"Men wanted for Hazardous Journey."

[pepperbear]

"Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful."

Apparently, this was the newspaper ad Ernest Shackleton placed in 1912 for his Antarctic expedition aboard the Endurance. More than 5,000 applied.

http://www.south-pole.com/p0000097.htm

[rzemanfl]

1. And it wasn't even a reality TV show....n/t

[Initech]

11. Are you smarter than a pillager and plunderer?

[WillyT]

2. But Remember... "You're Lucky To HAVE A Job !"

:evilfrown:

[htuttle]

3. Who could resist? There was no TV back then.

Had to go out and make your own reality shows.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. I wonder who was thrown off the iceberg first... n/t

[panader0]

6. Or thrown under the Endurance

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. A great book.Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing n/t

[Mendocino]

7. Shackleton was a bigger than life character,

but the ad however colorful, is a myth. He selected most of the crew and expedition members from those he dealt with on previous expeditions or those who were recommended by other explorers. The Endurance Expedition turned out to be one of the most astounding tales of survival in history.

[UTUSN]

8. Neh. not then, not now, thankfully n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. They all came home. Eventually.

It was an epic adventure, but I'm sure they never wanted to eat another penguin.

[catnhatnh]

13. Not if I recall correctly...

Though many survivors did....That expedition was among the first ever to bring canned food as a staple and if I recall correctly, because the officers ate "better" than the rank and file, a larger percentage of them died from lead poisoning than among the common sailors...I believe there are some astounding photos taken by an archaeological team of interred members of the party whom were well preserved...

[Mendocino]

14. That would be the Franklin expedition

in the Arctic from the 1840's. The bodies exhumed from Beechey Island were common sailors and showed signs of lead exposure. There were no survivors.

All the men under the direct command of Shackleton did survive. Another part of the expedition tasked with setting up food depots on the other side of the Antarctic continent did experience loss of life.

[catnhatnh]

15. You are Absolutely correct...

and I thank you.I love this place where even being wrong makes you smarter.I was 180 degrees off and you corrected me gently. I'll get it right next time it comes up.

[Mendocino]

16. Franklin barely survived another expedition.

In the 1820's, he led a group down the Coppermine River to the Arctic coast turned eastward, staying out too late in the season. They turned back reaching an outpost after resorting to eating their boots, lichens, rotten animal carcasses and each other. A truly harrowing journey.

[Skink]

10. BP's gettin desperate.

[postulater]

12. Shackleton stole that ad from Kirk, Capt. James T. nt