The Grinnell place names represent only a small proportion of Hall’s commemoration of the generosity of his patrons, and of the achievements of other historical figures and explorers.Ī cursory review of Hall’s narrative of his experiences yielded more than approximately 75 place names, approximately 95 per cent of which of which appear on current topographic maps.Ī more thorough examination would undoubtedly increase raise the number to well over 100.
Other landforms named for the Grinnell family are Sylvia Island, at the eastern end of Lupton Channel, Cape Sarah (named after the wife of Henry Grinnell), which forms the northern boundary of the Countess of Warwick Sound, and Grinnell Glacier, on the south side of Frobisher Bay. I therefore, with the flag of my country in one hand, my other in the limpid stream, denominate it ‘Sylvia Grinnell River.’ I know of no fitter name to bestow upon it than that of the daughter of my generous, esteemed friend, Henry Grinnell. I see not why this river should not have an American name. On the morning of August 26 he named the river that flows today beside Iqaluit: In keeping with a tradition of explorers throughout history, Hall expressed gratitude to his benefactor by naming several landforms in the Frobisher Bay area after members of the Grinnell family. Henry Grinnell, a New York businessman, had a keen interest in the Franklin expedition and was among the most generous of Hall’s financial backers. This was their thirteenth encampment of the trip, and Hall was impressed not only by the abundance of fish and wildlife that they encountered in the area, but also by the week of beautiful weather that they were favored with.īecause expeditions such as Hall’s were costly, funding was often obtained through the aid of influential supporters of a project. Hall and his companions departed from Cyrus Field Bay on August 9, 1861, sailing through Lupton Channel into Frobisher Bay and then proceeding northwesterly along the north shore toward the head of the bay (which at the time was shown on maps as a “strait”).īetween August 23 and 29, the group camped on the west side of what is now known as the Sylvia Grinnell River, not far from Davidson Point. One of the longest trips undertaken was the attempt to circumnavigate Frobisher Bay in the summer of 1861. His lessons in survival were learned first-hand by traveling extensively with his Inuit teachers throughout the year. Hall never made the planned journey across Baffin Island, but did reach and explore the King William Island Boothia Peninsula region from 1864 to 1869.ĭuring the 28 months he resided with the Nugumiut, Hall not only learned to speak basic Inuktitut, but also a great deal about the prerequisites for survival in the Arctic. Hall proposed to reach the latter region through a somewhat ambitious itinerary: traveling from Cyrus Field Bay north to Northumberland Inlet (Cumberland Sound), west to Nettilling Lake via Nettilling Fiord (and several portages), across Nettilling Lake to Fox Channel (Foxe Basin) via the Koukdjuak River, and then north again to Igloolik.įrom Igloolik he planned to eventually travel west to several destinations in the area around King William Island. To accomplish this Hall felt it was critical that he learn the customs of the Inuit, and especially the Inuktitut language, which would allow him to personally interview Inuit from the King William Island and Boothia Peninsula districts, which were to be the focus of his later search.
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