Charles Hall (1821–71) was neither seaman nor navigator, but by 1871 he had made two Arctic expeditions as a result of his fascination with the failed expedition of Franklin. With a grant from Congress, his Polaris voyage aimed to be the first US expedition to the North Pole. Desertion, drunkenness, and disagreements beset the venture from the start, and by the time Hall reached the furthest northern point yet attained by an Arctic explorer, crew discipline had broken down completely. Using official papers and crew journals, this 1876 work by C. H. Davis for the US Navy recounts Hall's sudden death (after accusing his crew of poisoning him), the failed attempt to reach the Pole, and the abandonment of half the crew left drifting for 2500 kilometres on an ice floe. With the mystery of Hall's death and the story of the crew's survival, this is an epic tale of human endurance.
Contents
Introduction; 1. Captain Hall's arrival in Washington; 2. Voyage from New London to St John's; 3. Sailing directions on leaving Tessi-Ussak; 4. Drifting to the south; 5. Providence Berg; 6. Hall's instructions to Budington; 7. Captain Hall's sickness, death, and burial; 8. Hall's first interest in Arctic exploration; 9. Employment of the crew; 10. Command devolves on Captain Budington; 11. A busy crew; 12. Blasting ice about the vessel; 13. A meteor; 14. Winds during March; 15. Selection of the boats' crews; 16. Attempts to stop the leak; 17. Odell's monument; 18. The Polaris afloat; 19. Increase of twilight; 20. Leaving Life-boat Cove; 21. The ice-floe party; 22. The party abandon the floe; 23. The cruises of the United States steamers; 24. Examination of the ice-floe; 25. Report of the Prize Commission; Appendix; Index.
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