is typical of her era. Burma of the early 1900s was, and still is, a little known and underappreciated destination for those who love to wander the world. Anyone interested in Edwardian travel, attitudes, and women's issues during the Edwardian colonial period will enjoy this travelogue.

Journeying through many countries including Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Switzerland and Greece, the author gives an in-depth account of many aspects of the culture of the times and the people of the regions.

Subtitled "The Journal of a Tour through the British Empire and America," this book is a record of the author's travels with her husband through the British Empire and America in the late 1800's. In the words of the author, "It is but a simple Journal of what we saw and did." Their travels took them across the Atlantic to the U.S. and Canada, then across the Pacific to New Zealand, Australia, then on to the Dutch East Indies, the Straits settlements, the Indian subcontinent and Egypt - Summary by knotyouraveragejo

This is a 1906 collection of three essays by men famously associated with The Grand Canyon: Charles A. Higgins, John Wesley Powell, and Charles F. Lummis. - Summary by david wales

Two delightful tales surrounding the adventures of John Norton, the Trapper. He gives us a good glimpse into life in the deep woods, and how he deals with those who would disturb him or others with their, "diviltry." John Norton gives us all a great example of hospitality, bravery, forgiveness, and justice as only he can.

Foster was a World War I veteran, world wanderer, journalist, embassy attaché, stoker on ships, miner, stowaway, bandit’s prisoner in Mexico, who wrote of Latin America and the Orient. He died an early death of pneumonia at his mother’s house in New York state. This 1924 book is a prime example of his witty travel writing and close observation. The New York Times reported that in 1919 he started travelling and for some ten years he seldom remained in one place.

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol X, February 1899. It includes the following articles: The Economic Condition of the Philippines by Max L. Tornow Manila and the Philippines by Major A. Falkner Von Sonnenburg

Arthur Young, an English agriculturist, set out to write a travelogue on the state of agriculture in France and found himself in the midst of the French Revolution. His report on life in the capital and in the countryside in the years 1787, 1788, and 1789, replete with droll traveler's mishaps, becomes an eyewitness account of a society on the brink of catastrophe. From the court scene at Versailles to backroads villages comes this astonishing record of unfolding events, conspiracy theories about the queen, jubilation, and mass hysteria.

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol X, March 1899. It includes the following articles: The Original Territory of the United States, by Hon. David J. Hill Porto Rico, by Prof. Robert T. Hill

Seven chapters involving Christmas from different books. Plus part 8 which is twelve verses about Christmas and part 9 which is four Christmas carols by Christina Rossetti. - Summary by David Wales

The National Geographic Magazine, an illustrated monthly, Vol X, April 1899. It includes the following articles: The Sources of the Saskatchewan, by Walter D. Wilcox Exploration in the Canadian Rockies How long a Whale may carry a Harpoon, by Wm H. Dall Shipbuilding in the United Kingdom in 1898

Archibald Geikie was a geologist in Scotland by profession, and a writer. While most of his writings were professional, this is a more personal book telling some of the history of Scotland, Archibald's memories, experiences and recollections there as well as stories he was told by people he met. He has a good sense of humour which shines through. - Summary by Jmbau13