Emil Bessels was chief scientist and medical officer on George Francis Hall's ill-fated American North Pole Expedition of 1871-73 on board the ship Polaris. Bessels' book, translated from the German in its entirety for the first time, is one of only two first-hand accounts of the voyage, and it is the only first-hand account of the experiences of the group which stayed with the ship after it ran afoul of arctic ice, leaving some of its crew stranded on an ice floe. Bessels and the others spent a second winter on shore in Northwest Greenland, where the drifting, disabled ship ran aground. Hall died suspiciously during the first winter, and Bessels is widely suspected of having poisoned him. Bill Barr has uncovered new evidence of a possible motive. Essential reading for researchers and students of arctic exploration history, this book is also a compelling read for the interested general reader.
eBook - PDF
Polaris : The Chief Scientist's Recollections of the American North Pole Expedition, 1871-73
- 675 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
Polaris : The Chief Scientist's Recollections of the American North Pole Expedition, 1871-73
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Subtopic
World HistoryIndex
HistoryTable of contents
- Front Cover
- Series Page
- Full Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- List of Figures
- Expedition Members
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword
- Dedication
- Preface
- 1 | Origin of the expedition and its outfitting
- 2 | From New York to Newfoundland
- 3 | From Newfoundland to Greenland
- 4 | From Holsteinsborg to the northernmost settlement on Earth
- 5 | Historical review
- 6 | Into unknown territory
- 7 | The first days in Polaris Bay
- 8 | The first sledge journey
- 9 | Hall’s sledge trip
- 10 | In the realm of darkness
- 11 | The New Year
- 12 | Through darkness to the light
- 13 | The southern sledge trip
- 14 | Early summer
- 15 | The boat voyage north
- 16 | The summer
- 17 | Southward
- 18 | On terra firma
- 19 | An ethnographic sketch
- 20 | Further progress
- 21 | The start of the ice floe drift
- 22 | Between hopelessness and optimism
- 23 | Spring on the floe
- 24 | The seals
- 25 | Salvation
- 26 | The boat voyage in arctic waters
- 27 | Whaling
- 28 | The search
- 29 | Homeward bound
- Epilogue: Motive for Murder
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
- Appendix 3
- Appendix 4
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Polaris : The Chief Scientist's Recollections of the American North Pole Expedition, 1871-73 by William Barr in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & World History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.