John Muir agreed in 1881 to sail aboard the Corwin, whose fruitless
mission it was to search for the missing scientific research vessel
Jeannette, which itself became icebound while exploring the distant and
mysterious Wrangell Land in the higher latitudes of the Arctic. This
cruise would afford Muir the opportunity to examine evidence of
glaciation along the arctic coastlines of Siberia and Alaska and the
harmonious lifestyle of Inuits and Chukchis, which was in the midst of
disruption from the intrusions of the civilized South. "John Muir was
certainly as concerned for the potential loss of marvelous arctic
cultures as he was for our continent's vanishing wilderness. In this
sense, THE CRUISE OF THE CORWIN truly deserves our attention, especially
in light of all that is happening in the Arctic today." -Richard Fleck