The Cruise of the Northern Light By Mrs. John Borden. The year was 1927, and the Alaskan Territory, especially its northernmost reaches, was still largely unexplored. The "magic" of Alaska--of Northern Lights, and polar bears, and Eskimos and igloos, and the midnight sun--had been shaped in the popular imagination largely by explorers, whose names and achievements were still fresh in memory. In telling the story of the five-month cruise of the yacht Northern Light, Courtney Borden was clearly aware that she was involved in making a bit of history--not only because such voyages were still relatively rare and certainly dangerous, but also because women were not customarily included in the cast of characters.
