Irish northwest passage expedition a team of leading irish sailors and explorers retrace the famous northwest passage from the atlantic to the pacific ocean. A labyrinth of islands and drifting ice where channels open without warning and close again just as fast. Before he made his famous trip up the northwest coast of north america, he sailed to china, the philippines, and mexico. Goodreads members who liked northwest passage also liked. The northwest passage is a sea route connecting the northern atlantic and pacific oceans through the arctic ocean, along the northern coast of north america via waterways through the canadian arctic archipelago.
Through the northwest passage ron thompson, author. The northwest passage is a sea route that connects the atlantic and pacific oceans through the canadian arctic archipelago. It represents centuries of effort to find a route westward from the atlantic ocean to the pacific ocean through the arctic archipelago of what became canada. Why do i still believe the books still stack up so well over time. The northwest passage is a famed sea route from the atlantic ocean to the pacific ocean through a group of sparsely populated canadian islands known as the. The english called the hypothetical route the northwest passage, while the spanish called it the strait of anian. Strait of anian, a misconceived western terminus to the northwest passage from the 14th century, and ends with the zeno. I read northwest passage for the first time when i was ten and my mom picked it up at a garage sale. His command of history and detail is immense and complex.
For many americans, the northwest passage is a concept seemingly relegated to history books and grade school. Discover librarianselected research resources on northwest passage from the questia online. The ancient waterway when the fog clears over the diomede islands is among the worlds most stunning vistas. List of books and articles about northwest passage online. As a result of their westward explorations and their settlement. A fabled strait of anian across north america had been rumoured since the sixteenth century. According to nalan koc of the norwegian polar institute, this was the first time the passage has been clear since they began keeping records in 1972. From about 1562 many european geographers thought there was a strait of anian, perhaps near the bering strait. Tales of men who had found the entrance to the northwest passage were printed in magazines and books. Some thought it might be the west end of the northwest passage. Through the northwest passage august 31, 2017 ron thompson leave a comment apol has this week completed a solo transit of the northwest passage, becoming the first book in recorded history to complete the voyage aloneor so it announced at a bookstore in kugluktuk.
The northwest passage as a voyage to myth and adventure. In the past, the northwest passage has been virtually impassable because it was covered by thick, yearround sea ice. The northwest passage is the sea route from the north atlantic ocean through canadas arctic islands into the arctic ocean and then south into the north pacific ocean through the bering strait between alaska and russia. The myth of the northwest passage is part of the northern romance of the conflict between men and nature. An archaeological tour of war at sea and across the top of. This survey would prove that the mythical strait of anian, or northwest passage, did not exist, at least in the location traditionally given. Find books like northwest passage from the worlds largest community of readers. Bering strait project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
List of books and articles about northwest passage. The name probably originated with ania, a chinese province mentioned in a 1559 edition of marco polos book. Concept of the northwest passage osher map library. The strait was a short channel of water between northeastern asia and northwestern america. They imagined the existence of a marine passage through that looming and rocky land blocking their way to the west north america. In the 21st century, the strait forms a global oceanic gateway with the northwest passage and the northern sea route. A reassessment introduction throughout much of this century canada has sought to establish conclusively its sovereignty over the islands and waters which lie immediately north of continental canada. The bering strait crossing is the epic story of the intercontinental divide. This is where the 53mile wide strait, named for danish explorer vitus bering 16811741, separates four continents across the europeasia landmass and the americas. Northwest passage, historical sea passage of the north american continent. Delgado is the author or editor of thirty books, including the international best sellers lost warships. The northwest passage is a sea corridor through canadas arctic archipelago and along the northern coast of north america. Revisiting an explorers northwest passage disappointment after nearly 230 years the 18thcentury fur trader alexander mackenzie thought he was a failure, but he was wrong.
Spaniards called this mythical passage the strait of anian. Three the strait of anian and other northwest passages. Peel sound was the franklin expeditions route south. Gastaldi had been the first to formulate the concept of the strait of anian, probably named after the chinese province of ania that was mentioned in a 1559. In no place does the tertia pars asiae show a strait of anian. It is named after arctic explorer william edward parry, who got as far as melville island in 1819 before being blocked by ice at mcclure strait. The desire to establish such a route motivated much of the european exploration of. In these maps, the strait joins up with other waterways that stretch across north america, creating the mythical northwest passage. James drew his inspiration for his book from the song northwest passage, written by canadian singer stan rogers. Awardwinning artist matt james takes the iconic song northwest passage by legendary canadian songwriter and singer stan rogers and tells the dramatic story of the search for the elusive route through the arctic ocean to the pacific, which for hundreds of years and once again today, nations, explorers and commercial. Towards the end of the 17th century, the strait of anian migrates south, closer to california. The power and myth of the northwest passage lewis and clark. According to the later maps showing the strait of anian, this gulf was fairly extensive and opened in its northern extremity into the strait.
His backers expected him to sail through the strait of magellan into the pacific and seek the northwest passage, the allwater route connecting the two great oceans, a lodestone that lured mariners and trademinded politicians for more than four centuries. The northwest passage nwp is the sea route to the pacific ocean through the arctic ocean, along the northern coast of north america via waterways through the canadian arctic archipelago. There was great hope that the newly found frobishers strait would turn out to be the mythical strait of anian, thought to provide a quicker way to the riches of cathay and a safe route for england to build its empire away from the spanish and portuguese spheres of influence. Northwest passage trade route, north america britannica. Mingled with the apparent evidence of printed maps that revealed its location, legends of a northwest passage were plentiful in every exploring home port in the late 1700s. Samuel bawlfs account of the secret voyage sir francis drake undertook from 1577 in order to disprove the theoretical strait of anian as predicted by the flemish geographer, abraham ortelius that provided a northern passage linking the atlantic and pacific oceans is a remarkable account of exploration by one of englands most revered heroes. It then worked its way up the west coast of america, surveying the coast in detail up to alaska.
The strait of anian was a semimythical strait, documented from around 1560, that was believed by early modern cartographers to mark the boundary between north america and asia and to permit access to a northwest passage from the arctic ocean to the pacific. Northwest passage was the second book by roberts i read and this as well as all other works in roberts chronicles of arundel series sold me on the us. Northwest passage is a 12 x 9 hardcover childrens book that is illustrated by matt james. Winner of the governor generals literary award for childrens illustration. Historically the northwest passage is known as strait of anian, which is a spanish name for the passage that in 16th century was believed to connect the pacific ocean with the north atlantic, which back then was the most desired shipping route of commerce. Exploration, however, was incidental to drakes work as a privateer, a pirate with. I love books about cold places, and try to read one in the summer. The true strait was discovered in 1728 and became known as the bering strait. Search for more books and articles on the northwest passage. The obvious route through the northwest passage, parry channel seldom provides a full transit because of ice. On august 21, 2007, the northwest passage became open to ships without the need of an icebreaker. Discover librarianselected research resources on northwest passage from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more.
Early knowledge of the pacific northwest wikipedia. European explorers searched in vain for the passage for 300 years, intent on finding a commercially viable western sea route between europe and asia. This classic novel follows the career of major rogers, whose incredible exploits during the french and indian wars are told through langdon towne. I then proceeded to read everything else by roberts i could find. Northwest passage is the story of revenge within the framework of the french and indian war, a. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and from the canadian mainland by a series of arctic waterways collectively known as the northwest passages or. Antonio zatta was an italian printer and publisher, active in venice. The northwest passage and the arctic circle airlink.
Revisiting an explorers northwest passage disappointment. The eastern route along the arctic coasts of norway and siberia is accordingly called the northeast passage nep. The strait that never was before there was a northwest passage there was the strait of anian or was there. The elusive dream of locating the northwest passagean ocean route. Jstor is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. By the passage, raleigh means both the northeast pathway through russia to china and the northwest route to eastern riches via the anyan strait in the pacific.
1376 10 621 915 329 802 690 424 520 778 361 1137 1641 1411 739 1084 889 477 1390 295 1251 1428 392 1008 223 108 270 798 1285 646 635 1037 960 790 1610 911 54 776 65 1116 516 738 511 1224 1276