Arctic Experiences: Containing Capt. George E. Tyson’s Wonderful Drift on the Ice-Floe, A History of the Polaris Expedition, the Cruise of the Tigress, and Rescue of the Polaris Expedition, to which is added a General Arctic Chronology

Charles Francis Hall’s North Polar Expedition (1871-73) intended to be the first to reach the North Pole. It was troubled throughout by insubordination, incompetence, and poor leadership. Hall himself died of suspected arsenic poisoning following a sledge journey. The expedition did manage to reach 82°29'N latitude, a record by ship, but on the return journey south 19 members of the crew became separated from the ship and drifted on an ice floe for six months and 1,800 miles. The damaged Polaris was run aground and wrecked near Etah, Greenland, in October 1872. The remaining men were able to survive the winter and were rescued the following summer. Following the sinking of the Polaris and rescue of Hall’s crew a Navy inquiry was held to determine Hall’s death and subsequent events. Tyson was the assistant navigator and provides his account of being stranded on an ice flow, fortunately in the company of experienced Inuit on whom they counted for survival. They were rescued by the sealer Tigress. This is one of several books on the Polaris disaster.