The Fatal Passage

Book description of the book Fatal Passage

It is hard to imagine early exploration in times of internet and airplanes. Reading old logbooks brings about a certain air of romance. You don’t feel the cold or the hunger — nor the hardship of being separated from your loved ones for years. For some of us, the words can be inspiring; they lure us out of the comfort of our daily routine. Or so it is for me.

After having been on more than one challenging voyage, you come to appreciate the resourcefulness it takes to make a trip a success. The British navy officer W.E. Parry understood what it meant to bring a ship full of men into the darkness of the Arctic. The crew performed plays; being very religious, mass was read twice on Sundays. But he also schooled his men, teaching them how to read and write. The ships were fitted with libraries to beat the boredom.

For me personally, the idea of a Northwest Passage was sparked after reading a certain book myself: The Fatal Passageby Ken McGoogan. The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Hero Time Forgot tells the true story of Orcadian doctor/explorer John Rae, who discovered the final link in the Northwest Passage — and the fate of the lost Franklin expedition.

I was lucky enough that not long after reading this, his journals were published. I devoured every word. By the time our own first attempt at the Northwest Passage was made public, we built a replica of the Magnet, one of the Orkney yoals Rae used for traveling along the Arctic coast.

Below you will find a small summary of the book:

Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Adventurer Who Discovered the Fate of Franklin, by Ken McGoogan, tells the story of Dr. John Rae, an unsung Arctic explorer for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Rae’s remarkable achievements include mapping the final link in the Northwest Passage and discovering the tragic fate of the Franklin expedition, whose survivors resorted to cannibalism.

However, instead of recognition, Rae faced a smear campaign led by Franklin’s widow and others who couldn’t accept the grim truth about the lost expedition. The book details Rae’s incredible journey, highlighting his unique approach to Arctic exploration, which involved learning from and collaborating with Indigenous peoples. He became the first European to survive an Arctic winter living off the land.

Rae’s discoveries — including the confirmation of the Northwest Passage and the fate of the Franklin expedition — were significant, but his honest reporting of the cannibalism among the Franklin survivors led to his vilification. Despite his accomplishments, which included surveying vast uncharted territories and enduring extreme conditions, Rae was denied the recognition he deserved.

Lady Franklin and her allies, including Charles Dickens, worked to discredit Rae’s findings and promote a narrative that blamed the Inuit for the Franklin expedition’s demise. McGoogan’s book aims to correct this historical injustice by restoring Rae to his rightful place as one of the greatest Arctic explorers.

Enjoy,

Gijs