#im still in 1819 but hes shaping up to be one of those captains | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sunlaire · 2 months ago

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Oh lord, I did not realize what a messy bitch John Ross was. This book is illuminating. The admiralty called him and JCR in to question them separately about the 1818 expedition to explore Baffin's Bay. There were a lot of inconsistencies in regards to whether they satisfied the purpose of the voyage or if they had, as what was becoming the more popular opinion, left way too soon without actually doing anything. JCR went first, answered their questions truthfully (and not at all casting John Ross in a bad light!) and the next day, Ross went up. Sigh.

He was apparently "in such a state" he immediately starts in, saying stuff like my nephew is my greatest enemy and is conspiring to DESTROY me and he may be family but he is not my friend. No warm up, right out the gate. Unprovoked. Well, he came back the next day after he had calmed down and retracted all his statements. Said he and his nephew were cool actually. Just, the endless drama with this one.

#and surprisingly his characterization in The Terror kind of feels right #when blanky implied that he lied in his memoirs ...#that would appear to be a trend of his #and the general Gremlin energy he had in the franklin encounter #it fits #im still in 1819 but hes shaping up to be one of those captains #who maybe believes too much in the inherent authority the 'chain of command' affords him #so far as not to ask lower officers their opnions #for fear of showing any sort of weakness #which resulted in abysmal communication aboard the ships #polar pioneers #i NEED to go to bed #i got caught up reading all this petty british gossip

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