In the Shadow of the Arctic

"In the Shadow of the Arctic" by William W. Fox chronicles the 1884–1885 Canadian government expedition to Hudson's Bay aboard the sealing ship Neptune, commanded by Commander Gordon and captained by Arctic navigator Captain Sopp. Fox, a crew member, documents their exploration of this previously unvisited-by-steamer region—its geography, Eskimo and Indigenous populations, and historical relics. The narrative details their voyage through icebergs, propeller damage at Middle Savages, and navigation challenges. At Marble Island, the expedition discovers a whalers' graveyard with nineteen stone cairns, rock inscriptions recording crew deaths from scurvy in 1872–1873, and artifacts including an old rocking chair and a dated letter from the bark George & Mary. They continue to Fort Churchill, where Fox attends service at a mission church with a congregation of halfbreed Indians and Eskimo alongside white settlers. The account includes vivid descriptions of Arctic landscape, historical ruins, and colonial trading post life.