British polar explorer and naval officer Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) was fourteen years old when he decided to become a sailor. He was fascinated by the polar sea and undertook several expeditions to explore the areas of the arctic oceans. This book describes his journey to the north-western territories of Canada in the years 1819-1822. The captain and his crew nearly died during the trip due to a dramatic shortage of food. Desperate as he was, Franklin even tried to eat his leather boots, which brought him the nickname "the man who ate his shoes".Reprint of the original edition from 1824.