A mediocre recounting of the Polaris expedition, the poisoning of Captain Hall, the Tyson trip on the ice floe. Nothing about reading except one note on the presence of books.
p. 250, on abandoned camp on Littleton Island: The winter camp was a scene of complete disorder and wilful destruction…. But its condition showed that no pains had been taken to seal up or preserve in any way the records, books, or scientific instruments. Also, a careful search failed to reveal any written record of Polaris being abandoned. Violating one of the oldest rules of Arctic exploring, there had been nothing left in writing about which route the men intended to go looking for rescue.
Tyson uncovered a log book, out of which was torn, he noted, all reference to the death of Captain Hall. Also strangely missing from the chronology, much to Tyson’s discontent, was any account of the October 15 separation of eighteen souls left on the ice. He did find this disturbing undated note: ‘Captain Hall’s papers thrown overboard today.’