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-It's been an incredible journey to -one of the world's remotest places. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:09 | |
-The Barren Grounds -of northern Canada. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:14 | |
-I'm following the footsteps of -a man from Pontllyfni, Caernarfon. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:18 | |
-He chronicled -an unforgettable adventure story. | 0:00:19 | 0:00:22 | |
-It's the story of Edgar Christian. | 0:00:23 | 0:00:26 | |
-'June 16, 1926. | 0:00:35 | 0:00:37 | |
-'I'm lying in my canoe, beneath the -blue sky, taking in the sunshine. | 0:00:38 | 0:00:43 | |
-'It's wonderful. Pity you -can't be here to enjoy it with me.' | 0:00:43 | 0:00:48 | |
-Edgar Christian was embarking on -the greatest adventure of his life. | 0:00:51 | 0:00:55 | |
-His companions were Harold Adlard -and his cousin, Jack Hornby. | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
-Three men in a canoe en route -to northern Canada's Barrenlands. | 0:01:00 | 0:01:04 | |
-Their mission was full of hazards. | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
-Six months later, Edgar's -infectious enthusiasm was crushed. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:25 | |
-The three men were starving. -Jack, especially, was suffering. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
-'April 4th, 1927. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
-'This is mental torture. | 0:01:36 | 0:01:38 | |
-'The longing I feel for home -is overwhelming. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
-'I hope to God no-one realises -how much Jack is suffering. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
-'I'm coming apart slowly, -dying of hunger.' | 0:01:47 | 0:01:51 | |
-Ten years later, in 1937... | 0:01:51 | 0:01:54 | |
-..Edgar Christian's tragic diary -was published, 'Unflinching'. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:59 | |
-The book was a resounding success. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:01 | |
-"It's the story of brave, -strong, determined men..." | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
-"This book deserves its place -next to Scott's diary..." | 0:02:05 | 0:02:09 | |
-"A harrowing read." | 0:02:09 | 0:02:10 | |
-Journey to Hell: -Edgar Christian's story | 0:02:13 | 0:02:16 | |
-My photograph was taken -holding the diary. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:22 | |
-It was a remarkable feeling. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
-I imagined the conditions -in which it was written. | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
-How he suffered as he wrote. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
-What gives the diary greatness -are the experiences Edgar faced... | 0:02:36 | 0:02:41 | |
-..what he was forced to chronicle. | 0:02:41 | 0:02:43 | |
-The diary has survived - -not just as a record... | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
-..but as a work of literature to -equal any great English adventure. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:53 | |
-The diary is in an excellent -condition, all things considered. | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
-I'm so glad that the diary -Edgar valued so highly survived. | 0:03:00 | 0:03:05 | |
-That was his intention. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:08 | |
-To tell the story -of the finest man he'd ever known. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
-That man was Jack Hornby. | 0:03:18 | 0:03:20 | |
-He brought the 18 year old -to the Barrenlands in 1926. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:25 | |
-It's amongst the world's -remotest and wildest places. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:29 | |
-At times - magical. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:32 | |
-It could also be -a terrifying place... | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
-..enticing and captivating -the bravest of men. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:41 | |
-In their midst, a lad who'd -just left school - Edgar Christian. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
-Edgar Christian was an Englishman. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:49 | |
-His family hailed -from the Isle of Man. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:52 | |
-But a key part of his make-up -hailed from Caernarvonshire. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:57 | |
-This was his home. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:01 | |
-His family lived here. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:04 | |
-He was certainly -fond of his family. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
-I remember that they lived -in Bron Dirion. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:13 | |
-It's a small stately home -not far from here. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:18 | |
-They were members of this church. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
-They were very faithful members. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
-The Christians were my grandparents -and Edgar was my uncle. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:34 | |
-Edgar's father was in the army. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:37 | |
-They travelled a bit -but settled in Wales. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
-They had, during their travels, -7 children - life would be strict... | 0:04:41 | 0:04:46 | |
-..but then of course there were -plenty of servants in those days. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
-So there would be help around - -nannies and cooks and so on. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:52 | |
-From a military background, -he was educated in SE England... | 0:04:55 | 0:04:58 | |
-..like his father and brother -before him. | 0:04:58 | 0:05:01 | |
-Edgar Christian attended -a public school in Dover. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:07 | |
-But he wasn't a particularly -bright pupil. | 0:05:07 | 0:05:10 | |
-On his last day in school, he told -his friend, Clement Park-Johnson... | 0:05:11 | 0:05:16 | |
-..that no-one would remember him -after he'd left. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:22 | |
-He wasn't a top scholar, no. | 0:05:22 | 0:05:25 | |
-He didn't want to be forgotten. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:29 | |
-He wanted to be remembered -for something he'd achieved. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:37 | |
-Edgar had left school. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:43 | |
-He wasn't particularly ambitious. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:47 | |
-He wasn't prepared -for the Indian Civil Service... | 0:05:47 | 0:05:50 | |
-..unlike his contemporaries -at public school. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
-Perhaps he wasn't sure -what to do with his life. | 0:05:54 | 0:05:57 | |
-Jack Hornby was his mother's cousin. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:02 | |
-He'd lived in Canada for years. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:07 | |
-I don't think Edgar -had met him before. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
-He came to stay in Bron Dirion. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:13 | |
-John, or Jack, Hornby was cricketer -Albert Neilson Hornby's son. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:19 | |
-They hailed from a stately home -in Nantwich, Cheshire... | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
-..called 'Parkfields'. | 0:06:23 | 0:06:24 | |
-Like his father and brothers he was -educated at Harrow public school. | 0:06:24 | 0:06:30 | |
-But, for various reasons, he didn't -follow a conventional route. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
-He fled to Canada -at 21 years of age. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:38 | |
-Jack Hornby belonged to -a lineage of wealthy Englishmen... | 0:06:39 | 0:06:42 | |
-..who'd travel all over the world... | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
-..to walk where no other man -had walked before. | 0:06:46 | 0:06:50 | |
-He liked the extremity -of the experience. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
-The vast, open Barrenlands -of northern Canada. | 0:06:56 | 0:07:00 | |
-He mixed with the natives -and enjoyed living in their midst. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:06 | |
-The natives knew how to survive -in the harsh terrain. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:11 | |
-They also knew how to travel around. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
-He learnt from their knowledge. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:18 | |
-I was born in that cabin. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:21 | |
-That was built -by Dad and Hornby at the time. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:27 | |
-We lived in it. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:32 | |
-And so did Mother, Harry -and my older brother. | 0:07:33 | 0:07:36 | |
-Jack and Harry were bosom pals, -as photographs testify. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:42 | |
-But many thought it was odd -that Hornby, the old Harrovian... | 0:07:42 | 0:07:45 | |
-..had turned his back -on English gentry life. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:49 | |
-When war broke out in Europe, John -enlisted with the Canadian Army. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:53 | |
-He was badly injured in France and -returned to the Great Slave area. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:58 | |
-It was only after being informed -his father was gravely ill... | 0:07:59 | 0:08:03 | |
-..that he returned to England - -it was his third visit in 21 years. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:07 | |
-But, of course, here was a man -who'd lived in Canada for 20 years. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:12 | |
-The mourners, and his own family, -were strangers to him. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:17 | |
-The pomp and formality of -the occasion disconcerted him. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:23 | |
-His cousin in Glynnog idolised him -and was delighted to see him. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:33 | |
-Edgar was mesmerised -by his story-telling. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
-Did Jack tell Edgar about -his journey the previous year? | 0:08:40 | 0:08:44 | |
-He almost died - along with -Captain James Critchell-Bullock. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
-They spent an atrocious winter -in a cave on the riverbed. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:52 | |
-Hundreds of miles from anywhere, -the temperature was well below zero. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:57 | |
-Jack swore he'd never return -to such a place. | 0:08:57 | 0:09:01 | |
-But as Edgar sat open-mouthed, -listening to his stories... | 0:09:01 | 0:09:05 | |
-..Jack decided to return -to the Barrenlands. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
-Edgar wanted to go with him. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:10 | |
-The Barrenlands stretch from -the Arctic Ocean to Hudson Bay... | 0:09:11 | 0:09:16 | |
-..in East Canada. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:18 | |
-They cover one eighth -of Canada's land mass. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:23 | |
-It's incredibly barren - -no trees grow here. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:27 | |
-The traditional place name -is aptly called De Chun U Le. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:32 | |
-This land is very northerly. | 0:09:33 | 0:09:35 | |
-In the '20s of the last century, -it was even more inaccessible. | 0:09:36 | 0:09:41 | |
-The family must have had -complete faith in Jack Hornby. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
-They allowed their young son to -accompany him across the Atlantic. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:52 | |
-They were heading for adventures -in incredibly remote areas. | 0:09:53 | 0:09:58 | |
-Colonel Christian was a solider. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:02 | |
-You can imagine him saying, "Go -with him. He'll make a man of you." | 0:10:03 | 0:10:07 | |
-From the Portsmouth barracks... | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
-..Colonel Christian -wrote to wish his son well. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:16 | |
-'A few words to wish you -good luck on your great adventure. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:21 | |
-'Remember our love and faith -go with you. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:24 | |
-'I'm sure you'll face -great hardship. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
-'Be patient. You leave a boy. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
-'You'll return a man.' | 0:10:30 | 0:10:33 | |
-Edgar was embarking on -the greatest adventure of his life. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:40 | |
-He was blissfully unaware -of what lay ahead. | 0:10:41 | 0:10:43 | |
-But Jack knew how hard life -could be in the Barrenlands. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:48 | |
-After all, he almost died there -a year earlier. | 0:10:48 | 0:10:53 | |
-They intended to spend winter -in a cabin on River Thelon. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:58 | |
-The following summer, they'd canoe -via Chesterfield Inlet... | 0:11:00 | 0:11:04 | |
-..to Hudson Bay. | 0:11:04 | 0:11:05 | |
-There's a suggestion that -a final frontier awaited Edgar. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:11 | |
-It excited Edgar -and the whole family. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:15 | |
-888 | 0:11:20 | 0:11:20 | |
-888 - -888 | 0:11:20 | 0:11:22 | |
-I'm following the footsteps -of Edgar Christian's journey. | 0:11:35 | 0:11:39 | |
-But my mode of travel -is much quicker. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:42 | |
-In a '50s Beaver aeroplane, -five hours from the nearest town... | 0:11:43 | 0:11:48 | |
-..I'm flying over one of -the world's most remote regions. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
-It was a pleasant journey, -fair play. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:18 | |
-The landscape is fantastic - -a vast forest. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:22 | |
-From the forest, -we entered the Barrenlands. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:26 | |
-I can see why it's called that - -there was nothing there at all. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:30 | |
-Of course, they didn't have -a plane like this 80 years ago. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:35 | |
-The insects have already started -to bite - and I'm wearing shorts! | 0:12:36 | 0:12:40 | |
-It's an amazing place. | 0:12:40 | 0:12:42 | |
-The insects make it impossible -to live here in summer. | 0:12:43 | 0:12:46 | |
-Visitors are very rare indeed. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
-Imagine the extent of the adventure -for Edgar and his cousin... | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
-..back in the spring of 1926. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:54 | |
-They started from Crewe - -and missed the train. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:59 | |
-They almost missed the boat... | 0:13:00 | 0:13:02 | |
-..but they somehow managed -to jump aboard at the last minute. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:06 | |
-From that moment on, -Edgar occasionally wrote home. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:11 | |
-He described the journey - -and what a journey it was. | 0:13:12 | 0:13:16 | |
-They travelled in luxury. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:19 | |
-Public school life -wasn't always lavish. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:22 | |
-I'm sure life in Bron Dirion, -Glynnog, wasn't always luxurious. | 0:13:22 | 0:13:26 | |
-When he saw the luxury -on board the ship... | 0:13:26 | 0:13:29 | |
-..he had the time of his life. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:31 | |
-'Dear Family. It's a great pleasure -to travel with someone like Jack. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:36 | |
-'He's a seasoned traveller... | 0:13:36 | 0:13:38 | |
-'..well-known to the CPR stewards - -The Canadian-Pacific Railway. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:42 | |
-'Everyone knows him and greets him. | 0:13:42 | 0:13:44 | |
-'The luxury is wonderful - -like a week in a top London hotel.' | 0:13:44 | 0:13:47 | |
-They stayed in Canada's best hotels. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:55 | |
-The Windsor in Montreal. -The Chateau Lorea in Ottawa. | 0:13:56 | 0:14:00 | |
-Edgar had the time of his life. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:02 | |
-He lived like a king. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:05 | |
-'When the rumour spreads -that Jack's in town... | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
-'..his friends gather around. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
-'And of course, Jack won't leave -until he's seen most of them. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:14 | |
-'His name is known -throughout all of Canada. | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
-'I'm so happy -to be travelling with him.' | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
-He's obviously in awe of this -new world - Montreal and Quebec. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:24 | |
-He certainly showed an interest -in a few of the girls. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:29 | |
-Their fashion sense astounded him. | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
-'The girls and women -have made a great impression on me. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:37 | |
-'They're so beautiful. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:39 | |
-'In my opinion, their dress sense -is far superior to those at home. | 0:14:39 | 0:14:43 | |
-'The French style, says Jack. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:45 | |
-'Whatever it is, -it's extremely stylish and pretty.' | 0:14:46 | 0:14:49 | |
-A fascinating fact about the trip -is that Jack proposed to someone. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:55 | |
-Olwen Newell's roots -were in Caernarvonshire. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
-She worked with the Indians. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
-Had she accepted, who knows -how the journey would have ended. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
-There would certainly -have been more incentive to return. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:11 | |
-Edgar and Jack boarded -the Ottawa to Edmonton train. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
-Jack's relations lived in Onoway. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
-This is where he met -Harold Adlard... | 0:15:18 | 0:15:20 | |
-..the third traveller -to the Barrenlands. | 0:15:20 | 0:15:23 | |
-He was yet another -former public schoolboy. | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
-He emigrated to Canada -without any concrete plans. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:31 | |
-He started to farm. | 0:15:32 | 0:15:34 | |
-At 28, -he was slightly older than Edgar. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:37 | |
-But Harold Adlard had -outback skills that Edgar lacked. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:43 | |
-I don't think -Edgar was ever a Boy Scout! | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
-'Remember me mentioning Jack -Hornby, the famous cricketer's son? | 0:15:50 | 0:15:53 | |
-'Hornby is one of Canada's -most famous adventurers. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
-'He's invited me to join him -and his young cousin from Wales... | 0:15:58 | 0:16:01 | |
-'..to spend a couple of winters -in Barrenlands. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:05 | |
-'All the best for now, Harold.' | 0:16:05 | 0:16:07 | |
-'Jack asked whether I minded. -I don't mind at all. | 0:16:09 | 0:16:12 | |
-'Harold is a nice lad, -and good company. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:15 | |
-'I won't be the camp's only drip!' | 0:16:15 | 0:16:18 | |
-From Edmonton, the three took -the train north towards Waterways. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:25 | |
-This was the most northerly -train stop. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:29 | |
-From Waterways, -they had to go in a canoe. | 0:16:29 | 0:16:33 | |
-They went up Great Slave river, -along Great Slave lake... | 0:16:33 | 0:16:37 | |
-..up Athabasca river - it was -an exceptional adventure for them. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:43 | |
-They were heading for a region -where hardly anyone had been before. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:47 | |
-'Moving the heavy canoe load -is murder. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:53 | |
-'But Jack can carry -a terrific amount of weight.' | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
-'We have almost 2,000 -rounds of bullets. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:06 | |
-'Traps, stove, bedclothes. -A tent and food. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:09 | |
-'Enough to sustain us until winter, -at least. | 0:17:09 | 0:17:12 | |
-'And then we'll have to kill deer -and keep it in the snow and ice.' | 0:17:13 | 0:17:17 | |
-He was a young man, -unused to such hard work. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
-They pushed forwards daily -in the heavy canoes. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:27 | |
-They would leave the canoes -every now and then, for portage. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:32 | |
-You couldn't take -the canoe any further. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
-They started out in the summer. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
-As I've discovered, -the insects are incredible. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:42 | |
-The mosquitoes, blackflies -and horseflies all bite. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:48 | |
-'At twilight, after the wind -died down, we set up camp. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:57 | |
-'The insects had a ball -because I have young, tasty blood! | 0:17:57 | 0:18:02 | |
-'I was bitten so much that -I threatened to jump in the river. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
-'Jack said that was pointless. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:08 | |
-'Before long, -the blighters would form a cloud.' | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
-The journey covered -hundreds of miles. | 0:18:13 | 0:18:16 | |
-Through summer, their progress -from place to place was slow. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:21 | |
-It was possible they wouldn't reach -Thelon in time to erect a hut... | 0:18:21 | 0:18:26 | |
-..let alone gather enough food -for winter. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
-'Jack is taking us -to very alien territory. | 0:18:32 | 0:18:35 | |
-'No-one has ever set traps -here before. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:38 | |
-'We aim to spend winter -catching foxes. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:41 | |
-'If we do well, -we'll make a fortune. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
-'We won't have a care in the world.' | 0:18:45 | 0:18:47 | |
-Jack had spent several winters with -the natives hunting the Arctic fox. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:53 | |
-Its fur was a valuable commodity -in the early decades of the century. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:57 | |
-The best time to hunt the fox -was in deepest winter... | 0:18:58 | 0:19:01 | |
-..when the fur was furry -and as white as snow. | 0:19:01 | 0:19:04 | |
-I can imagine Edgar Christian -coming downriver in a canoe. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
-He'd love it because he was -an enthusiastic naturalist. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:15 | |
-He'd learn from his uncle -Jack Hornby as they travelled. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:19 | |
-He was an accomplished naturalist. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
-They'd see all sorts of things - -the bald eagle, foreign hawk... | 0:19:21 | 0:19:26 | |
-..and goosander. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:28 | |
-Because they were on a canoe, -they wouldn't frighten the birds. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:32 | |
-They'd see natural miracles -everyday. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:35 | |
-'June the 16th. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:40 | |
-'I'm starting to enjoy -the journey's glorious scenery. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:45 | |
-'It's an incredible experience -to row on the wide, still waters. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
-'Silence, apart from the sounds -of nature at its most harmonious.' | 0:19:49 | 0:19:53 | |
-One of the area's most unique -animals is the musk ox. | 0:19:56 | 0:20:00 | |
-It can cope with the short, hot -summers and long, cold winters. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:04 | |
-This is the first time -I've seen wolves in the wild. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:10 | |
-They're amazing - -much bigger than I expected. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:13 | |
-They're white - I expected them -to be brown or grey. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
-In the summer, the cubs -usually feed on mice, lemmings... | 0:20:16 | 0:20:22 | |
-..and also the Canadian Geese -have just shed their feathers. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:27 | |
-This is an important source of food -for them. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:30 | |
-Later, when the deer - the caribou, -migrate back... | 0:20:30 | 0:20:35 | |
-..they leave this place -to follow and feed off the young. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:40 | |
-It's an amazing place - -full of amazing animals. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:45 | |
-Pity they've disappeared -from Britain. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:48 | |
-It would be wonderful -to see them back. | 0:20:48 | 0:20:52 | |
-'The birds are numerous, too. -Arctic tern and white seagull. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
-'It's so quiet... | 0:20:59 | 0:21:00 | |
-'..apart from the sound of -the river whispering at the bank. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
-Shortly afterwards, they entered -the Hanbury river system. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:17 | |
-They came across -their gravest obstacle to date. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:21 | |
-It may have been the most exciting -and beautiful place they'd seen. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:26 | |
-Dixon Gorge and Helen Waterfall. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:28 | |
-Until then, they'd been rowing -along relatively flat territory. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:33 | |
-They discovered a deep gorge -with rapidly-flowing water. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:37 | |
-It must have been -a brilliant sight. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
-They came to the flats -of Thelon river. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:48 | |
-The river stretches over 1,000 kms. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:51 | |
-That gives you an idea -of the expanse of northern Canada. | 0:21:51 | 0:21:55 | |
-It was the end of summer. After -months, the canoe journey was over. | 0:21:59 | 0:22:03 | |
-At last, they could erect -a cabin and hunt the caribou. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:07 | |
-There was also an opportunity -for Edgar to begin his diary. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:11 | |
-'October 14, 1926 | 0:22:11 | 0:22:13 | |
-'We spend the day digging sand -from the cabin and fixing a roof. | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
-'The temperature is 26 Fahrenheit. -The wind is moderate. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
-'October 21. We collected poles -to create a shelter. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:28 | |
-'We worked until it was dark. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:30 | |
-'October 22. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:33 | |
-'Jack and Harold spent the day -fixing the beds and doors. | 0:22:34 | 0:22:38 | |
-'The snow is thick, and the -westerly wind was strong all day. | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
-'10 degrees Fahrenheit.' | 0:22:42 | 0:22:44 | |
-This is the cabin Edgar Christian, -Jack Hornby and Harold Adlard built. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:52 | |
-Jack was very familiar -with the North. | 0:22:52 | 0:22:56 | |
-He had spent several winters here - -usually in basic surroundings. | 0:22:56 | 0:23:01 | |
-He once survived winter -in a small cave. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:04 | |
-Quite an effort went into building -this. They drilled into the trunk. | 0:23:04 | 0:23:09 | |
-They collected huge trunks - -this is about 5 metres by 5 metres. | 0:23:10 | 0:23:14 | |
-There's plenty of room for three -bunks, a table, chairs and a stove. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:20 | |
-The stove kept the cabin -warm and cosy. | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
-But sadly, their food supplies -were somewhat overlooked. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:28 | |
-888 | 0:23:36 | 0:23:36 | |
-888 - -888 | 0:23:36 | 0:23:38 | |
-'October 18. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
-'This morning, we had to sew -moccasins before we could go out. | 0:23:45 | 0:23:49 | |
-'I woke at dawn, -and sewed 'til breakfast time. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
-'I couldn't wait to go out -on such a sunny day. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:57 | |
-'But we had to finish -our snowshoes. | 0:23:57 | 0:24:00 | |
-'Jack returned in the evening -with news to lift our spirits. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:04 | |
-'He'd seen 30 caribou -grazing on the furthest ridge. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
-'Tomorrow will be our last attempt -to hunt for winter food. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:12 | |
-'October 19. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:15 | |
-'We set off early to see if the -caribou were still on the ridge. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:20 | |
-'Not a single living creature -could be seen for many miles. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:24 | |
-'We were bitterly disappointed.' | 0:24:24 | 0:24:26 | |
-This is the scene that faced -Harold, Jack and Edgar... | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
-..a quarter of a mile -from the cabin. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:32 | |
-The Barrenlands, a brilliant white -under a heavy snowfall. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
-Such was their hunger, they came -to the hill behind me every day. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:41 | |
-Often the weather was atrocious as -they searched in vain for caribou. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:46 | |
-'October 25. I woke this morning -to a heavy south easterly snowfall. | 0:24:49 | 0:24:54 | |
-'The wind was awesome - waiting -inside all day was unbearable... | 0:24:55 | 0:24:58 | |
-'..like a Sunday -home in Bron Dirion. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:01 | |
-'We need to search the traps - -but fail. | 0:25:01 | 0:25:03 | |
-'November 21. Stormy weather -all day. We can't hunt again today. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:08 | |
-'Another day without food. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:11 | |
-'November 22. The wind was -strong and cold all the way home. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:16 | |
-'I can't keep -my hands and face warm.' | 0:25:16 | 0:25:20 | |
-This region suffers -very low temperature. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
-30 degrees Celsius -below freezing point in winter. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:28 | |
-When you add -the effect of the wind... | 0:25:29 | 0:25:31 | |
-..it's a terrible problem. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:34 | |
-The wind travels from the north -across the Barrenlands. | 0:25:34 | 0:25:38 | |
-The temperature appears lower -than what it actually is. | 0:25:39 | 0:25:42 | |
-Oh, yes. Damn cold at times. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:46 | |
-Because all of the wind, -up and down the river. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:50 | |
-It freezes your cheeks and -stuff like that - quite regularly. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
-'December 12. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
-'Jack stayed out until 8.00pm -cutting a hole in the ice. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
-'Ten minutes after I arrived back, -I noticed my knee had frozen.' | 0:26:06 | 0:26:10 | |
-Edgar was a totally soft lad. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:14 | |
-The same could be said of Harold, -though he'd worked on a farm. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:19 | |
-He was obviously tougher. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
-Even so, the three worked hard -to hunt, prepare food... | 0:26:22 | 0:26:28 | |
-..and keep the cabin snug. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:30 | |
-There wasn't time to stand around -singing and story-telling. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:35 | |
-'December 23. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:39 | |
-'A cold and bitter wind all day. -We haven't caught a single fish. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:43 | |
-'We brought our Christmas lunch -in to defrost. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:46 | |
-'A caribou's head. The temperature -is 22 degrees below freezing. | 0:26:47 | 0:26:50 | |
-'There are three hours of daylight.' | 0:26:51 | 0:26:53 | |
-It's just like taking the turkey -from the fridge on Christmas Eve! | 0:26:54 | 0:26:58 | |
-The caribou's head was a feast. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:01 | |
-It sounds repulsive to us. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
-But northern Canadian natives -considered it a delicacy. | 0:27:05 | 0:27:11 | |
-'Christmas Day. | 0:27:15 | 0:27:16 | |
-'Hard to believe, but I enjoyed -the feast as well as any... | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
-'..despite the fact there's -nothing for breakfast tomorrow. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:24 | |
-'We woke this morning -determined to enjoy ourselves. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
-'The meal was as good -as a turkey any day. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:30 | |
-'I hope everyone at home -had a memorable day. | 0:27:31 | 0:27:33 | |
-'I hope to God we'll find -enough food to last the month... | 0:27:33 | 0:27:36 | |
-'..lest we regret today's feast.' | 0:27:37 | 0:27:39 | |
-It was an enjoyable Christmas Day -because they'd reserved good food. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:44 | |
-But they didn't know -what they'd eat the following day. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:49 | |
-'January 5. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:52 | |
-'One of the worst days yet. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:54 | |
-'Northerly wind. -33 below freezing point all day. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:58 | |
-'Stayed inside, pounding bones. | 0:27:59 | 0:28:01 | |
-'The fat has all gone. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:03 | |
-'January 17. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:05 | |
-'Cold to the point -of freezing today. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:09 | |
-'Didn't do much - the smallest -effort makes us unbearably hungry. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:13 | |
-'Food is so sparse. | 0:28:13 | 0:28:15 | |
-'January 24. | 0:28:16 | 0:28:17 | |
-'Harold set out in vain -to search for the caribou. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:20 | |
-'Jack walked miles along the river, -inspecting the traps. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:24 | |
-'But he didn't see anything either.' | 0:28:25 | 0:28:27 | |
-They went out every day... | 0:28:27 | 0:28:29 | |
-..to the snow, one after the other, -looking for something to eat. | 0:28:30 | 0:28:35 | |
-But they returned empty-handed. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:39 | |
-They dug up what they'd eaten, -what they'd thrown away. | 0:28:42 | 0:28:47 | |
-Even the hides and heads. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:53 | |
-Anything they could find. | 0:28:56 | 0:28:59 | |
-By mid-January, -food was very sparse. | 0:29:01 | 0:29:04 | |
-They had to pound bones - -which was a very laborious task. | 0:29:04 | 0:29:08 | |
-No wonder cracks began to appear -within the small wood cabin. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:12 | |
-Three were sharing a confined space. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:16 | |
-Coping with the cold was hard -on empty stomachs. | 0:29:18 | 0:29:22 | |
-Terrible weather often prevented -them from leaving the cabin. | 0:29:22 | 0:29:26 | |
-Those factors contributed -to the tension between the three. | 0:29:26 | 0:29:30 | |
-It was no surprise that Edgar -mentions in his diary... | 0:29:33 | 0:29:37 | |
-..that Harold, in particular, -found the situation unbearable. | 0:29:37 | 0:29:42 | |
-'January 30. | 0:29:46 | 0:29:47 | |
-'After hunting this morning... | 0:29:48 | 0:29:50 | |
-'..Harold returned and didn't -say a word to anyone all day. | 0:29:50 | 0:29:54 | |
-'That was very depressing for us.' | 0:29:55 | 0:29:57 | |
-The tension is obvious. Blood -is thicker than water, they say. | 0:29:59 | 0:30:03 | |
-The situation gets bad. | 0:30:04 | 0:30:06 | |
-Although, in a way, -Harold keeps the three going. | 0:30:06 | 0:30:10 | |
-'February 1. -A day of great feasting. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:15 | |
-'Harold managed to kill -a caribou by the cabin. | 0:30:16 | 0:30:19 | |
-'February 23. | 0:30:19 | 0:30:20 | |
-'Harold went to hunt -in the remotest places. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:23 | |
-'He spotted 40 deer but failed -to get close enough to them. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:28 | |
-'February 24. | 0:30:28 | 0:30:29 | |
-'Harold went out to hunt again. | 0:30:30 | 0:30:32 | |
-'Harold went out to hunt again. - -GUNSHOT | 0:30:32 | 0:30:33 | |
-'He shot a young caribou. This -greatly improves our situation.' | 0:30:33 | 0:30:37 | |
-That was the last caribou they shot. -From then on, the situation worsens. | 0:30:37 | 0:30:42 | |
-There wasn't enough caribou -for them to live comfortably. | 0:30:43 | 0:30:46 | |
-From time to time, they had -to wander far from the cabin... | 0:30:47 | 0:30:51 | |
-..to find more meat to eat. | 0:30:52 | 0:30:54 | |
-This was supremely bold. -Leaving the cosiness of the cabin... | 0:30:55 | 0:30:59 | |
-..to travel for miles -through terrifying storms... | 0:30:59 | 0:31:02 | |
-..staying -in the most inappropriate places. | 0:31:02 | 0:31:04 | |
-'March 11. | 0:31:05 | 0:31:06 | |
-'In a cache up river, unable -to move because of the snow. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:10 | |
-'March 12. | 0:31:10 | 0:31:12 | |
-'The wind rose - we couldn't see -an inch ahead of us again today. | 0:31:12 | 0:31:16 | |
-'March 15. We must get home. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:18 | |
-'Setting up another camp tonight -would be impossible. | 0:31:19 | 0:31:22 | |
-'Jack fell on the way home. -He is injured and in paid.' | 0:31:22 | 0:31:26 | |
-Back at the cabin, they discovered -that a great number of caribou... | 0:31:26 | 0:31:30 | |
-..had passed by the cabin. They -could see footprints in the snow. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:35 | |
-Had they stayed put, -they'd have eaten a tasty meal. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:39 | |
-It was a dire situation. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:42 | |
-Jack tried to raise morale... | 0:31:42 | 0:31:44 | |
-..by reading a diary of a previous -adventure when he almost died. | 0:31:44 | 0:31:48 | |
-'This is a terrible existence. -I never see anyone. | 0:31:49 | 0:31:53 | |
-'I have nothing to read. -No wonder men go insane.' | 0:31:53 | 0:31:56 | |
-I think this is one -of the most significant events. | 0:31:59 | 0:32:04 | |
-They had nothing else to read. | 0:32:04 | 0:32:06 | |
-Furthermore, it inspired them -to realise people can survive... | 0:32:07 | 0:32:11 | |
-..in the worst circumstances. | 0:32:12 | 0:32:14 | |
-'April 5. | 0:32:18 | 0:32:19 | |
-'Harold moaned like an old woman. | 0:32:20 | 0:32:22 | |
-'April 6. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:25 | |
-'Jack swore at Harold -to get him to shut his mouth. | 0:32:25 | 0:32:28 | |
-'This had no effect. | 0:32:29 | 0:32:31 | |
-'He's very odd at times. | 0:32:31 | 0:32:33 | |
-'We must keep an eye on him. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:36 | |
-'The poor fellow felt weak. -But we're all weak. | 0:32:36 | 0:32:40 | |
-'It's hell trying to move at all. | 0:32:40 | 0:32:43 | |
-'April 14. | 0:32:44 | 0:32:45 | |
-'Harold was completely -confused this morning. | 0:32:45 | 0:32:48 | |
-'He was acting like a madman.' | 0:32:48 | 0:32:50 | |
-Gradually, Edgar took on -the responsibility of a nurse... | 0:32:51 | 0:32:56 | |
-..once Jack was taken ill. | 0:32:56 | 0:32:59 | |
-His leg was badly hurt. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:02 | |
-It wasn't getting better. | 0:33:03 | 0:33:05 | |
-He couldn't walk as far as before. | 0:33:06 | 0:33:08 | |
-What we see is Jack's heroism, -in the way he kept going. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:14 | |
-It's amazing. 99% of people -would have lain down and died... | 0:33:15 | 0:33:20 | |
-..under those circumstances - -but Jack kept going. | 0:33:20 | 0:33:24 | |
-'April 15. My longing for home -is almost unbearable. | 0:33:26 | 0:33:30 | |
-'I hope to God no-one knows -how much Jack's suffering. | 0:33:30 | 0:33:34 | |
-'I rub his leg in tears. | 0:33:35 | 0:33:37 | |
-'He kept some fox meat for me. | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
-'I'm so hungry, I lose myself. | 0:33:41 | 0:33:44 | |
-'Why can't I ignore the cold, -as he does? | 0:33:45 | 0:33:49 | |
-'Why can't I shoulder -some of his burden?' | 0:33:49 | 0:33:52 | |
-But Jack's condition deteriorated. | 0:33:53 | 0:33:55 | |
-At 48 years of age, he realised he -wouldn't survive the bitter winter. | 0:33:55 | 0:34:00 | |
-'I, John Hornby, hereby bequeath -to Edgar Vernon Christian... | 0:34:01 | 0:34:05 | |
-..all I possess -and everything I may yet possess. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:09 | |
-I imagine it's the shortest will -ever written. | 0:34:10 | 0:34:12 | |
-Edgar got everything he owned. | 0:34:13 | 0:34:16 | |
-Perhaps this suggests Jack -thought Edgar would survive. | 0:34:17 | 0:34:20 | |
-'Last night, dear Jack died. | 0:34:34 | 0:34:36 | |
-'Before that, I felt alright. | 0:34:38 | 0:34:40 | |
-'But things got the better of me. | 0:34:41 | 0:34:43 | |
-'Harold, the old friend... | 0:34:44 | 0:34:46 | |
-'..was a great help -as we prepared for the night. | 0:34:46 | 0:34:50 | |
-'April 18. | 0:34:50 | 0:34:52 | |
-'We are both weak - -but determined to carry on... | 0:34:52 | 0:34:56 | |
-'..so the world hears about Jack. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
-'The finest man I have ever known. | 0:34:59 | 0:35:01 | |
-'A man who will inspire me -for the rest of my life.' | 0:35:01 | 0:35:05 | |
-It's at this point that Harold's -heroism makes itself known. | 0:35:08 | 0:35:13 | |
-Before, he was the fussy one, -to a certain degree. | 0:35:13 | 0:35:17 | |
-His work went unrecognised. | 0:35:18 | 0:35:20 | |
-He becomes the leader. -He has the skills. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
-He also looks after Edgar. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
-But not for long. | 0:35:28 | 0:35:30 | |
-'Harold is in bed with a chill. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:35 | |
-'I hope he recovers soon. | 0:35:35 | 0:35:38 | |
-'The tension and mental torture -is unbearable. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
-'April 20. | 0:35:43 | 0:35:44 | |
-'At the moment, I'm quite calm. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:48 | |
-'If something happens to Harold, -God only knows how I'll cope. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:53 | |
-'The hardship and strain -have been unrelenting for so long. | 0:35:53 | 0:35:57 | |
-'I'm prepared for the worst.' | 0:35:58 | 0:36:00 | |
-As Harold becomes more poorly, -the weaker he gets... | 0:36:01 | 0:36:05 | |
-..he can't hunt as he did before. | 0:36:05 | 0:36:08 | |
-That's when Edgar Christian -becomes a man. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:13 | |
-He assumes responsibility. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:16 | |
-Edgar mentions -how Harold starts to complain. | 0:36:19 | 0:36:24 | |
-He utters a cry in pain. | 0:36:25 | 0:36:28 | |
-In the end, Harold dies. | 0:36:28 | 0:36:32 | |
-Harold and Edgar -had dragged Jack's body outside. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:45 | |
-He was given -a fairly dignified burial. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:49 | |
-Somehow Edgar dragged Harold's body -outside, leaving it at the door. | 0:36:49 | 0:36:53 | |
-Edgar was on his own. | 0:36:57 | 0:36:59 | |
-An 18-year-old lad, with nothing -but his diary for company. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:03 | |
-888 | 0:37:08 | 0:37:08 | |
-888 - -888 | 0:37:08 | 0:37:10 | |
-'April 28 to May 4. | 0:37:15 | 0:37:18 | |
-'I re-start the diary today -after a break. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:22 | |
-'Since I last wrote, -I haven't had a minute. | 0:37:23 | 0:37:26 | |
-By early May, -Jack and Harold were dead. | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
-They lay outside the cabin. | 0:37:35 | 0:37:36 | |
-But there was a ray of light -for the lad. | 0:37:37 | 0:37:39 | |
-A keen birdwatcher, he'd noticed -a swan, a raven and three robins. | 0:37:40 | 0:37:44 | |
-These signalled -that spring was on the way. | 0:37:45 | 0:37:48 | |
-The sun was getting stronger, -the snow was melting. | 0:37:48 | 0:37:51 | |
-'There are more birds around. -Today I saw many snow grouse. | 0:37:53 | 0:37:57 | |
-'Both guns are loaded at the door.' | 0:37:58 | 0:38:00 | |
-With skills Jack and Harold -had taught him... | 0:38:02 | 0:38:05 | |
-..he could at least face -the future with a degree of hope. | 0:38:05 | 0:38:09 | |
-If the experience -was to make a man of him... | 0:38:10 | 0:38:13 | |
-..it had already done so by now. | 0:38:14 | 0:38:16 | |
-To me, the most memorable line -in the diary... | 0:38:20 | 0:38:23 | |
-..is when he says, -'I must carry on and get better. | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
-'I want to tell the whole world -about the finest man I ever met. | 0:38:30 | 0:38:34 | |
-'Jack Hornby.' | 0:38:35 | 0:38:37 | |
-This is Edgar Christian's -big moment. | 0:38:37 | 0:38:40 | |
-Unlike Captain Scott, -he wasn't an experienced explorer. | 0:38:44 | 0:38:48 | |
-He was just a young lad, whose big -adventure turned into a nightmare. | 0:38:49 | 0:38:53 | |
-After Harold died, Edgar Christian -uses his diary as an extra person. | 0:38:55 | 0:39:00 | |
-He records things. He holds -conversations with his diary. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:07 | |
-It's an excruciating period. | 0:39:09 | 0:39:11 | |
-The diary doesn't shy away -from expressing his dilemma. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:15 | |
-Lack of food. He'd eaten meat, -bone, skin and animal hair. | 0:39:15 | 0:39:21 | |
-This affected his insides - -it was very hard to flush out. | 0:39:22 | 0:39:26 | |
-He had to find a way -to rid himself of it. | 0:39:27 | 0:39:31 | |
-That in itself -took away his strength. | 0:39:33 | 0:39:36 | |
-'I'm still trying to clear -my system with an enema syringe... | 0:39:41 | 0:39:45 | |
-'..hot water, and soap. | 0:39:45 | 0:39:48 | |
-'My insides are full -of hair and broken bone. | 0:39:49 | 0:39:52 | |
-'I have no-one to talk to. | 0:39:53 | 0:39:55 | |
-'It's dreadfully lonely here. | 0:39:57 | 0:39:59 | |
-'I'm barely alive. | 0:40:00 | 0:40:02 | |
-'I walk or crawl -in and out of the house. | 0:40:03 | 0:40:06 | |
-'There's plenty of food - -more than I can eat. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:10 | |
-'I'm weaker than I ever was -in my life.' | 0:40:10 | 0:40:13 | |
-If someone had landed there -with a hot dinner... | 0:40:13 | 0:40:17 | |
-..his body couldn't have -absorbed the nourishment. | 0:40:18 | 0:40:21 | |
-He's so bad, he can't take advantage -of the food that's available. | 0:40:22 | 0:40:28 | |
-One of Edgar's most important duties -was to keep the fire alight. | 0:40:34 | 0:40:39 | |
-But by the end, -he was too weak to gather wood. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:44 | |
-He broke the floor, -table and chairs. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:50 | |
-He used anything he could -to keep the fire going. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:54 | |
-But he knew -that he was going to die, too. | 0:40:55 | 0:40:58 | |
-He couldn't keep the fire alight. | 0:40:58 | 0:41:01 | |
-He made sure the ash was cold. | 0:41:01 | 0:41:04 | |
-He placed his diary -and two letters inside. | 0:41:04 | 0:41:07 | |
-One to his mother, -one to his father. | 0:41:08 | 0:41:10 | |
-'Dear Father. | 0:41:14 | 0:41:15 | |
-'This is not my address. | 0:41:17 | 0:41:19 | |
-'I hope you receive -this letter one day. | 0:41:19 | 0:41:22 | |
-'Jack Hornby was determined -to see this part of the world... | 0:41:23 | 0:41:27 | |
-'..before he stopped exploring -the Arctic lands. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:31 | |
-'He wanted the company of a young -lad. It was my turn this time. | 0:41:31 | 0:41:36 | |
-'But the Thelon -is not worth the trouble. | 0:41:37 | 0:41:40 | |
-'I worshipped Jack. -He worshipped me. | 0:41:41 | 0:41:44 | |
-'It's unusual to see -true love between two men.' | 0:41:46 | 0:41:50 | |
-The letter to his father -mentions their shared love. | 0:41:51 | 0:41:57 | |
-But it's a brotherly love -between men. | 0:41:57 | 0:42:01 | |
-They loved and depended -on each other. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:05 | |
-There's an element -of the hero-worship... | 0:42:07 | 0:42:10 | |
-..that was there from the start. | 0:42:11 | 0:42:13 | |
-To some extent, -it surprises me that it lasted. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:17 | |
-He could still say -he loved this man. | 0:42:18 | 0:42:22 | |
-He loved Jack Hornby. He didn't -want anyone to think badly of him. | 0:42:23 | 0:42:27 | |
-'Dear Mother. | 0:42:30 | 0:42:31 | |
-'I'm weak and can't write for long. | 0:42:32 | 0:42:35 | |
-'Forgive me for leaving things -so late. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:39 | |
-'I fought hard. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:42 | |
-'Don't blame poor Jack. | 0:42:44 | 0:42:46 | |
-'He thought the world of you, -and me. | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
-'Believe that, and never forget it. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:53 | |
-'I love you. | 0:42:55 | 0:42:57 | |
-'A son couldn't have asked -for a better mother. | 0:42:57 | 0:43:00 | |
-'Love to all my brothers -and sisters, Edgar.' | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
-Having written the letters, -Edgar wrote a final entry... | 0:43:06 | 0:43:09 | |
-..in the diary -that kept him company. | 0:43:10 | 0:43:12 | |
-In barely visible ink... | 0:43:12 | 0:43:14 | |
-..his words sum up the inevitability -of the fast-approaching end. | 0:43:14 | 0:43:18 | |
-'The final arrangements -have been made. I shall go out. | 0:43:19 | 0:43:24 | |
-'Too weak. | 0:43:25 | 0:43:27 | |
-'I've left things too late.' | 0:43:28 | 0:43:30 | |
-He went to bed, -covered his head with a blanket... | 0:43:45 | 0:43:49 | |
-..and turned to the wall. | 0:43:50 | 0:43:52 | |
-Certainly, Edgar realised -there was no escape for him. | 0:43:52 | 0:43:56 | |
-There wasn't. | 0:44:00 | 0:44:02 | |
-No-one passed the cabin -during the next hours and days. | 0:44:02 | 0:44:06 | |
-That's how Edgar died. | 0:44:06 | 0:44:08 | |
-A year after they left, -people were getting worried. | 0:44:32 | 0:44:35 | |
-The following year... | 0:44:36 | 0:44:38 | |
-..a team of geologists passed -and noticed the cabin. | 0:44:38 | 0:44:42 | |
-They discovered the bodies. Such was -their fright, they left immediately. | 0:44:42 | 0:44:46 | |
-It wasn't until the summer of 1929 -that the mounted police came here. | 0:44:46 | 0:44:51 | |
-They buried the bodies by the cabin. | 0:44:51 | 0:44:53 | |
-More importantly, they found Edgar -Christian's diary in the stove. | 0:44:54 | 0:44:58 | |
-A diary that became a legend -here in northern Canada. | 0:44:58 | 0:45:02 | |
-But that isn't the end of the story -by far. | 0:45:23 | 0:45:25 | |
-The news went around the world. | 0:45:25 | 0:45:27 | |
-'Jack Hornby Dead in Barrenlands.' | 0:45:28 | 0:45:31 | |
-'Three experienced explorers -found dead by Thelon river.' | 0:45:31 | 0:45:35 | |
-'The three were well-known -Edmonton figures.' | 0:45:35 | 0:45:38 | |
-The diary eventually found its way -back to Christian's family. | 0:45:38 | 0:45:42 | |
-To ensure that Edgar's memory -lived on... | 0:45:43 | 0:45:46 | |
-..they presented the diary -to Dover College, his old school. | 0:45:47 | 0:45:51 | |
-But there are numerous diaries -all over the country. | 0:45:57 | 0:46:02 | |
-They're almost never touched. | 0:46:03 | 0:46:05 | |
-But in this case, someone saw -the greatness of the diary. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:09 | |
-A historian, with a connection -with Caernarvonshire. | 0:46:10 | 0:46:13 | |
-Miss Dew Roberts published -a copy of the diary before WW2. | 0:46:13 | 0:46:18 | |
-It became a classic amongst -North American adventure stories. | 0:46:20 | 0:46:25 | |
-'As a record of man's emotion -and bravery, it's hard to beat.' | 0:46:26 | 0:46:30 | |
-'The most harrowing book -I have ever read.' | 0:46:31 | 0:46:34 | |
-Colonel Christian published the book -to inspire young lads like Edgar. | 0:46:40 | 0:46:45 | |
-He received a fantastic reaction -to the book from unexpected places. | 0:46:45 | 0:46:50 | |
-John Buchan, -himself a great storyteller... | 0:46:50 | 0:46:53 | |
-..Hitler Youth in Germany... | 0:46:53 | 0:46:55 | |
-..and from the Sunday Times -film critic, Dilys Powell... | 0:46:55 | 0:46:59 | |
-..to name but three. | 0:46:59 | 0:47:01 | |
-In the chapel behind me, a brass -plate commemorates Edgar Christian. | 0:47:01 | 0:47:07 | |
-I think we should remember -Edgar Christian. | 0:47:12 | 0:47:16 | |
-What he did, said and wrote. | 0:47:16 | 0:47:20 | |
-He was a brave lad. | 0:47:21 | 0:47:24 | |
-He set a good example to young lads. | 0:47:25 | 0:47:28 | |
-Because Edgar worshipped Jack... | 0:47:30 | 0:47:32 | |
-..and wanted to be like him - -brave, and go out... | 0:47:33 | 0:47:36 | |
-..hunts, and lead -the sort of exploring life. | 0:47:36 | 0:47:41 | |
-I think he was brave. He put up -with it, without complaining. | 0:47:43 | 0:47:47 | |
-The exhibition is a fitting -tribute to Edgar Christian. | 0:47:51 | 0:47:56 | |
-It tells the people of Glynnog -that it was from here... | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
-..an insignificant village -in Caernarvonshire... | 0:48:01 | 0:48:04 | |
-..that a young man embarked -on a great 20th century adventure. | 0:48:05 | 0:48:09 | |
-When Edgar Christian left -his public school in England... | 0:48:14 | 0:48:17 | |
-..he didn't dream he'd be as famous -as the explorers he'd read about. | 0:48:18 | 0:48:22 | |
-But today, thanks to the diary... | 0:48:22 | 0:48:24 | |
-..people -do -remember -the lad from north Wales... | 0:48:25 | 0:48:27 | |
-..as they canoe past -the cabin on River Thelon. | 0:48:28 | 0:48:32 | |
-S4C Subtitles by -GWEAD | 0:49:15 | 0:49:17 | |
0:49:17 | 0:49:18 |