 Erasmus York: First to Leave the Arctic During Captain Horatio Austin's search for the lost Franklin Expedition in 1850-51, a young Inuit man initially known as "Erasmus York" or "Caloosa", was engaged as a guide. After leading the searchers north to check on a rumored massacre of Franklin's men (which proved false), he stayed and wintered with the expedition. When the ship returned to England, he went with it. He quickly learned to read and write, and became known as Erasmus Augustine Kallihirua (Qalasirssuaq is the Inuit spelling). In England, he helped in the preparation of a "Greenland-Eskimo Vocabulary for the Use of the Arctic Expeditions". Kallihirua was one of the few Inuit to become internationally known in the 19th century, and he was probably the first to leave the Arctic. He adapted well and cheerfully to life in England and was much admired by those who knew him. Upon seeing England for the first time, perhaps he should have adopted another British attitude - and claimed the land for the Inuit.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Inuit, Exploration Franklin Expedition, Arctic Links: Inuit, Franklin Expedition, Arctic Arctic Maps & Weather Reports |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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