Publishers' Note Our thanks are due to Lieut. Shackleton, R.N.R., of the _Discovery_, for the use of the original drawing facing page 344, and also for permission to use the Illustrations facing pages 310, 340, 348. To Messrs. Alston Rivers, Limited, for permission to use the Illustration facing page 320 from Dr. H. R. Mill's "Siege of the South Pole." To Messrs. Hutchinson and Co., for the use of Illustrations facing pages 28 and 272, and Frontispiece, from "The Voyage of the Polar Star," by the Duke of the Abruzzi. To Messrs. Geo. Newnes, Limited, for the Illustration facing page 305 from "First on the Antarctic Continent," by C. E. Borchgrevinck. To Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co., for permission to reproduce the Illustration facing page 256 from "New Land," by Otto Sverdrup. Contents CHAPTER I THE ARCTIC REGION PAGE The Mystery of the North Pole--The First Explorer--"The Great Dark Wall at the End of the World"--"Frost-Smoke"--The Lights and Sounds of the North--The Aurora Borealis--Mock Moons--The Early Adventurers: Willoughby, Frobisher, Davis, Hudson, Baffin, Ross, and Parry--The North-West Passage 17 CHAPTER II SIR JOHN FRANKLIN Young Franklin--His Dreams of Adventure--He becomes a Sailor--His First Arctic Expedition--Fails to get through Behring Straits--Explores Baffin's Bay--The 1845 Expedition--The _Erebus_ and _Terror_--The "Good-bye" at Greenland--Wellington Channel--They select Winter Quarters--Discovery of the North-West Passage--Death of Franklin--Prisoned in the Ice--The Crew Abandon the Ships--Defeat and Death 25 CHAPTER III THE SEARCH FOR FRANKLIN Captain Parker's Report--Government offers a Reward--Dr. Rae's Expedition--Captain McClure's Voyage in the _Investigator_--Hardships and Perils--The Meeting with the _Herald_--Lady Franklin still Hopeful--Sir F. L. McClintock's Expedition in the _Fox_ with Lieutenant Hobson--Their Sad and Fatal Discoveries--Lieutenant Schwatka recovers the Body of Lieutenant Irving 42 CHAPTER IV THE VOYAGE OF THE _POLARIS_ Death of Captain Hall--Crew determine to Return--Are Frozen in--A Party take to the Ice and are Cast Away--They build themselves Snow Huts--They find some Seals--An Adventure with Bears--The Perils of the Spring--They sight the _Tigress_ and are Saved--The Ship-party's Story and Rescue 69 CHAPTER V THE _ALERT_ AND _DISCOVERY_