Here is the official report of the Expedition, prepared from the journals of the officers and men, including the incidents of George Tyson’s ice-floe party. William Barr, in his 2016 edition of Bessel’s journal, refers to this as a “sugar-coated” account of the expedition.
p. 54, a description of divine service in Godhavn: The services were very simple. Three hymns were sung, or rather chanted, in a low tone of voice, the slowness of utterance increasing the monotony. A passage of Scripture was read, prayers were offered, and a sermon preached.
p. 62, at Upernavik: The wooden house constructed by the crew of the Polaris was still standing, with its bunks, mattresses, fur niture, galley, &c, as also was the rough carpenter’s bench ; while provisions, instruments, books, and stores of various kinds were scattered in every direction. All the manuscripts, including a mutilated log-book, and all the other books not torn into pieces, together with some fire arms and broken instruments, the ship’s bell, and some medical stores, were taken on board the Tigress. The provisions were of no value. No cairn, or place of concealment
The wooden house constructed by the crew of the Polaris was still standing, with its bunks, mattresses, furniture, galley, &c, as also was the rough carpenter’s bench ; while provisions, instruments, books, and stores of various kinds were scattered in every direction. All the manuscripts, including a mutilated log-book, and all the other books not torn into pieces, together with some fire arms and broken instruments, the ship’s bell, and some medical stores, were taken on board the Tigress. The provisions were of no value. No cairn, or place of concealment.
The Seamen’s Friend Society of New York City, in addition to the gift of a ship’s library which they usually make to all vessels bound on long cruises, had presented to Captain Hall copies of “The Sailor’s Companion,” for use on the Polaris. This work, prepared by Dr. Jas. Alexander of Princeton, contains a manual of worship, forms for special occasions, and sermons from the pens of eminent divines. The society also presented copies of sermons by Rev. Dr. W. S. Plumer, D.C., of South Carolina. The American Tract Society gave a number of hymn-books, called “Songs of Zion.” The Bible Society had made a donation of a number of bibles. [cf. the library now at Mystic Seaport].
p. 101-02: At 11 a.m., all hands were called to the cabin to attend divine service. Before the service Captain Hall took the opportunity to speak of their work and future prospects. He said that the vessel had reached latitude 82◦ 26’ N.—a position higher than that attained by any other ship; that they had done all they could, and had only given in to a force that it was impossible to resist; that if it were God’s will that the vessel should continue to drift during the winter, they still might be proud of the success already accomplished…. In conclusion, he urged upon all to give the closest attention to the religious services in which they were about to engage, as, at that particular time, they all needed the assistance of a higher power.
p. 154-55, during Hall’s 1871 sledge trip: On the morning of the 17th, Captain Hall made the following record: “This morning read prayers; the beautiful and appropriate one of Dr. Newman’s, designed for the use of sledge-parties while away from the ship, traveling toward the North Pole. All listened to its impressive sentiments.” Dr. Newman, at the request of Captain Hall, had prepared three prayers for use on the expedition, which were printed in small books, for circulation among the men. These forms were frequently used at divine service on Sundays and at daily morning prayers. Becoming dissatisfied with that arrangement, and thinking that no exact form of words could express the particular wants and desires of each occasion, and that the men did not take much interest in the exercise when they knew exactly what would be said, Captain Hall had persuaded Mr. Bryan to offer extemporaneous prayer. He favored also extemporaneous speaking, and had frequently said that before the winter was over the written sermons must be laid aside, and the Sunday discourse be delivered without notes
p. 212-13, re William Morton: He had been with De Haven in the first Grinnell expedition (1850-51), and with Kane in the second (1853-55). Dr. Kane said of Morton that he was as gallant and trustworthy a man as ever shared the fortunes or claimed the gratitude of a commander. Morton transferred to Hall the allegiance he had formerly given to Kane.
Mr. E. Schumann, the engineer, had been assistant engineer in the service of the Lloyds Steamship Company, having been a long time on board the Saxonia. He was an excellent engineer and machinist. The manner in which he saved the Polaris from destruction (described in the body of this narrative), proved that he possessed great coolness and excellent judgment. When he joined the Polaris, he could scarcely speak a word of English; before he returned to the United States he not only spoke the language well and fluently, but enjoyed reading the works of Dickens.
p. 458, November 1872: On the 14th, though it was cloudy, no difficulty was experienced in reading the smallest type. Mr. Chester was busy copying his log into a smaller book, which would be more easily carried, while the original might be cached near the house.
p. 586, August 1873: The wooden house constructed by the crew of the Polaris was still standing, with its bunks, mattresses, furniture, galley, &c, as also was the rough carpenter’s bench; while provisions, instruments, books, and stores of various kinds were scattered in every direction. All the manuscripts, including a mutilated log-book, and all the other books not torn into pieces, together with some fire arms and broken instruments, the ship’s bell, and some medical stores, were taken on board the Tigress. The provisions were of no value. No cairn, or place of concealment, for records or papers was found.
p. 599: On the 21 [June 1873], Captain Hall’s large Arctic library was carefully packed in his trunk, taken about one-fourth of a mile in a direction E.S.E. from the house, and there placed in a cache; where also were deposited the pendulum, the transit-instrument without its glasses, three box-chronometers (sidereal), and the two log-books of the Polaris, together with a statement of what had been done by the Expedition. And of their present prospect of reaching in the boats either one of the Scotch whalers at Cape York, or the Danish settlements. [p. 670 inventory refers to “Two or three trunks containing the arctic library of the late Capt. C. F. Hall.”]