Adrien de gerlache de gomery belgium

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Unfortunately he is not secured to the ship with a rope, and an exceptionally strong wave knocks him overboard. It was purchased by the leader of the expedition, 31-year-old Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery, who organized its refurbishment. You can purchase it from your local bookshop, Amazon Belgium or elsewhere.

Thanks to Anders Bache from Roald Amundsen’s Home and Follo museum who gave me permission to use their photographs of the Belgica expedition.

The man is then rinsed off with three buckets of water. From a young age, Adrien loved the sea. The loss of the expedition’s mascot makes some of the crew even more anxious for the future.

10 July 1898: Serious outbreak of scurvy

With winter at its coldest and darkest, many of the men are suffering from scurvy. He also proposed a Swedish expedition to Greenland, which was canceled due to funding issues.

The Belgian Antarctic Expedition

Gerlache secured funding from King Leopold II, the Belgian Geographical Society, and the Solvay soda company for an expedition to Antarctica.

They were eventually published as 92 publications in nine volumes called Résultats du voyage de la Belgica en 1897–99 sous le commandement de A. de Gerlache de Gomery – rapports scientifiques.

Madhouse at the End of the Earth

This is an excellent, highly readable and gripping book by Julian Sancton that gives a full account of the voyage of the Belgica.

One by one, they are led to a chair on deck to be shaved by Neptune’s court barber. De Gerlache considers the ship is lost but makes one final effort. In front of their eyes, the two banks of their man-made canal clamp shut. From city trips and walking routes to castles, museums, and history, my aim is to inspire your adventures.

Three men quit the expedition in Ostend. Two show signs of insanity. At one point de Gerlache calls in the Chilean Navy to send a boarding party to try and restore order on board. It’s initially named the Belgica Strait, but it’s later renamed the Gerlache Strait. He purchased the Norwegian whaling vessel "Patria" in 1896 and renamed it "Belgica" after the Roman province that included Belgium.

International Crew and Ambitious Goals

The Belgica expedition set sail from Antwerp in 1897 with an international crew that included Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

His book, "A Country That Refuses to Die," dedicated to his brother Gaston, who had fallen in battle, became a bestseller in Scandinavia. He becomes listless, shunning company and food. His pioneering spirit and scientific contributions continue to inspire generations of adventurers and scientists.