Cape Bathurst
Encyclopedia
Cape Bathurst is a cape and a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Northwest Territories
in Canada
. Cape Bathurst is the northernmost point of mainland Northwest Territories and one of the few peninsulas in mainland North America protruding above the 70th parallel north
. It was discovered and named by John Richardson
in 1826.
Baillie Island
is located just off the coast of Cape Bathurst, separated from the peninsula by a 2 mile shallow strait.
A notable nearby formation is Smoking Hills
, a group of hills exhibiting continuous burning of oil shale deposits.
A rare endemic plant known as Hairy Rockcress (Braya pilosa, genus Braya of family Brassicaceae) is known to grow in two locations on Cape Bathurst Peninsula.
. In this novel, Cape Bathurst is not a fixed geographical feature but is instead a large iceberg anchored to the continent. A Hudson Bay Company expedition is ordered to establish a fort above the 70th parallel north
to support fur trapping. The expedition leaders are mislead by the appearances of Cape Bathurst into thinking it is a favorable place for settlement. For all intents the cape appears to be very suitable since it has fresh water and is well wooded, with rich soil, vegetation, and abundant wildlife. After building Fort Good Hope they prepare to winter over. During the winter, a volcanic eruption occurs nearby, and unknown to the settlers, the link to the continent is broken and the iceberg "Cape Bathurst" floats into the Arctic Ocean, carrying away the novel's protagonists.
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Cape Bathurst is the northernmost point of mainland Northwest Territories and one of the few peninsulas in mainland North America protruding above the 70th parallel north
70th parallel north
The 70th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 70 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America, and passes through some of the southern seas of the Arctic Ocean....
. It was discovered and named by John Richardson
John Richardson (naturalist)
Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
in 1826.
Baillie Island
Baillie Island
Baillie Island is located off the north coast of Cape Bathurst in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The island formed part of the area used by the Avvaqmiut who are a branch of the Mackenzie Inuit.-History:...
is located just off the coast of Cape Bathurst, separated from the peninsula by a 2 mile shallow strait.
A notable nearby formation is Smoking Hills
Smoking Hills
The Smoking Hills are located on the east coast of Cape Bathurst in Canada's Northwest Territories, next to the Arctic Ocean and a small group of lakes. The cliffs were named by explorer John Franklin, who discovered them on his 1826 expeditions...
, a group of hills exhibiting continuous burning of oil shale deposits.
A rare endemic plant known as Hairy Rockcress (Braya pilosa, genus Braya of family Brassicaceae) is known to grow in two locations on Cape Bathurst Peninsula.
In fiction and popular culture
Cape Bathurst features as a key location in Jules Verne's novel The Fur CountryThe Fur Country
The Fur Country is an adventure novel by Jules Verne in The Extraordinary Voyages series, first published in 1873. The novel was serialized in Magasin d’Éducation et de Récréation from September 1872 to December 1873. The two-volume first original French edition and the first illustrated...
. In this novel, Cape Bathurst is not a fixed geographical feature but is instead a large iceberg anchored to the continent. A Hudson Bay Company expedition is ordered to establish a fort above the 70th parallel north
70th parallel north
The 70th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 70 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America, and passes through some of the southern seas of the Arctic Ocean....
to support fur trapping. The expedition leaders are mislead by the appearances of Cape Bathurst into thinking it is a favorable place for settlement. For all intents the cape appears to be very suitable since it has fresh water and is well wooded, with rich soil, vegetation, and abundant wildlife. After building Fort Good Hope they prepare to winter over. During the winter, a volcanic eruption occurs nearby, and unknown to the settlers, the link to the continent is broken and the iceberg "Cape Bathurst" floats into the Arctic Ocean, carrying away the novel's protagonists.