The Land of Desolation: Being a Personal Narrative of Observation and Adventure in Greenland

Name: The Land of Desolation: Being a Personal Narrative of Observation and Adventure in Greenland
Author: I. I. Hayes

By I. I. Hayes

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Adventure History - Other Travel Writing

About This Book

The author recounts a summer voyage to Greenland with a small party aboard a steam yacht, combining travelogue, natural history, and antiquarian inquiry. Early sections describe Norse ruins along the coast and encounters with local communities; middle chapters examine glaciers and icebergs, including observations on formation, measurements, and dangerous crossings; later material follows navigation under the midnight sun, hunting excursions, passage through Melville Bay's ice-fields, and visits to remote settlements. The narrative mixes descriptive scene-setting, practical accounts of Arctic navigation and survival, scientific speculation, and social sketches of gatherings, hunters, and island life.

About the Author

I. I. Hayes

I. I. Hayes was an American author and explorer known for his vivid narratives of Arctic exploration. His works often blend adventure with personal observation, providing readers with a glimpse into the harsh realities of polar environments. Notable among his writings is "The Open Polar Sea," which recounts a voyage of discovery towards the North Pole aboard the schooner "United States." Hayes also penned "The Land of Desolation," a personal narrative detailing his experiences and observations in Greenland, and "Cast Away in the Cold," which tells the story of a young man's adventures as recounted by Captain John Hardy. Through his literature, Hayes contributed to the understanding of polar exploration during the 19th century.