Björling-Kallstenius Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Björling-Kallstenius Expedition of 1892 was led by the Swedish naturalists
Alfred Björling and Evald Kallstenius, with the aim of being the first men to reach the North Pole
. The men purchased the schooner
Ripple in St. John's
, Newfoundland
, hiring three crew. The expedition ended in disaster, with the deaths of all five men.
, Newfoundland
, and hired a Dane and two Newfoundlanders as crew.
The exact history of the expedition is not well known, however it appears that their plan was to sail to Etah
and hire local Inuit
to help them reach the Pole. While stopping at the Cary Islands in Baffin Bay
to pick up supplies at a cache there, the Ripple was driven on shore and wrecked. The men attempted to sail a small sloop (also purchased in Newfoundland) back to Etah, but were forced to return to the Cary Islands. According to letters left in a cairn on the Cary Islands, the remaining four men attempted to sail their open boat 80 miles to Ellesmere Island
: "Forced by bad weather to linger on this island for a long time, I now set out on the tour to the Eskimos... on Ellesmere Island. As I hope that a whaler will visit Cary Island next summer to rescue me and my companions, I will try to reach this island again before July 1. We are now five men, of which one is dying."
In June 1893, the crew of the Scottish whaler Aurora spotted a wreck on the Cary Islands. They found the Ripple, and a man’s body buried under a pile of stones, and Björling's letters. No trace of the other four men, or the small boat, was ever found.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
Alfred Björling and Evald Kallstenius, with the aim of being the first men to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. The men purchased the schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Ripple in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, hiring three crew. The expedition ended in disaster, with the deaths of all five men.
Expedition
In 1892, a 21-year-old Swede named Alfred Björling organized an expedition to be the first to reach the North Pole. Björling convinced fellow Swede and zoologist Evald Kallstenius to join him on what was described as a "botanizing expedition to northern Greenland". The expedition was mounted on such a low budget that and is considered to have been a romantic, even foolhardy, attempt at the Pole. The men purchased the schooner Ripple in St. John'sSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, and hired a Dane and two Newfoundlanders as crew.
The exact history of the expedition is not well known, however it appears that their plan was to sail to Etah
Etah
Etah is a town which is also the district headquarters of Etah district of Uttar Pradesh state, India.-Geography:Etah is located at . It has an average elevation of 170 metres ....
and hire local Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
to help them reach the Pole. While stopping at the Cary Islands in Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
to pick up supplies at a cache there, the Ripple was driven on shore and wrecked. The men attempted to sail a small sloop (also purchased in Newfoundland) back to Etah, but were forced to return to the Cary Islands. According to letters left in a cairn on the Cary Islands, the remaining four men attempted to sail their open boat 80 miles to Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
: "Forced by bad weather to linger on this island for a long time, I now set out on the tour to the Eskimos... on Ellesmere Island. As I hope that a whaler will visit Cary Island next summer to rescue me and my companions, I will try to reach this island again before July 1. We are now five men, of which one is dying."
In June 1893, the crew of the Scottish whaler Aurora spotted a wreck on the Cary Islands. They found the Ripple, and a man’s body buried under a pile of stones, and Björling's letters. No trace of the other four men, or the small boat, was ever found.