EARLY LIFE OF CAPTAIN HALL. 569 



spare space to notice his pedigree or birth, but only re- 

 mark that he was a native of Vermont; his parents 

 had left there when he was still very young, and he lived 

 for upwards of fifteen years in Cincinnati. He evinced 

 a fondness for books of travel and adventure in early boy- 

 hood. Having been put to the trade of engraving, he de- 

 voted his spare change to procuring, and his spare momenta 

 to reading, works of this class. He early became an ardent 

 sharer in the interest in the then uncertain fate of Sir John 

 Franklin, and in 1850 began to look forward to taking an 

 active part in the search for him and his party, or at least 

 for some certain information concerning them. It was 

 about this time that the first Grinnell expedition was in 

 course of fitting out, and the popular interest was intense 

 throughout this country and indeed in all parts of the 

 civilized world. Hall, during the next decade, became 

 not only an enthusiastic student, but devoted every mo- 

 ment of leisure at his command to acquainting himself 

 with all that was known in regard to polar matters ; and 

 being of active mind, he made his own deductions, formed 

 his own opinions, and matured his own plans. 



In 1854, Hall's sympathies were deeply stirred by the 

 heroic conduct of Lady Franklin in organizing and 

 equipping an expedition at her own expense (see Chapter 

 XXI.). Notwithstanding the discoveries of Rae and An- 

 derson, there was still much mystery enveloping the fate 

 of some of Sir John Franklin's men, and this mystery Hall 

 felt could and should be unraveled. He resolved upon 

 an attempt to co-operate with Lady Franklin's expedi- 

 tion, and with him to resolve was to do, and he immedi- 

 ately set about his arrangements for the most remark- 

 able expedition on record. 



We quote here an extract from an article in the New 

 York Tribune of June 1st, 1860, as it in a few words 

 states the objects, and describes the starting, of Hall's first 

 expedition. 



