The few pages devoted3 to the early life can not be expected to especially interest the general public, but will gratify Lieutenant Lockwood’s friends. They are here produced to give them permanency, and to show his sterling4 character.
No attempt is here made to give a history of the Expedition, and only so much of Lockwood’s journal is produced as shows his connection therewith. The voyage to Lady Franklin Bay is given more in detail, 2 as it presents a lively picture of an interesting people not much known, and as it exhibits the buoyant spirits with which he entered upon the work, before dissensions in camp had checked them, though without marring his faithfulness and energy. The important part he had in the enterprise, his zeal5, energy, and loyalty6 to his chief and to the cause, all are fully7 set forth8, and will be more clearly seen when the more elaborate history of the Expedition shall be published by Lieutenant Greely, as will shortly be done.
Although the journal has been freely used, its language and style have not been closely followed, except in those parts quoted which refer to Lockwood’s sentiments and feelings. The deep pathos9 of these could be expressed as well in no other words.
His journal is very full and complete on the perilous10 boat-voyage to Cape11 Sabine, and in the heart-rending struggle for life in that ever-memorable hut where he and so many others laid down their lives. This has purposely been reduced to a few pages, giving the story only so far as Lieutenant Lockwood was connected with it. The same, may be said as to the home-life at the station on Lady Franklin Bay.
The portrait of Lieutenant Lockwood is from an excellent photograph taken a short time before he started for St. John’s, and two of the woodcuts are from photographs by Sergeant12 Rice. “Arctic Sledging” was made up from a description and a sketch13 by Sergeant Brainard, and “Farthest North” from a sketch by Lieutenant Lockwood.
The map is a reproduction of that published by 3 the London Geographical14 Society, which is an exact transcript15 of maps drawn16 by Lieutenant Lockwood and submitted by him to Lieutenant Greely with reports of sledge-journeys. This map gives the names agreed upon by Lieutenant Greely and Lieutenant Lockwood, and are those referred to in the journal and in this book. It is much to be regretted that many of these names differ from those on the official map published by authority to the world. The names first given commemorate17 events connected with those wonderful sledge-journeys, as will be seen in the text; and, if a few unimportant lakes and points were named after friends and relatives, this might have been conceded to one who accomplished18 so much, and that much so well. The map of the London Geographical Society will probably live, and the other perish, as it should.
Captain Markham, Royal Navy, soon after the return of the Greely Expedition, declared, in articles published in a leading English magazine, that Lockwood never got beyond Cape Britannia, and that he mistook Cape May for that cape, etc. It was thought that, when the history of this sledge-journey was better known, Markham would be glad to withdraw this ungenerous aspersion19. This is done so far as to admit that Lockwood did reach 83° 24′ north latitude20, 44° 5′ west longitude21; but it is now said, in the article “Polar Regions,” of the new Encyclop?dia Britannica, written by the captain’s brother, that all this region had previously22 been explored and exhaustively examined by the English expedition of 1875-’76.
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This is very remarkable23, in view of the fact that Lockwood Island, which was reached by Lockwood, is one hundred geographical miles east and forty miles north of Cape Britannia which Beaumont saw at the distance of twenty miles, but never reached.
In the same article are expressed sentiments in accord with those contained in this book, viz.: “If the simple and necessary precaution had been taken of stationing a depot-ship in a good harbor at the entrance of Smith’s Sound, in annual communication with Greely on one side and with America on the other, there would have been no disaster. If precautions proved to be necessary by experience are taken, there is no undue24 risk or danger in polar enterprises. There is no question as to the value and importance of polar discovery, and as to the principles on which expeditions should be sent out. Their objects are exploration for scientific purposes and the encouragement of maritime25 enterprise.”
点击收听单词发音
1 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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2 garbled | |
adj.(指信息)混乱的,引起误解的v.对(事实)歪曲,对(文章等)断章取义,窜改( garble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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4 sterling | |
adj.英币的(纯粹的,货真价实的);n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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5 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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6 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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7 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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8 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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9 pathos | |
n.哀婉,悲怆 | |
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10 perilous | |
adj.危险的,冒险的 | |
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11 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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12 sergeant | |
n.警官,中士 | |
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13 sketch | |
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述 | |
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14 geographical | |
adj.地理的;地区(性)的 | |
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15 transcript | |
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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16 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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17 commemorate | |
vt.纪念,庆祝 | |
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18 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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19 aspersion | |
n.诽谤,中伤 | |
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20 latitude | |
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 | |
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21 longitude | |
n.经线,经度 | |
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22 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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23 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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24 undue | |
adj.过分的;不适当的;未到期的 | |
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25 maritime | |
adj.海的,海事的,航海的,近海的,沿海的 | |
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