In 1898, naturalist, Joseph Grinnell joins a company of twenty men bound for Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, from California aboard the schooner Penelope. With the trained eye of a scientist and with a flair for prose and poetry, he documents the adventures of this group of gold hunters before they return a year and a half later. This account gives valuable insights into the Alaskan culture of that time and the hardships of those searching for the fortunes of gold. - Summary by Larry Wilson