Edward Beauclerk Maurice (1913–2003)

Generally, I do not have time to read for pleasure. However, occasionally I find a book that just captures my attention. The Last Gentleman Adventurer by Edward Beauclerk Maurice is one of those books. I think what captured my attention was how a young boy could grow up in the wilderness without parental guidance and become a mature responsible adult.

Maurice did not go to the artic; instead, he was sent by the Hudson Bay Company in 1930 to work at a trading post in the Canadian Arctic under a 5-year contract. He applied for this job due to family financial difficulties after his father had died. He felt he needed to relieve his mother of the responsibility for his care. Since he was considered more of an inside person than an out doors enthusiast, he certainly was an unlikely candidate for this type of job but he was hired probably due to the lack of applicants.

His first post was as an apprentice clerk at the Pangnirtung trading post on Baffin Island. The Eskimos or Inuit called him “the boy” due to his young age and inexperience. He seemed to be always in trouble by getting lost or falling off cliffs requiring some type of rescue by the Eskimos. Eventually though, he learned to adapt to wilderness living and gained their respect.

They taught him their customs and method of hunting foxes, whales, seals, polar bears, and birds, which were essential for their survival. They relied on these animals for their food, oil for their lamps and skins for their clothes. They traded the fox furs at the trading post for guns and ammunition, which allowed them to hunt more effectively.

In 1934, Maurice at the age of 21 was promoted to manager of the Frobisher Bay Post at Ward Inlet. During this time, he became immersed into their Eskimo life style. He learned their language and became like one of them even to the point of taking a wife. They changed his name to Issumatak meaning “he who thinks” because of his ability to handle many difficult issues among the Eskimo people. He had to deal with an epidemic by treating the sick with nothing more than aspirin and cough medicine and had to settle many family disputes in order to maintain order at the post.

He left the Arctic to serve in World War II and later returned to England never to return to the area that captured his heart. He died in 2003 just before the publication of this book.

I really enjoyed this book because it was interesting to see how a young boy could go to area that was totally desolate and unfamiliar and still be able to learn the customs of the people to the point of gaining their respect. It was a true story that read like a novel and a real page-turner and I would highly recommend it… (altro)