James Hall (explorer) facts for kids

James Hall (who died in 1612) was an English explorer. In Denmark, people knew him as Jacob Hald. He was born in Hull.

Exploring Greenland for Denmark

James Hall was a skilled sailor and guide. He worked for King Christian IV of Denmark. The King sent several trips to Greenland. Hall was the pilot for three of these important journeys.

First Trips to Greenland

In 1605, Hall guided a ship led by John Cunningham. During this trip, he mapped the western coast of Greenland. He sailed quite far north, reaching about 68° 35' N.

The Search for Silver

On one of these early trips, explorers found silver in Greenland. This discovery made King Christian IV very excited. He decided to send bigger expeditions in the next two years, 1606 and 1607. These trips were led by Godske Lindenov and Carsten Richardson. However, these larger expeditions cost a lot of money. They did not find more silver and were not successful.

Final Voyage and Legacy

In 1612, James Hall went back to Greenland. This time, he was looking for the Northwest Passage. This was a famous sea route that explorers hoped would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Hall's English Ships

For this journey, Hall commanded two English ships. The larger ship was named Patience. It weighed 140 tons. The smaller ship was called Heart's-Ease, weighing 60 tons. A very important person on this trip was William Baffin. He was Hall's main pilot. Baffin later became a famous explorer himself.

An Encounter and Hall's Death

In July 1612, Hall's expedition met some Inuit people. This meeting happened in a place called Amerdloq Fjord. Sadly, one of the Inuit people attacked Hall with a spear. This happened because some Inuit had been taken by John Cunningham in 1605. Hall died the day after the attack. His death ended a career dedicated to exploring the Arctic.