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Lessons from Failed Arctic Expeditions

The document provides a summary of the book "The Man Who Ate His Boots" which describes several failed 19th century British expeditions searching for the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. It explains how the explorers could have avoided starvation, frostbite, and death had they adopted survival techniques used by local Inuit people, such as building igloos instead of using canvas tents, wearing sealskin clothing, and using dog sled teams for transportation. The document also notes one expedition leader's success in growing salad vegetables to prevent scurvy.

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23 views2 pages

Lessons from Failed Arctic Expeditions

The document provides a summary of the book "The Man Who Ate His Boots" which describes several failed 19th century British expeditions searching for the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. It explains how the explorers could have avoided starvation, frostbite, and death had they adopted survival techniques used by local Inuit people, such as building igloos instead of using canvas tents, wearing sealskin clothing, and using dog sled teams for transportation. The document also notes one expedition leader's success in growing salad vegetables to prevent scurvy.

Uploaded by

بينوا Бертһе
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Intermediate Student’s Book

Life 12b Page 144 READING TEXT

The man who ate his boots


The Man Who Ate His Boots is a fascinating account of expeditions that went
wrong. The book examines the 19th century British search for a route to Asia via
the Northwest Passage (a route that goes through the Arctic Ocean). Author
Anthony Brandt describes the many attempts by both land and sea that ended in
failure and tragedy, including the lavish 1845 expedition led by Sir John Franklin.
Brandt shows how these brave, yet sometimes foolish, British explorers could have
avoided starvation, frostbite and even death if they had copied the survival
techniques of the local Inuit people. Some of the more surprising details the book
reveals include:

CANVAS TENTS The British, despite repeatedly watching the Inuit build igloos,
insisted on using canvas tents. Tents freeze in sub-zero temperatures and give little
insulation to anyone inside them. If the British had learned to build igloos, they
would have been warm even in the worst Arctic weather.

CLOTHIING If the explorers had worn sealskin and furs like the Inuit, they
wouldn’t have suffered from the frostbite which was common among the British
but rare among the Inuit.

DOG TEAMS Why didn’t the British use dog teams to pull their sledges? Hauling
sledges themselves was a tradition among British explorers right into the early 20th
century. It cost Scott and his men their lives on their return from the South Pole in
1912.

SALAD The British did get something right, however, when Captain Edward Parry
grew salad vegetables in boxes on board his ship. It was known that fresh
vegetables and fresh meat prevented scurvy, although at that time the reason for this
(vitamin C) had not been discovered. Parry’s men wouldn’t have been as healthy if
they hadn’t eaten the salads.

And as you’ll find out if you read this great book, the ‘man’ of the title had to eat
more than his boots in the end.
Life canvas (n) /ˈkanvəs/ a type of cotton used in tents and sails.

frostbite (n) /ˈfrɒs(t)ˌbaɪt/ irreversible damage to the body caused by

freezing conditions, usually affecting toes and fingers

lavish (adj) /ˈlavɪʃ/ extravagant, luxurious, excessive

scurvy (n) /ˈskɜː(r)vi/ an illness affecting the mouth and teeth caused

by lack of vitamin C

starvation (n) /stɑː(r)ˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ death or loss of


strength caused by not eating

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