Gold Hunting in Alaska

"Gold Hunting in Alaska" by Joseph Grinnell is a late 19th-century nonfiction story that follows a group of twenty gold-seekers sailing to Alaska during the gold rush, driven by dreams of wealth. The journey begins as they board the ship "Penelope," bound for the wild Kotzebue Sound. The men, a motley crew featuring an undertaker turned miner, and a doctor, bond over shared meals, seasickness, and stories, even as they brace against threatening storms. The captain’s humor helps lighten the mood, contrasting with the high-stakes nature of their dangerous quest, as day by day they draw closer to an unforgiving land where they hope to strike it rich.