In the mid-19th century, Dr. Isaac Israel Hayes was a member of the Amer. arctic expedition under the command of Dr. Elisha Kent Kane in search of the lost British explorer Sir John Franklin. Through his own hard fought experiences, combined with the knowledge learned from Polar Eskimos, he successfully influenced the course of Arctic discovery. As an elected politician in New York State during its Gilded Age, Hayes served the 'public good' for a decade, with accomplishments as far reaching as his Arctic service. In this book, the story emerges of a remarkable but forgotten explorer, writer, politician, and humanitarian who epitomized the rugged and restless spirit of adventure and individualism of 19th-century America. Illustrations.