THERE ARE TWO WAYS of looking at Jack Hornby: lovable oddball-adventurer or hare-brained suicidal idiot. Either way, he’s a hard man to dislike. Even by the eccentric standards of British Arctic explorers, Jack’s life – and death – were spectacularly strange. (From: http://greatbritishnutters.blogspot.com/2008/10/john-hornby-slapdash-explorer.html)
Susan’s post about Mrs. Mike triggered a memory of a biography I read some years ago about a British adventurer/nutter named John Hornby. Hornby fell in love with Canada’s Great White North and made many trips up there to live off the land (and not just for a couple of weeks at a time). Aside from the harshness of life in the north—this was the early 1900s, and starvation wasn’t unheard of—the sheer craziness of willingly entering into circumstances of unbelievable hardship boggles my mind. The thing that still stands out for me is the fact that almost every time Hornby travelled north, he would build a cabin. I know that doesn’t sound like a hardship, exactly, but I can’t imagine building even one cabin over my lifetime, so the idea of having to construct a new shelter every time one ventures forth is, well, mind boggling. (And I think this is what separates the true adventurers from the other 99.99% of humanity who would prefer staying in a luxury hotel to building a primitive shelter or overwintering in a wolf den (which Hornby also did, presumably after ascertaining that no wolves were present. They probably had decamped to more luxurious digs).
The Legend of John Hornby is a good read if you’re seeking an armchair adventure, but I would recommend it only for the emotionally resilient. Harshness prevails: in the climate, in the treatment of sled dogs, in the ever-lurking hunger… and in the ending. I won’t reveal it in case you do want to read the book, but if you don’t, you can find out what happened here.
A guy building cabins every time he turns around? I can hardly figure out what to make for dinner.
ReplyDeleteHarshness prevails. Nope.
ReplyDeleteThis made me think about Dick Proenneke, the guy who lived alone in Alaska for decades, filming himself. The boys and I were glued to PBS one pledge drive watching this guy building his cabin. But he only built one cabin.
ReplyDeleteI don't like reading books where I feel cold all the time. I suspect this would be one. But I do like your assumption that adventures are all nutters. I tend to agree. Besides, Brian Blessed kind of proves the point.
ReplyDeleteI read the blog post. They paddled north over a thousand miles??!! And "the proper way to starve." But ultimately so very sad.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like something my husband would like.
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