The search for the North West Passage to the Far East was the main driving force behind British arctic exploration from the 16th to the mid-19th century. It included the famous and ill-fated John Franklin expedition--the disappearance of which and resulting search is one of the great tragic stories in the history of exploration--and culminated with Roald Amundsen's successfully voyage in 1903-06. Ann Savours examines the British encounters with the Eskimo, how yearly ice variations affected expeditions, and the daily lives of the early explorers. This book will be compulsive reading for all those interested in the saga arctic exploration and for those who enjoy stories of human endeavor in the face of terrible odds.