Explorers Who Shouldn't Have Left Home Quiz

Answer: William John Wills

William John Wills (1834-1861), a surveyor, was promoted to second-in-charge (during the journey) of the Australian expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Reaching Cooper Creek Qld., an approximate half-way point, a major camp was established. On December 16 1860 only Burke, Wills, Gray and King set out for the Gulf.

They reached the Gulf area in mid-February 1861 but the return trip was tough with Gray dying on 16 April 1861. On the 21st April the other three just made the half-way camp.

They were in very poor condition. Tragically the explorers who had waited for them had left for the south only nine hours before they arrived. Burke and Wills died there in late June 1861. King survived with Aboriginal assistance until found by a search party months later.

Answer: Tasmania

Sir John, born in England, was one of twelve children of a shopkeeper. He joined the navy and saw war action around Denmark, the USA and Spain. He even fought at Trafalgar. In between these events he circumnavigated Australia with his uncle, Matthew Flinders. An attempt by sea on the Bering Strait failed so, in two separate trips, he mapped two-thirds of the Canadian Atlantic coast, exploring by foot. To war again, fights the Ottomans in the Greek war of independence, gets knighted. Seven years in Tasmania as Lieutenant-Governor then back to England. Enough? No.

He once more tackled the Northwest Passage only to lose his life. There were some 40 separate search parties who went looking for Franklin and his crew in the following years.

Answer: Dutch

Dutchwoman Alexandrine Petronella Francina Tinne was born in The Hague in 1835. At age ten (following her father's death) she had become one of the richest young women in Europe. At nineteen she visited Egypt and from then on was a regular visitor and explorer of Egypt, the Nile, Sudan, Libya and Algeria. Deciding to cross the Sahara from north to south in 1869 she set out from Tripoli. During this journey her party was attacked by desert dwellers and one of her hands cut off.

She was left to die in the Sahara.

These explorations were not without scientific endeavour. Sadly much of her collection of botanic specimens and drawings etc., which had found their way to the U.K., were destroyed during bombing in the 2nd World War. She was also very interested in photography and works attributed to her can be found by an image search on the web.

Answer: 2,000

History tells he sailed with 1,000 manned craft and another 1,000 loaded with supplies and trade goods. This is known because his half-brother Kankan Musa a.k.a. Mansa Musa(?) told this story (during a trip to Mecca) to an Islamic scholar. Abubakari II ruled a large area of Western Africa in the 14th century, at that time known as Mali.

He sent a large fleet west to explore the Atlantic Ocean. Only one ship returned. He put his half-brother on the throne in 1311 and then personally led his huge fleet down the Senegal River west to find America.

He never returned. There are quite a few people who believe to this day that some of these explorers made it to the Caribbean.

Answer: Robbie Burns

Robbie Burns was a cousin of Alexander's father. (Robbie's father was the first Burnes to drop the 'e' when signing his name.) Alexander Burnes went to India aged only sixteen where he soon mastered many local tongues. He returned to England in 1833 after many journeys through India and Afghanistan.

His books on his travels made him rich and famous but after only 18 months he returned to the East. In 1841 his house in Kabul was attacked and all inside, including his brother, were killed. According to 'electricscotland' Robbie Burns had sometimes expressed regret that he had not gone to India, as so many of his countrymen had, to become 'a thriving merchant, instead of a penniless bard'.

Answer: Joshua Slocum

Joshua Slocum (1844-1909), born in Canada but a naturalised American, spent 30 years as a merchant seaman and during his career commanded a variety of sailing vessels. The loss of his first wife and the rise of the steamship seemed to trigger a desire to circumnavigate the world solo.

He was given a derelict 11m (36ft.) sloop called 'Spray'. He rebuilt it and off he sailed in 1895. He returned to Newport, Rhode Island in June 1898. His book on the voyage, 'Sailing Alone Around the World', was instantly successful.

The Spray design is now a recognised class with many being built to Slocum's plans. Frenchman Guy Bernardin sailed a replica around the world from 1995-1998.

Answer: Hot air balloon

Salomon (b. 1854) and two others left from Danes Island, roughly midway between Norway and the North Pole, in his 29m (95ft) high hydrogen filled balloon on 11th July. While cutting the anchor rope one of the ground crew said 'Oh hell!' when he nicked his finger. Andrée is reported as replying, 'Hell, that is where we are going', as they drifted over the shoreline. Almost immediately a trailing rope snagged on rocks, the balloon dipped so low that the bottom of the basket touched the water.

The balloon righted itself again, as the trailing rope yanked free, and then rose. For almost an hour the balloon was observed against the north sky, before disappearing from sight.

It was never seen again. In 1930 their bodies and Andree's journal were found on an island to the east of Spitsbergen.

They crashed on the polar ice three days after take-off. They had gone 600kms but were still 800kms short of the Pole.

Answer: Andrew Irving

Andrew Comyn (Sandy) Irvine (b. 1902) was only 22, and a student at Oxford, when he joined George Mallory's third expedition (led by Norton) to Everest. Mallory and Devine were the two who struck out for the final push for the summit. They were last seen close to the summit, but did not return. Mallory's body was found in 1999 at 8,160m (26,760ft). Andrew's ice axe was found in 1933, even higher at about 8440m (27,690ft), but Andrew's body has not been found. Were Mallory and Irvine actually the first to reach the summit? It is an ongoing debate.

Answer: Killed then eaten by Maoris

Dufresne (or Du Fresne) and twenty-five crew were attacked, killed and eaten by Maoris while fishing in a 'taboo' cove. Prior to this the French explorers had spent 33 days in New Zealand and had a good relationship with the locals. His life at sea started as an eleven year old in the French version of the East India Company. He was involved with transporting 'Bonnie' Prince Charles Stuart on two occasions. Later in life he resided in Mauritius and was the harbour-master. After the French East India Company folded he took two ships on a voyage to find the 'South Land'. During the journey they discovered both the Prince Edward and Crozet Islands. Needing to make repairs they sailed to Tasmania then on to New Zealand and tragedy.

Recommended reading, "An Officer of the Blue: Marc-Joseph Marion Dufresne, South Sea Explorer, 1724-1772" by Edward Duyker - Melbourne University Press, 1994.

Answer: Vladimir Komarov

On the 23 April 1967 Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov (b. 1927) became the first Russian to go through the tension of a second space launch, this time solo. He had previously gone as pilot of a three-man flight in October 1964. On this solo flight he had to return early due to technical issues after 19 orbits. During descent the drag and reserve 'chutes' tangled and the re-entry pod came down fast. Rockets intended to soften his descent as he got near touch-down exploded when the pod hit the ground.

Another (unwelcome) first for Vladimir was that he was the first 'earthling' fatality arising out of actual space travel.