POLAR REGIONS

3 Arctic Exploration

The 14th to 16th Centuries

G reenland was forgotten by the rest of the world after the Viking settlement died out. Stories about the Arctic became more unreal. From time to time a ship would be blown off course. The sailors would come home with descriptions of fierce tides and wild maelstroms (whirlpools). Most fearsome of all were stories of floating islands of ice which filled the seas. Fog often covered the sea, mirages twisted the horizon, ships were smashed by ice. Many were frightened by these stories and would not sail north. But the rich fishing grounds between Britain and Iceland were a great attraction to fishermen. In bad storms

E xplorers searched for sea routes to Cathay (China). Portuguese and Spanish ships found routes around South Africa and South America, leaving the British and Dutch to look for an Arctic route.

fishing boats sheltered in the bays of Iceland. The fishermen met the people of Iceland. By 1400, merchants from Bristol, England, heard of these people. They sent ships to trade with the Icelanders. But they only came in summer. Any ship caught by winter would be lost in storms or crushed by the ice.

V asco da Gama (about 1469-1525) was the first European to reach India by sea. He sailed round South Africa and proved there was no connection to Antarctica (see page 29).

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