The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

The Captain of the ‘Polestar’ and Other Tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a late 19th-century collection of short stories. In the opening story, John M’Alister Ray, a medical student serving aboard the ship Polestar, describes a whaling expedition in the Arctic under the command of Nicholas Craigie. As the vessel pushes through dangerous icy waters, the crew’s situation becomes increasingly desperate, with supplies running low and storms approaching. Ray records his observations through journal entries, noting Captain Craigie’s shifting behavior between assertive control and signs of personal turmoil. Superstitions, fears, and uneasy incidents aboard the ship intensify the atmosphere, as Craigie becomes fixated on an elusive vision he believes he sees within the ice.