Life with the Esquimaux
The Narrative of Captain Charles Francis Hall of the Whaling Barque George Henry from the 29th May, 1860, to the 13th September, 1862

First published in 1864, this two-volume work describes the American explorer Charles Francis Hall's first Arctic expedition.

Charles Francis Hall (Author)

9781108041386, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 29 December 2011

346 pages, 41 b/w illus. 2 maps
21.6 x 14 x 2 cm, 0.44 kg

In 1860, Charles Francis Hall (1821–71), the American polar explorer, embarked on the first of two voyages to the Canadian Arctic region aimed at investigating the fate of Sir John Franklin's lost expedition of 1847. During his time in the Arctic, Hall lived amongst the Inuit community, learning their language and embracing their everyday life. First published in 1864, Hall's recollections remain of great interest to anthropologists, sociologists and geographers. His eye-witness accounts of the indigenous people's dwellings, interpersonal relationships, hunting pursuits, birth and death rites, methods of transport, and survival strategies in severe weather conditions provide an insight into Inuit culture in the nineteenth century. Volume 1 describes Hall's journey north, arrival at Holsteinborg, the Danish administrative centre in Greenland, and onward voyage to Baffin Island, where his search for traces of Franklin, and his experience of Inuit life, began.

Preface
Introduction
1. Departure
2. Land and visit the Governor
3. Visit of Governor Elberg to the ship
4. Crossing Davis's Straits
5. Visit by the natives
6. First visit to Frobisher Bay
7. Boat incident
8. Splendid displays of the Aurora
9. Visit to Esquimaux village
10. Remarkable echo
11. Rough travelling overland
12. Writing under difficulties
13. Irksome change from a snow house to the ship's cabin
14. Visit by some Innuits
15. First excursion in Frobisher Bay
16. Snow-blindness
17. A successful deer-hunt.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC]