Storms, Ice, and Whales

First published in the Dutch East Indies in 1934 and later in The Netherlands, this account of ven der Does' nine-month journey aboard a whaler sailing to the Antarctic in 1923-24 provides details of the flora and fauna, including penguins and albatross, and describes such natural phenomena as the colors of the ice, the sea, and the sky. He also chronicles in detail the workings of the ship and describes the crew and their tasks. Ven der Does writes of the solitude as "Nowhere else in the world can one so deeply comprehend the meaning of endlessness as at the Pole, with its vast desolation."