Number of words: 137

Longafter the practical value of explorers records has become obsolete, their appeal  for ordinary readers remains strong. Richard  Hakluyt knew this when he collected, in his Voyages, the stories of the discoveries made by sixteenth century pioneers. It may be an aeronautical and diplomatic snap to get into China today, but a tale of the search for the northeast passage from Britain to Asia still has it’s terrific movements. When Stephen Burrough goes out to find it out with the Pinnace Searchrift in 1556, he is well aware of the dangers involved; he was the master of the one ship that survived Sir Hugh – the other two got stuck in the ice and everyone on them froze to death.

Excerpted from page number 43 of ‘Book of Ones Own People and Their Diaries’ by Thomas Mallon