The Open Polar Sea: A Narrative of a Voyage of Discovery Towards the North Pole, in the Schooner “United States”
Author(s):
Hayes, Dr. I. I.
Copyright: 1867, Hurd & Houghton, NY
Specifications: 1st, 8vo, pp.xxiv, 454, frontis w/ tissue guard, 5 (of 6) illus, 30 tail pieces, 3 color maps, brick-red beveled cloth
Condition: cloth w/ split/wear bottom spine, small bookplate on front pastedown, 1 prelim page loose, tight, vg
Hayes (1832-1881) was an American Arctic explorer, physician, and politician. His first Arctic expedition came as ship’s surgeon for Elisha Kane’s Second Grinnell Expedition (1853-55) in search of sir John Franklin’s lost expedition.
Hayes’ second expedition, led by him and the subject of this day-by-day account, was from 1860-61. He claimed to have reached the farthest north; on the Ellesmere Island coast at 81°35' north, 70°30' west. It was later found that this position is deep within Ellesmere, not on the coast, and that Hayes's resulting map of Ellesmere north of 80° north was erroneous, his farthest north actually being at Cape Collinson, less than 10 miles north of 80° north.