Sometimes called Hall’s Second Grinnell Expedition which left Hall dead of arsenic poisoning, probably at the hands of the expedition doctor, Dr Bemmels.
p. 24, Prof. Silliman as reported in the Hartford Courant, endorsing in 1863 Hall’s next expedition:
Mr. Hall possesses much knowledge not found in books, the fruits of his own experience; the discoveries he has made in the Polar Regions are regarded by geographers as of decided importance. Indeed, he did not himself realize that importance until since his return after more than two years’ exile. No civilized man has, heretofore, been able to identify himself so completely with the Eskimos. Speaking their language and adopting their modes of life and of voyaging, he is enabled to reach with safety, and even with comfort, regions hitherto deemed inaccessible. Old Martin Frobisher has become redivivus under the very unexpected revelations now made.
p. 32: It ought further to be said that the ship captain with whom he [Hall] had sailed on his first voyage, unhesitatingly declared that he had made himself a fair navigator on the outward course, having availed himself of what opportunities he could command for receiving practical instruction in New York before sailing.On his return he had presented to Mr. J. Ingersoll Bowditch the corrections of a number of typographical and other errors in “The Navigator,” which were adopted in the subsequent editions, in regard to which corrections he had replied to an inquiry from Mr. G. W. Blunt by saying that “he had made them while working through Bowditch during a winter in the igloos.”
p. 74-75: It is a matter of surprise that during the very many tedious Arctic hours spent within them by Hall he could bear with fortitude their worst evils; and could, at the same time, write his notes with such fullness, study and correct typographical errors in his Bowditch, and work up his observations.
p. 144: Ebierbing, on the day following, while on an unsuccessful walrus hunt, killed one of a large flock of eider-ducks (Mei-tuks). Of the weight of which Hall satisfied himself by first balancing it with the two books “The Fate of Franklin” and “Burritt’s Geography of the Heavens” in a tin kettle, and then balancing these volumes with a bag of rifle-balls. He found the weight of the duck to be that of 312 rifle-balls, = 6 pounds.
p. 214: Having always taken great care of his Arctic library, even in his removals from place to place, he again devoted his spare hours to study. Finding his books, in the early part of the season, in great danger of being injured by the dampness, he attempted by himself to build for the a new igloo; but, while cutting the blocks short distance off, Ar-mou quickly cut out others from the spot on which the igloo was to be built, and surprised him on his return by presenting him with a complete dome.
p. 405, on natives finding various goods on one of Franklin’s ships and a boat found nearby: The boat had not been touched, and a great many papers and books and written stuff were in it. [These are all trash to the Innuits; the winds and the weather had made destructive work with them. The Innuits would trample them under feet s if grass.]
p. 422, July 1869: Day after day I have been reading and re-reading the books I have with me on Arctic voyages. How my soul longs for the time to come when I can be on my North Pole Expedition! I cannot, if I would, restrain my zeal for making Arctic discoveries. [Goes on to describe his plans for 1870, based on proximity to the Pole itself.]