Life with the Esquimaux 2 Volume Set

First published in 1864, this two-volume work is an account by the American explorer Charles Francis Hall (1821–71) of his journey to the Arctic to investigate the fate of Sir John Franklin's 1847 expedition, describing both the search for Franklin and also the daily lives of the Inuit people.

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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, hunting pursuits, birth and death rites, transportation, interpersonal relationships, 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. In Volume 2 he tells of his various journeys around Frobisher Bay, where he discovers artefacts from Martin Frobisher's sixteenth-century mining venture.