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1 2 3

'y\P^'^^

NORTH POLAR EXPEDITION.

J-^

N\)^T

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lliin'iHi. KriuriiMitU \ rihiliiiu.

!**•

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iHlK'lItt 1 IIUti«lll« >■. ' .

.=1

NARRATI\'F

or Tim

NORTH POLAR EXPEDITION.

U. S. SHIP POLARIS,

°-x... .„^,,^ ^^^^^ ^^^ oo„«....^<,.

BDITBD UNUBR THE DIRECTION OV THE

Hon. G. M. ROBESON,

SECKETABY OI Thk navv.

n^n.A:o^,^^^ a, H. OAVIS, U. S. N.

U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY,
1S76.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT Primtix,^

PRINTING OFFICE.

1876.

!v'

^\V^^\.,|.</^^ i'ill-73

>Lz"^

This narrative has be«ii prepared from official papers and from
journals of the officers and men of the Expedition, as well as from
valuable private contributions acknowledged in the text. The thread
of the story of the Polaris has been drawn chiefly from a compilation
made by Mr. K. W. D. Bryan, the Astronomer of the Expedition ;
the incidents of the ice-floe party have been furnished by the journals
and note-books of Geo. E. Tyson, Assistant l^avigator, and of others
with him on the floe, and by the testimony given before the board
organized by the Secretary of the Navy, June 5, 1873.

NOTE.

The final revision and proof-correction of Chapters XIX to XXV
having been entrusted to me by Admiral Davis at the time of his fail-
ing health, I have endeavored to present this part of the Narrative
with the accuracy which he would have approved.

J. E. NOURSE,

Prof. U. S. N.
U. S. Naval Obsekvatory, March 30, 1877.

A photolithograph of Hall's last dispatch, brought from New-
man's Bay by the late English Expedition and forwarded by Sir
George Nares to the Navy Department, is inserted at page 170 of
this edition. J. E. N.

U. S. Naval Observatory, March 1, 1878.

XXV

is fail-
'rative

New-
)y Sir
170 of

. N.

CONTENTS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION

Pago.
17-81

CU AFTER I.

Captam Hall's Arrival in Wasbington-Leoturo-Congre^sional Action-Commieeion-Selection
and Fatting Out of the Periwinkle-Instructions of the Secretary of the Navy-Voyage from
Wash.ngtoa to New York-Complement-Eeception o?Hall by the Americau Geographi-
cal Socety-Hall's Objects and Views-The Smith's Sound Route-Ultimate Purpose .... 25-43

OnAPTER II.

Voyage from New London to St. John'o-Fiekernaes-Lichtenfels-Holsteinborg-Swedish Scieu-

t.floExpod,t.on-Godhavu-TheUuitedState8ShipCongre88-Upernavik-Han8Hendrick-
King-itoke-Tcssi-Ussak-l'iospeots on Leaving this Port „_Qg

CHAPTER III.

Sailing Directions on Leaving Tessi-Ussak-Crossing Melville Bay-Cape York-Wolstenholmo
Sound-Walrus-Passing Cape Alexander-Smith's Sound Found Open-Seekinga Harbor-
Kennedy Channel-First Discovery-Highest Point Reached qq_qq

CHAPTER IV.

Drifting to the Sonth--Seeking a Harbor-Consultation-Beset-A Nip-Placing Stores on the

Ice-CastingOff-Steamingin to the Land-AtAnchor in "Thank-God Harbor" 89-106

CHAPTER V.

Providence Berg-Character of the Land-Cape Lupton-Surveys-Preparations for Winter-
Ice Movements-A Wearisome Walk-A Huntiug Party-A Musk-ox Seen-Tidal Obscrva-

EsTat;; hT"7' ??7 "'''" ''*' Polaris-Preparations for Sledge-journey-Routine
ii-stablished on Board the Polaris

103-138

CHAPTER VI.

Ilall-s Instructions to Budington-Starts on Sledge-journey-Account of the Journey-Last
S.gh of to Sun-Newman's Bay-Cape Brevoort-Higbest Point Reached on Land-DTs-
pateh, to the Secretary of the Navy, Deposited-A fitorm-The Return to the Ship 141 ro

" Contents.

CHAPTER VII.

Captaiu Hull's Sickness, Death, and Burial ^»e»-

173-185

CHAPTER VIII.

Hairs First Interest in Arctic Exploration-His Expedition of 1860-63 and its Results-Rolics of

lrob,sher'sExpeda.ons-Hall'sSecond Expedition, 1864-69-His Letter to JudgeC.P Daly

thrPdal ."^^^^

189-214

CHAPTER IX.

Employment of the Crew of the Polaris during the Sickness of Captain Hall 217.223

CHAPTER X.

CommandofthePolarisDevolveson Captain Budington-Consnltation between CaptainBading-
ton and Dr. Bessels-Lime Juice Regularly Served-A Severe Storm-The Polaris Adrift-
Protected by Providence Berg-A Southwest Gale-The Polaris Driven toward the Shore-

IhnnksgivingDay

227-249

CHAPTER Xr.

A Busy Crew-Halos and Auroras-Strain on the Ve.sel-Making Sledges-Christmas Eve-
Chr.stmas D.nner-Situation of the Polaris-Discomforts-Welcoming the New Year-
Amount of Coal on Hand

253-271

CHAPTER XII.

Blasting Ice Aoont the Vessel-Pendulum Observations-Increasing Twilight-Aurora^Health

tTon " 7,Zr ^'''" " """"""^ Strait-Short Excursions from the Polaris-Observa-
tions with the Magnetometer-Heavy Gales

275-292

CHAPTER XIII.

A *^^teor-Auroras and Magnetic Disturbances-Amusements-Paraselena3-Dr. Bessels' Sketch

of a Plan of Operations- Washington's Birthday-Return of the Sun 295-316

CHAPTER XIV.

Winds during March-Strain on the Vessel-Increasing Sunlight-Photograph of the Polaris-
Land and Water Animals-Ferocity of the Dogs-Sledge-journey to the South 319^33

CHAPTER XV.

Selection of the 13oats' Crews -Return of the SI,dge-party-Accouut of their Journey-Descrip-
^onof an Igloo-Petermann Fiord-Cape Morton-Cape Bryan-Kennedy Channel-A Bear
K.lR.d--S.gns of Scurvy-Musk-ox Hunting- The Sun at Midnight-Highest Point Reached
on Land— Boats Taken to Capo Lnpton

* 337-363

Contents.

starts on Boat-jonrney-Loses his Boat- ^"*°

3(17-397

401-435*

439-464

CHAPTER XVJ.

Attempts to Stop the Leak-Surveying-Mr. Chester

CHAPTER XVII.

cap. C,miu,tLl^^Z^TZ^:^, '''^"•'" Ch„„el-H».. ,.,..._

CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XX.

499-519

CHAPTER XXI.

Providential Relief-A Bear Kinea-O^en;!":^: - " ""'"'"'''"" ^''^'^-

CHAPTER XXII

.-...-wau..-r;r--:r-:-^^^^^^^^

CHAPTER XXIII.

579-ii9a

- 4(57-496

583-554

^^ Contents.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Exniniuation of the loe-floo and the Badingtou Parties -Report of the Board of Inquiry sSl^^l

CHAPTER XXV.

Report of the Prize Commission of the GeograpLical Society of Paris, Awarding the Eonuette

Medal to Captain Hall

C25-«31

APPENDIX.

I. Instructions of the National Academy of Sciences

II. Correspondence between the British Admiralty and the United States Navy Department' in

Relation to the Stores loft by the Polaris Expedition on the West Coast of Greenland 665-672

III. Journals of Mr. H.C.Chester and Captain George E. Tyson while on Boat-journeys .Tune-

July, 1872 J. ""

IV. Journals used in the Preparation of the Narrative of the Polaris Expedition'".... .!.".. 685-686

INDEX

689-696

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

A Sledge Party

Stamp for cover.

(Designed and drawn by Lieutenant Con-monder C. H. Darl«. V. S. N.J

STEEL ENGRAVINGS.

1 Executed at the Bureau of Bugrnvlng. United Statea Treasury Department.1

Portrait of Hall, (from a photograph taken in 18&3) -. . .

WOOD BNGBA VINOS.

wooa Dy Mr. T. W. SmilUe, and engraved by Mr. H. H. Nloliola.J

FIskemaes Page.

Lichtenfela 48

Holsteinborg '" 50

Qodhavu 58

Working Through Ice ^^

Shooting Walrus 70

Passing Fitz Clarence Eock "^^

Landing Stores on the Ice ' "^^

ThePolarisin Thank-God Harbor "". ^^

Killing the First Mu8k-0x ^^

Funeral of Captain Hall ***

Captain Hall's Grave 182

The Polaris Adrift ,- 185

Fastening to Providence Berg ' ^^

Ravine near Tbank-God Harbor * ^^

Cape Lupton 249

An Aurora 292

The Polaris on Providence Berg...... .'.'*." 298

The Polaris and Providence Berg ^*

386

■"^Sfwrntl^SS^^m^

12 Illustrations.

Uoat-Canip, Nowinnn'ii Day 394

Captain Tyson's Hoat y^

Stoaniinf; into Kennedy Cbannel 40(j

Before Separation, October 15, 1873 488

The Ilonse on tlio Floe 435

PolariH HonHO 492

I'^onllto Fiord 494

Uouts PiiKinR Sorfalilf 500

Doata near Halilnyt iHlund 502

Landing on Nortlmmberland Island 504

Boat Camp, Dairy niplo Island 506

Sighting the Eavonscraig 510

The Separation, October 15, 1872 524

Upornavik 580

Tessi-Ussak 5g8

An Arctic Moonlight Scene 594

Cairn at Cape Brevoorfc , 152

FarascleuiD 304

The Eoqaotte Medal 631

TAIL-PIEOES.

Esquimaux Sledge 43

Head of an Esquimaux 66

The Polaris Among Ice g6

An Arctic Owl , j06

Seals on Ice 131^

The Polaris under Sail and Steam I70

An Eagle 214

Head of an Esquimaux Dog 223

AGull .■.■.".. 271

A Greenland Esquimaux House 3jg

An Arctic Fox , 33.^

A Polar Bear 3g3

An Oomiuk 4^54

Keiudeer ^(jg

A Luramo 5jg

An Igloo 554

Eider Ducks 5yg

An Iceberg 593

Walrus ,j2i

Illustrations.

PnOTOLITnOGRA PHS.

Soalo-drawing of tbo Polaris

Deck-plans of tfcn Polaris

IFrom drawing, farnl.hed by N»t«1 Con.truotor a F.

fti*.

DiJano. United SUtet Novy.]

Maps.

Oeneral Map

Track of Hall's Last Sledge-Journey.!

Map of Hall's First and Second Arctic E'idVtio'nsZ"

Discoveries of tl.Prrr''""'"'"""''"'^"'"'^"'"*'"""'^

.eeu, la perhap. nearer the truth.] '" " '*"°""' ""^^ ""«« '«" »'*•'« l.Utudeof the most northe™ la" d JLI

Track of the Polaris While Beset

Track of the United States Steamers tI^;;;; and J^iia;;

ITW, n,.p wa. taken from th. report of the SecreU.^ o^i^^^^i^^:^,

46
150
194

356

414

C84

INTRODUCTION.

It appears from the letters and papers of Captain
Hall, purchased by the Government from his widow and
now in possession of the Navy Department, that the ex-
pedition of the Polaris to the Arctic regions originated
with him and was carried into execution according to his
own plans.

During two prolonged residences among the Esqui-
maux—a period, to use his own language, of "about
eight years "~he repeatedly speaks of his desire and
purpose to lead s-ich an expedition. Indeed, as far back
as the beginning of the year 1863, in a letter written to
Mr. L. J. Cist, of Saint Louis, shortly after his return
from his first expedition, he says : " My third voyage to
the Arctic regions will be (D. V.) for discovery, to° the
northern axis of the great globe." This resolution he
steadily maintained until the opportunity presented itself
for carrying it into execution. .

*^ Introduction.

In order to show this more fully, and to furnish at
the same time the means of making a just estimate of his
character and purpose, the following extracts are given
from his journal :

''April 14, 1865.-— We are nearly all ready for the
proposed removal. North, north, farther and farther
NOETH, I long to get. Though the locality of King
William's Land is all I aspire to on this present journey,
yet I never will be satisfied in voyaging and traveling in
the Arctic regions until I shall reach that spot of this
^ great and glorious orb of God's creation where there is no
North, no East, no West. Of course, that mundane point
is the one nearly under Polaris:'

"March 4, 1866.~The end will soon be, I trust, when
I shall have done what I came to this country to do, and
then may God grant me the opportunity and the proper
means to make my way to the north exir&me of His
glorious earth."

''February 16, 1869.-^1 must (Deo volente) do up
all my work for which I came into this country this
spring and coming summer, for I long to return to Amer-
ica, to prepare at once for my expedition to the North
Pole. Night and day, day and night, weeks, months
and years, find my heart and purposes fixed, without a
shadow of wavering, on making that voyage. May
Heaven spare my life to perform it."

Introduction,

The following extract is from a letter written in 1869
to Mr. A. B. Johnson, president of the Teachers' Institute
of Hamilton County, Ohio, on accepting an invitation to
lecture before the Institute:

"Although the primary object of ray voyages to the
North has not been for geogi-aphy, yet I have been en-
abled to make considerable advance in geographical dis-
coveries. There is a great sad blot upon the present age,
which ought to be wiped out, and this is the blank on our
maps and artificial globes from about the parallel of 80°
North up to the North Pole. I, for one, hang my head in
shame, when I think how many thousands of years ago
it was that God gave to man this beautiful world— the
whole of it— to subdue, and yet that part of it which
must be most interesting and glorious, at least so to me,
remains as unknown to us as though it had never been
created. Havin ~ now completed my Arctic collegiate ed-
ucation, I feel to spend my life in extending our knowl-
edge of the earth up to that spot which is directly under
Polaris— the crowning jewel of the Arctic dome. I hope
to start on my next voyage next spring. Shortly, I
expect to apply to our Government for its aid, feeling that
the day has come when the great problem of ages on
ages must be solved under the stars and stripes."

March 29, 1870, he writes to the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations:

1ft

*^ Introduction.

"For years I have had it in ray mind that when I
should complete the mission relative to Sir John Frank-
lin's expedition— that is, should recover some of Franklin's
companions, or should become satisaedthat none existed—
I would return to my country and prepare for making a
third voyage to the Arctic regions, especially for making
geographical discoveries, even up to the north extremity
of the axis of our globe. **•*««
N'either glory nor money has caused me to devote my
very life and soul to Arctic exploration."

These quotations are given precisely in the form and
language in which they were written. Hall had ex-
pressed himself in like terms to that fast friend of this, as
of previous Arctic explorations, Mr. Henry Grinnell of
New York City, writing to him from Washington on the
8th of March. 1870, thus: "In three to five years, I
doubt not, with the same aid and protection of high
Heaven as on my two previous Arctic voyages, I would
fully accomplish the determination of my burning soul,
which determination, my dear Mr. Grinnell, you know to
be to put my foot on the north extremity of the axis of
the globe."

■

Introduction,

Thus it appears that Captain Hall, in single-minded
devotion to the cause of Arctic exploration, is worthy to
be placed by the side of x>arry, Franklin, and Kane.
This devotion was not merely a sentiment; on the con-
trary, during his long residence among the Esquimaux,
his constant aim was to qualify himself for this service by
adopting, throughout, the Esquimaux mode of life ; by
habituating himself to their manners and customs; and by
acquiring a practical knowledge of the geography of the
Arctic regions and of the native mode of traveling. On
his return from this region in 1869, he immediately be-
gan, by lecturing in various parts of the United States, to
mature a public opinion favorable to his enterprise.
After lecturing in New York, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Cin-
cinnati, and several other cities as far west as Indianap-
olis, he went to Washington and commenced those eftbrts
which terminated successfully in procuring the appropria-
tion granted by Congress for the Polaris Expedition.

■

CHAPTER I.

Captain Hall arrived in Washington January 30,
1870. A few days after his arrival he called on the
President of the United States, who manifested so great
an interest in the proposed Arctic researches as to draw
from Hall a statement of his life and experiences among
the Esquimaux. Hall was strongly impressed not only
by the President's sympathy and kindness but also by
the knowledge he displayed of the whole field of Arctic
exploration.

It may be stated here, once for all, that tho authority
for everything relating to Hall, personally, is derived
from his correspondence chiefly addressed to the late Mr.
Henry Grinnell of New York, and to Mr. J. Carson Bre-
voort of Brooklyn.

On the 2d of March he accepted an invitation to
lecture on his "Arctic Expeditions, Past and Prospect-
ive," signed by the Vice-President, by members of the
Cabinet, Senators, Representatives, and citizens of Wash-

1870.

f ii

1870.

. pi

HalVs Lecture in Washington.

ington. This lecture, delivered March 5th in Lincoln
Hall, was attended by the President and by many dis-
tinguished citizens in public and private life, who mani-
fested a deep interest in Captain Hall's work.

In a private letter to his friend, Mr. Grinnell, he
speaks of this fact with feeling, and dwells particularly on
the marks of approbation which the mention of the appro-
priation for the proposed expedition elicited. The histor-
ical part of this lecture, illustrated by maps and charts,
related chiefly to the expedition of Franklin, and the fate
of his officers and men. Next to this, that which most
engaged the attention of the audience was a full descrip-
tion of Esquimaux habits and life, domestic and nomadic,
in all particulars; exemplified, to some extent by the
natives Ebierbing (Joe), and Tookoolitoo (Hannah), his
wife, who were present with their child Punny (Sijlvia).
On the 8th of March, 1870, a joint resolution rela-
tive to a voyage to the Arctic regions was introduced in
the House of Representatives by Hon. J. Stevenson,
of Ohio, which, after having been read a second time,
was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. This
committee had been already prepared for the subject by
memorials proceeding from distinguished sources in vari-
ous parts of the country.

On the 25th of March, 1870, Hon. John Sherman,
of Ohio, obtained the unanimous consent of the Senate to

Congressional Action.

bring in a similar resolution ; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. On the
19th of April Hon. Charles Sumner, chairman of that
committee, reported the resolui on with amendments; and
on the 23d of May Mr. Sumner introduced the amended
resolution as an amendment to the general appropriation
bill. Upon its adoption the Senate was equally divided ;
Vice-President Colfax secured it by his casting vote. On
the 9th of July the House of Representatives agreed to
the amendment, provided that the sum of |50,000 was
inserted in the place of |100,000 ; in which amendment
the Senate the same day concurred.

The appropriation finally passed in the following
terms, (sec. 9 of the Legislative, Executive, and Ju(^'V:al
Appropriation bill:)

''Be it enacted, That the President of the United
States be authorized to organize and send out one or more
expeditions toward the North Pole, and to appoint such
person or persons as he may deem most fitted to the com^
mand thereof; to detail any officer of the public service
to take part in the same, and to use any public vessel that
may be suitable for the purpose; the scientific operations
of the expeditions to be prescribed in accordance with the
advice of the National Academy of Sciences; and that
the sum of fifty thousand dollars, or such part thereof as
may be necessary, be hereby appropriated, out of any

i«

:iil

HcUVa Commission.

isrc. moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be
expended under the direction of ihe President."

The act was approved by the President, July 12,
at which time the actual history of this expedition begins!
Eight days after its approval the President of the
United States issued to Captain Hall the following com-
mission appointing him commander of the expedition
toward the North Pole :

"Executive Mansion,
''Washington, D. C, July 20, 1870.
"Dear Sir: You are hereby appointed to command
the expedition toward the North Pole, to be organized
and sent out pursuant to an act of Congress approved
July 12, 1870, and will report to the Secretary of the
Navy and the Secretary of the Interior for detailed in-
structions.

"U. S. Grant.
"Capt. C. F. Hall."

The President also sanctioned the selection by the
Secretary of the Navy of a vessel suitable for the pur-
pose. The United States Steamer Periwinkle, fourth-
rate, a staunch tug of 387 tons burden, was selected.

In order to qualify her for the service, she was
hauled up on the ways at the Washington navy-yard; her
wales, planking, clamps, and ceiling were removed, and

-n

"tf

■ - - .4. uKwt si*i»si3am

•■**•£ S

I^n

■g -

>?*■

:<t^^iHMMW"

^^H|

The Vessel.

her decks were taken out. She was newly and heavily
timbered and her depth increased, making the vessel about
400 tons. She was newly planked inside and out, new
deck-beams of increased size were put in, and new plank-
ing was given her. The bottom was thoroughly calked,
then double-planked, calked, and coppered. New bulk-
heads and inboard works, new spars, rigging, sails, and
boats were added. The propeller-well and shoe were
protected against accident, and all of the fittings were
made as required to meet any contingencies which might
arise during the perilous voyage. Everything deemed
necessary for safety and comfort was done to the vessel
which professional skill could suggest. No vessel, even if
especially built, could have been better adapted to the
service than the Periwinkle.

The Periwinkle, thus rebuilt, was launched at the
Washington navy-yard April 25, 1871, and named the
Polaris by her future commander, under his sanguine ex-
pectation of the fullest success.

On the 31st of May, the President of the United
Steites, the Secretary of the Navy, and other high officers
of the Government, inspected the vessel and were enier-
tained by her commander.

She sailed from Washington June 10, 1871, under
the following instructions :

29
1871.

I '

isri.

Tnslrwtions.

"Navy Dbpaetment, June 9, 1871.
"Sm: Having been appointed, by the President of
the United States, commander of the expedition toward
the North Pole, and the steamer Polaris having been fitted,
equipped, provisioned, and assigned for the purpose, you
are placed in command of the said vessel, her officers and
crew, for the purposes of the said expedition. Having
taken command, you will proceed in the vessel, at the
earliest possible date, from the navy-yard in this city to
New York. From New York yon will proceed to the first
favorable port you are able to make on the west coast of
Greenland, stopping, if you deem it desirable, at St. John
Newfoundland. From the fir.1 port made by you on the
west coast of Greenland, if farther south than Holstein-
borg, you will proceed to that port, and thence to God-
havn, (or Lievely), in the island of Disco. At some one of
the ports above referred to you will probably meet a trans-
port, sent by the Department, with additional coal and
stores, from which you will supply yourself lo the fullest
cariymg capacity of the Polaris. Should you fall in with
the transport before making either of the ports aforesaid
or should you obtain information of her being at, or hav-
ing landed her stores at, any port south of the island of
Disco, you will at once proceed to put yourself in commu-
nication with the commander of the transport, and supply
yourself with the additional stores and coal, taking such

Instructions.

"measures as may be most expedient and convenient for
that purpose. SLouId you not hear of the transport before
reaehmg Holsteinborg, you will remain at that port, wait-
ing for her and your supplies, a. long as the object of your
expedition will permit you to delay for that purpose.
After waiting as long as is safe, under all the circum-
stances as they may present themselves, you will, if you
do not hea." of the transport, proceed to Disco, as above
provided. At Disco, if you hear nothing of the transport,
you will, after waiting as long as you deem it safe, supply
you^lf, as far as you may be able, with such supplies and
articles as you may need, and proceed on your expedition
wUhout further delay. From Disco you will proceed to
Upernavik. At these two last-named places you will pro-
cure dogs and other Arctic outfits. If yo„ think it of ad-
vantage for the purpose of obtaining dogs. &c., to stop at
Tossak, you will do so. From Upernavik. or Tossak, as
the case may bo. you will proceed across Melville Bay to
Cape Dudley Digges, and thence you wiU make all pos-
.ble progress, with vessels, boats, and sledges, toward the
North P,.le, „s,ng your own judgment as to the route or
routes to be pursued and the locality for each winter's

ad a ha^f years, you will pursue your explorations for

hat penod.- but should the object of the expedition re-
"-- .t, you will continue your explorations to such a fur-

1871

quir

Instructions.

1871.

" ther length of time asyour supplies nay be safely extended.
Should, however, the main object of the expedition, viz.,
attaining the position of the North Pole, be accomplished
at an earlier period, you will return to the United States
with all convenient dispatch.

" There being attached to the expedition a scientific
department, its operations are prescribed in accordance
with the advice of the National Academy of Sciences,
as required by the law. Agreeably to this advice, the
charge and direction of the scientific operations will be
intrusted, under your command, to Dr. Emil Bessels; and
you will render Dr. Bessels and his assistants all such
facilities and aids as may be in your power, to carry into
effect the said further advice, as given in the instractions*
herewith furnished in a communication from the president
of the National Academy of Sciences. It is, however,
important that objects of natural history, ethnology, &e.,
&c., which may be collected by any person attached to
the expedition, shall be delivered to the chief of the scien-
tific department, to be cared for by him, under your direc-
tion, and considered the property of the Government;
and every person be strictly prohibited from keeping any
such object. You will direct every qualified person in
the expedition to keep a private journal of the progress

• For these instructions of the National Academy of Sciences see
Appendix I.

Instructions,

"of the expedition, and enter on it event?, observations,
and remarks, of any nature whatsoever. These journals
shall bo considered confidential, and read by no person
other than the writer. Of these journals no copy shall
be made. Upon the return of the expedition you will
demand of each of the writers his journal, which it is
hereby ordered he shall deliver to you. Each writer is to
bo assured that when the records of the expedition are
published ho shall receive a copy; the private journals to
be returned to the writer, or not, at the option of the
Government; but each writer, in the published records,
shall receive credit for such part or parts of his journal
as may be used in said records. You will use every
opportunity to determine the position of all capes, head-
lands, islands, &c., the lines of coasts, take soundin^rs
observe tides and currents, and make all such surveys as
may advance our knowledge of the geography of the
Arctic regions.

"You will give special written directions to the sailing
and ice-master of the expedition, Mr. S. 0. Budington,
and to the chief of the scientific department, Dr. E. Bes-
sels, that in case of your death or disability— a contin-
gency we sincerely trust may not arise— they shall con-
sult as to the propriety and manner of carrying into
further efibct the foregoing instructions, which I here uro-e

must, if possible, be done. The results of their consul-

1871.

Instructions.

1871. "tations, and the reasons therefor, must be put in writing,
and kept as part of the records of the expedition. In
any event, however, Mr. Budington shall, in case of
your death or disability, continue as the sailing and ice-
master, and control and direct the movements of the ves-
sel ; and Dr. Bessels shall, in such case, continue as chief
of the scientific department, directing all sledge-journeys
and scientific operations. In the possible contingency of
their non-agreement as to the course to be pursued, then
Mr. Budington shall assume solo charge and command,
and return with the expedition to the United States with
all possible dispatch.

"You will transmit to this Department, as often as
opportunity offers, reports of your progress and results
of your search, detailing the route of your proposed ad-
vance. At the most prominent points of your progress
you will erect conspicuous skeleton stone monuments,
depositing near each, in accordance with the confident-
ial marks agreed upon, a condensed record of your pro-
gress, with a descriptioii of the route upon which you
propose to advance, making caches of provisions, &c., if
you deem fit.

"In the event of the necessity for finally abandoning
your vessel, you will at once endeavor to reach localities
frequented by whaling or other ships, making every exer-
tion to send to the United States information of your

■mmmetmmi

Instructions.

"party, preserving, as far as may be, the rocords-of, and
aU possible objects and specimens collected, in the expe-
dition.

"All persons attached to the expedition are under
your command, and shall, under every circumstance and
condition, bo subject to the rules, regulations, and laws
governing the discipline of the Navy, to be modified, but
not increased, by you as the circumstances may in your
judgment require.

"To keep the Government as well informed as possi-
ble of your progress, you will, after passing Cape Dudley
Digges, throw overboard daily, as open water or drifting
ice may permit, a bottle or small copper cylinder, closely
sealed, containing a paper, stating date, position, and such
oilier facts as you may deem interesting. For this pur-
pose you will have prepared papers containing a request,
printed in several languages, that the finder transmit it
by the most dii >ct route to the Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, United States of America.

"Upon the return of the expedition to the United
States, you will transmit your own and all other records
to the Department. You will direct Dr. Bessels to trans-
mit all the scientific records and collections to the Smith-
sonian Institution, Washington.

"The history of the expedition will be prepared by
yourself, fro;n all the journals and records of the expedi-

1871.

III

Voyage to New York.

1871. "tion, under tho supervision of the Department. All the
records of the seientifie results of the expedition will he
prepared, supervised, and edited hy Dr. Bessels. under
the direction and authority of the president of the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences.

" Wishing for you and your bravo comrades health
Iiappniess, and success in your daring enterprise, and com-
mendmg you and them to the protecting care of the God
who rules the universe,

"I am, very respectfully, yours,

"Geo. M. Robeson,
"OnAS.F. Hah, "^"'''■'"-"J "f "'^ Navy.
"Commanding Expedition toward the North Poh."
During the brief voyage of the Polaris to Kew York
her officers and crew entered upon their duties with en-
ergy and good conduct. The working of her engine was
satisfactory. At New York Mr. George E. Tyson joined
the Polaris as assistant navigator and master of sledges.
The outfit of the expedition was also completed. The
Polans was still further strengthened; some changes were
made m her muster-roll, and everything in the way of
supplies particularly adapted to Arctic exploration was
placed on board the vessel in abundance.

On the 29th of June, she left New York for New
London, and finally sailed from the United States July 3d

'*^«ttf.

The Complement.

with tho following complement of officers (including the
scientific staff) and men :

Commander, Charles F. Hall ;
Sailing-master, Sidney 0. Budington ;
Assistant navigator, George E. Tyson;
Mate, H. 0. Chester;
Second mate, William Morton;
Chief engineer, Emil Schumann;
Assistant engineer, A. A. Odell ;
Carpenter, N. J. Coffin (joined the
ship at Disco).
Scientific staff:

Chief of corps, Emil Bessels, surgeon ;
Astronomer, 11. W. D. Bryan (joined

the ship at Disco) ;
Meteorologist, Frederick Meyer.
Besides the crow of fourteen men there were two in-
terpreters, tho Esquimaux, "Joe," and his wife "Hanhah."

Having now fairly launched Captain Hall on his
voyage of Arctic exploration, we may pause a moment to
give a more detailed statement of his views and objects.
While in New York closing his preparations, Hall had
enjoyed the honor of a public reception by the Ameri-
can Geographical Society. He had pointed out on a large
Arctic map tho route which he proposed to follow; referred

1871.

American Geographical Society.
18^1. to his long residences among the Esquimaux, which had
for their object the determination of the fate of Sir John
Franklin's party; and dwelt with earnestness and grati-
tude on the aid he had received from the Government,
and upon the high expectations he had formed of the suc-
cess of his "mission." But the view which it is proposed
to give of Hall's fundamental conceptions, is taken in a
great measure from his own private papers, elucidated in
some instances by the letters of his most intimate friends.
In the presence of the very distinguished audience at the
meeting of the Geographical Society, to which he was
introduced by their president, Judge 0. P. Daly, Hall said
of himself that he would rather make a sledge-journey to
the North Pole than speak ; adding that he had been
unable to make preparation to appear before such an
audience in consequence of the overwhelming occupations
which had engrossed his time and thoughts.

It is indispensable, however, to a just appreciation
of his energy, intellect, and devotion, that his far-reaching
views on the subject of Arot-c explorations should be
given from his testimony before Congress, and from his
own writings and the language of friends to whom these
views were freely communicated. In letters of the 18th
and 19th of February, addressed to Mr. Grinnell and Mr.
Brevoort, he entered upon a particular examination of the
best method of approaching the North Pole, and of the

a^^

'me^w"

Letter to Judge Daly.

time and means required, in his judgment, to carry it into
execution. The objects of his proposed voyage are then
presented as threefold, viz: 1st, geographical discovery;
2d, science; 3d, commerce.

Taking up the last subject first, as the most practical, it
will be found that Hall points out the probability of discov-
ering new whaling-grounds along the proposed route; and
this he considers as quite sufficient of itself to justify the
Government in setting on foot an expedition. In a letter
to Judge Daly, dated Washington, April 9, 1871, he
thus writes ; * * * *

"From Esquimaux at Igloolik I also obtained impor-
tant information of a new bay that will not only be of
interest to geographers, but must, I think, eventually be
of great value to our commerce. The entrance to this
bay has only been seen, and is indicated upon the Arctic
charts as Admiralty Inlet. Nothing has been known,
however, by civilized men, of this bay or of its character.
The entrance is from Barrow Strait, lat. 73° 43' N., loner.
83° W., and the bay extends very nearly in a southerly
direction to about 71° N. lat. The west side has a coast-
line on a gradual curve from Barrow Strait to near its
limit, the concave on the east, while the west (east?) side
has many bays or fiords, with some good harbors in them.
The bay is free from ice every summer, and none of the
ice from Barrow Strait ever finds its way into it.

39
1871.

ia!SS«»,*!«asRi«'"*aMi

1871.

WJiale-fisheries.

"This bay abounds in whales {Bala^ mysticetm,
or smooth-back, the most important to civilized man) in
narwhals (the sea-unicorn), and in seals. So abund'ant
are the whales that the natives sometimes kill, in their
rude way, as many as five large ones in a few days.

" The information which I derived from the Esqui-
maux has convinced me that this new bay will prove as
valuable to whalers as Cumberland Sound. From 1840
to the present time, the products of whalebone and oil
from Cumberland Sound, by English and American
whalers, have amounted to $15,000,000; and as the area
of the whale-fishery is gradually diminishing, the fact of
the existence of this bay I regard as of great value, as
opemng up a new ground for the prosecution of this im-
portant industry."

It was known to him, who had passed many years
upon and near the old whaling-grounds, that some of
them were very near experiencing the fate of those
famous fishing-grounds of the tropical seas of the Pacific
which have been deserted. He believed that other and
new haunts of oil-bearing animals remained to be discov-
ered, and this belief was rationally based on observation
and experience since the days of that sturdy old pioneer
Davis.

The importance of this expectation is now brought
very prominently into notice by the extraordinary devel-

HaWs Plan.

opmcnt of the English ja«, trade with Calcutta, the suc-
cessful manufacture of which article depends entirely on
the cargoes of oil brought from the Arctic regions and
landed chiefly at Dundee, by the side of the jute manu-
factories, as appears in the "Statement exhibiting the
moral and material progress and condition of India durinr.
the year 1872-73." "

As for his first object—geographical discovery carried
BO far that we should be no longer ignorant of the geo-^-
raphy, typography, and resources of any part of our
northern hemisphere-he has the entire sympathy of the
civilized world.

As respects science. Hall, though not himself a man
of scientific education and attainments, possessed judo-,
ment and sagacity altogether too large and comprehensive
not to be fully alive to the importance of its promotion ;
and not to know that every accession, whether of law or
fact, to its domain, tended to the benefit of mankind
TTpon this point all will heartily join in the opinion ex-
pressed by one of Hall's most accomplished friends and
admirers, Mr. J. C. Brevoort, president of the Lon^
Island Historical Society, that Hall was all the more fi"
for his undertaking because he waa not wedded to any
particular branch of science, but that, like Livingstone he
devoted all his energies to geographical discovery.

His views of Arctic investigation were much more

41
ISM,

1871

A Change of Plan.

. comprehensive than might be inferred from the means
and material employed in this his last expedition. His
own plan embraced two vessels, one a steamer, the other
a sailing-vessel, together with a large supply of dogs and
sledges. If he could have carried out this plan, he meant
to maintain an occasional communication between himself
and the civilized world, wherever he might be. And
there is no doubt that, for the accomplishment of this, he
would have turned to a good account his familiarity with
Esquimaux life, language, and customs. Thus he would
have been able not only to report progress, but to receive
additional aid from home. Such was his expectation.
If we carry our minds back to the history of Arctic ex-
ploration, we perceive at once how many evils are avoided
and how many advantages are reaped by this joint co-
operation. Both the present English and the proposed
German expedition are based upon this plan. This par-
ticular subject may be resumed in a future chapter.

One feature of his original plan Hall found occasion
to change.

It appears in the correspondence already named that
it was, at first, his settled purpose to go by the way of
Jones Sound. This purpose he announced in letters to
Mr. Brevoort of January 21, 1870, and in one to Mr.
Grinnell, of an approximate date. He was led to the
choice of this route by the opinions of his friends, the Es-

m^^-9m'.;^^l^-

^mmt-*''

His Ultimate Purpose.

quimaux, and by Kane's experience in Smith's Sound.
But he found occasion to change this opinion before he
left the United States. And we shall see further on, that,
on his arrival at Holsteinborg Harbor, ho received infor-
mation from Baron Von Otter which confirmed him in
the propriety of the change. This shows that Hall was
not obstinate in his own opinions, however maturely
formed. On this better knowledge he gave up the route
by Jones Sound, as he had previously given up without
hesitation his matured plan of proceeding, when he found
that Congress would give him but one vessel and only
150,000. We learn, further, from his letters that it had
been his intention, if he failed in getting the congressional
appropriation, to ask that, with a small party properly
equipped and provisioned, he should be landed by a naval
vessel in Hartstene Bay, and left to take care of himself.
He would have made that place his headquarters, and
have concentrated his efibrts upon explorations toward the
North Pole, trusting, with the religious earnestness and
faith of a sincere enthusiast, that he would finally reach
the object of his devotion.

1871.

I! I
(I!

■ '■;

<55'.

CHAPTER II.

It has already been mentioned that the Polaris sailed 1871.
from New London, July 3, 1871. While in that port '""^*
she had been visited by a great many persons, and on the
day previous to sailing (Sunday) divine service was held
on the hurricane-deck by Dr. Foster, of New London,
assisted by Elder AUyn, of Groton. Quite a number of
ladies and gentlemen were on board from both cities.
Captain Hall made a few remarks at the close of the
services, introducing the officers of the ship, and setting
forth the objects of the expedition. This meeting was
one of special and tender interest, because several of the
leading officers of the Polaris were from the vicinity.
The flag presented by Mr. Grinnell to Hall at his recep-
tion by the American Geographical Society of New York
was now hoisted at the fore. This flag had been carried
by the squadron of Admiral Wilkes in his expedition to
the Antarctic Ocean, and subsequently by De Haven,
Kane, and Hayes to the Arctic Ocean.

, i

1H7I
tmtr.

St, John^s,

r voyage to Newfoundland, the Polaris en-
countered some heavy weather, frequent fog«, and a pro-
tracted storm, with thunder and hghtning. On the 10th
after the fog hefted, eho found herself embayed, and wai
obhged to stand southward and westward to recover her
sea-room. On the evening of the same day. Cape Race
waa made, andat 12 m., July 12th, the Polaris anchored in
the harbor of St. John's, at the entrance of which two
large icebergs had grounded. On tlie 13th. Captain Hall
and his entire staff were received by the governor of the
island, his secretary, and prominent members of the le-ris-
lature. They lunched at the governor's mansion, and
eiyoyed every courtesy and attention from the authorities
of the province.

The governor and hia suite were, in turn, received
and entertained by Captain Hall, who conducted them
over the vessel. During her stay in the harbor the ship
was coaled and took on board caplins and six Newfound-
land dogs, three of which were puppies.

The Polaris left St. John's at 3.30 p. rn. of the 19th
for Greenland, United States Consul Molloy accompany-
ing the vessel out of the harbor and returning with the
pilot. On the same evening a remarkable instance of
mirage is recorded; also an aurora borealis the rays of
which formed an arch.

On the 26th, an aurora appeared in the mornino-.

to*

''_^^^_

July.

>V/. John's.

On her tov

•yagt'- U> Newfouiidiimd, tl„, ).>„laris en-
oo,mtere,| .n.n. heavy weatl.e,-, frcqnent fbff.s an,l a j,.,,-
tracted storm, with thunder and lightnirij.. 0,, the loti,
after the f„g lifted, she lonnd herself embayed, and was
obliged to stand southward and westward to recover her
«ea-ro»nK ()„ the eve,,!,,,; of the same dav, Cape Race
^^•as .i«.lo, ..nd at 1 2 >„., July , 2th, the Polaris anchored in
the l,arhor of .St. John's, at the entrance of which two
lar^re iecherw had jfronndcd. On the 13th, Captain Hall
and Ins entire .u,W wen> received hy ,i,„ j^overnor of the
«fe.]. M« seereh, , ^ ' > 'n..mhm of the legis-

i ^t^m the mthmhkn

.yj^U'r^ :

■ ' '■ ■ - ./'% Ill tfjri! re^wMved

' ■ ^ ' th^^ vo.sei. Ihinu^ her ^^y :n fiu- harbor l;hu .hip
^m coaled and took ou board cnpiins anri siv N*>« fV^HKi--
land chj^>. rhree of which 'vr^v? nuppios.

• "0 p. m. of \\\o. 19th

^ i ^oiiv .Ht'l Molloy accompaov-
'''^^^*^^«^ ^ ' -t.irmn- with i-h>
''^'' same evuw.:^. : i-rmttrk^.... .u..^-- .,

Uu i:,o

-•iUi, an aurora appoas

iiomjn«r,

-; ^ •

•vmim^mm^.

Fiskernaes.

forming- at times a semicircle, and afterward rising
toward the zenith. On the 27th, the coast of Greenland
was seen, and shortly afterward its high peaks, covered
with snow. Toward evening the new explorers had their
first sight of the natives in their kyaks.

These boats, so frail and so dangerous in appearance,
are perfectly safe in the hands of the natives, and are
managed with extraordinary dexterity by them.

On the 27th of July, Captain Hall dropped anchor
in^the harbor of Fiskernaes, where he hoped to find Hans
Hendrick,* the Esquimaux, who had accompanied Dr.
Kane in 1853-55, and to persuade him to accompany the
expedition as hunter and dog-driver. Before reaching
the settlement the governor, Mr. Schoenheidter, came on
board the Polaris. Captain Hall returned his visit. Dr.
Bessels also went on shore to gather botanical and geo-
logical specimens. Such of the crew as could be spired
obtained permission to go ashore, where they enjoyed
themselves in dancing with the young girls of the settle-
ment. The nex^, day the ship was visited by the greater
part of the population, especially by the women. They
attracted much attention by the peculiarity of their dress,
wearing boots of well-tanned seal-skin reaching above the
knee, seal-skin trousers tastefully ornamented with needle-
^^ork^n^Jackets^^ cloth, and neatly

• Called Haus Christian by Kaue, and by iuUu^^i^TK^JiZ
4

1871.

Jaljr.

Lichtenfels.

m
if-

j„*iy.^'* *™^^<1 a^'ound the neck, wrists, and lower edges with
fur and pretty bead ornaments. Some of these women
were thought to be handsome; the majority, however,
when first seen by the white man, have a decidedly
repulsive appearance.

In the afternoon, Dr. Bessels and Engineer Schu-
mann, accompanied by Nindemann and Mauch, visited the
settlement Lichtenfels under the Moravian missionaries
Starik and Kroft. This journey was made in an open
whale-boat during a violent rain-storm. The party was
greeted with great cerdiality by the missionaries and their
ladies. They learned from Mr. Starik the particulars of
the loss of the German exploring vessel, th:^ Hansa. He
was stationed at Eriedrichsthal when the shipwrecked
crew landed in their boats.

The Esquimaux under the care of these missionaries
are distributed over five difierent settlements, and number
in all 261 souls, of whom more than half live in Lich-
tenfels. After supper the party took leave of these
excellent people with the kindest remembrances. On the
same evening preparations were made for sailing. The
Polaris left Fiskernaes next morning at 4 o'clock, encoun-
tering rough weather outside.

At 10 a. m. of the 31st of July, she anchored in
Holsteinborg, a Danish settlement containing about six-
teen huts and fifty people.

'I:

•■ml}'.

Lichtnn/hfs.

u,;uine(l — ttiiu Iho neck, wrists, and lower edeow with
fur aiid i-retty bead orruiraonts. Homo of th^»fc wom. :
wen t!<<H}ght to be handsome; the major:,',; !.owr\'r
wlien fif-st seen by the white man, ha\. • ' .;,,

repulsive appcatan* e.

In the afternoon, Pr. Bessels and i^.n.(rinoer Schu-
mann, accompanied by Nindemarm and Mauch, visited the
setth>ment Liehtenfcls under the Moravian im'ssioi.aries
Sturikand Kroft. This jouriK;, ,.,,„ ,r,ade m ;;ii open
wh?t.- h-v.* .\^rm9 '>. violent rain-storm.' The narty wan
greeted v^ ' '" W the mis^^iouaricd and Uieir

^^""'^ ^ ' - tarticfihu

The iibt^u!!;! MUX nwm ^hc* care ot ilie^o missionaries
arc distributed over ihc aiilV-rctii ^-ttloments, and nun.h.:.-
in all 2<^1 ^onls, .r' m-]; n., .,,. f,,,, half hv.^ .-i Uoh-
^ ■ ''' '^- -'^'^^''" -■"'** t'"" p-i'-ty Um.Iv leave of these
excuilent pcu]»le with Mh ki«d<»«t rememhraueoh. On the
■eparaticn'-' were made for Paiiinir. Tho

1. of the 31si < •

i^Mnish settle" tr^ ,,-■..

At \C

;H}d tifty people.

■t'^:-

i i

-:|p

P. !

*'«*

rl^f

Swedish Scientific Expedition.

Hall was agreeably surprised to find here the Swed-
ish Scientific Expedition, composed of a brig and a
small steamer, under the command of Baron Von Otter,
which had been to Disco and Upernavik, and was now on
its way home. The Baron had been successful in reach-
ing latitude 75^ in having obtained several very large
masses of meteoric iron, and in having made a number of
deep-sea soundings and observations for temperature; all
of which could not fail to contribute largely to a better
knowledge of the hydrography of those waters.

Hall was told at Holsteinborg that Hans, the dog-
driver of Kane's and of Hayes' expeditions, was at Uper-
navik, and that he would await in that place his arrivai-
a piece of information confirmed by the Swedish expedi-
tion. The expedition brought further good news from
Upernavik, informing Hall that the season for Arctic nav-
igation was a remarkably favorable one; that only occa-
sional bergs had been seen between Holsteinborg and
Disco; and that for several weeks none had been seen
between Disco and Upernavik.

On the day of the arrival of the Polaris, Nindemann
one of her seamen, came very near losing his life in an
attempt to manage one of the native kyaks. He lost
his equilibrium, and would have been drowned but for
the timely assistance of a boat from the Swedish frigate
The Polaris had no boat alongside in the water

1871.

July.

I : t !
I'll

52
isri.

Juljr.

Ilolsteinborg.

After porformin<r this humane service, the frigate,
with her consort, resumed her voyage, and as they ex-
pected to stop at St. John's, Newfoundland, Captain
Hall improved the opportunity of forwarding by them
dispatches to the Secretary of the Navy.

In Governor Elberg Captain Hall found an old friend.
In 1860, while on his first expedition in search of Sir
John Franklin, he had spent seventeen days in Ilol-
steinborg, to a description of which visit he devotes the
second chapter of his work entitled "Arctic Researches."
By direction of the Secretary of the Navy, if the
transport which was to carry stores and provisions for
the Polaris to one of the Greenland ports did not over-
take the ship before reaching Holsteinborg, Hall was to
wait there as long as he thought proper, and then proceed
to Godhavn. In the neighborhood of Holsteinborg, in
former years, many deer were killed; he anticipated, there-
fore, no difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of
deer-skins to furnish the whole company' with warm
winter clothing. Much to his regret, he learned that no
deer had been seen for a number of years. The governor
endeavored to supply this deficiency, but was able to pro-
vide only a few seal-skins and some dog-skin clothino-.

While in the harbor, Br. liessels commenced his series
of photographic views; h's operations were watched with
interest by the natives. Two of the crew of the Polaris,

4-t

I' I

|^^Ke'"~

"' :~

^^^Bc^^,

&.'<«*.,

Ki-i^,,.:.

^m^'^

w^ ^-

*«;

I-- s

M .a

Hnlstoinhorg,

jicriui'nino' llii;^ Iminano servic
'*»s«»rf, ivsumod ]m- voyajro, arui •.

!"';» "(, hi. Jolm%', \(,wfh:in;it

' •' - • no Navy.
"'"^' •• ■ '''•"• <apuu)i ItlulflMiml an ' 1 iWcnd.
'-♦•'». ui:k> o.i his first esp«..iirion ,„ .search of Sir
' '''"• ''»' ^'''^^ ^P'^nt sc ,.,H day« i., jlo!-

■ , '' ' " ^ 'J! - -i :i Visil !„• 'luVutOH th(3

' ' ■' li\' Kosonrclic "

1 !!'•

Ai\m to ..'.r i

iiiHiiw- a suJiit-H'.ia uiiuii. ••
whulo ooiiipany with warm
"jrrut, ho lonrneu luui no

toiuiri!

Mau
sumi
stru^
accoi
not r

ship

nish

Hoist

the h

ancho

uponj

miles ;

which

of fori

leavinc

and till

windin

beiiiir I

headwa

was rec

CI]

North (

principa

most coj

U i

Godhavn.
Mauch and Hayes, attempted the ascent of a peak the
»mm,t of which was covered with snow. After a severe
struggle they were obliged to abandon the enterprise on
account of the rugged character of the cliffs. They did
not reach the ship until midnight.

In expectation of the arrival of the United States
ship Congress which was to renew his supplies and fur-
^sh h,m with the latest instructions, Hall remained in
Holstemborg until 2 p. m. of August the .<)d. On leavin.
the harbor, several American schooners were seen at
anchor about eighteen miles from land, engaged in fishing
upon a well-known bank on which halibut and cod abound
Steammg up the coast and keeping about twelve
».les from the land, the Polaris passed numerous icebergs
wh.ch for size, beauty, and. in some eases, grotesqueness
of form, were quite remarkable. Twenty-four hours after
leavmg Holsteinborg a native pilot was taken on board,
and the vessel was conducted safely through the narrow
-ndmg channel into the harbor of Godhavn. The ancho;

boH^ let go while the vessel was still under considerable
headway, the cable parted. After mooring, the lost anchor
was recovered.

Chief-Inspector Krarup Smith, the superior officer in
North Oreenland, proved to be on his annual tour to the
pnnc.l.a. settlements of the district, but Hall was received
'uost cordially by the inspector's lieutenant, Governor Los-

1871.

Angrust.

Divine Service.

sen, who spoke Danish only. A competent interpreter
and an ardent advocate and friend was found in Mrs.
Smith, the wife of the chief inspector.

On Saturday, the 5th, the "crow's nest" was secured
in its place.

On the 6th, Captain Hall went to church, accompa-
nied by several of his people. He was struck with the
neatness of the chapel, and equally so with the decorum
of the congregation. The seats were common benches.
About thirty persons were present, of whom the majority
were women, while boys comprised the greater part of
the male portion of the congregation. In the absence of
the regular clergyman the catechist conducts the worship.
His regular duties are those of town clerk or recorder, and
of village schoolmaster. The services were very simple.
Three hymns were sung, or rather chanted, in a low tone
of voice, the slowness of utterance increasing the monot-
ony. A passage of Scripture was read, prayers were
offered, and a sermon preached.

The same day Mr. Chester was dispatched for Chief-
Inspector Smith, whom he found at Bittenbeck. This in-
volved a boat-journey of one hundred anr| -^over^y-five
miles. Captain Hall praises Mr. Choyler for tLe alacrity
and intelligence with which he execntod this duty. Mr.
Smitn at once responded to the reque-i ,: C>^Dtain Hall.
Relinquishing pressing duties, be arrived at G ^dhavn at 6

■At

■'>ki) "Oariish oirly. \ ■ -mpetent n, .
•«'nt advocato and fVif -y? was Ibunu ■
' :" of the .hii-i' inspector.
': hiiiirdtty. the 5tb, the "crow's nesi ..

On liie Clh. Cnptnm llnH Tvruf N. c'mrch, acconipa-
nvM hv .cror;.) ..f i.; ;, .,. .^,, ,,.,, .^ruck with tho

■' ' '-P^ ' -'i Ciiually t5o with the decorum

'iM^rougrc-gaiioji. Th.^ ^oats were common bciiciies.

("•<' presieot. of whom thomaioritv

»" n.'

'' '■ ]■ ■■•'.! ill;-' *

'Mil rjR- i..

!ionot-

!Mef-

VI r nhcst.

avi) at «;

■ -«

rw'

♦

The Congress.

a. m. of tho 11th. Before his return, the United States
ship Congress, under the command of Oapt. H. K. Daven-
port, U. S. N., anchored in the harbor, and brought with
her not only the needful stores and supplies, but relief
from the load of anxiety which was weighing on Hall's

mind.

August 7th. the ship was thoroughly cleaned, and m

the course of the next two days was painted. Hall en-
tertained at dinner Mrs. Inspector Krarup Smith and Gov-
ernor Lossen and his wife.

At U a. m. of the 11th, Captain Davenport, accom-
panied by Captain Hall, went in full uniform to pay an
official visit to Mr. Smith. As he landed he was received
by a salute from a battery of six 6-pounders, and was es-
corted by Governor Lossen to the house of the Inspector,
where he was received "with every mark of official and
pergonal respect and consideration." The salute was re-
turned by the Congress with an equal number of guns, the
Danish flag being hoisted at the foremast-head.

Captain Davenport presented to Mr. Smith letters
from the Secretary of the Navy, and received the assur-
ance that the Danish authorities would take great plea-
sure in extending to Hall all the assistance in their power;
Inspector Smith at once making known his own cor-
dial desire to extend to the North Polar Expedition a.U the
aid and co-operation asked for in the letters of the Secre-

1871.

Official Courtesies.

A.l.l'^;- y- Ho consented to receive in the government store-
house the stores and provisions intended for the use of
the Expedition, promising that they should be carefully
preserved, at the same time declining any remunera-
tion for this and all other kindnesses. At this place
Hall also endeavored to obtain the services of Hans and
those of a Dane by the name of Jensen, at that time o.„v.
crnor of Tessi-Ussok, formerly of Dr. Hayes- expedition
both of whom belonged to the government service in
which they were very useful. Inspector Smith showed
I1.S usual generosity in the offer of his influence to secure
them for Hall.

On the 13th, Mr. Smith visited the Polaris and the
Congress, and was received with a salute of fifteen ^uns
from the latter vessel. Divine service was conducted on
board the Congress by the Rev. Dr. Newman, at which
were present the crews of both vessels and most of the
mhabitants of Godhavn.

During the next few days, coal and supplies of vari-
ous kinds were transferred from the Cong,-ess to the
Polaris untU she wo^ filled above and below decks to her
Utmost capacity. The remainder were stored in the
pubhc building furnished by the Danish inspector.

At 2 p. m., of the 17th, the anchor wa^ weio-hed
and the Polaris stood out of the harbor. In passing" the
Congress manned her yard,, and rigging and gave the

Parting Scenes.

)-
)f

3
1

i '
I

Polaris hearty cheers, which were returned with equal isri.
spirit and good will. Before weighing anchor, the crew *""""•
"!■ :Ve Polaris had been mustered on deck to receive from
Captain Davenport some judicious instruction and counsel
concerning their future conduct. He pointed out to thorn
that implicit obedience and perfect harmony were the
necessary conditions of success. This advice, considering
the heterogeneous character of the ship's company, was
well-timed. Eev. Dr. Newman of Washington, a pas-
senger in the Congress, also addressed them and com-
mended them and their expedition to the favor of Heaven
The separation of the Polaris from the Congress was
attended by the expression of some private griefs caused
by the parting of relatives. Rev. B. D. Bryan of Car-
bondale. Pennsylvania, who had also come out as pas-
senger in the Congress, was parting with his eldest son
R. W. D. Bryan, the astronomer of the expedition, and
Captain James Budington, of Groton. Connecticut ice-
pilot of the Congress, and previously well known as the
discoverer of the British ship Eesolute in 1855, was tak-
ing leave of his nephew. Captain Budington of the
Jrolaris.

Hail's dispatch of this day, the day of his sailing
from Godhavn, contained an earnest expression of his
gratitude for the perfect manner in which the expedition
had been, in all respects, equipped, and in a subsequent

1871

AuKnM.

Upernavik.

. letter of the 22d instant ho makes use of this expression:
"Never was an Arctic expedition more completely fitted
out."

Following the shore-lino at an average distance of
ten miles, he passed an innumerable succession of iccj-
bergs. Several- hump-back whales appeared close to the
vessel. Shortly after meridian of the next day, Swarte
Hook was on the starboard beam, distant about eight
miles. At 10 p. m., while passing the island of Kasor-
soak, the sea was seen breaking on two dangerous reefs
about four miles from the vessel. Steaming slowly
among the many small islands, a careful lookout was kept
for reefs and sunken rocks.

At 1 a,, m. of the 19th, having neared the settlement
of Upernavik, a native pilot was taken on board, and in
half an hour the vessel was safely anchored in the harbor.
Hall had accomplished the voyage between Godhavn and
Upernavik, a distance of 225 miles, in 33J hours. Owing
to the distance from the village and the irnseasonableness
of the hour of the ship's arrival, it was some time before
the inhabitants could be awakened. It was not, however,
very dark; at midnight the sun was only four degrees
below the horizon; and, as now it was but an hour and a
half to sunrise, the eastern sky was bright with the com-
ing day.

He was received in the most cordial manner by Gov-

Upernavik.

ernor Rudolph, who readily complied with all his requests.
One kyak was dispatched with letters to Hans Hendrick,
at Proven, about fifty miles distant to the southward where
he actually proved to be; and another to Jansen, of Tessi-
Ussak, the same distance to the northward, requesting
them botli to prepare to leave home at the shortest notice.
Mr. Chester also left in a boat for Proven, to bring
Hans and his family. Ho reached that place before mid-
night, and leaving at 8 o'clock on the morning of the
20th, returned with them to Upernavik on the evening of
the same day. His boat presented a singular appearance,
being loaded from stem to stern with bags, boxes, and
skins, on the top of which were children, dressed in
ragged and filthy skin clothing. W hen the family came
on board the Polaris with their luggage, consisting of
tents, cooking-utensils, tools, implements of the chase,
and three or four puppies whose eyes could scarcely bear
the light, an opportunity was given of witnessing the do-
mestic habits of this people.

In the exceedingly crowded condition of the vessel,
it was difficult to find a place to stow this family, with
their goods and chattels.

With the full consent and co-operation of the Danish
authorities in Greenland, Hall secured the services of
Hans as dog-driver and servant, with the agreement that
his wife and three children were to keep him company

I8TI.

Augusi.

...*^a.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

<'.

1.0

I.I

1.25

14.0

12.5
2.2

1.8

LLl llllli^

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

w:.^ ^^^

'\^

It I

1871.

UpernaviL
By this contract Hans received a salary of about «300 per
annum^ or, n,ore exactly, fifty Danish dollars per »o„th.

who had been associated with Hans under Kane, in
makmg h,s memorable sledge journey to Cape Constitu-
t.on, came forward and spoke to him; but the latter did
not recognize him. On Morton's pointing, however to
--e sears on Hans' right hand, the re,nai;s of ini- ,
-sta,ned by a powder explosion on the shore of Smith

ZT Tl"' "■"' '"'''''"''• '^' circnmstance, and
recogmzed Morton as the only spectator of that catastro-
phe, apologizing in his rnde way, for not knowing him
by pomting to the change in his hair and beard, due to
the mpse of nearly twenty years since they were together.
In the harbor of Ltpernavik the Polaris met the
Damsh bng Julianhope, which come, annually from
Demaark to bring supplies to the Greenland settlements
and to receive the skins, oil, and dried fish which have'
been obtained by trade with the Esquimaux.

There are two anchorages off Upernavik one of
which is directly in front of the settlement; the other in
Its rear about a quarter of a mile over the rocky ridge-
the latter is really the harbor, the former aiTording no pro-
tection from either the southerly or the westerly wind,
Both the Polaris and the Julianhope were in this small
land-locked harbor. The vessel was visited by Dr Ru'

Upernavik.

dolph and Governor Elberg, who, upon receiving the let-
ter from Mr. Krarup Smith, delivered by Hall, expressed
a readiness to render the expedition all possible lid.

The Upernavik settlement consists of some twenty-
two houses inhabited by sixty Esquimaux. They ap-
peared even less cleanly than those in the more southern
settlements. Just back of the settlement, on the slope of
the ridg3, is the graveyard, distinguished by crosses,
head-boards, and little inclosures marking the graves.
The absence of vegetation, the want of method in the
arrangement of the graves, and the dismal aspect of the
fragments of unsightly rock covering the surface, added
greatly to the sadness and dreariness of that northern
cemetery. The hardness of the ground making it neces-
sary to place the coffins on its surface and cover them
with stones, the remains, in the course of time, often be-
come exposed.

Dr. E. N. Rudolph, quite an old man, had passed the
greater part of his life in Greenland; but now intended to
return to Denmark in the Julianhope, to spend .e re-
mainder of his days. It may be mentioned here that he
actually did return in the autumn; but, failing to find in
civilized life the contentment he looked for, he came back
to Greenland the next year.

Early in the morning of the 2.1st, the Danish brig
Julianhope, loaded with the blubber and skins accumu-

1871.

Anvust.

1871

August.

ill^

UpernaviL

iated at Upernavik during the preceding year, was got
ready to sail to the mother country. Governor Rudolph
the evening before, gave a farewell banquet to his associ-
ates, to which he invited the officers of both vessels. The
Polaris made an unsuccessful attempi to tow the Julian
hope to sea. During the day five tons of coal were
taken on board, besides ninety seal-skins and one hundred
dog-skms. Twelve dogs were added to the pack, increas-
ing the certainty of the night's being made hideous by in-
terminable bowlings.

Mr. R. W. D. Bryan, having been now appointed
chaplain hy Captain Hall, was required to conduct divine
service on Sundays in place of Captain Hall, who had,
himself, thus far officiated.

The Seamen's Friend Society of New York City in
addition to the gift of a ship's library which they usually
make to all vessels bound on long cruises, had presented
to Captain Hall copies of "The Sailor's Companion," for
use on the Polaris. This work, prepared by Dr.'jas.
Alexander of Princeton, contains a manual of worship,
forms for special occasions, and sermons from the pens of
eminent divines. The society also presented copies of
sermons by Rev. Dr. W. S. Plumer, D. D., of South Caro-
lina. The American Tract Society gave a number of
hymn-books, called -Songs of Zion." The Bible Society
had made a donation of a number of bibles.

Upernavik.

The members of the scientific corps were by no isri
means idle during the short stay in Upernavik. Many ^""■*'-
observations for position were made, and the magnetic
elements of the place were determined. Collections were
made illustrating the fauna and flora of the adjacent
region, and its geology received careful study. The
photographic apparatus was called into requisition, and
m-any portraitures of Esquimaux life and characteristics
were prepared.

As a part of the preparations for sea, the sufferings
of the pig bought in St. John's wero brought to an end
and his body was huug in the rigging in company with
the remains of a quarter of beef.

Governor Elberg kindly consented to accompany the
expedition ns far as Tessi-Ussak, in order to receive from
Jensen his office and its trusts, should he conclude to join
the expedition, as he had intimated he would in a letter
brought back by the messenger sent with Hall's proposal
When Captain Hall had made up his dispatches for
the Secretary of the Navy and placed them in the hands
of Governor Eudolph, the anchor was weighed at
10.30 p. m., and the Polaris left Upernavik. Steaming
twelve miles to the northward and westward, a little
before midnight the small island settlement of Kin.-itoke
was reached. Captain Hall and Governor Elberg landed
wilh a boat's crew to negotiate for dogs and furs; and

ihi

1871

August.

Tessi- Ussak.

while they were absent, the vessel lay to, only using her
engine oceasionally to .void the ice drifting „ho„t i„ small
fieMs and detached pieces. The governor of the little
settlement had a large number of very fine dogs, but no
offer made by Captain Hall could induce him to part with
any of them. With considerable difficulty, and mainly
through the efforts of Governor Elber., eleven do^s were
obtamed from some of the inhabitants; a few sell-skins
and dog-skins were also purchased. At 1 a. m of the
22d, they returned to the vessel and started at once
toward Tessi-Ussak. Good native pHots pointed out the
many reefs, the sunken rocks, and the clear channels
among the numerous islands that hue the coast in that
neighborhood. Many icebergs were met: and a consider-
able quantity of broken ice, confined by the configuration
of the continental and insular eoast-lines, added greatly
to the dangers of navigation.

At 6 a. m. the anchor was dropped near the settle-
ment of Tessi-Ussak. Here Hall wa« dooAed to another
disappointment. He found that Jensen was unv .ing to
leave home, pleading as his excuse the circumstances of
his family, and especially those of his wife. He offered
at the same time to assist in furnishing dogs, furs, &c.. to
the expedition.

Here, as in Upernavik, every effort was made to
obtain natural specimens of all kinds; and the opportu-

Tessi- Ussak.

nities of studying tho geological formation and evidences 1871.
of present and former ice-action, were diligently improved. '^"'"''•'

On the 23d, a heavy fog-bank outside added new
dangers to a navigation very hazardous in the best
weather and under the most favorable circumstances. In
the little harbor it was a delightful day. The crew en-
joyed their brief period of leisure in rambles over the
rocky shore, making the most of the calm air, the genial
warmth, and the gladsome sunshine. The tanks were
filled with fresh water, and there were no deficiencies in
the supplies of vessel and crew which were not made
good while waiting for the lifting of the fog.

Hall was now entirely ready to take leave of the
civilized world, and to enter upon his field of Arctic ex-
ploration. He was as well prepared in mind a^ in means
to encounter the difficulties and dangers belonging to his
future labors. He was entirely satisfied with his vessel,
with her equipment and outfit, and with the promise im-
mediately before him.

" The prospects of the expedition," he writes, " are
fine; the weather clear and exceptionally warm; every
preparation has been made to bid farewell to civilization
for several yeai-s, if need be, to accomplish my purpose."
His coal-bunkers were full ; he had wood and resin in
considerable quantities that could be used for steaming in
any emergency.

66
isri.

Auirast.

Tessi-JJssak.

He declares that there was nothing to regret bn,
*o contrary, there was reason to reioico ivf '

P-taining to the expedition was Ta Ir ""^'"''"^
and successful condition than he ev "hadT /'"""""
for. And this declaration . "^"^ "' P^^^"*

aion of trustful T I '""=°»P''°'«<i ^y an expres-

iiie fog still continued on the 24fh oo fi • ,

cordinglv at 1 ^0 n .u dispersion. Ac-

yy. at 1.30 p. m. the anchor was weighed o„^ ti.
vessel steamed out of the harbor b • '

ernors Elberg and Jen e„ U T' "" """"" *'»^-

Ij; i!;

Ill

CHAPTER III.

On leaving Tessi-Ussak Captain Hall gave directions
to the sailing-master to stand due north twenty-five miles,
and, after passing between two largo islands, to keep the
ship on her course.

The complement of the Polaris had been filled at
the last recruiting station. Her full number was now
thirty-three, of which eight were officers and three, mem-
bers of the scientific corps. The steward, the cook, two
firemen, ten seamon, and eight Esquimaux filled up the
roll.

Notwithstanding the positiveness of Jensen that at
the termination of the twenty-five miles upon a due north
course the two islands would certainly be seen, they were
invisible, although the pilot's instructions had been care-
fully observed. The fog still hung closely about the
vessel, and apprehensions were felt that trouble might
ensue from the islands not being seen. Double lookouts
were stationed, and, under the most careful watch, five

1871.

Auvusl.

M I

Melville Bay,

,..„• ™lo, wore added to tho twenty-fivo,- nfter which tho
.« ands not having hcon soon, tho co.t dangors wo o c
« as pa^od, and tho vos.I's hoad Cas haulod Tp
;:: "7 To n,a.e this c.oaror to tho nnp.ros .a
eadcr, ho ,s rominded that tho dirootions he. „a„ed
are oompass oourses, and that in this vioinity tho west-
;t,r"" "' '"^ """""^^ '' "•«»■' -on'points^:,

Tho fog continuoJ through tho night, and many ice-
bergs were «ot ; but, as tho sea wa3 smooth and tho wind
I.ght. tho vessel was under good eontro. and no trouble
wasexponenced in kee, hg elear of them. In tho small
hours of .ho mommg it was so damp and ehilly that tho
decks were deserted except by the officer of tho deck and
he wa^h. Although the thermometer did not register
lower th« 35° .5, tho ship's rigging was covered with
.celes which increased, until, loosened by their own
;:f - ^7 the jar of the rigging, they fell to tho

About noon of tho 25th the fog lifted, and the breeze
ireshenm,, all sail wa. set. At 6 p. m. land was sight
wh.ch, from its bearing and apparent distance, wl „'
..ouncedto be near Cape York. An hour afto;, pack To
was ^r the fi.t time encountered. The sails were furle
and for three hours and a half tho vessel steamed slowly
through. The pack wa., however, comparatively ,„„se

t I

I, tho

con-

d up
lional
imed
vest-
and

ico-

vvad

iible

nail

tho

and

iter

ith

-ho

•1 I tl

Mdirilh B,uj.
.Tc, acl<Ie,l to the- t«o„l,y-fiv„; ,„)..,■ «„:..l, „,o
„of lmvi„o l„o„ soon, the co;u,t dn„..or. worc'.-,,n

^ '"• '^ '•'•'■'^'"''«'l tL«t t),c directions i,,.,. „,,„,,.

:,,,;'™''"" "'''■« •'-P- -*'"t »evo„ ,oi.t,s a.l
' ' :■ ^"'^"""od through the night, and mnny ic,-
' -«•) wa» u,„W ... -'nofroubl.

' ■ • '. m\(\

Hi'

-' - -y Mio jar oi rho n.gin., thej- ieli tu the

Aboir

me •>5fiMhon)^ lifted, and the breeze

• '• J'-nid was t;jVhted

■'•'>»i HH bi-ui-uig and apparmit di.^

nearCapcT-' An

■^'oiiiitere.]. *

1 !l- '

;i<

' slowiy
'-■iy ioose

ft
if

k
^

Cape York.

and open, though composed of large pieces, and the ves-
sel made her way with little difficulty.

Coming again into open water, the sails were set and
a direct course was run for the Cape. The weather con-
tinued clear and pleasant, hut the sea was quite rough.
As the light became more imperfect and objects more in-
distinct, additional care was exercised to avoid the numer-
ous icebergs. This proved to be an act of prudence, since
the vessel narrowly escaped running with fair speed into
one of the large bergs.

At 5 a. m. of the 26th, close pack-ice was again en-
countered, extending westward. Unable to force a pas-
sage through, the vessel ran to the westward, along the
southern edge of the pack, for three hours, when the ice
was found more loose, and after a little buffeting and
struggling with the irregular and ofttimes weighty masses
that composed the pack, she once more resumed her course

in open water.

The vessel continued for the next hour and a half
on a course about N. N. W. true, at the rate of five and
one-half knots an hour ; at the expiration of that time
she was north of Cape York, which bore E. S. E. \ E.

true.

At ten minutes past two, Cape Dudley Digges was
directly east, distant about eighteen miles. Awash Island
was passed at 5 p. m. At 7 p. m., while b twcen Wolsten-

1871.

Angnst.

■m

1871.

August.

WolstenJwlme Sound.

holme aud Saunders Islands, a large number of walruses
were seen lying on the ice. Two floe-pieces two or three
feet thick, and each covermg an area of about half a mile,
were black with the large ungainly creatures. They were
enjoying their sleep, having, as is their habit, some of their
number on the watch to give the alarm in case of ap-
proaching danger. The vessel moved with but little noise,
and the lookouts of the party evidently did not consider
her very dangerous, for their only sign of apprehension was
a more frequent raising and rolling about of their heads.
The rest of the company remained undisturbed, except
that one here and there turned lazily over, or otherwise
changed his position. All was excitement on board the
Polaris. Many had never before seen the animals, and
were curious to observe their appearance and actions.
Even those who had often captured them hurried to the
side to get a nearer view of the sleepers. They were so
closely huddled together that it was difficult to distinguish
them individually. Esquimaux Joe, animated by his love
of sport, wiiu his rifle ready stood in the bow. It was
proposed to man a boat and attempt the capture of at least
one of the walruses, but Captain Hall decided that this
would delay the Vessel too much. He ordered a boat's
crew, however, to be in readiness in case Joe succeeded
in killing one. The ship's course lay directly between the
two floes, and as she approached within easy range of the

■l-^ ■#

.*4

-^^

1 '1

hor vvr'

I f oiMcnlwlme Sound.

' •'. uj»Mco. TwoHoe-iuecosiu^ ,
' uu-h covering au area oi ahui ' '
Miclnrge ungainly creatures, i ) -

:•■«-]), l^avin. H. is their habit, somu oi },mr

■ .vutcii toi^He tbo iMTm in case of ap-

^rr. rue vessei movod ^vial but littlo noise,

oats of tb. party evidently did not consider

«^--ons, for tfitu only 8i<r„ of apT,rob.n,ion was

••olIiiiiT Mlxmt of their heads.

•■i'lined uudislurbed, r^,^i

innaax .,' .. , aiuiuyit-d by his love

'^- sio.wl in the bow. It wus

''Tij)t the captui-e of ;\i least

'proacheil

the

^ !«*...

ill

Shooting Walrus,

smaller, the animals became restless, and those near the
edge of the ice began to roll oflf into the water. Joe fired
at the largest of those nearest. One animal, by its actions,
plainly showed it had been hit, but it followed the example
of its companions, who had been only aroused by the re-
port of the rifle, and, working its way with them to the
edge of the ice, tumbled into the water. In an instant
all had disappeared. Nothing except a little blood upon
the ice, remained as proof of Joe's dexterity.

The vessel stood for the floe on the starboard bow,
and although the walruses on it had been disturbed by the
attack upon their neighbors, they allowed her to come
within rifle-shot before they began to move. Joe fired
again with the same success. A small streak of blood
left upon the water, as the wounded animal disappeared,
was again the only witness that the shot had taken effect.
The walrus has always been considered an animal
hard to kill instantly, even with the rifle. Its skull is
thick ; and some have contended that it cannot be pene-
trated with a rifle-ball, and that the only way of reaching
the brain is through some of the natural openings. Its
body is so large, and encased in such a thick layer of
blubber under a very tough skin, that to shoot it through
the heart is seldom attempted.

A great deal of ice was found off' the northern en-
trance to Wolstenholme Sound. The passage through it

1871.

August.

1871.

Stopped hy the Ice.
was effected with much difficulty. This was what Is
known as "bay-ice" of one winter's growth, not compact,
but broken up into fragments of every shape and form.
The ship easily turr ed adde the smaller pieces or sank
them, and split the larger blocks by running against them
with full speed. Where the ice was loose, this was at-
tended with little or no delay, but where it was closely
packed, the Polaris had a difficult task to perform, even
when the thickness did not exceed a foot. At 10.30 p. m.,
Fitz Clarence Rock was passed, and at midnight the vessel
was opposite Cape Parry.

Still steaming through leads in the ice, at 5.20 a. m.
of the 27th, off the western shore of Hakluyt Island, she
was compelled, for the first time, to stop, on account of
the compactness of the mass. At this point the ice
changed its character. Hall began now to encounter the
solid and permanent packs, accumulated in bays and
straits, and heavily massed around outlying islands. Al-
though occasionally forced to stop, to back, and try in
other places where the ice was more yielding, the vessel
continued to advance. The lookout in the crowVnest
reported unfavorably upon the ice ahead ; but still prog-
ress was made. The vessel, trembling under the rapid
and continuous revolutions of her engine, butted against
the icy wall with success, and compelled it to yield.
With skillful management and a judgment matured by

Sh,njh;f I,,/ !l,r Av.

•^ HXvvUh\ with auich (ii/!i.MiIlv Thi. x.
j^^'own^ • -•^^'" '•^' '-• -Inter. ,u,u.h.u.,t ....,,,.,

^ '^ "^'^^ !iu-iiu'uu of every .I,a|H. niid fnrn..

^ - ^-^P <:asily turned aside the s.nnller pit-cc. or sank
niid spin, the l.r;^,.r l.loelvH l.y ninnin.-- aguiust Om ,n
-rh (ul! speed. U„ ■ e in. h:. 1,„.;. „n. .vn. .t-
t.''.dud wiM, Hl,l.orn. u..|a3'. out whore it wusdosely
P^H-ked. liu, lN,|ari« hud a diilie.dt task to p.rlbnn, cv..
'A hen the Ihioknt'ss did not exeeed a foot. ,\t 10.30 p. m
rnz eiareuee IWI was p.s.od. an. .,( ...Idni-l.f f] . .!•, J
was opposite Tapr i' i>

'''■ oirtho vse.tefii,ho island, nhc

ehartfife<l i' ;, ,• .

solid u.i'i i..',-^,.,..

:u'l..i

straits, and heavily Huti^sou around ouilj'iug i.hind^. Al-
tliou-U oecas-oi.ally iorced to .to,), to baek. and try' in
other place. wl)(T. (];.;.... urn. vielding, the vesHcl

' .i-.a uiiiuvorably upon the ice ahead ; hut > ■

iVHH was mad* / , . !, treinbhn- luulor i),, ,,,i,;

and eontinnons revohi?ions of jior .'n-it-M ., ■ , ,. •'

WiMi skilUu, inaiiagenieiit uiul a judgment matured by

Smithes Strait

long experience, the sailing-master selected the weakest 1871.
points for attack, and took advantage of the most favora-
ble openings. The Polaris forced her way through, over-
coming all obstacles, and at 9.50 a. m. of the 27th, was
again in open water,

A breeze from the north was now felt, which partly
accounted for the compactness of the ice through which
she had recently struggled.

Meeting with no other ice except a few bergs, the
ship made rapid progress. At 3 p. m., she was opposite
Cape Alexander; at 5, Littleton Island was passed; at 6.30,
she was abreast of Cairn Point; and at 8, the parallel of
Kensselaer Harbor was crossed. This was a source of
great gratification to Captain Hall. The whole crew sym-
pathized with him in his good fortune, and were eager to
press on. Smith's Sound, which had been supposed to be
continually covered by a heavy, impassable ice-pack, was
found open. The ship had already reached a latitude
high'jr than that attained on this route by the vessels of
any former expedition.

Although very little ice was found lying in the direct
course for Cape Frazer, long lines of bergs were seen
to the eastward. Patch-ice was occasionally met. The
short detour generally made to avoid it was rendered
easy by the existence of open water to the westward.
The vessel was forced through brash or posh ice or a

f'-i

1871

August.

Smith's Sound.

looae stream, without material change !„ her course. No
unnecessary trials of her strength were made. Where
there was room for working, all bergs, large pieces of ice
and compact masses were carefully avoided, even when
m order to do this it was necessary to make considerable
deviation from the given course.

About midnight of the 27th, a very heavy pack, hav-
ing no opening to the ea.t and extending north as far as
could be seen from the crow's-nest, made it necessaiy to
run several miles westward. In about two hours the
Polaris rounded the southwestern point of the pack, and
following closely its western edge was able to resume her
course.

At 3.30 a. m. of the 28th, Cape Hawks was on the
port beam, about fifteen miles distant. Here heavy iee
was again met. The pack to the eastward consisted of
floes very thick and extensive. Many pieces had been
made by the aggregation of thin ice piled ,up by repeated
pressure. These are called hummocks and hummoeky
.ce, al hough the same terms are applied to similar masses
formed upon the surface of a floe near its edge, as well as
to those which rise in the center of recently-formed bay-
ice. Occasionally a large berg added ite bulk and weight
materially increasing the momentum of the pack. Many
of these bergs were the remains of gigantic ice-fields, or
Ae result of a strife between heavy floes in which one

n
e

^ y

A Glorious Sunrise.

was overrun by the other, forming, after two or three en-
counters, a compact mass from 50 to 100 feet in thick-
ness. Others again were fragments, or small specimens
of icebergs, making their way gradually from the north
to the banks of Newfoundland, where they disappear.

To the west and north the land seemed ice-bound,
and many hummocks and fragments of floes skirted the
edge of the land-ice.

As the vessel headed for Point Joy, the prospect of
a passage between the land-ice and the pack appeared
by no means favorable. But when within a few miles of
the Point, the lookout in the crow's-nest discovered that
the land-ice between Point Joy and Cape Frazer was
detached, and that there was open water along the
s-hore, dotted with floes and masses of every size and
shape, brought down by the current eddying around Cape
Frazer.

During the first morning watch, the sun, hitherto hid-
den by the mountains of Grinnell Land, suddenly shone
out, causing a universal exclamation of wonder and de-
hght. The line of reflected light was singularly brilliant
where it crossed the patches of water, and it was ren-
dered iridescent where it fell on the edges of the hum-
mocks, on the fractured ice, or on the pack itself. The
irregular surface of tne pack comprising the general level
of the young ice, the undulations of the old floes, and the

1871.

Aagrast.

Seeking a Harbor.

* „Vi:;- *="•? prominences of the bergs, together with the unend-
mg diversity of form in the hummoclcs, kindled the imag-
ination which discovered every variety of form and of
object, animate and inanimate.

The contrast between the snows of the hills and the
dark hue of the waters in shadow, wa. also a st-iki„.
featnre of the view. An attempt to convey any distinc";
Idea of the scene is perhaps useless ; it was impossible to
witness a bla^e of splendor so great and varied without
being affected by its material beauty and its moral im-
pressions. The sky wa. cloudless and the atmosphere
pleasant. It is not sm-prising that the little company of
explorers derived encom'agement from these brio-ht and
cheering influences. "

When within five miles of Point Joy, the vessel
rounded the northwestern prolongation of the pack and
ran into comparatively open water. A small bay was
seen which, from ite situation, was thought to be snitable
for a harbor. The ship had now reached a higher lati
tade than Captain Hall had expected to attain, and
although anxious to push as far north as possible, he was
still disposed to leave her in winter quarters at this point
confident that he would be able, under favorable condi-
tions of the ice, to reach the Pole in sledges.

Before attempting, therefore, the navigation of Ken-
nedy Channel, he resolved to explore this bay, in order

Kennedy Channel

that he might, if it should prove sufficiently large and isri.
safe, occupy it as his winter quarters, provided the condi- *"*"•*•
tion of the ice in the channel should prevent further prog-
ress. A boat was accordingly lowered and jnamied, and
Captain Hall, accompanied by the first mate, sounded the
entrance to the bay. He ascertained its depth, landed
and made a short but thorough examination of ite sur-
roundings. The water proved to be not quite deep
enough for the vessel, although in other respects the bay
was suited to make a comfortable winter's home.

After an hour's delay, at 7.50, the Polaris resumed
hor course. Steaming another hour through very loose
ice she passed Cape Frazer, while as far as could be seen
from the mast-head, there wa^ no ice to the north Run
ning along the land, at a distance of five miles, she made
so much progress that at 12.30, Cape Norton Shaw was
passed; at 2.,S0, Cape McOiintock; and at 3.45 Cape
Lawrence. The positions of these prominent capes ap-
peared to correspond with the chart, but it was impossible
to make out the exact form of the coast-lines.

The eastern coa.t of the channel was in plain sight.
The width of its southern entrance is about thirty-five
miles, and it decreases further north to twenty-five miles
The day did not continue as pleasant as the early
mornmg promised; clouds obscured the sun, and there
was every indication of a long spell of cold a«d wet

iiii

The First Discovery.

xlmt.' ^^^*^^^- ^* '^ P- "^-^ ^ ^^PP®^ cylinder, containing a rec-
ord of the progress of the expedition, and securely sealed,
was thrown overboard. At 11 p. m., a dense fog filled
the straits ; no land coula be seen on either side of the
channel. There being no ice to contend with, a brio-ht
lookout was kept for shoals or breakers while the vessel
pursued her course.

A little after midnight, a small island was discovered,
and as the Polaris passed near its western side it could be
plainly seen, notwithstanding the fog. The south side ap-
peared to be perpendicular and fifty or sixty feet high ;
from this it sloped gradually to the north. Owing to the
fog no estimate could be formed of the extent of this
island. It does not exist on the chart of Dr. Hayes. A
little bird flying over it was the first living creature that
had been seen since entering the channel.

At 2.15 a. m. of the 29th, a delay of 30 minutes was
occasioned by the necessity of making some repairs to
the engine. At 3 a. m., the fog lifted,' and the ship was
found to be surrounded with numerous patches of ice, and
several small icebergs. The land on both sides of the
channel was in sight. It was very high, the west side
being the higher. It was nearly free from snow.

At 9 a. m., the fog settled about the vessel, and as the
ice began to be heavier and more compact, it was deemed
safer to fasten to a large floe, and wait until it should

Observations for Position.

clear up. This afforded a good opportunity to take a
sounding; the apparatus was prepared, and 200 fathoms
of line were run out without touching bottom. In at-
tempting to haul in the line it parted, and nearly all of it
was lost.

Ten minutes before noon the fog cleared. This fur-
nished the opportunity for taking the meridian altitude.
Every sextant and quadrant was called into requisition.

The horizon was not, perhaps, so good as a water
horizon; yet the ice was, in some places, so low and free
from hummocks, that it afforded a very fair means of ap-
proximating to the sea level. Four of the instruments
agreed in giving for the latitude 81° 20'; which was
adopted. The vessel had been drifting with the ice since
9 a. m. The longitude was determined by morning sights
taken at 8 a. m., using this latitude; it being assumed that
the drift from 9 a. m. had brought the ship bade to the po-
sition she occupied when the morning observations were
taken. The result placed the Polaris in longitude 64° 34'
west of Greenwich.

When the fog lifted so that the ice ahead could be
seen, the engine was set in motion, and the ship was
worked northward between very large floes. Cape Lieber
was distinguished on the western coast. The eastern
coast appeared at first to bend to the east, and then to
the west, and, uniting with the western coast, to form a

1871.

August.

1871.

August.

Working to the North.

largo bay, the extretno width of which might be thirty-
five or forty miles, with Kennedy Channel for its southern
outlet.

At 1 p. m., however, a strait some twenty miles in
width was distinguished, and the ship's head was turned
toward it. The southerly current was very strong, and
carried with it large quantities of ice.

At 4.30 p. m., it again became foggy; after making an
attempt for an hour and a half to advance, the ship was
again fastened to a floe. Here another cylinder, prop-
erly prepared, was thrown overboard.

At a quarter past seven, the fog again lifted and the
vessel once more resumed her course. The ice through
which she was working her way was more formidable
than any that she had hitherto encountered. Old floes of
great area and thickness piled themselves one upon another.
The noise produced by these contacts is peculiar. It
varies in intensity and in the character of the sound.
The floes were often three or four miles in extent; before
risking the ship between two such masses, it was neces-
sary to be sure either that she could pass through or
could reach an indentation vhere she might be secured
during the conflict. These emergencies required prompt
decision.

Matured experience and judgment are indispensable
in this peculiar navigation. Captain Hall had good reason

Under Difficulties.

for self-congratulation upon his selection of officers; and
the people, by their activity and promptness, performed
their part faithfully.

The strait through which the vessel continued slowly
to work its way trended northeast; it is from twcity to
twenty-five miles in width, and is bordered by high
mountainous land, broken here and there by ravines, but
in general presenting a perpendicular line of cliffs, with
terraced debris at the base, sloping to the water's edge.
There was no snow on the land, and, excepting the ice,
there was no evidence that the region was fifteen and a
half degrees above the Arctic circle.

The full force of the current was now felt, and the
ship labored hard to make much progress. To increase
the difficulties of navigation, the fog again settled down,
and shut out everything from view. Captain Hall was
much disappointed at this. It cast a damper over the
pleasant expectations which had been indulged by all on
board in consequence of their early success.

When the vessel started, everything seemed favor-
able: the fog lifted; the weather became cooler; and a
breeze sprung up from the north. The old and experi-
enced Arctic navigators predicted clear weather, but in a
short time they were compelled to acknowledge their
mistake. Every effort, however, was made to overcome
the difficulties, and the word was always " Onward."

1871.

Auvusi.

IHTI.

Auffusr.

The Highest Point Beached.

During tho remainder of the night, and for several
liours of the early part of the 30th, the ship was
kept moving toward tho north; immense ice-fields
were passed, increasing, with the latitude, in size and
number.

At 6 a. m., the highest point was reached. The ico

then became so compact that it was impossible to force

the vessel through. So far as tho eye could penetrate the

fog, there was no open space to the north; even if there

had been, there was no passage leading to it. The Polaris

had reached the northern limit of her voyage. Herman

Siemens (whose record of the state of tho ice at that

time is the only one preserved), says, "We saw firm ice

from one coast to the other."

Feeling a pride in what the ship had already done,
Captain Hall was ambitious to accomplish still more, and
was grieved when he found himself in front of an impass-
able barrier. He enjoyed, however, the satisfactory
reflection that everything had been done that was possi-
ble. He did full justice to the exertions of his officers
and men. Up to this time (as on subsequent occasions)
the vessel proved well fitted for the service.

It is impossible to determine the precise latitude
which the Polaris had attained when at her highest
northing. Eighteen hours before, her position had been
a<!curately determined; from that point her place was

Its Latitude.

carried forward by dead reckoning. Two separate log-
books were kept, in which the courses and distances were
correctly entered; two patent logs wore used for the latter.
Messrs. Bessels, Bryan, and Meyer, composing the scien-
tific corps, had kept regular watch from the departure
of the ship from Tessi-Ussak up to the time when her
progress was arrested. They also kept a journal, in
which were entered the courses, and the distances (deter-
mined by one of the separate patent logs) ; and this was
entirely independent of the ship's log-book kept by the
mate.

No better method could have been adopted for secur-
ing all the accuracy possible under the circumstances: vet
the difficulties o,nd interruptions in polar navigation are so
unceasing and violent that it is impossible to speak of
results like these as being anything more than approxi-
mations to the truth.

The highest position assigned to the Polaris by Cap-
tain Hall was 82° 26'.

Mr. Meyer, the meteorologist, gave, as the result of
his very careful computations, in which all circumstances
and allowances were taken into account, the latitude of
82° 16'.

Captain Hall's determination is regarded as more
exact by Mr. Bryan, the astronomer of the expedition.
The whole subject has been carefully reviewed at

1871.

AuKual.

I**

Jts Latitude.

witV ^^° TTydrographic Office, and the result of this revision
is that the highest point reached by the Polaris was

All vast.

82° ir.

• 8eo pagu 96.

^!k^»

IV^.

CHAPTER IV.

It was impossible to maintain the vessel at this point.
She drifted from it with the current. After steaming a
few miles to the southward, at 7.30 a. m. of the 30th,
she was secured to a large ice-floe for protection. To add
to the gloom created by the fog, the snow began to fall,
shutting out the view of all objects not very near, even
those on board the vessel. The Polaris continued to
drift slowly to the south.

At 6.30 p. m., it ceased to snow. At 7.15, the ice
opened somewhat, and the vessel, having cast off" from
the floe, steamed toward the southeast (true) nearly two
miles, and then toward the east about two miles and a
quarter. Having made this traverse, she arrived at the
eastern shore, in the neighborhood of a small bay which
Captain Hall determined to explore. Accordingly, at
8.55 p. m., the engine was stopped, and he attempted to
land in one of the whale-boats. He failed in his attempt
on account of the large quantity of ice and the rapidity

1871.

AUKUSt.

» !

1871.

August.

Working among the Floes.

with which it was passing the mouth of the bay. The
vessel, after moving a short distance off, was again made
fast to a floe. About one hour afterward, at 10 p. m.,
she started again, and, after moving a h'ttle over a mile to
the north, another to the northeast, and another to the
west, she was again secured by ice-anchors. These rapid
movements in different directions were necessary, in order
to keep the vessel free. While fast to a floe, and drifting
with it to the south, the ice would collect about the hull
and close her in. The real danger apprehended, consisted
less in the y ssibility of her being seriously 'njured by the
masses, than in her being thus permanently imprisoned for
the winter. To avoid such danger, whenever there was
the least opportunity of breaking away from her confine-
ment, the engine was started, and any direction was taken
which promised to release the vessel. Soon after the last
interruption, a copper cylinder containing a record of the
ship's progress was thrown into the water.

On the 31st, snow fell rapidly from 1 to 6 a. m.,
when it cleared away somewhat. At 6.30, the ship was
again under way. After steering a variety of courses, she
had made a distance of four and three-quarters miles,
when she was within a mile and a half of the shore.
Captain Hall renewed the effort of the previous evening
to explore the little bay. He was unsuccessful in this
second attempt, but ascertained that it was unsuitable

Ice Barrier.

for a harbor. In commemoration of his two defeats, he
named it Repulse Harbor. At 9.10 a. m., the ship was
headed N. E., and kept at that point until 12 o'clock,
during which time the distance run by the log was seven
and three-quarters miles. A low island was reported, but
its existence is doubtful.

At noon, the vessel stopped because its further prog-
ress was barred by an impenetrable wall of ice. About
it large floes were moving, almost covering the surface of
the water, and it was only by the exercise of the greatest
care that the ship was kept clear. It is difficult to convey
in language a correct idea of the scene at this time.
Only those experienced in arctic navigation can approniate
the difficulties with which the Polaris had to contend.
After the ship was stopped it was evidently useless to
attempt to force a passage, at least along the eastern coast
of the channel.

The sailing and ice master, Capt. S. 0. Budington,
urged Captain Hall to seek a harbor at once and go into
winter quarters. He had noticed on the way up what
appeared to be the entrance to a large bay on the eastern
coast, only a few miles south oi the present position; and
he pressed upon Hall to secure an anchorage there. He
insisted that, advance being impossible, it was useless to
expose the vessel to the peril of being crushed, or to the
risk of losing all the ground, attained with so much diffi-

1871.

Aiiirnstt

111

t wt

1871.

August.

Consultation.

culty, by her being carried to the south with the ice duriuo-
tne whole of the approaching winter.

The question which Captain Hall was thus called
upon to decide was one of vital importance. His remark-
able success hitherto had excited his ardor, and he could
not bear, even under these circumstances, to entertain the
idea of retreat. Unwilling to rely on his own judgment,
he called a council of the officers, convening them on
the hurricane-deck which commanded a view of the situ-
ation. He asked the opinion of each in turn, beginning-
with the least experienced.

Dr. Bessels was of the opinion that it would be
much better to reach the western coast, where a pas-
sage might be found to the north along the land, and
where sledge-traveling in the spring would be more prac-
ticable.

The mind of Mr. Chester, the mate, was bent on
saving all the ground already gained as .the best prepara-
tion for sledge-traveling in the spring.

Capt. George E. Tyson, the assistant navigator,
whose experience in command of whaling-vessels was
second only to that of the ice and sailing master, was
then called upon. He had spent much of his time during
the voyage in the crow's-nest, and was well posted in re-
gard to the condition of the ice; he knew also the real
strength of the ship. His advice was to seek a harbor as

Consultation.

soon as possible, and, if the ice should be driven out of
the channel by the wind, to start again for the north.

Captain Budington was the last called upon. He
reiterated what he had said to Hall himself. He pointed
out the bay, afterward named Newman's Bay, which he
wished to have the vessel enter, and enlarged upon the
dangers and difficulties to be encountered in forcino- her
through the pack toward the western shore.

After hearing these opinions, Captain Hall took time
for reflection before expressing his own. The belief ap-
pears to have been unanimous that it was impossible to
advance to the north along the eastern side. There re-
mained but one of two things to do ; either to seek a har-
bor immediately on the east coast, or to run the ship
westward. Hall was inclined to take the second course,
particularly on account of the opportunity it might afford
for sledge-traveling, for progress was the thing nearest
to his heart ; his hopes had been highly stimulated by his
success so far. The first course, that of going immedi-
ately into harbor, was recommended by those whose opin-
ions were professional, and were given with an authority
that could not be resisted. These were, that the vessel
had done what she could ; that the western coast could
not be reached in the present condition of the ice ; that
the winter was beginning ; that young ice had already
commenced forming :— the danger of losing everything

1871.

August.

t} i

HaWs Decision.

1871. being so great, a safe anchorage should be immediately
secured.

Hall's final decision was to make an attempt to get
to the westward, and, if defeated, to seek immediately a
harbor on the eastern coast.

During the afternoon, the ai.;i>oi phere was very clear,
and both shores of the channel could be seen distinctly.
They appeared to extend to the north for a considerable
distance, and then to diverge in opposite directions. The
western coast stretched much farther to the north before
turning toward the west. Far to the north and northeast,
skirting the horizon and extending almost entirely across
the open space between the two coasts, was a dark-look-
ing cloud which gave rise to great differences of opinion
among the officers of the expedition. Some of them
thought that it was a water-cloud, indicating the existence
of an open sea to the north. Several persons who were
noted for their sharp sight were very certain that at dif-
ferent points along the cloud they had made out the out-
lines of land. Others again, were inclined to adopt both
views, and attempted to point out a difibrence in the col-
oring of the different parts of the cloud. Near the hori-
zon, where the darkest shade was, they recognized a
water-cloud, while in the lighter portions above, they
thought they distinguished a fog-bank. Others of the
ship's company contended that it was a fog-bank resting

Water-doicds.

against a mountainous coast, and that where it occasion-
ally opened they could distinctly see bold headlands.
The question remained for many days a fruitful theme for
discussion.

It may, perhaps, be well to mention here that these
water-clouds form over open spaces of water. A very
heavy cloud will sometimes exist over a small opening in
the ice, and the conclusion, therefore, that large expanses
of water must necessarily be found under water-clouds, is
not warranted by the experience of navigators.

Captain Koldewey remarks that the existence of an
open Polar sea, supposed to have been seen by several
Arctic explorers, is founded upon these very appearances;
but hitherto they have proved to be deceptive. They
prove the existence of a patqh, more or less extensive, of
open water, and nothing more.*

But whatever doubt there might be as to the exist-
ence of open water to the north, there was none in regard
to the space around the vessel. From the mast-head no
water whatever could be seen except occasional pools

The Polaris moved with the greatest difficulty. Not-
withstanding the improvement of every possible chance
and of every favorable opening, she had made only twelve
miles at 4.45 p. m., when the patent logs were taken in.

1871.

Auguiit.

•Die zvveite Deutsche Nordpolarfahrt iu den jahren 1869 uud
1870. Erster Baud, Erziihleuder Theil, zweite Abtbeilung, Seite 027.

Finally Beset.

1871. After struggling bravely for another hour, the ice closed

September

m and barred all further efforts. When finally she was
secured by ice- anchors sunk in one of the largest floes, it
would have been absolutely impossible for her to move
twenty feet in any direction. In these four and three-
quarter hours, with all her labor, twelve miles only, as
has been mentioned, were traversed, and of these three
only were to the north.

This advance placed the ship at 4.45 p. m. in latitude
82° 16' N.; a result deduced from observations obtained
independently of those which had given her position at 6
a. m. of August 30. The latter were determined by dead
reckoning from noon of the preceding day; the former
started from the latitude of the southern entrance of
Repulse Harbor, determined by Mr. Meyer, by a me-
ridian subpolar observation on June 30th of the next
year. This reckoning, made up from this subsequent ob-
servation, takes into account the courses and distances
only without allowance for current or drift. Where so
many disturbing causes existed, the effect of which cannot
now be estimated, the determination must be received as
approximate only.

During the morning, of the 1st of September, a light
wind blew from the N.N.E., accompanied by snow-squalls.
The vessel continued closely beset by ice. A few de-
tached pools of water were seen to the north and east.

Drifting.

At noon, the snow ceased, but the sky remained completely 1 871.
overcast, while to the north a dense water-cloud was seen **■***"**"'
apparently nearer the vessel than that observed the day
before. Forced by the wind, the ice continued to press
closer and closer upon the ship, and the constant grinding
against her sides was anything but pleasant. The danger
increasing from hour to hour, Hall ordered every man to
hold himself in readiness to leave the ship at an instant's
notice. The canvas-bags in which the clothing had been
kept from the commencement of tho voyage for such con-
tingencies, were placed where they could be readily seized
upon ; other little preparations, such as would occur to no one
except under similar circumstances, were promptly made ;
and all the members of the expedition waited for the issue
over which they felt they had no control:— it was in the
hands of Him whose constant protection they had hitherto
enjoyed.

The ice pressed very hard against the stern of the
vessel, and fears were entertained that damage would
be done to the propeller. Accordingly the hoisting-
apparatus was placed in position, and the screw was
lifted into the well which had been built for its recep-
tion. Several attempts were made to unship the rudder,
but the ice was bound against it so firmly that it could not
be moved. It was left to its fate, and preparations were
made for supplying its place in case it were carried away.

ill

1871.

Septcmlier

Looking for a Harbor.

The ship, whllo drifting, had boon set by the wind
toward the western coast, and a bay was seen nearly
opposite which appeared to promise secure anchorage.
Captain Hall, taking Mr. Chester with him, crossed the
floe to which the vessel was attached, to examine the ice
between it and the shore, and to judge of the possibility
of making an opening for the Polaris into this bay. The
floe was very large, although not the largest of those which
impeded and finally closed the navigation of the channel.
It was about two miles broad by perhaps three or four in
length, and drifted with its narrow end to the south. Its
surface was uneven, so that at the distance of a mile, one
would be entirely lost sight of while in its depressions,
and would be seen only on the elevations. The bottoms
of these floes are usually covered with small lakes, formed
during the short summer by the melting of the ice and
snow. These lakes are frozen solid during the winter, but
in the summer and early autumn they reflect the sun from
their surfaces and exhibit a variety of colors beneath.
Their waters are sufficiently fresh for use when first
melted, but after considerable evaporation they cease to
be palatable.

When Hall and his party reached the western edge
of the floe they climbed some hummocks twenty feet
above its average level. They judged that they were
within four miles of the land, and discovered, much to

A Nip,

their joy, that the mouth of the bay seemed to bo open;
also, that with a little management the vessel might reach
it from the western side of the floe. Thoy began to
return in haste, that they might form an opinion whether
there was an opportunity for the ship to round the floe
either to the north or to the south. But before they
reached the vessel, the open spaces extending toward the
bay on the western coast closed up, and the heavy ice
again covered the surface of the water. Even if the ves-
sel had been able to round the floe, she could have made
no progress toward the bay, her place of shelter. Captain
Hall was very much disappointed: he had entertained
during his walk strong hopes that the ship would have
been before night safely anchored in this bay.

At 7 p. m., a huge berg bore down upon the vessel,
piling up the masses of ice before it. A strong easterly
wind blowing at the time accelerated its movement, and,
driving the smaller pieces more rapidly than the floes,
accumulated them about the vessel. She suffered a nip.
The pressure was so great that the hawsers, bent to the
ice-anchors in the floe, parted under the strain. The
ship heeled over, and was almost forced upon the sur-
face of the floe. The ice was piled up to the bulwarks,
and the timbers creaked. The ice being twenty feet thick,
pressed with such power that there was every reason to
expect the most disastrous consequences. Active propa-

1871.

§cpteinbcr

i. i -

100

1871.

September

Landing Stores.

rations wore made for preserving life if the vessel should
bo destroyed. Stores, provisions, guns, and ammunition
were taken from the hold and placed on dock. At 9
p. m., the mnA moderated and the pressure of the ice
dirainished so much that the ship righted; all was quiet
during the remainder of the night.

The morning of the 2d, was cloudy; a light wind
blew from the northeast, and snow-squalls prevailed.
Land was seen through the occasional openings in the
thick mist and drifting snow. These glimpses were suf-
ficient to show that the Polaris was being carried rapidly
to the south. The chances seemed to bo that she would
not be released from her icy prison, and would be either
destroyed or carried to the south during the whole of the
long winter about setting in. It became prudent to pre-
pare for the worst.

It was decided to land sufficient coal and provisions
upon the ice to supply the wants of the ship's company
during the winter; and to do this immediately. At 2
p. m., all hands were called and set to work transferring
the stores from the Polaris to the floe. They were run
off on inclined planes and carried a short distance back
on the floe by means of sledges. Two sleds were used ;
one belonged to Hans Hendrick ; the other, presented by
Mr. Henry Grinnell, of New York, had been used by
Lieutenant Hartstene in his voyage for the relief of Dr.

%>^

,-j^s

lefct

--«*

Landimi Stores.

;">'"'' :'M'\ i

V..' :, .'

; should

; , '•• rjtorcH, provisioiw, guup, and uiinuuiiitiort

.aken iVodi tho hold and pla«X"'i ^-n dock. •• 3

'he wind moderated and the prf>osm ,,he ico

'^•^"tiiiic^hed so mnch that tho bhi^^ ri^i^htcd: all wat? quioi"

. •! .> •» ;,,iiu»'r o!" i]k/ nip-ht.

Til.. t>iorning of ibc 2(i, was cloudy: a light wind

■ 'r:'! thr northeast, and f-.now-sqnalls prevailed.

m throuL^h ♦ho occasionnl o})enings in the

iiow. Tl'. -0 "■!n,-itico« wore sut-

' ■■ ■ "tug- carried rapidly

- *;■! )f: cither
ho ^vhole of iho

pa..'''

• ' ^ufhcit {\\ coal and provi.>ions

■ hi^ wants of ihe .ship's companv

• ." do fir*" iinnindlatci' . At 2

•■•■'- ■''■'■' -' ' ■' 'H'n'k uaaslerring

»''»!. iP'- . ■ l\.. V were run

■ ' '"' liisttinee back

"•^.,• . ■ usod ;

f * i f ' .,

>• ■■' ' ■ ';. !■:,•. - ;■-, ; by

' Dr.

Divine Service.

101

Kane. To double the chances of saving something if the 1871.
ice should break up, two piles of stores were made on the
floe at some distance from each other.

At 2.30, the pressure was again felt, though by no
means so great as before. A very thick snow-storm
added to the gloominess of the scene. Since the danger
was imminent the men worked very hard. When the
deck had been pretty well cleared and the stores on the
ice carefully packed and secured in the two places of de-
posit, other articles were broken out from below, and
placed on deck for immediate use. Having worked until
midnight, the crew was sent below to take the rest they
had fairly earned.

On the 3d, the wind shifted to the southeast. Snow
fell nearly all day in large quantities. The land was
rarely in sight, but enough was seen to lead to the conclu-
sion that the ship was still drifting south. The change
in the wind had loosened the ice and relaxed the pressure
on the ship. The floe to which she had been again
fastened turned in different directions. The loose pieces
of ice near the vessel also felt the effect of this relaxation,
and occasionally opened for an instant.

At 11 a. m., all hands were called to the cabin to
attend divine service. Before the service Captain Hall
took the opportunity to speak of their work and future
prospects. He said that the vessel had reached latitude

hilA

;}■ B,-l

102

1871.

September

Remarks of Captain Hall

82° 26' N.— a position higher than that attained by any
other ship ; that they had done all they could, and had
only given in to a force that it was impossible to resist ;
that if it were God's will that the .^essel should con-
tinue to drift during the winter, they still might be
proud of the success already accomplished; that even if
nothing more we^-p done, he felt amply repaid for all
his labors; and that they might all be proud to return
to their country with such a record as they had already
made. He assured them that they had no reason for
doubting the final accomplishment of their ardently-
desired object— reaching the Pole. In conclusion, ho
urged upon all to give the closest attention to the reli-
gious services in which they were about to engage, as,
at that particular time, they all needed the assistance of
a higher power. Immediately upon the close of these
remarks divine service was conducted by Mr. Bryan.
Hermann Siemens, a very devout man, thus closes the
record of the day: "Ship and crew appear to be a
ready prey to the ice. But there is a God, who aids
and saves from death; to Him I trust, between these
icebergs, although I know that I do not deserve all the
good He grants me."

The heavy snow-storm and the southeast wind con-
tinued on the 4th, until 2 a. m., when the weather
cleared. During the morning the sun made its appear-

Casting off.

103

ance for the first time since August 29th, but was again 1871.
obscured before the artificial horizon could be made **■***""***'
ready on the floe ; and no other opportunity of taking an
observation occurred. The atmosphere was compara-
tively clear, and from the mast-head a considerable por-
tion of the surrounding ice could be seen. From its
movement and the favorable aspects of the weather, it
was thought that the ice would soon open and free the
vessel, giving her another chance to secure a safe anchor-
age. To be prepared to take advantage of a favorable
opportunity, the men were set to work to get on board
the stores which had been placed upon the floe. At the
end of four hours of active labor, at I p. m., the ship was
ready to leave the ice.

With a good deal of difliculty the ice was cleared
from the propeller-well, and the screw was shipped. At
2 p. m., the wind shifted to the northeast, accelerating the
movements of the ice and greatly assisting in opening a
passage. At 9 p. m., steam having been raised, the ves-
sel cast ofi" from the floe and began to steam in toward
the eastern coast. In a short time she was clear of the
ice, and in a channel of open water extending some four
or five miles from the land, and " toward the North as
far as could be seen from the mast-head."

When the ship started, she was about thirteen miles
to the southeast of that cape which forms the southern

III

104

1871.

September

Providential Escape.

entrance on the Greenland side to the channel from which
she had just drifted.

As the vessel approached the land a peculiar smell of
hurning cloth filled the air. On an investigation ordered
by Hall, it proved to be owing to the burning of the felt
covering on the little boiler of the engine. Further ex-
amination revealed the alarming fact that the feeding cock
had been accidentally turned off by the carelessness of a sea-
man who had hung upon it something to dry. With
admirable presence of mind, Engineer Schumann immedi-
ately hauled the fires and took precautions to prevent any
water from being pumped into the boiler until it had cooled.
The safety of the ship was entirely owing to his prompt
action. Captain Hall and the ship's company entertained
a most grateful sense of their deliverance from a frightful
calamity. This escape immediately following their deliv-
ery from their ice-bound prison, inspired them with the
deepest sense of their dependence on Divine Providence.

Midnight found the Polaris close in to the shore.
Hall started in a boat to look for a good anchorage. He
landed, unrolled the national flag, and took possession of
the land which he had discovered. Upon his return to
the ship at 1.30 a. m. on the 5th, the anchor was dropped
in ten fathoms of water, about 300 yards from the
shore.

According to the log-book, during the three hours

At Anchor.

105

and a quarter from getting under way at 8.45 p. m. until 1871.

the vessel stopped at midnight, the course by compass

had been S. by E. i E., and the distance made was

13.8 miles. By the position of the ship when anchored

(subsequently determined), her place at the moment of

getting under way was lat. 81° 32' N., long. 63° 05' W.;

hence during the four days of drift the vessel had moved

to the south a distance of about 48 miles in a direct line.

It was with a feeling of intense relief that Captain

Hall heard the rattling of the chain as the anchor was

dropped. He was so convinced of his ability to accom-

pUsh long distances by means of sledge-journeys that he

would have been resigned even if compelled to winter

farther south.

The experience of the past few days was by no
means pleasant; he frequently called to mind the ac-
counts of those ships which, having been beset, had
drifted far to the south during the whole of a loi;^ winter.
Such an event, which would have put an end to the ex-
pedition, was a risk not to be lightly incurred. But not
relying wholly upon his own judgment and experience in
ice-navigation. Hall again consulted, separately, his sailing-
master, assistant navigator, and mate, as to the practica-
bility of attempting to get farther north in the vessel.
He came to the ( onclusion that such an attempt would be
injudicious, and this conclusion was strengthened by the

lOG

Mest.

seJfeLber '"'"''''""^ ^'"""^^^ ^'''^ ^^ *^^® *^^ Esquimaux, Joe and
Hans, who had been sent to the top of the cape overlook-
ing the Channel to examine the condition of the ice.
They reported that the straits were covered over with a
dense fog, completely obstructing the view; but they
believed, from many signs which their experience enabled
them to interpret, that the condition of the ice in the
strait was not materially changed, and that it would be
useless to attempt its navigation. The present situation
of the Polaris was one of great comfort and relief to all
hands. After the ship had been made snug and the
watch set, the officers and men went below to make up
for past privations of rest and sleep. The next day the
crew was set to work transferring stores to the shore.
This was done as a measure of safety.

ifr^^-—

CHAPTER V.

The harbor, which was to be the winter home of the 1871.
Polaris, was by no means a snug anchorage. It was, **'***'"***''
however, inside of the line of the main current, and was
somewhat sheltered by a bold cape about four miles to
the north, and west of the ship's position. This cape
forms one of the southern entrances to the strait which
had just been discovered. Hall named it after the Secre-
tary of the Navy, to whom he had been indebted for
important aid in securing the expedition. Ho was never
weary during the voyage, of acknowledging his obliga-
tions to the President and to Mr. Robeson. He thought
that to them more than to any others he owed his success,
and that, in return for their kindness, he should labor the
more diligently to perform the work before him. In the
same spirit he named the cape, already mentioned, after
his early friend and constant supporter, Col. James Lup-
ton.

Besides the immunity from the current-driven ice

110

Providence Berg.

sepitmber"^ I^«^cson Strait, afforded by this capo, thoro was
another source of protection. The Polaris was anchored
just inshore of the largest iceberg seen since entering
Kennedy Channel. Grateful for this indispensable secu-
rity, Captain Hall named it Providence Berg. Hermann
Siemens gives its dimensions as follows: Length, 450
feet; breadth, 300 feet; and height above the water, 60
feet. Subsequently the name seemed to have been pro-
phetic, for it was the means of saving the ship from de-
struction, and the members of the expedition from great
suffering if not from death.

A largo quantity of stores and provisions were
landed, in order that, if the vessel should be destroyed by
the ice, the crew could live comfortably. A light wind
from the northeast blew all day, accompanied by snow-
squalls.

At some distance from the shore, to the north and
east, rose a high and steep hill, to which was sul)se-
quently given the name of Observatory Bluff.

The land, as seen from the ship, consisted of a very
broken series of elevations and depressions, interrupted by
occasional spurs, which gave variety to the view. The
mountain-ranges varied in direction from south to east,
and in elevation from nine hundred to fourteen hundred
feet. Several prominent peaks made themselves conspic-
uous in the furthest and highest range. The mountains

Character of the Country.

aro composed of an argillaceous schist, the debris o^ which,
the result of atmospheric influences, has spread over
large surfaces. No depth of soil is met with ; not the
slightest trace of vegetation, except a few lichens upon the
rocks (principally erratic) strewed over the hills. On the
fragments of limestone, however, some very luxuriant
specimens of lichens were occasionally found.

The debris from Cape Lupton reached almost to the
sea-shore, leaving a narrow passage only, formed by the
ice-foot, which, beginning at that point, extended along
the eastern shore of Robeson Strait. The plain was
cut by several channels of water running from the neigh-
boring hills to the sea. Bowlders were scattered over the
plain in every direction. Fresh-water lakes were seen,
affording feeding-ground for birds ; also several species of
grasses and of Arctic flowering plants. In some few
places real soil appeared, and on it the flora of the brief
Arctic summer was abundant. Near the water-courses
and in the neighborhood of the lakes, constantly liable to
overflow, an alluvium had been formed, which, enriched by
the birds in great numbers, constituted the garden-spots in
this otherwise desert plain.

At this date the snow, which it was evident had
fallen during the last few days, covered the land generally.
Occasionally were seen in some deep gorge the remains of
the last winter's snow, where it had been closely packed

111

1871.

September

112

1871.

September

Esquimaux Remains.

by the winds and partially sheltered from the continuous
sun of the Arctic day.

On the afternoon of the 5th, Captain Hall and
Dr. Bessels took a walk down the coast to the south-
ward; they discovered the remains of sumraer-tents of
Esquimaux. These remains are well known to Arctic
explorers and have often been described. They consist
simply of stones lying- on the ground in a circle. The
tents are made of seal-skin, and the stones are placed
upon their outer edges to keep the skin taut over the
ridge, and also to prevent the wind from entering or
overturning them. The Esquimaux are accustomed, upon
removing from their temporary homes, to take down the
pole supporting the tent, and drag the skin from beneath
the stones, leaving the latter in position and therefore
easily identified as having served this purpose. There
were several of these circles near each other, proving that
quite a large party of Esquimaux had passed a part of a
summer in that place. Nothing indicated the length of
time since these teats were occupied. The Esquimaux had
certainly been ther j ; for afterward, upon searching closely,
several pieces of bone were found with holes bored in
them, and a small piece of copper once used as a needle.
Among the ashes in the fire-place was found a piece of
meteoric iron, by means of which they had obtained fire.
The Esquimaux, Hannah, found most of these

■■"tSP*

Polaris Bay. 113

articles, and recognized the purposes to which they had 1871.
been applied, September

Upon the return of Hall to the vessel, he reported
that he had seen a bay a few miles south of the anchor-
age, which he thought would make a better harbor. The
anchor was weighed, and the Polaris steamed five or six
miles down the coast. Many soundings were taken, but
all the little bays were found to be too shoal. During
the summer a number of streams disembogue along that
coast, bringing down much material and filling up the
bays.

Unable to find a suitable harbor the vessel returned;
and at 5.30 p. m., resumed her first anchorage. Large
flocks of brent-geese were seen sporting themselves in the
water, and occasionally a seal would raise his head to
watch the intruders upon his feeding-grounds.

The morning of the 6th, brought in a light breeze
from the N. N. E., with snow^squalls. The crew were
again early set to work transferring stores from the ship
to the shore, in which labor they were engaged all day.
To expedite their work, two whale-boats, with planks laid
across, were employed, and the distance being short the
trips were rapidly made, and the ship was soon considera-
bly lightened. Toward noon, the sun came out bright ;
the instruments were taken on shore, and observations
made, for the determination of the position. Captain Hall

114

1871.

September

A Walk to Gape Lupton.

from his meridian altitude obtained for the latitude 81°
38' jN". a careful reduction of all the altitudes taken at
this time gave the more accurate determination of 81° 37'.
This result was confirmed by subsequent observations.

Immediately after meridian, Captain Hall, accompa-
nied by the members of the scientific corps, started on
a walk to Cape Lupton. His object was to reach its sum-
mit in order to commence a survey of the surrounding
coasts, and to ascertain, by personal inspection, the state
of the ice in Uobeson Strait. The party was provided
with a small Casella theodolite, a pocket aneroid barome-
ter, and a pocket prismatic compass ; a rifle was also car-
ried. They walked up the coast toward the north over
the snow-covered plain, crossing the gulleys and lakes,
winding their way through massive bowlders occasionally
found in clusters, and selecting the summits of the little
hillocks and edges of the ridges, and generally those
places where the snow was least deep, avoiding the val-
leys, gorges, and other depressions. It was, however,
impossible to keep wholly out of the deep snow, because
the direction of all the water-courses, of the gulches, and
most of the valleys, ran across their path. When the
deep ravine, separating Cape Lupton from the range
of mountains of which Observatory Bluff is part, was
reached, fatigue began to show itself ; yet the most diffi-
cult part of the journey still lay before them — the ascent

-«lp

The Ascent of the Cape.

of the Cape. Dr. Bessels became interested in its geolog-
ical structure, and left the party in order to pursue his
investigations among the terraces at its base, and to exam-
ine the fossiliferous bowlders of the plain.

The best mode of making the ascent was fully
discussed. The ravine seemed to be the easiest way, be-
cause its ascent was gradual, and, after passing the en-
trance, the slope of the mountain was less. But it was
the longer, and the snow-drifts within it were stili too fresh
to bear the weight of a man.

The side of the cape directly facing the ship was so
steep as to make it very difficult to climb. In the per-
pendicular side fronting the ravine, however, there was a
gorge leading to the top of the mountain. This gorge
was narrow and rough, but filled with fresh snow, which
would break a fall. It was selected for their route, and
the three commenced the ascent in Indian file. For a
time the progress was batisfactory, and objects in the plain
below, began to appear smaller. Soon, however, it was
discovered that the passage was considerably steeper than
had been supposed; it became very difficult. The snow,
thought to be a few inches deep, was really in some places
several feet in depth. Traveling up a steep incline, and
wading through snow above the knees, and too loose to
bear a person's weight, yet too firm to be easily broken,
proved to be much severer labor than had been expected.

115

1871.

September

116

The Ascent of the Gape.

Ill 11
" i

sejtember ^^^^ P^rspiration flowed freely, and had they not heen
animated with the spirit of true explorers they would
have retraced their steps. When two-thirds of the dis-
tance to the summit had been accomplished, Captain Hall
left the gorge and sought a pathway to the right, on the
edge of the wall of the ravine. His experience in Arctic
travels, backed by much personal strength and activity,
carried him to the summit, where he was finally joined
by his companions, Bryan and Meyer. The point now
reached was the southern edge of the mountain, while the
real object of their walk was a still higher elevation, near-
ly a mile beyond, bordering on Robeson Strait. The
country to the west and north towards the strait is rouo-h
and broken.

On the way, they met with a curious rock formation,
which had the general appearance of a house. It was
six or seven feet high, with an area of about one hundred
square feet, and was the only thing in that wide waste
which suggested thoughts of man and of human habitation.

The party had the usual experience of travelers in
Arctic regions. The elevation immediately before them
seemed to be the end of the journey until it was reached;
but on gaining the top another eminence showed itself,
and, perhaps, beyond this, yet another appeared. The
deception and disappointment in this experience are partly
due to the extreme clearness of the atmosphere, which

The Return.

117

diminishes the apparent distance, by making objects seem 1871.
to be near, because they are distinctly seen. In spite of ^*"»**"'*"
these disappointments the travelers persevered, reaching
finally the highest point of the mountain. It bordered on
Kobeson Strait, of which they obtained an excellent
view. The western coast was very distmctly seen as far
as Cape Union; beyond that, three peaks only, were ob-
served. The eastern coast was cut off from view by a
projecting cape three or four miles above. Between
the two coasts nothing obstructed the horizon. It was an
ice-horizon on which no water-cloud appeared. The
channel, as far as could be seen in both directions, was
mostly filled with heavy and closely-packed ice. Immedi-
ately under Cape Lupton and about the ship were patches
of open water.

After the observations were taken. Captain Hall and
his party prepared to return, and found the gorge much
easier of descent. At 6.30 p. m., they arrived at the ship
thoroughly fatigued, although unwilling to confess it.
The readings of the aneroid indicated that their highest
elevation had been between thirteen hundred and fourteen
hundred feet. The natives during their absence had been
successful in hunting, having brought back a seal and four
brent-geese.

Early on the morning of the 7th, the wind blew strono-
from the S. S. W., and brought portions of the pack in

118

A Seal Shot.

1871. toward the vessel. At 4 a. m., all hands were called, the

September

anchor was weighed, and the vessel steamed a short dis-
tance to the southward, in order to be more fully under
the protection of Providence Berg. A great deal of snow
fell during the day, forming slush upon the surface of the
water, and making the passage of the boats from the ship
to the shore very difficult, so that not many stores were
landed.

On the 8th, a channel through the frozen slush was
opened, and the observatory taken to the shore. The
building was made in sections, and could be put up
without the use of iron, so that it could be employed in
magnetic observations.

The temperature having fallen considerably, during
the past few days, and the sleeping-apartments being un-
comfortably cold, a stove was placed in the forecastle, and
a small one also in the cabin. In consequence of the
frozen slush and the nearness of the pfack, there was very
little open water around the ship. In one of the pools,
near the berg, a seal bobbed up its head and played about
until it attracted the attention of Hans, who shot it with
his rifle. In spite, however, of the best efforts of the
men, the body sank before it could be reached.

The channel between the ship and the shore was
kept open with difficulty. The dogs, finding the ice suf-
ficiently strong tc bear them, surrounded the vessel in

The Harbor Named. 119

quest of food. The sextants riid the artificml horizons, 1871.
used in observing for latitudr on the 6th, had been left on ''*«***"""**^'
shore, placed securely, as it was thought, in an empty
barrel. The dogs overturned the barrel, broke open the
boxes, and dragged out some of the instruments, doing,
however, no serious injury. To keep them from dis^
turbing the sleep of the crew by their howling, and to
provide a bettor shelter for them, one of the boats was
turned up on its side on shore and prepared for a kennel.
The next day, the men going to feed them found that the
ice had become hard enough to bear their weight.

Notwithstanding the passing clouds, several altitudes
of the sun were taken, from which Captain Hall deduced
61° 44' W. as the longitude of his winter-quarters. The
more accurate value subsequently determined was 61°
37' W.

On Sunday, at 11 a. m.. Divine service was held, as
usual, after which Hall spoke very encouragingly of the
prospects of the expedition and of his continued conviction
that he would be able to accomplish his principal object.
He added that, in humble recognition of the Divine hand
by which the expedition had been guided, he had resolved
to name this harbor "Thank-God Harbor." The two
Esquimaux went hunting in the afternoon, and Hans
brought back an Arctic hare weighing 8i pounds. On
the 1 1th, Captain Hall announced that the bay discovered

120

Surveys.

isri. by the expedition, extending from Cape Lupton to what

September . « x r

18 now named on the map Cape Budington, should receive
the name of the vessel.

Many things had been provided in the vessel's outfit
for the entertainment of the crew during the long Arctic
winter. To make these available, Hall decided to erect
on shore a house for their recreation. It was to be built
entirely of boxes and barrels containing clothing and pro-
visions. For transporting the materials ashore, two New-
foundland dogs were harnessed to a sled, and the work of
transportation was carried on, in spite of the high wind
and the heavy snow-storm.

Messrs. Bryan and Meyer were engaged in local sur-
veys, which, however, were much interrupted by the
storm raging on the 12th. The following results are given
in their journals : The distance from the observatory to
Lookout Mountain was 2.26 statute miles ; from the ob-
servatory to Cape Lupton, 3.85 statute miles ; and to the
ship, 962.2 feet.

Hans shot a gull which had exhibited a singular free-
dom from apprehension, alighting on the ice in close prox-
imity to the ship.

The Arctic day was now becoming more sharply
defined in its Hmits. Up to this time the expedition had
enjoyed a very strong twilight during the absence of the
sun, but now that LwiHght was becoming more faint.

ttrf-;

•':

Snrveijs.

' vi^oilition, . xtendiiig from (,i4»c fjiipton to what
i-> i;"W uamcJ on th* .(, n, ('apo lindintrt^Mi, Hhoiild receive
the uamo of tit • v, -jui,

. Many tliiii'^s had-hocri providod in th(3 vessel'.s outfu-
for the ouicrtainuionl, of tlie crew diiriut? the Ion*"- Arctic
winter. To make these availob^. , ]{i]]\ decided to erect
on shore a house for their recreation. It was to l)e built
entirely of boxes and barrels containino^ clothin-^- and pro-
visions. For transporting the materials ;i.shore, two New-
foiHi.Ujvnd dotrs were harnessed to a sled, and ilie work of
>um Willi carried on, in spite of the hiu^li wind

•4»(1 in loenl sur-

ir-^Trnpted by the

<": viiigrosultsaretriven

• < lit) ui>iiifici; from the ob.«:<^rvatory to

i/uokout Mountain was 2.26 statute inilt\s ; iVom the ob-

snrvatory to (Jape Lupton, 3.85 statute-miles; and to the

.•^hip, 9G2.2 feet.

Hans shot a <,qill which had exhibited a singular free-
(^'m from apprehension, alighting on the ice in close prox--
imiiy to the ship.

Tho Arctic day w.^is now becoming more .^iiarply
'i'l in its Ihnit 1 j. to this time tiie expedition liad
. ;' <i a very stnaig twilight during the absence of the
^.N that twilight wa.s becoming more fain.,

'W Bt»i>o nnrr i w i nvi > w¥ ii rn »iM-MiM H i«BPii tuin

A Narrow Escape*

At 3 a. m. on *hr 13th, all hands wore called on dock.
The watch had lo; orted that the ico was hroaklng up.
Without kno • , hat might be the result it was thought,
best to have eve.., jne in readiness. The threatened dis-
ruption did r<^v ake place until 10 a. m., when a heavy
floe broke up the young ice and forced its way toward the
vessel. It gave evidence of its progress by the long cracks,
extending even to the land, and by its piling up the ico on
it. There appeared to be some danger of its forcing the
Polaris from her anchorage.

While surveying, Mr. Meyer narrowly escaped a seri-
ous accident. He had ascended in a gorge through two-
thirds of the way when he came to a perpendicular wall of
rock, the height of which did not exceed six feet. Placing
his tripod on it, he attempted to climb over by holding on to
its rough surface; but when nearly up, the ground under
his feet gave way, and he slid rapidly down over the
smooth surface of the snow through the gorge. Fortu-
nately he recovered himself before he reached the base,
and escaped with torn clothes and a few bruises. He
was, however, obliged to renew the ascent in order to
gain the tripod, which he dislodged from its place by
stones.

Some changes in the internal arrangements of the
ship, particularly those for sleeping and eating, were ren-
dered necessary by the approach of winter. The special

121

1871.

September

122

1871.

September

Preparing for Winter.

object of these was the economy of fuel and the berthing
of the whole crew below deck. The atate-rooms, being
too cold, were given up for sleeping, and Joe and Hans!
with their families, were brought down and berthed below.
The space was so limited, that it was necessary to set the
table twice. But this contraction and crowding together
did not impair, in any degree, the sociability and mutual
kind feeling which, as is inferred from the journals, existed
in the officers' mess. Hall's own temper was eminently
social, and his nature was called into play by the conge-
nial circumstances with which he was surrounded. Happy
in the prospect before him. he took part as well in the
mirthful conversations of the mess as in the serious dis-
cussions; he assisted in carrying out harmless jokes. In
the amiable rivalry between Captain Budington and the
mate, Mr. Chester, as to the merits of their respective towns,
he took great interest, not ouly enjoying the witty re(iorts
of the mate, but helping to draw the whole mess into
them. In this intrinsic qualification of an Arctic explorer,
the will and the effort to promote cheerful occupation,
mutual confidence and regard, he was by no means deficient.
The bull's-eyes of the port-holes were dull, and, in
order to have good light during meals, the door of the pas-
sage-way was generally left open. This was not unpleasant
while the thermometer was above the freezing-point, but it
had now become too cold ; even with the door shut, the pas-

The Steward^s Difficulties.

123

sage was not remarkably warm. The dishes had always 1871.
to bo brought from the galley on the forward deck. The **'^'*'"**®'
ruHng divinity there, was a colored man named Will-
iam Jackson. The steward had not encountered much
difficulty in carrying the provisions aft, since the anchor
was dropped in Thank-God Harbor, and since the dogs
had been taken on shore. Before that time, however, it
was a very serious matter to be seen on deck with any
eatables. Herron was a small man, and when beset by a
crowd of the ravenous brutes, he had great difficulty
in forcing his way with safety, from the cook's galley
to the door that led into the passage. Now that he
was freed from the interference of the dogs, he had
another and more invincible enemy to contend with, and
that was the cold. The cook also found his position by
no means a comfortable one, notwithstanding the heat of
the galley. To remedy these troubles, as much as possi-
ble. Captain Hall gave up his little state-room and moved
into one o^* the berths in the main cabin. Leaving his
room for the galley, he hoped that its heat would warm
the passage sufficiently to continue its use as a dining-
saloon.

Joe and Hans, as the result of their day's work,
brought on board late in the evening three fine hares, and
reported that they had seen traces of musk-oxen.

On the 14th, the erection of the recreation-house was

124

1871.

Sepuember

Surveying.

begun, Mr. Chester laying the corner-stone with appropri-
ate ceremonies.

As the shore-line to the southward was low and
without distinct features, it was decided to go over the
ground and mark such points as were to be included in
the survey of the bay. Mr. Meyer had brought some sig-
nal-flags and staves, which were used to good purpose as
a means of identifying the low projections of the coast.
Bryan, Meyer, and Mauch started at 8 a. m. to carry out
the plan ; their intention being to reach the mountain at the
entrance to the southern fiord. Vvhich they thought to be about
ten miles distant. The more experienced Arctic navigators
knew it to be nearer twenty. It rose so high and appeared
so distinct against the horizon, that it seemed impossible to
beheve it was more than ten miles off, and the unexpressed
conviction was that it was not more than six or eight.

On their way down the coast, many flags were
placed on the projecting points of tho extensive plain,
some thirty or forty feet above the sea-level. Aftc r lunch-
ing on a few Graham crackers, the party started to cross
Polaris Bay on the ice, in the direction of Cape Tyson.
The ice proved to be much broken, with many hum-
mocks, so that rapid progress was impossible. A gull
was the only living creature seen. It approached quite
iiear, circling over their heads while they were planting
the staves. After four hours' travel over the rough ice of

Ice Movements. i25

the bay the cape seemed still as far off as when they 1871.
started. Convinced that they could not reach it before ®*'»**"**'"*
night closed in, the party returned to the ship.

The natives, who had been absent all day, hunting on
the land, had found no game, but had again seen recent
tracks of musk-oxen. Hall was gratified to learn this, for
its promise of fresh meat. No one knew better its value as
an anti-scorbutic. The day had been remarkably pleas-
ant, but late in the evening a southerly gale set in, which
drove the pack in toward the ship. The newly-formed
ice, as if endowed with life, rose into hummocks and
cracked into pieces, which piled themselves on each other.
The formation of hummocks in this way is curious and
worthy of observation. Under a severe pressure, an ex-
panse of young ice may not crack, but in many places rise
up, as though acted on by some local force below, and
afterward break, leaving large slabs about the place of
fracture.

Providence Berg afforded great protection to tue Po-
laris; but at 0113 time, during this day, the ico pressed so
hard ago i, .St her stem, as to endanger the cable leadinp-
over the U> V to the anchor. The cable was paid o.-t
The v7ind lulled at 6.15 a. m. of the IStli, and the ice-
piet^;; M ceased.

It sno.ved during this day. The men were employed
perfecihig the arrangements for the winter, and af ±q

la*-

126

A Surveying Party.

1871. same time preparations were made for a huntinff-party to

September & r j

start on the following Monday on a long hunt for musk-
cattle.

At 9 a. m. of the 16th, Bryan, Meyer, and Mauch
started again on a tramp to the south, to complete the
work commenced on the 14th.

They measured some angles at the places previously
marked, eating their lunch under the lea of a large snow-
bank, while the wind was blowing briskly from S. S.W.

Guided by former experience, instead of crossing for
Cape Tyson they directed their steps toward a mountain
farther east, with the intention of following thence the
coast-line to the entrance of the fiord. They found ^/he
ice of the bay very rough, besides which in some places
there was considerable depth of snow. They began to
discover that Captain Hall's estimate of the distance oi
the mountain was much more accurate than their own.
After much toiling they reached the shore at 6 p. m.
Ascending the plateau about forty feet above the ice, they
found it was broken ground to the base of the mountain,
distant about half a mile. Cape Tyson was still nearly
four miles off. It was detc^rmined to end the base line
here instead of at the Cape, in order to make the best of
the remaining day. This base was twelve miles long and
was sufficient for the protraction of the opposite coast.
The high wind gave them a great deal of trouble, and

Discouraging Experiences.

added to the labor and difficulty of their work. On its
completion, the party started on a direct line for the ship,
not taking into account the effect of the high 'vind upon
the ice in the bay.

Two of them, Bryan and Meyer, wore Esquimaux
foot-gear, being otherwise dressed in their ordinary clothes.
These skin boots and stockings, besides keeping the feet
warm, are light. But Mauch wore a pair of cow-hide
boots, too large for hir-, and very heavy. Darkness over-
took them on their way, increasing their dilBculties and
danger. They soon tired of climbing over the hummocks
and wading through the snow. At such a moment the
close quarters and other discomforts of life on shipboard
are forgotten, and the warmth and light of a little cabin
are remembered with pleasure. They could not see the
ship, and, to judge of the progress made, they occa-
sionally looked back at the mountain, they were leav-
ing, in hopes of seeing it grow lower and dimmer. It
would not leave them, but rose high and drear, as plain
to the sight as at first.

The effect of this was distressing. Fixing their eyes
on an iceberg ahead they determined not to look back
until th^7 had passed it; they then turned to see the
effect of Mieir progress on the mountain. Yet it still
seemed to stand above their heads no less distinct in out-
line, and no less gloomy than before. There was no get-

127

1871.

September

128

A Gold Bath.

September ^^"^ ""^'^^ ^^""^ ^^' '^^"^ produced a state of mental
depression which lowered their spirit, and impaired their
strength.

They toiled over the dreary waste with mechanical
eftbrt. Bryan and Meyer, having the advantage of light
foot-gear, and perhaps of greater endurance, advanced
more rapidly than Mauch. Fearing to leave him alone,
whenever they had lost sight of him, they waited for him
to come up. They had not heen long upon the ice before
they discovered that the wind had seriously affected its
condition. Numerous cracks appeared, to cross which in
safety required the utmost care. To increase the diffi-
culty, the wind, which continued to blow very strong,
carried with it a large quantity of light snow, making
the detection of cracks very perplexing by blinding the
sight or actually covering them with the drift. Notwith-
standing all their caution, Meyer fell into a crack, but
extricated himself before the water had reached much
above his knees. Not long afterward, Bryan attempted
to leap over a crack, in spite of Meyer's warnings that
the opening was too wide and the opposite side was not
solid. He found himself up to his shoulders in water,
when, being rescued with the assistance of Meyer, ho
crossed over at a narrower opening. They wore at this
time not quite half way to the ship, and the prospect of
remaining so long in their rapidly-freezing clothes was

A Wearisome Journey. i29

by no means pleasant. Mauch still lagged behind, and 1871.
again they once or twice wai„od for him. If remaining **•***""*"
stationary was, before this, uncomfortable on account of
the cold and the high wind, it now became positively
dangerous ; their wet state demanded that they should
lose no time in reaching the Polaris.

Mauch fared no better. He fell in up to his waist;
and afterward, as he expresses it in his journal, " was
compelled to take the temperature of Polaris Bay twice
more." Finally, however, they all reached the shore,
which, on account of the broken and unsafe condition of
the ice, they made for, sooner than they would otherwise
have done. Their clothing was by this time frozen solid,
and their hands were encased in mittens of ice. The
Esquimaux boots, being water-tight, retained all the water
entering them over the tops which had not been properly
secured. In walking, it rose and fell ; though by no
means comfortable, it was thus prevented from freezing.
On their reaching the land the ship was still three or four
miles distant; the remainder of the walk was dreary
enough.

Satisaed that Mauch could get along very well on
land, Bryan and Meyers pushed on to the ship. Walking
in frozen clothing is difficult, and this, added to their wea'
riuess, delayed them so much, that it was one-half hour
after mjdnight when they reached the vessel. Captam

130

Aboard.

1871. Hall had begun to feel

September

3ry anxious, and was about
organizing a relief-parly when the two appeared. Eager
inquiries were made for Mauch. Morton and Herman
Siemens at once prepared themselves and started in search
of him. They found him quite near the vessel, much ex-
hausted, rolling about like a drunken man, and scarcely
having any consciousness left.

The officers manifested much interest in the accounts
given by the travelers. As soon as Bryan reached the
vessel he gave way, and did not recover his consciousness
until he had been undressed and had lain some time in his
bunk. Opening his eyes, and seeing the captain and sev-
eral of the officers watching him, he said very slowly,
"Captain — traveling — in — this — country — is — very — dis-
couraging." This remark was greeted by rounds of
laughter, and doubtless his conclusion was fully justified
by his late experience. Probably the laugh was due quite
as much to the relief afforded by his return to conscious-
ness as to the aptness of the remark.

After divine service, Captain Hall announced that he
had appointed William Morton yeoman, with J. B. Mauch
as assistant. Mauch had been selected by Hall, Septem-
ber 7, as his clerk, and had proved himself well qualified
for his duties. In speaking of the approaching winter.
Hall exhorted the members of the expedition to preserve
friendly relations with each other.

Hunting Party.

Early in tho morning of the 18th, a hunting-party,
conducted by Mr. Chester, loft the vessel in search of
musk-oxen. Dr. Bessels accompanied Mr. Chester, for tho
purpose of making a geological exploration and of collect-
ing specimens in natural history. The two Esquimaux.
Joe and Hans, were added to the party as dog-drivers
and hunters. A sled drawn by eight dogs carried the
tent, sleeping-bags, and provisions for seven days.

A fire-hole was cut in the ice near the Polaris for the
supply of water in event of fire.

The next day the wind blew so high that it was
found necessary to brace the observatory with planks.

The North Star was seen on the 21st, for the first
time since the establishment of winter-quarters. A large
halo was observed encircling the sun.

On the 23d, Captain Hall extended the duties of a
board which had been previously appointed to make a list
of the articles stored on shore, ordering them to embrace
in their survey everything belonging to the expedition.
The stores were taken out of the hold, and, after lists of
them were made, restored to their places. An awning
had been prepared to cover the deck of the vessel durin^r
winter. The forward part of this was now put in place"
It afforded a perfect protection to the deck.

There had been for several weeks dissatisfaction
among the men on account of the quality of their fooj.

131

1871.

, September

132

Letter from the Men.

l«Tl. On their complaint being made, Hall promised them

September

redress, and on the next day said, after morning service,
that a difference between the forward and after mosses
had been made without his knowledge and contrary to his
wishes ; that it was his desire that they should all live
together as brothers : and that he wished to have it un-
derstood that hereafter the same kind of food should be
prepared for both messes.

This action on the part of Hall led to the following
letter :

" The men forward desire publicly to tender their
thanks to Capt. C. F. Hall for his late kindness, not, how-
ever, that we were suffering want, but for the fact that it
manifests a disposition to treat [us] as reasonable men,
possessing intelligence to appreciate respect and yield it
only where merited ; and he need never fear [but] that it
will be our greatest pleasure to so live that he can implic-
itly rely on our service in any duty or emergency.

" H. Siemens,

" and others."

Captain Hall was much pleased at receiving this let-
ter from the men, and sent the following answer :

" SiKS : The reception of your letter of thanks to me
of this date I acknowledge with a heart that deeply and
fully appreciates the kindly spirit that has prompted you

Halts Reply.

"to this act. I need not assure you that your commander
has and over will have a lively interest in your welfare.
You have left your home, friends, and country— indeed,
you have bid farewell for a time to the civilized world—
lor the object to aid me in discovering these mysterious
hidden parts of the earth ; therefore, I must and will care
for you as a prudent father cares for his faithful children.
" Your commander,

" C. F. Hall."
At 3.30 p. m., the hunting-party returned. Their
journey of nearly a week had perhaps improved their
general health, but had not added much to their personal
appearance. The plain to the southeast had been crossed,
and an encampment made near mountains which Hall
named after Mr. Chester. Their journey had not ex-
tended more than twenty-five miles from the ship, but
they had seen an extensive plain to the northeast, over
which they would have traveled but for the drift of the
snow, that filled up hollows and left the ridges bare. One
of the objects which Hall had in view in sending out this
party was to ascertain if there were a feasible route for an
overland sledge-journey toward the north. He was pleased
to hear of this large plain, which might aflford the means of
convenic'it travel, but was disappointed on learning that
there was not enough snow for the sledges. On the sec-
ond day out, one of the natives had seen a musk-ox on

133

1871.

September

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

i.l

lA^i2.8

■ 50 ""^^B

^ 1^

2.0

1.8

i.25 II 1.4 1.6

►

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Sciences
Corporation

,-\

^s^

«*

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

jj,^^^*

Cp.

£6>

134

Musk-ox Killed.

1871. the summit of a small hill not far from their tent. The

September

dogs, being loosed, soon brought the animal to bay, and
the four hunters with a few shots killed it. It was very
fat, the whole animal weighing three hundred and sixty-
nine pounds. It was the only one seen duiing their hunt,
and, with the exception of a few hares, was the only thing
killed. The musk-ox had never before been met with on
the western coast of Greenland, although Dr. Kane found
parts of a skeleton near Eensselaer Harbor. Many were
killed on the eastern coast by the second German expe-
dition (Koldewey's).

Captain Hall was anxious to make a sledge-journey
before the winter set in, for the purpose of reconrioitering
and of selecting the best route for his great journey in
the spring toward the Pole. He was very much disap-
pointed to learn that there was not enough Piiow upon the
plain for sledge-travel, but was determined to carry out
his designs, even if he should be compelled to go over the
bare ground. He ordered the carpenter to construct a
wagon for the transportation of the necessary provisions.
A ship-ca,rpenter is expected to be able tc manufacture
anything, and accordingly Mr. Coffin, without hesitation,
began to frame the wheels.

Bryan and Meyer were continually engaged in the
survey of th( bay and its surroundings, making frequent
and long excursions for this purpose.

134

Musk-ox KW'- '

1871, liio summit or a >u. >il '"'. aot iar iVoui fiu-i u.^t. TIio
dogs, beiag \*M .,. .s^oii brou<rht tiiu animol to bay, and
the four iuui?<r/rt with a few tshots killed it It was wrv
iat, til- nimal welj^bing three hundred und ^ivL'--

niiio pour-vls. it was the only one scon during their Jiunt,
and, with th« exception of a few hares, wap the only thhig
killed. Tfie musk-ox had never before been met with on
the western coast of Greenland, although Dr. Kane found
parts of a skeleton near llcnsselaer Harbor. Many were
killed on the eastern coast by the second German expe-
ditiofi (Koldewey's). ,

llnJ! «'«.!« aiir.wHM t<> Ti^k*^. a ttledge-jouriv..y
\n . '.- winter set hi, t<>r tho !> €i;s«:uioitenn(>"

the sprintf t'-\\ . ' s^ ^viy Dfteh u^-

j»ojhted to iearn that there wa,^ not enough snow upon il»o
plain for bledge-travel, but was determined to carry out
his designs, oven if he should l)e compelled to go over the
bare ground. He ordered tlie carpenter to construct a,
wagou for the transportation of the necessary pro\ isions.
~A ship-carpenter ij> expected to bo able to manufacture
anything, and accordingly Mr. Goflin, without hesilatiuu,
began to i'ranie the wheels.

Bryan and Meyer were continually engaged hi lim
survey of the bay and its surrouniliTsg'^, making Iruqueiii
and long excursions for this purport:.

Sledge-Journey Preparations.

135

)

On the 27th, a severe gale from the southwest drove 1871.
the pack in toward the vessel and cracked the young ice **■*•*■""**'
ahout it. The ice near the shore was thrown into im-
mense hummocks; and large packs were formed on either
side of the ship. Providence Berg, however, held its
ground. The young ice which had formed around the ves-
sel was measured, and found to be about sixteen inches in
thickness. The pressure by the storm-driven pack was so
great, that the ice broke like glass.

On the 28th, final preparations were made for Captain
Hall's proposed sledge-journey. The dogs were selected
and carefully fed. The Esquimaux put the sled in order
and examined the harness. The heavy snow-storm pre-
vailing during a part of the 27th, and during the next
morning, excited hopes that the sled could be used. Those
who were selected to accompany Captain Hall were busy
making their personal preparations. Large knives, such
as are used in cutting blocks of snow to make "igloos"
(Esquimaux snow-huts), were provided; suitable provis-
ions were stowed in bags, so as to be readily accessible.
In this preparation the dogs were not forgotten. Dupli-
cates of perishable articles were also furnished.

From noon until 3 p. m., the ice-movements again
threatened the destruction of the Polaris. The hio-h
spring-tide, in connection with a strong breeze from the
S. W., brought the pack in against the berg with great

S;lf:i

136

Tidal Observations.

1871. power. The ice was piled up about the vessel in all man-
ner of shapes. The berg, which had hitherto steadfastly
maintained its position, moved in toward the shore. The
ice between it and the vessel was broken by long cracks
and raised into hummocks. The pressure brought upon
the ship was very great, as was apparent from the strain
upon her frame ; and the eifect of this pressure was seen
in its action upon the inside ice, masses of which were
thrown up on the shore. It was necessary to veer the
cable. If the vessel had not been perfectly strengthened
and fitted for this service, she would have been crushed.
When the pressure ceased, it was found that the berg had
been forced in toward the shore 100 yards, and the ship
50 yards.

There was a great deal of snow during the next two
days; the wind shifted to the north, and a channel of wa-
ter was formed between the floe and the loose pack of
the strait, at a distance of about three quarters of a mile
from the ship.

On the 30th, a tidal apparatus, similar to that used
by Dr. Hayes at Port Foulke, was erected over the fire-
hole, and regular observations were commenced.

After Divine service, October Ist, Captain Hall made
known certain rules which he intended to establish.
They referred particularly to food, light, fuel, and exercise.
Thereafter only two meals were to be served, one at

Hall Condemns Profanity.

137

9 a. m., the other at 3 p. m. The remainder of the rules 18TI.
related to the ordinary routine of a ship.

An inspection of the stores led to the discovery
that the supply of oil was limited ; the idea of the rec-
reation-house was therefore abandoned and it was taken
down.

The stores under the hill in the snow-drifts were car-
ried to the plateau on which the observatory stood.

Some changes also were made in the lower cabin,
enlarging the central space (or country, as it is called),
making it suitable for a dining-room if it should be neces-
sary to abandon the passage.

The two Esquimaux were out hunting daily, skirting
the edge of the floe, and making every eflbrt to shoot the
seals constantly seen in the open water. They were un-
successful until the 5th, when they shot two, one of
which they were able to secure. After having observed
them closely, they were convinced, by the shyness of the
seals, that a tribe of Esquimaux lived in the neighbor-
hood.

On the 6th, Captain Hall said that he had heard one
of the men cursing another. Severely condemning the
expressions, he issued an order forbidding all profane or
vulgar language. Six of the men, taking with them the
small scow, so as to be able to secure the seals that might
be shot, before they were carried off by the ice, accompa-

>\\

138

Seal Hunting.

1871. nied the natives on their hunt. During the whole day

October.

one seal and a white fox were seen, both of which
escaped uninjured.

VI.

■^^k

'i i
J 1

} I

i }
i

i
1

fi
'f

i'.

[

OHAI-fER VI.

At morning prayers on th^ 10th, Captain Hall an- 1871.
Dounced his intention of starting that day upon a sledge-
journey, and in the course of the day he issued the follow-
ing letter of instructions:

"Sir: I am ahout to proceed on a sledge-journey
for the object to determine how far north the land ex-
tends on the east side of the strait on which the Polaris
is wintering, and also to prospect for a feasible inland
route to the northwest for next spring sledging in my
attempt to reach the North Pole, this route to be adopted
providing the ice of the strait should be found sc hum-
mocky that Sisdging over it would be impracticable; and
furthermore to hunt musk-cattle, believing and knowing,
as I do from experience, that all the fresh meat for use
of a ship's company situated as is that of the Polaris,
should be secured before the long Arctic night closes
iipon us.

ifi

142

1871.

OcSober.

Letter to Budington.

"P'STRUCTIONS.

"You will, as sooD as possible, have the remainder of
the stores and provisions tiiat are on shore taken up on
to the plain by the observatory, and placed with the
other stores and provisions in as complete order as pos-
sible. You will have each kind by itself, as near as may
be. You will have the ship's housing (winter awning)
put up as designed.

"Have the night-watch kept up in accordance to my
winter instructions of September 23d, with simply this
change, that the watch is to be continued until the cook
commences his morning work. Have every light in the
ship extinguished at S*" p. m., except from this hour a
candle-light is to be allowed forward, for the use of the
watch.

"You will see that no more coal is consumed in any
stove of the ship than is actually necessary. I find by
thermometers placed in the men's quarters forward an i
both cabins aft, that the temperature of the air is kept
far higher than it should be, both for economy in the
consumption of coal and for the health of the ship's com-
pany, the thermometer through the day and evening
ranging from 60° to 70°; therefore you will require no
more coal shall be consumed than is necesary to keep the
thermometer, forward and aft, at 50° through the day and
evening.

Letter to Budington,

"A very small fire to be allowed forward to be kept
up from d^ p. m. through the night, but the one aft to
be discontinued at 9^ p. m.

" Have the dogs well cared for, feeding them every
other day. Look out some good warm place in the ship
for the puppies, and have them well nursed.

"Have Mr. Morton get and open one can of pemican,
and deal that out economically to the puppies. I h«,. u
great hope of securing many musk-cattle on my sledge-
journey, and then we can spare much of our ship's pro-
vision to the doffs.

"Should any such calamity be in store for the Po-
laris (which I pray God may not be) that a storm from
the northward should drive the ice out of Thank-God
Harbor and the Polaris with it during the coming spring-
tides, then have steam gotten up as quickly as possible and
lose no time in getting the vessel back to her former posi-
tion. But should the Polaris be driven into the moving
pack-ice of the strait, and there become beset, and you
should not be able to get her released, then, unfortunately,
the vessel and all on board must go to the southwest,
drifting with the pack; God only knowing where and
when, you and the ship's company would find means to
escape. It might in this case be that such a drift move-
ment would occur as in the case of the United States
Grinnell Expedition of 1851-52, and of the Fox, under

143

1871.

October.

ii'S

I ■

I'M *

iili

I;'

144

Letter to Budlngton.

1871.

October.

"McClintock, in 1857-58; but whenever you should get
released, if anywhere between Cape Alexander and Cape
York, or between the latter and the Arctic circle, you will
then make your way to Godhavn, Disco Island, and if
the Polaris remains seaworthy, you will fill her up with
coal, stores, and provisions, and next fall (of 1872) steam
back to this place. Tf the vessel should become a wreck,
or disabled from the imminent exposure and dangers of
such an ice-drift as referred to, then all possible use of
your best judgment must be brought into play for the
preservation of the lives of all belonging to the expedition.

"You would, at your earliest moment of escape,
acquaint the Government of the United States with the
whole of the circumstances, and should one of those cir-
cumstances be the loss of the Polaris, I and my small
party, that is about to accompany me on the proposed
bledge-journey, would remain here to make discoveries to
the North Pole, using Thank-God Harbor as our head-
quarters, and all the time feel certain that our country
would lose no time in sending us aid, in carrying out the
great object of the present expedition.

"Although I feel almost certain that the Polaris is
safely lodged in her winter position, yet we know not
what a storm may quickly bring forth. A full storm from
the south can send the pack of the strait infringing upon
the land pack, in the midst of which we are, and in a few

Letter to Budington.

145

"'' moments cast the Polaris high and dry on the land. Dur- 1 871.
ing the spring- tides let great vigilance be exercised,
especially during any gale or storm at the time of high
tides.

"As soon as time will allow, have snow-blocks cut
from the drift under the lee of the hill by the observatory
and sledged over to the Polaris, the same to be placed
about her as an embankment.

"You will have plank and boxes so placed under the
poop that the dogs cannot get to the raw-hide wheel-
ropes.

" The usual routine of the ship that I have established
will be gone through with, daily, during my absence. You
will see that this is carried out, including church-service
on each Sabbath.

"The duties that devolve upon Mr. Morton by my
appointment are those of paymaster and yeoman. He
has full charge, under my directions, of all the accounts,
stores, and provisions on board the Polaris and on shore
belonging to the United States. Whatever relates to the
consumption and use of said stores and provisions, Mr.
Morton has charge of, and will be made responsible for
the same. I am sure this trust that I have committed to
Mr. Morton will be carried out with fidelity and to the
best advantage of the United States Government and this,
its North Polar Expedition.

«i I

146

1871.

Octol»er.

Letter to Budington.

" A.11 the fuel, kindling, and coal, before being used,
mubc pass through the hands of Noah Hayes, who must
keep an exact account of the same, which he must render
to Mr. Morton, or he may render the account to the chief
engineer, and the latter to Mr. Morton.

"No box, barrel, package, or anything else con-
taining stores or provisions belonging to the Polaris
must be opened, but by Mr. Morton. This as well as
all other orders that I have issued, you will have carried
out.

"You will keep a journal of all proceedings during
my absence, and transmit the same to me on my return.
You will not omit to note such violations of orders that
are or may be given, and by whom they are made;
neither will you omit to note the meritorious conduct of
any or all.

"Hoping that God will protect you in the discharge
of the high duties which devolve upon you, I bid you
adieu and all those of my command, trusting on my re-
turn to find 'All's Well;' and trusting, too, that I shall be
able to say that my sledge-journey, under the protection
and guidance of Heaven, has been a complete success,
not only in having made a higher northing, a nearer
approach to the North Pole than ever white man before,
but that a practicable inland sledge-route far north has

The Departure.

"been found, and many musk-cattle have been seen and
captured.

"I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, and
respectfully,

"0. F. Hall,
" Commanding U. S. North Polar Expedition.
"To S. 0. BuDmGTON,

"Sailing and Ice Master,

" CT. S. North Polar Expedition.
"Thank-God Haeboe (latitude 81° 38' north ; lon-
gitude 61° 44' west), October 10, 1871."

The persons selected by Captain Hall to accompany
him were Mr. Chester, Joe, and Hans. The start was
made at 1 p. m. The one sled was heavily loaded, and
although the team was a large one consisting of twelve
or fourteen dogs, it was necessary to obtain the assistance
of the men who were working among the stores on shore
to pull the sled up the hill and through the deep snow for
a distance of about a half of a mile. At the separation,
three hearty cheers were exchanged. The next morning
Hans returned to the ship for another sled, more dogs,
and a few small things that had been forgotten. Hall
had found the traveling very heavy, and had not been
able to make a distance of more than five miles. They
waited in an igloo for Hans' return

On board ship, during the next few days, all hands

147

1871.

October.

148

Procuring Water.

1871. were set busily to work preparinff for winter. The

October. . r r &

awning was housed — that is, it was stretched so as to
cover the whole deck — and snow-blocks were cut to
make a wall around the hull. The water in the tanks
having been used, recourse was had to ice. Some of the
small pieces in the harbor were fresh-water ice, but the
chief supply came from Providence Berg, which was only
about three hundred yards from the vessel ; the labor of
sledding the ice from it was not great.

The engineers attempted to make some arrangement
about the galley-pipe for n^elting ice, but were unsuccess-
ful. Experience showed, however, that an ample supply
of water could be obtained by the use of temporary
boilers on the gallcj and the heating-stoves.

At meridian of the 16th, the upper limb of the sun
was seen for a short time above the tops of the moun-
tains; the next day it did not appear. The mountains
had an elevation of about \% degrees. ' The long Arctic
night had commenced; for one hundred and thirty-two
days they would look in vain for the return of the sun.

Hitherto, the strait seen from the shore had continued
open, the heavy floes moving up and down under the
influence of the winds and currents. For a few days
previous to the 23d, very severe winds prevailed from the
north, driving the ice off from the land and leaving quite
a large expanse of open water. At times this was co7-

Their Return.

149

erod by a dense water-cloud or frost-smoke, concealing 1871.
the opposite shore, and rendering it impossible to see the
ice in the strait, or to determine the breadth of the open-
water space. The temperature had varied from a few
degrees above zero to eighteen below.

At 1.30 p. m., on the 24th, the sledge-party was
discovered making its way over the plain, on its return,
and at 2 p. m. it reached the vessel. Captain Hall and
his companion were at once surrounded by a group of
cheerful faces anxious to hear the news.

The principal circumstances were soon communi-
cated. They were all well, and had been well during
their two weeks' absence, excepting Captain Hall, who
had complained that he did not have his wonted vigor
and endurance ; and during the last three days had not
been feeling at all well. He had frequently, during the
journey, expressed his surprise that he was not able to
run before the sleds and encourage the dogs, as on former
expeditions, but had been compelled to keep on the sled.

Although the Esquimaux had fired at several seals,
they had been without success in securing them. Traces
of musk-cattle, of foxes, and of lemming, together with
an owl and a few hawks, had been seen. A lar^e litter
of pups had been devoured by the dog-team as soon as
born. The party had slept every night in snow-houses
erected at different places, in one of which they had

150

Incidents,

1871.

October.

passed a whole day on account of the severity of the wind
and the blinding force of the drifting snow. Once they
had narrowly escaped suffocation. The four had entered
their snow-house for the night, and according to custom
had securely fastened up the entrance by a large block of
snow. They had neglected to make a hole for ventilation,
and the igloo being very well built, was perfectly air-tight.
The kerosene lamp and candle having gone out, an attempt
was made to relight the latter for Captain Hall to work up
his reckonings, but the matches went out immediately
upon being struck. Captajn Hall's attention was called
to this strange fact ; and while trying to account for it,
he began to feel the suffocating effects of the deoxygen-
ated air, and called out "Kick down the door." Joe at
once obeyed.

These details of adventure were listened to with
breathless attention by their companions, whose life for
the past month had been very unifornl; anything new
and stirring was greatly relished. Little rest was allowed
the sled-party until everything connected with their
journey had been told and retold and fully discussed.

Their history told in full ran as follows. Leaving,
on the 12th, their first snow- house about five miles from
the vessel, beyond Lookout Mountain, they traveled over
the plain to the northeast, koeping along the foot of the
mountain-range which guards it on the north. They found

TRACK OF HAT.lIS LAST Sl.EDC.F. JOIIRNKY

l|!

1
si

1 1

/''■UH't i, i l^,utf'tA,lhl

Last sight of the Sun.

the snow very deep, and encamped at night near a remark-
able hill which rose abruptly and stood alone. Captain
Hall thought, and no doubt correctly, that this plain once
formed the bed of a river, the hill at that time being an
island ; he named it the Inland Monument or Island. At
noon of the 13th, about one-quarter of the sun's disk ap-
peared above the glacier which covered the mountains to
the south. As the few rays of the sun fell upon the ice
between two mountains a beautiful phenomenon was wit-
nessed : the parhelia glowing with the colors of the rain-
bow. From the sun rose a vertical column of red lays to
a height of 15°. This was the last look of the sun, — not
again to be seen for four months; it was the final ray
thrown back by the luminary upon the lamented Hall,
seeming to leave with him a parting benediction.

At 1.30 p.m., a small lake was discovered, from which
ran an icy river in the direction in which they were going.
As the traveling upon its smooth surface was good,
they resolved to follow it, and soon found themselves
wandering in the irregular sinuosities of a ravine. Fol-
lowing the course of the river for about one hour, they
encamped upon it for the night. Hans cut a hole through
the ice and found water, which was a source of satisfaction,
since much time and fuel were saved by their not being
compelled to melt ice or snow.

On the 14th, just as they were about to breakfast,

151

1871.

October.

152

1871.

October.

A Oood Supper.

an accident happened which put an end to their iininedi-
ato progress. Mr. Chester, in taking the kettle of boiling
coffee from the little stove, or conjurer, as it was called,
found the iron handles too hot and dropped it. Portions of
the contents were dashed into his face, scalding him very
severely. Prompt applications of "cosmoHne" brou^jht
immediate relief.

The following is an extract from Hairs- journal,
wrUen on this journey after having retired in the snow-
house for the night:

"We have just finished our supper, or tea— a two-
pound can of preserved meat and vegetables, hard bread,
and raw pemmican— and now feel just as well as though
we had been feasted by a New York City Alderman.
Our standard provision is raw pemmican, the most con-
densed and most nutritious of all food. The pemmican
we have is the very best I ever ate; indeed, I believe
none was ever made by a more honest hand than the hand
that made this, Mr. Marshall P. Smith of Baltimore, who
is president of the National Preserving Food Company
of Baltimore. Ten thousand pou,'<l^ ilid he pupply to
the Government for the North Poiar Expedition.

"This afternoon I took a walk down the river, to see
if it was feasible for us to follow it ; after keeping along
its course for a little over a mile I ascended its right bank,
or eastern side, and then also ascended the hills along its

Desolation.

153

"border, and from the summit of thcMO I could boo tho I8T1.

0«tob«r.

course for two miles farther, the general direction being
about northeast. I then walked o little way inland, away
from tho river-bank, taking sharp looks for muHk-cattlo.
My view was quite extensive, but I was not fortunate in
seeing any. The banks of the river are very much
broken and irregular, but in many places cliflfy. The rlllTs
are found twenty-five to seventy-five feet high, and are
composed of mud — frozen umd. The nature of the land
has the appearance of drift-shingle schistose. lAuv and
slate predominate. I found one largo bowlder of gneiss,
which, of course, is erratic. Most of tho stones are round-
ed, as if sea-washed. Now and then pebbles of granite
are found, which, of course, like the gneiss, do not belong
here. There is not a sign of vegetation on these hills,
save now and then a bit or tuft of grass. Looking to the
eastwaid, I am inclined to think an extensive level country
is there. It may be that there we might fall in with
musk-cattle, for on the plains considerable grass and other
vegetation abound, as we have seen on the pl«ins we have
passed over in getting here. Luxurious lichens are to be
seen on rocks here and there."

On the afternoon of the 15th, Hall encamped in
sight of what proved to be a bay. The ice covering it
was, as far as he could see, smooth, broken only by a few
icebergs. Reaching the bay the next morning, he di-

154

Prayers.

o!toUr ^^^^^ ^^^ *'^"'*^® northerly toward its mouth. The snow
upon the surface of the ice was only four inches deep, but
owing to its having a thin crust upon it, which broke un-
der the weight of the dogs and sledges, the traveling was
as difficult as if the snow had beon soft and much deeper.
The feet of the dogs became very sore, and they were
unable to travel very fast.

The fifth encampment was made on the southern
coast of the bay. Here, not being able to obtain any
fresh-water ice, he chose, in preference to sncw, some old
sea- ice, which by age had lost its salt.

On the morning of the 17th, Captain Hall made the
following record: "This morning read prayers; the
beautiful and appropriate one of Dr. Newman's, designed
for the use of sledge-parties while away from the ship,
traveling toward the North Pole. All listened to its im-
pressive sentiments." Dr. Newman, at the request of
Captain Hall, had prepared three prayers for use on the
expedition, which were printed in small books, for circula-
tion among the men. These forms were frequently used
at divine service on Sundays and at daily morning
prayers. Becoming dissatisfied with that arrangement, and
thinking that no exact form of words could express the
particular wants and desires of each occasion, and that the
men did not take much interest in the exercise when they
knew exactly what would be said. Captain Hall had per-

Obstacles.

155

suaded Mr. Bryan to offer extemporaneous prayer. He 1871.

October.

favored also extemporaneous speaking, and had frequently
said that before the winter was over the written sermons
must be laid aside, and the Sunday discourse be delivered
without notes.

The traveling was very good on the 17th, and fair
progress was made. An attempt to reach the cape at the
northern entrance of the bay was begun; but when
within a half mile of it open water was met, whic^ ren-
dered a stop necessary. So many icebergs had been
stranded here that it was impossible to advance with
the sled ; it was determined to make the sixth encamp-
ment. Captain Hall in his journal says: "The pack
fills the straits to which we have arrived, and is on
the move, impinging on both the south and north
capes of our bay, and thus we are prevented extend-
ing our sledge-journey along on the shore-ice, as I had
hoped to be able to do. Obstacles have come and may
continue to come, but they must be surmounted. Skirt-
ing the shore toward the North Bluff Cape are high,
irregular, broken hills of shingle, which have been
formed by the pack-fields of the straits pressing ice-
bergs on shore, which, on grounding, turn up the sea
bottom."

The open water occupied a small space at the mou*^^
of the bay, and many seals were seen. The fast ice of

Iff

111

156

1871.

October.

Sealing.

the bay ended in a curve from cape to cape, with its con-
cave side toward Robeson Strait.

The drifting masses in the channel swept past the
opening, a few small pieces only entering the bay. Joe
and Hans lost no time, after the igloo had been con-
structed, in going to the water's edge with their rifles to
secure, if possible, some of the seals. Hiding behind ice-
bergs and hummocks, they soon had opportunities for
shooting. They killed several, but were unable to secure
the bodies; the eddying current carried them away.
With kyaks, many might have been taken.

On the 18th, Captain Hall, accompanied by Mr.
Chester and the Newfoundland dog Wolf, walked to the
top of the cape. The incidents of the trip will be given
in his own language: "Starting from the encampment at
9 a. m., we followed a gorge, having a general N. N. E.
direction, for half a mile, and then, turning to the left, as-
cended its side. This was the first place met where it was
possible to make the ascent. On the summit was a huge
old bowlder, 12 feet high, which, before the fractured end
had been severed from Ihe parent rock, measured 25 feet
in length. On the sides and top of this mass of limestone
lichens abounded. Upon our arrival at the cape, I pro-
ceeded to take bearings. As it was evident that consider-
able time would be consumed in making these observa-
tions, I allowed Chester to take a walk by himself, sup-

HaWs Highest Point on LanC

"posing that he would soon return. I found that I had
undertaken a more difficult task than I had anticipated.
There was a smart hreeze from up the bay, and as I
stood in an exposed position, it was cuttingly cold. When
I had completed my work, I looked eagerly around for Mr.
Chester. Where was he? My shouting, screaming, roar-
ing, met with no response. I became greatly alarmed,
thinking that he might have fallen down and by a mishap
struck his long snow-knife into his side. I was able to
track him by the occasional patches of snow down into a
deep ravine. Losing his tracks, I followed the ravine,
still searching, until it made a deep plunge. I started to
return, and, on my way, found a rock full of fossils, coral
being one of them. While engaged in examining these, I
heard Chester shout, and, looking about, saw him and
dog Wolf on the opposite — that is, the nor^h — side of the
ravine. As in that direction lay a high mountain which
I wished to ascend, I retraced my steps and made my
way out of the ravine i.1 the first accessible place I met.
We then moved on toward our point of destination. We
were soon obliged to cross another ravine, and, upon
reaching the summit of one hill, we found that a still
higher one arose beyond us. We persevered, however,
and finally reached the highest point of all. On our way,
grass and various species of flowering plants were seen,
and they abounded even up to the mountain's top."

157

1871.

October.

'i f I

158

The View to the North.

1871.

October.

Reaching the summit, they had an extended view of
the channel and the land on either side. The former was
covered with ice, which, from Hall's elevation, did not
look very rough. He entertained the idea that the snow,
falling during the winter, would drift among the hum-
mocks, and, filling up all the crevices, would harden,
and afford by spring a smooth surface for sledge-travel.
The land on the west side of the channel ran to the
north and east until it appeared to end in a cape, nearly
due north, distant about sixty or seventy miles. It then
turned to the west very abruptly. The east coast ran to
the northeast for about ten or twelve miles, when it turned
to the east and disappeared. A cloud was seen extending
across the straits, far away to the north and east, similar
to that observed from the vessel when near her highest
latitude. Hall could not determine whether it was a water-
cloud or the loom of land. It was broken in several
places, indicating a prominent headland with islands
around it. After a walk, made interesting by geological
observations, the party arrived at their snow-house at
4.35 p. m.

The next day Captain Hall, following the shore-line,
rounded the cape, but was unable to go very far, as its
perpendicular sides were encroached upon by a moving
floe. He spent much time in surveying and examining
the surrounding country, and finally came to the conclu-

End of the Journey.

159

siou that he had reached the end of his journey. The 1871.
land which lay to the north and east of the bay was
high and little adapted for sledge-travel, on account of
deep ravines and gulches. It was also almost entirely
bare of snow. The ice in the straits was still moving and
was hummocky, making it unfit for sledge-traveling.
The ice-foot bordering on the straits, often used for travel,
did not afford Hall the means of extending his journey.
It was in some places entirely worn away ; in others it
was covered with hummocks. Before starting on his
walk Hall had made some careful measurements of the
altitude of Jupiter when near the meridian, from which
the latitude of this sixth and last encampment was ascer-
tained to be 82° 00' 30" N.

On the 20th, it was his intention to start on his return
to the Polaris, but he was induced to remain, by the
Esquimaux who predicted a violent storm. These pre-
dictions were strengthened by the falling barometer, the
lowering sky, and the "storm-roar upon the mountains."

At 8 a. m., he started out for a walk, and made fur-
ther examinations into the formation of the long ridges of
hillocks of shingle that fringed the beach. He was soon
compelled to retrace his steps, for at 9.30, the storm broke
upon him in all its fury. The bay in which the party
were compelled to remain storm-bound in their snow
house has a general direction from northwest to southeast,

160

1871.

October.

A Bull Bay,

extends for about forty miles into the interior, and varies
in width from three to eight miles. Captain Hall named
it "Newmai 's Bay," after the Rev. J. P. Newman, D. D.,
of Washington, D. C. The cape at the base of which the
camp was located was called "Cape Brevoort," after Mr.
J. Carson Brevoort, of Brooklyn, N. Y., "a strong per-
sonal and Arctic friend." The cape at the southern en-
trance received the name of "Sumner Headland," as a
slight token of Hall's appreciation of the eflfective support
received from the distinguished Senator.

The following is copied from the notes made by
Hall in the evening of this day :

" This has been as dull a day with us as one might
expect. Joe took his rifle a little past meridian and
went out to the N. E. to hunt for musk-cattle. He
bundled up as well as he could that he might be well pro-
tected against the storm. At the same time Hans, with
his gun, went to the open water to try und shoot some
seals. Both hunters returned at 3 p. m. Joe saw no
game, while Hans saw three seals and made a shot at one
but did not kill it. As for myself, I have been out now
and then looking around seeking specimens of plants, and
trying, as I have often done before, to find something of
a coal character. I am deeply anxious to find coal in
this country, as this mineral would contribute largely to
our success in getting the Polaris to a far higher latitude

Looking for Goal.

"next season. Wherever one goes here he finds specimens
of stones that look like coal, but on close trial it proves to
be slate-stone. This p. m., with my snow-knife, in a few
minutes, I dug my large seal-skin mittens full of a small
plant that is quite abundant here and about Polaris Bay ;
a plant not exactly 'Andromeda tetragona,' but perhaps
of that family. I brought what I had gathered to the
encampment to make a trial of it as fuel, but,, from the
fact that it was all full of frost, it could not be coaxed to
burn. I think if this plant were gathered in the fall and
dried it would make fuel. Any way, if our sealers are
successful in the spring and summer of next year (1872),
the oil of the seals can be turned to excellent account by
saturating the plant I have just alluded to in the oil, and
thus a capital combination-fuel for steam-jreneratinff on
the Polaris will be formed. While gathering these plants
I found the full stand-droppings of a musk-ox. They are
like those of the reindeer, except the balls are larger — the
size of bullets 16 to a pound. Generally the traces of
musk-cattle are in mass — like balls all melted together. I
gathered a handful of them and brought them to the snow-
hut. I found that on crushing one it was completely
dry, and that it expanded to almost double its original size.
It struck me it would make capital wicking for Esquimaux
lamps. I saturated the crushed mass with melted tallow,

and I found, as I expected, the substance made excellent
11

161

1871.

October.

162

The Cairn.

1871.

October.

"wicking, Mr. Chester has been busy first at one kind of
work and then of another — anything to keep himself oc-
cupied. He has voluntarily taken upon himself the work
of cook for myself and party, which extra work he does
most cheerfully and exceedingly well."

Hall, having written a dispatch to the Hon. Secre-
tary of the Navy and carefully deposited it on the land,
thus describes the place of its deposit :

" 9.40 a. m., complete the cairn and deposit the doc-
ument. The monument, two feet high and two and one-
half feet at its base, is on the brow of the second plain
from the sea, about fifty feet above its level.

"B. Buried cylinder.

"0. Condensed-milk canister filled with sand.
"D. Two-pound meat-can.
"E. Small water-trench.
"A. Cairn.

" 10 F. E. This stone )f slate placed at A. in the
"ground, face up, close to the one above, which is vertical.

"Fog and ^ Cape Brevoort (N. 50° E.)?
indistinct > Sixth encampment, distant 43 of my
light. J measures. (N. 15° E.)

^se:

»*

The Ctjlinder.

163

" Chester, at my suggestion, took one of the boards of 1871.
the twenty-eight pound wooden box, that I ordered to be *""'""*"'*
taken apart last evening, (a couple pounds of which we
used last night in making scouse,* and six quarts of extra
water) and with his knife cut in bold letters 10 F. E. (feet
east), and this and thirteen other pieces of that box were
scattered about the cairn. It was not without difficulty that
we found stones of sufficient size and number with which
to build this small pillar. Joe dug the hollow in which
to deposit the copper cylinder. This cylinder was one of
those specially designed for deposits, and was rendered air
and water tight by being sealed with white bees-wax; at
the bottom I placed a small piece of board, then on either
side two other pieces; and, last, on the top, another; then
we covered the same over with three inches of shingle of
the plain."

The following is the dispatch:
"Sixth Snow-House Encampment,

" Cape Beevoort,

"NOETH SIDE ENTEANOE TO NeWMAN's BaY,

" (Latitude 82° 3' north, longitude 61° 20' W.,)

''October 20, 1871.
''To the Honorable Secretary of the United States Navy,
"Geoege M. Robeson:
"Myself an d party, consisting of Mr. Chester, first

• liOb-scouse or olio.

164

1871.

October.

The Dispatch.

"mate, my Esquimaux Joo, and Greenland Esquimaux
Hans, left the ship in winter quarters, Thank-God Harbor,
latitude 81° 38' north, longitude 61° 44' west, at meridian
of October 10th, on a journey by two sledges, drawn by
fourteen dogs, to discover, if possible, a feasible route
inland for my sledge-journey next spring to reach the
North Pole, purposing to adopt such a route, if found,
better than a route over the old floes and hummocks of
the strait which I have denominated Robeson's Strait, after
the honorable Secretary of the United States Navy.

" We arrived on the evening of October 17, having dis-
covered a lake and a river on our way ; the latter, our route,
a most serpentine one, which led us on to this bay fifteen
minutes (miles) distant from here southward and eastward.
From the top of an iceberg, near the mouth of said river,
we could see that this bay, which I have named after Rev.
Dr. Newman, extended to the high land eastward and
southward of that position about fifteen miles, making the
extent of Newman's Bay, from its headland or cape, full
thirty miles.

"The south cape is a high, bold, and noble headland.
I have named it Sumner Headland, after Hon. Charles
Sumner, the orator and United States Senator; and the
north cape Brevoort Cape, after J. Carson Brevoort, a
strong friend to Arctic discoveries.

"On arriving here we found the mouth of Newman's

Latitude of Highest Land Seen.

"Bay open water, having numerous seals in it, bobbing up
their heads, this open water making close both to Sumner
Headland and Cape Brovoort, and the ice of Robeson's
Strait on the move, thus debarring all possible chance of
extending our journey on the ice up the strait.

"The mountainous land (none other about here) will
not admit of our journeying farther north; and as the
time of our expected absence was understood to be for
two weeks, we commence our return to-morrow morning.
To-day we are storm-bound to this, our sixth encamp-
ment.

"From Cape Brevoort we can see land extending on
the west aide of the strait to the north 22° west, and dis-
tant about seventy miles, thus making land we discover as
far as latitude 83° 5' north.

"There is appearance of land farther north, and ex-
tending more easterly than what I have just noted, but a
peculiar dark nimbus cloud hangs over what seems may
be land prevents my making a full determination.

"August 30th, the Polaris made her greatest north-
ing, latitude 82° 29' north; but after several attempts to
get her farther north she became beset, when we were
drifted down to about latitude 81° 30'. When an opening
occurred we steamed out of the pack and made harbor
September 3d, where the Polaris is. [Corner of manu-
script here bu' led off.] Up to the time I and my party

165

1871.

October.

Homeward Bound.

isri. "loft the ship all have boon well, and continuo with hioh

October. o

hopes of accomplishing our great mission.

"Wo find this a much warmer country than wo ex-
pected. From Oape Alexander the mountains on either
side of the Kennedy Channel and Robeson's Strait wo
found entirely bare of snow and ice, with the exception of
a glacier that wo saw covering, about latitude 80° 30', east
side the strait, and extending east-northeast direction as
far as can be seen from the mot ntains by Polaris Bay.

"We have found that the country abounds with life,
and seals, game, goose, ducks, musk-cattle, rabbits, wolves,
foxes, bears, partridges, lemmings, &c. Our sealers have
shot two seals in the open water while at this encamp-
ment. Our long Arctic night commenced October 13th,
having seen only the upper limb of the sun above the gla-
cier at meridian October 12th.

"This dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy I finished
this moment, 8.23 p. m., having written it in ink in our
snow-hut, the thermometer outside minus 7°. Yesterday
all day the thermometer minus 20° to 23°; that is, 20°
minus to 23° minus Fahrenheit.

"Copy of dispatch placed in pillar, Brevoort Cape,
October 21, 1871."

Leaving the sixth encampment early on the morning
of the 21st, the party retraced their steps, and early in
the afternoon arrived at the point on the southern shore of

Breakfast.

the bay wlioro thoir fifth encampment had stood. It
being very cloudy, and the little daylight rapidly passing
away, it was determined to remain at that point over
night. The old snow-house was repaired, and in a short
time they were comfortably established in it. The next
morning Hall has the following record:

"Notes before leaving seventh encampment, which is
the same as the fifth. Our morning repast finished at 6
a. m. ; each of us had a quart pot of smoking-hot chocolate,
with condensed milk in it. This with sea-bread, two
kinds, made of white and Graham flour, raw pemmican,
and raw clear pork, makes a most excellent and nutritious
breakfast. It is my purpose to strike direct for the head
of this bay, and, from some prominent mountain there,
try to see the character of the country north, to deter-
mine whether sledging in that direction would be feasible;
also to look for a route homeward and hunt musk-cattle.

"Every morning now, the first thing that I wish to
learn is, whether the stars, or rather Jupiter, can be seen;
but generally the heavens are in gloom. Latitude by
observation is what I desire, though the elements for de-
termining the latitude of Cape Brevoort I have from post-
meridian observations of Jupiter the other morning. We
start up the bay, and soon, leaving the new ice, come
upon century-old ice, that, commencing from one side of
the bay, spreads over to the other. At 10 a. m. I place

167

1H7I.

October.

168

Old Ice.

1871.

October.

"my tripod on the top of a century-old ridge of hummocks,
and take compass-sights to all the prominent points about.
At 11, having regained the new ice, stop to examine
what appears to be an old floe along which we have been
sledging for ten minutes. It is five feet above the new
ice upon which we are, and which also extends under it.
The upper surface has hillocks, and looks very old. It
appears to be fixed. Hans says it is all the same as a
glacier. A little after noon we leave the ice of the bay,
and travel up a gulley upon land. At 2.30 p. m., stop to
make the eighth encampment. At 5.10, the snow-house
was ready for occupancy."

The weather had been overcast and foggy; very dis-
agreeable, as Hall says, for Arctic night-travelers. "We
have now actually not more than nine hours daylight in
which to travel, and do outside work, as loading and un-
loading sledges, and making snow-houses. From 7 to 8
in the morning, and from 4 to 5 in the evening, it is quite
dusky, nevertheless we manage to do many of our outside
duties without much trouble. To-night, though overcast
and cloudy, I read oflf the time from my watch by day-
light at 4.37. To-morrow we shall go in for a musk-ox
hunt."

On the 23d, circum-meridian observations of Jupiter
were made, which gave 81° 39' as the latitude of the eighth
encampment.

Frozen Clothing.

"Our snow-house is a fair representative of the
others; is 9 feet in diameter, 5 J feet high from the floor
to the dome, and 4 feet from the bed to the dome. The
whole spiral, including keystone or key-snow, consists of
forty-eight blocks of snow 6 inches thick, about 1 foot
wide, and from 2 to 3 feet long. The day, like most all
the others during this sledge-journey, has been so foggy
as to make it quite impossible to take such sights as I
have desired to take, and also to render useless any time
that I might spend in trying to hunt musk-cattle. It is
now my purpose to make for the Polaris, which we shall
most likely reach to-morrow. The ninth encampment
was made near the Inland Island, and also quite near,
within two rifle-shots, of the second encampment. I
have omitted to note that our sleeping-bags, our vest-
ments, everything that we have to wear, are all saturated
with the moisture, and frozen stiff*. We have not the
necessary fuel by which to dry the same. We have, to a
certain extent, adopted the plan of taking our smaller
articles, such as mittens and stockings, to bed with us.
By placing them inside our sleeping-bags, and next to our
bodies, they become partially dry by morning. When we
unpack our sleeping-gear, our sleeping-bags have to be
coaxed a long time before we can unroll them; they are
so stiffly frozen. But these kinds of difficulties we do not
mind much. So long as we can forward the service we

169

1871.

October.

170

Home Again,

1 871 . " are engaged in, so long will we lauffh at such obstacles as

October. °

those mentioned."

On the 24th, the snow having been hardened by an
eastern gale, they were able to make good progress, and a
little past noon Hall writes :

"My deep anxieties are relieved, for I and Joe could
not till this moment, sight the masts of the Polaris."

'^♦v*^^'-^ -i,^-^^^^-^:y^ »i>r-n*-vW^ -^--V^ iyrrr^r^ f.^,^^^ ,K^

7<i

(•

rry/"<'"^*y

^\*><,

c-t^a^

kv^"

[*te..w«r »..Kjfcav^ ,,.^^^ .c::^ w^4^9<^,i^ w=7 i^^^Zjlu^

VII

CHAPTER VII.

Upon Captain Hall's arrival at the Polaris, he went isri.
on hoard, anu was assisted hy Mr. Morton in getting
oflf his fur clothing. He spoke very encouragingly of
the prospects of the expedition, and added that he ex-
pected in a couple of days to start upon another sledge-
journey which would complete the fall work. He had
not been in the cabin more than a half-hour when John
Herron, the steward, brought him a cup of coffee. He
drank it, and was immediately taken very sick. He vom-
ited a good deal, retching violently. He went at once to
bed. Dr. Bessels, who was at the observatory, was sum-
moned, and after examination expressed grave fears that
the sickness might be fatal. At 8 p. m., he announced
that Captain Hall's left side was paralyzed, and that he
had had an apoplectic attack.

On the 25th, Captain Hall felt much better, although
he had suffered very much during the night. He was
able to eat some chicken and arrowroot. In the evening

174

HaWs last Sickness.

1871. he again became very sick, and was in ffreat pain from

October. , . or

his constant efforts to vomit. After having passed another
very uncomfortable night, the morning of the 26th found
him again much better. The fever which accompanied
the attack had left him, and with the exception of being
very weak, he seemed quite well. During the day. Dr.
Bessels administered quinine to him and applied cold com-
presses. On the 27th, Captain Hall was worse, and his con-
dition was critical. Dr. Bessels said that if, in his present
state, he had another attack, the result would be fatal.

In the evening, the doctor proposed to bleed him, but
Hall resolutely objected. On the 28th, he was very much
worse, and symptoms of mental aberration began to ap-
pear. He no longer recognized those about him. He
refused to take medicine.

On the 29th, his condition was generally the same,
except that he showed marked evidences of insanity.
Every effort was made to keep him quiet and free from
excitement. Divine service was held in the forecastle.

On the 30th, Hall remained in the same condition as
on the two preceding days. He refused all medical aid
and all nourishment, under the impression that an attempt
might be made to poison him.

On the 31st, having enjoyed a good night's rest, he
felt much better. He talked rationally, except that he
still entertained his former apprehension, to which he

Death.

176

steadily adhered. The refusal of all medicine seemed to isri.
be beneficial, and he improved rapidly, and on the Ist "''*"
and 2d, appeared to be well, though weak. He took
a little nourishment, but the same suspicions still haunted
him when he seemed otherwise to be perfectly sane.
He would take no food from any one but Hannah,
whom he worried with many anxious inquiries regarding
it. On the 3d, Captain Hall talked as if in the full posses-
sion of his faculties.

On the 4th, after much persuasion, he submitted to
the doctor's treatment, who prescribed a mustard bath on
this and the next day. He ate a large quantity of cooked
seal-meat, contrary to the doctor's directions.

On the 6th, he looked and felt well, and strong hopes
were entertained of his recovery. Notwithstanding the
injunction of Dr. Bessels, he got up and dressed, remain-
ing up nearly all day. He was to all ropearances per-
fectly sane, and employed his time in getting in order the
records of his sledge-journey. He dictated for several
hours to Mauch, and began to interest himself in the or-
dinary duties of the ship. That night, however, he had
another attack and became alarmingly ill. Early on the
morning of the 7th, he sank into a comatose state, breath-
ing heavily, during which his body was rubbed with mus-
tard. In this condition he remained until 3.25 a. m. of
the 8th, when he expired.

|:i

176
isri.

November.

Affliction.

Tho ship's company was awakened, and the sad in-
telligence conveyed to them. There was but one expres-
sion—of deep, heartfelt sorrow. Tho crow was exceed-
ingly depressed. They had learned to love and appre-
ciate their leader, and to repose full confidence in him.,
He had treated them with kindness and consideration, and
in return they loved and trusted him.

Tho Esquimaux, Joe and his wife, were almost heart-
broken. They had looked upon Hall as a father, for
nearly ten years. They never could hope to find any
one who would take his place. They had been with him
in many trials and dangers; they had often saved his life;
they felt alone in the world.

The officers who had messed with him, known him
more intimately, and appreciated his singleness of pur-
pose and force of character, knew that the life of the
expedition was gone. His zeal and forethought had ani-
mated and directed the smallest duties. . Hall inspired en-
thusiasm. He furnished the incentives which influenced
even the most zealous and which stimulated the efforts of
the most indifferent.

He was at the same time the leader and the hero of
the expedition.

Captain Hall had a good constitution, and in general
was rarely sick. He had been, however, at times sud-
denly and violently attacked. Those who knew him well

Former Attacks,

177

and were much with him in former years were aware of isri.
these attacks, which he recorded in his journals. His dis- ^"''*'"***''
position did not incline him to enter much into details con-
cerning his own sufferings. He never complained except
when illness delayed the progress of his work.

While on his second expedition, on the 25th of
March, 1865, he speaks of the suffering arising from the
strained position ho is obliged to take in writing up his
journal, and adds that it occasioned quite sharp and severe
pain in his left breast. And again, on the 15th of May,
he mentions the pains in the left breast, which he says
had increased, and had caused the raising of blood. On
the 1st of December, 1868, he is suddenly taken sick at
night from an unknown cause.

On the 5th of June, 1869, he writes : " I have felt
unequal to the task of making notes ; in fact, I had
thought, just before leaving the 41st encampment, that my
very life was fast ebbing, so severe and sudden an attack
did I have of pains in the stomach ; but by the prompt
action of my men, at my orders, to unload the already
prepared sled for our starting on our journey and get me
my bottle of the essence of peppermint, I feel that I was
saved. A large dose of the restorative, timely exhibited,
soon dispelled the gloom that was universal around me!
Thanks to Him who overrules all, that I still live. I
have not yet fully recovered from my prostrate state, but

178

Former Attacks.

Novflber. ^^ "^ ^ ^^"' ^^^ ^^^ '^^' ^'^^^ *"^^ ^ ^^''^^^ »"<^ soon for-
get. As noted, we were all ready to start — resuming our

journey — the women, in fact, had gone on ahead ; though
far from well, yet I had no idea but I was quite able to
go right on, when I suddenly felt an indescribably ill turn
coming on. I told my men my fears, and gave in brief
words what I wanted done, and, for some time after, all
seems to me as a dream indistinctly remembered. It is
distinct in memory that I found myself on a single hairy
deer-skin within the roofless circle — the snow-wall of our
before-deserted igloo — and surrounded by my attentive
men and the natives, all deeply anxious to do whatever
they could for me, each wearing an anxious, sympathizing
look, as I lay there recovering from the shock just expe-
rienced. I was soon on my legs again, but too prostrate
to think of doing any more than ride. I never experi-
enced such an attack before, and pray I may never
again."

These are interesting as records, generally, of sadden
attacks, not unlike the one of which Hall died. He was
also the victim of short but violent attacks of sickness
during his laborious eflforts to organize his third expedi-
tion.

Colonel Lupton, with whom he was intimate while
in Washington on this business, relates that when these
efforts were relaxed by the favorable action of Congress

[

.';j/— :i'iE:^S5B>»**^ —

179

1871.

Halts Temperament.

on his appropriation for the Polaris expedition, the reaction

led to such a total prostration of his vital energies that he '**''*"'***''•

was enjoined to go to the sea-shore.

Hall was a large man, and possessed a phlegmatic
temperament, which must have been severely taxed by
his great excitement, especially while in Washington
endeavoring to carry into execution the idea which had
for many years held dominion over his desires and facul-
ties. So thoroughly had he identified himself with his
work, that his feelings in regard to it began to assume the
form of a religious enthusiasm. A natm-al consequence of
this excitement was an absolute prostration of the system
when the goal was reached. On retiring to quiet and
private life, he partially regained his strength, although
he continued busily employed on his plans. He was soon
recalled into active life by the necessity of superintending
the outfit of the vessel. He was so constituted that he
could not delegate to others his authority and responsi-
biUties. Painfully conscious of the importance of the
position he held, and of his obligations to the President,
from whom he had received his appointment, he spared
no exerUons in doing the work with which he had been
intrusted.

For several weeks just previous to sailing he was under
medical treatment.

We learn from a letter written hv Mr .Tn«oph n^^

180

Last Words.

arolciiir. P^^siding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Cincin-
nati, in which city Captain Hall enjoyed a short visit to
his family before he sailed, that while in company with the
Judge, "going up Vine street, near Sixth, he complained
of suffering from vertigo; said it troubled him frequently,
and added that the only thing which gave him relief was
eating one or two pounds of raw beef-steak; and bade me"
(the Judge) "good-bye, saying that he must go to a
butcher's shop and get some now to relieve him, so that
he might recruit and be ready to return to New York."

This was said on the ^ast day which Hall spent at
his western home; and said to one with whom he had
been for years on terms of intimacy, and to whom he had
just freely communicated his plans and his strong confi-
dence of success.

Captain Hall's restless activity did not cease when he
got to sea, and it may be said that it never ceased up to
the last day of his good health.

During his last illness, one or two persons were
always near him; every night some one sat up with,
him; Mr. Chester and Mr. Morton watched with him
more frequently than any others. Hall placed great con-
fidence in them, especially in Morton, ^i one time, how-
ever, in his delirium, he suspected even Morton's fidelity,
and refused to take any nutriment from the hands of any
one except Hannah.

;•

HaWs State of Mind. i8l

Although, when out of his mind, he spoke roughly t87i.
to Dr. Bessels, in his sane moments he fully appreciated *"''*"**'•
the doctor's care and kindness. Just before he died,
while Dr. Bessels was smoothing his pillow. Captain Hall
said, " Thank you, doctor ; you have been very kind to
me." Speaking these words, he turned over and fell into
his final sleep.

The apprehension of personal injury manifested by
Hall, during his last illness, may be regarded as the return
of a mental condition excited at times during his previous
long residence among the Esquimaux. Then these appre-
hensions were more or less well founded. Duing his soli-
tary seclusion there was undoubtedly occasional cause for
personal mistrust, and whenever such a cause arose, his
solitude and helplessness may very naturally have exag-
gerated his fears. Hall's friends have never spoken of
him as a suspicious person; but nothing is more natural
than that he should have been upon his guard among
those rude people.

In his journals may be found several exemplifications
of this state of mind, instances of supposed slights and
injuries, and of his even entertaining fears for his per-
sonal safety. These cases have been carefully noted and
examined, with special reference to his state of mind in
his last sickness. He was undoubtedly in a condition of
mental aberration when he exhibited these fears: but

182

Medical Certificate.

wotfll^r. **^®^'* ^®^^ ^"S^° "^^y ^® *^^<^®<^ *o a habit of mind acquired
during his lonely life among the Esquimaux.

It is not impossiblo that his incoherency in one
instance may have proceeded from his recalling a scene of
violence occurring in one of his former expeditions, in
which he had been obliged to act with promptness and
vigor. Its result had, however, always constituted a pain-
ful recollection.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the
death of Captain Hall was made after the return of the
officers and crew of the Polaris. The result of this inquiry
is given in the following certificate :

'Washington, D. C,

December 2Q, 1873.

"SlE: We, the undersigned, were present, by request
of the honorable Secretary of the Navy, at the examina-
tion of Dr. Emil Bessels in regard to the cruise of the
Polaris and the circumstances connected with the illness
and death of Captain Hall. We listened to his testimony
with great care and put to him such questions as we
deemed necessary.

"From the circumstances and symptoms detailed by
him, and comparing them with the medical testimony of
all the witnesses, wc are conclusively of the opinion that
Captain Hall died from natural causes — viz., apoplexy —

»:■

;v•-•■•^

t#/

^*i^

ii^

1^,

24*>.- .

182

Medical Certificate.

* «^«- their real origin may bo traced to a habit of mind acquirod

Mnvrniher.

during his lonely life among the Esquimaux.

It is not impossible that his incolioroncy in one
instance may havt? proceeded from liis recalling a m.^m of
violence occurring in one of his former expeditions, in
which he had been obliged to mi with promptnet^s and
vigor. Its result bad, however, always constituted a pain-
ful recollection.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the
death of Captain Hall was made after the return ot the
officers and crew of the Polaris. The result of this inquiry
ii* p^m in the following certificate ■

k- i

Deeeffiher 26, lg73.

of the honorable beeretar) oi tite ^^avy, at the examina-
tion of Dr. Erail Bessels in regard to the t^ruise of the
Polaris and the circumstances connected with the illness
and death <^f Oapl-iri Hall. We listened to his testimony
witij ^leat caio and put to him such questions as wo
deeoied riec^essaiy.

•Fro. umsfances and symptomn detoik^d \if

him, and compai. . x\ with tho Tn«'dl' »»1 ..mmf of
all the witnestips, w: r ? . ^.ituon that

Captain Hall died from naturai causes — viiu, apoplexy —

•f

I 1

;

Digging the Orave.

183

"and that the treatment of the case by Dr. Bessels was 18TI.

, , . November.

the best practicable under the circumstances.
" Respectfully, your obedient servants,

"J. K. Babnes,

" Surgeon- General United States Army.

"J. Bealb,
'' Surgeon- General United States Navy.
" Hon. Geokge M. Robeson,

" Secretary of the Navy."

The body of Captain Hall, after having been prepared
for burial, was covered with the national flag.

A party sent on shore to dig a grave, found the
ground frozen so hard that it cost the greatest labor to
make any impression. After the most fatiguing eilx>rts
with various tools on this and the following day, they
succeeded in excavating to the depth of twenty-six
inches — the seat of permanent frost — which was consid-
ered sufficient to protect the coffin from the bear, the only
disturber to be feared. This work, in consequence of the
obscurity of the day, was excuted by the light of lanterns.

After the body was placed in the coffin, in the cabin,
all hands were called in to look, for the last time, upon the
face of him who had been their commander. They gazed
upon it with the most affiictionate tenderness and regard.
A sense of loneliness and loss filled their minds, and the

184

'vfll* ^"t"re. which, under

IVovember.

The Funeral

the

inspiration of Hall's enthusiasm,
had been so promising, was now dark. Little was said
as the sorrowful procession passed the open coffin and
viewed the lifeless remains. When this was over the
coffin was closed and carried to the after-deck.

At 11 a. m. of J^ovember 10, 1871, the ship's bell
was tolled, the coffin was placed on a sled, and the pro-
cession which had been formed on the ice, moved toward
the shore. Although near the middle of the day, it was
quite dark. The sky was overcast and gloomy, and they
were compelled to pick their way over the ice by the
light of lanterns. Captain Tyson headed the procession.
The officers and the Esquimaux walked beside the sled, or
followed it slowly. In crossing the ice that lay between
the ship and the shore, the hummocks were avoided and a
smooth track was followed between the icebergs and the
smaller masses. Striking the shore near the observatory
and ascending the little hill, they moved down the plain to
the grave. The ground was in general covered with snow,
but many places had been kept bare by the wind.

The coffin was placed in the grave, and Mr. Bryan
read a short burial-service. The silence which followed
was broken by the sound of the earth upon the coffin
and by the sobs of Hannah.

Nature seemed to be in harmony with the event.
The temperature, although a few degrees above zero, was

The Grave.

185

exceedingly uncomfortable, owing to the prevalence of a »871.
strong breeze from the nor^^east. A snow-drift accom- " " *'*
panied this high wind ; surrounding objects were indis-
tinct ; the face of the earth was in the last degree bleak
and desolate.

After the grave was filled, the little company slowly
separated to return to the ship, meditating on the
momentous questions touching their own present and
future, which were forced upon them by this overwhelming
calamity.

H •

VIIT

.<\.r^„

CHAPTER. VIII.

The death of Captain Hall proved to be fatal to the
main object of the expedition — to the fulfillment of that
purpose for which he had qualified himself by many years
of banishment from home — the attainment of the Pole, if
possible, or the absolute proof of its inaccessibility.

The world is already acquainted with the details of
his residence among the Esquimaux during the years
1860, 1861, and 1862. The immediate object of that
first residence was the search for the remains of Sir Joh^^.
Frankhn's expedition. To this he was stimulated by the
fitting out of the first Grinnell expedition ; and at this
time, indeed, was laid the foundation of that zeal for Arctic
exploration which guided and controlled the whole remain-
der of his life. While carrying on the business of an
engraver in Cincinnati, as early as 1850, he devoted all
his leisure hours to the study of Arctic exploration, being
indebted for the means of study to the liberality of the
Mercantile Library Association of that city. At this

18S0.

190
1894.

HaWs Early Arctic Itesearches.

time he was under great obligations to his friend, Col.
James Lupton, President of the Association, who, antici-
pating his future usefulness and fame, liberally supplied
him with works of Arctic literature. From this date he
maintained the deepest interest in the successive expedi-
tions for Franklin's relief, including those of England and
our own country.

After the return of Dr. Rae, in 1854, with some of
the relics of Franklin's expedition, the British Govern-
ment refusing to make further search, Hall seriously
entertained the idea of co-operating with McClintock,
who commanded Lady Franklin's vessel, the Fox. He
took some steps toward obtaining for this purpose the
British ship Resolute, abandoned by Kellett, rescued by
Capt. James Budington, of Connecticut, and restored at
the national expense to England. But before this idea
could be carried out, McClintock returned with his in-
teresting information. Hall was, however, well satisfied
that the subject had been by no means exhausted, and
he entered on fresh efforts to accomplish an object which
had now taken entire possession of his mind.

Without entering into details already published in the
Introduction to his "Arctic Researches," it may be said
here that he finally collected the means of makino- his
first expedition, an account of which is given in that work.
It is grateful to read the story of his own exertions, and

His First Voyage.

of the liberality of his friends, among whom he particu-
larly mentions Mr. Henry Grinnell; and Mr. Miles Green-
wood and Mr. U. M. Bishop, of Cincinnati. Through their
help he was enabled to procure the outfit of a boat,
sledges, provisions, instruments, &c., necessary to his
undertaking ; all of which Messrs. Williams and Haven,
of New London, Conn., offered to convey free of charge
to Northumberland Inlet in their bark, George Henry,
giving him also free passage. Hall left New London on
the 20th of June, 1860, and, after touching at Holstein-
borg, Greenland, reached Cyrus Field's Bay, on the oppo-
site coast, August 18, where the ship went into winter
quarters.

Since he had been unable to carry oat his original
design of having a schooner at command, his plan of
operations was to start early in the spring in his boat
with a native crew, reach the head of Northumberland
Inlet, and, crossing a narrow portage, to follow the outlet
of a lake to Fox's Channel, and passing thence through
Fury and Hccla Straits, go as far as Victoria Harbor.
Once there, a sledge-journey would enable him thor-
oughly to explore all the region about King William's
Land, and obtain satisfactory information respecting the
fate of Franklin's men. This plan could not be carried
out in consequence of his losing his boat by a storm in
the month of September following. But during his two

191

I860.

192

1809.

Results.

years' residence in that region he made several boat and
sledge journeys, acquired a familiarity with the mode and
conditions of Arctic travel, and enlarged the boundaries
of Arctic geography.

In a letter written several years afterward to the
Senate Committee on Foreign Eolations, when applying
for aid from the Government, he says of this first expedi-
tion : " From my own determinations, by astronomical
observations and surveys, I succeeded in adding to our
charts about fifteen hundred (1,500) miles of coast-line."
When Hall reached St. John's, Newfoundland, on his
return, September 23d. 1862, he sent a telegram to Mr.
Henry Grinnell and Mr. Cyrus W. Field, saying: "I am
bound for the States, to renew voyage, have not prosecuted
my mission to the extent proposed on account of loss of craft;
but thank God he has empowered me to do something;
have solved the mysteries of near three centuries relative
to Sir Martin Frobisher's expeditions under the auspices of
Queen Ehzabeth; have learned the fate of the five men
captured from Frobisher by the Esquimaux; identified the
exact places of his landings, especially the Countess of
Warwick's Sound, where Frobisher attempted to plant a
colony of one hundred men; recovered therefrom, and have
them on board, a large number of relics of said expedi-
tions; have explored over one thousand miles of coast,
including the so-called Frobisher's Straits, which I have

Relics.

193

a:"

discovered to be a bay terminating in latitude 63° 48'
north, longitude 70° west; have also discovered a great
glacier and a mountain of fossils between Hudson's Strait
and Frobisher's Bay."

Of the relics referred to in this telegraphic dispatch,
a part were transmitted to the British people through the
Eoyal Geographical Society of London, and a portion were
sent to Prof. Joseph Henry, to be deposited in the Smith-
sonian Institution, Washington. A full list of those depos-
ited with the Royal Geographical Society will be found in
the "Three Voyages of Martin Frobisher," edited by
Bear-Admiral Collinson, C. B., for the Hakluyt Society.
A number of those belonging to the Smithsonian In-
stitution, together with interesting remains of Parry's,
Franklin's, Rae's, and McClintock's expeditions, form part
of the Arctic collection exhibited by the United States
Naval Observatory at the International Exhibition of 1876
in Philadelphia.

During his residence among the Esquimaux he adopted
their manners and customs, conforming entirely to their
mode of living. Here he acquired his early training for
Arctic explorations. It was on this expedition that he
first met Joe and Hannah, thereafter his fast friends and
constant companions. It is a proof of his unabated in-
terest in the subject that on his return home he immedi-
ately commenced his lecturing tours, by which he hoped
13 "

1869.

194 HaWs Second Expedition.

1864. to acquire the means for undertaking a second expedition.
He evinced at the same time his patriotism by offering his
services to President Lincoln to go in search of the Alabama.

This is not designed for a biographical sketch;
therefore, the period intervening between Hall's return
from his first expedition and his setting out on his second,
will be passed over with one or two observations.
Throughout this interval his zeal in Arctic exploration,
and his industry in collecting the means for a second
expedition, were unflagging. They were finally rewarded,
partly through his own exertions and partly through the
exhaustless liberality of his friends. Having furnished
himself with the necessary outfit, and being accompa-
nied by the two Esquimaux whom he had brought back
with him to the United States, he left New London on
the 30th of June, 1864, in the bark, Monticello, Capt.
E. A. Chapel, being indebted to Mr. Richard H. Chapell
for a free passage. The first mate on board of this
vessel was Mr. Chester, afterward mate of the Polaris.
On the 20th of August, he was landed with his stores on
Depot Island; and, later in the same month, accompanied
by Joe and Hannah, and a white man hired from a ship,
he reached a point on a western coast of Roe's Welcome,
ill latitude G4° 36' N. Hp Here began his long-continued

I i

Wintering in Repulse Bay.

Esquimaux life, taking up his abode in their igloos, and
conforming his habits in all respects to theirs; assimilating
himself to them and learning their traditions. He heard
from them that Franklin and his men had an encounter
with one of the Indian tribes; that afterward all of the
former starved, except Captain Crozier and three of his
people, who passed one winter with the very natives with
whom Hall was then living; that when the white men
were first seen, "Crozier was very thin but his three com-
panions were very fat;" that Crozier started with them
south for the purpose of reaching one of the settlements
of the Hudson's Bay Company; and that with one of the
men he actually visited the Esquimaux of Chesterfield
Inlet.

In the following summer Hall resumed his journeys.
In the early part of June, after experiencing much diffi-
culty and danger, he arrived at the northeast side of Re-
pulse Bay, in latitude 66° 13'; by September he had
moved on to Fort Hope, Eae's former headquarters, in
the neighborhood of which, latitude 66° 32', longitude
86° 56' W., the party went into igloos for the winter.
Hall here used for a store-house an oven erected by Rae
in 1845.

On the 31st of March, 1866, he started on his sledge-
journey with the Esquimaux, toward King William's Land.
Traveling was difficult and slow over the chain of lakes

195
1860.

196

Hostile Tribes.

1866.

lying between Gibson's Cove and the "Sea of Akkooloe,"
as t?*e EsiiuiKiaux call Committee Bay. At the end of
one month, on reaching their highest point, in latitude 68°
N., about six miles above Cape Wcynton, he met with
some natives who had in their possession silver spoons
given them by Crozier and stamped "F. 11. M. C." Here,
however, the natives who were with him, being fright-
ened by the accounts received, from the Esquimaux of the
place, of hostile tribes beyond, refused to proceed further;
he was forced to return to Eepulse Bay, "disappointed,"
as he says in his journal, "but not discouraged." In
the mean time he discovered other very positive relics of
Franklin's men. He spent the summer in surveying the
coasts of Repulse Bay, and in gathering further knowl-
edge of the lost explorers. Ho and his party subsisted by
hunting and salmon-fishing. At one time they succeeded
in killing a whale, which was afterward a source of some
profit to him from the sale of its bone. Several whalers
passed the winter in the bay, and held frequent inter-
course with him.

To prepare himself for a second effort to reach King
William's Land, in March, 1867, he made a sledge-journey
to Igloolik, where, by means of presents, he secured a
number of dogs. He spent a month in surveying the
region around Parry's winter-quarters; he also made a
valuable survey of Ship's Harbor Islands. During his

Monument near Cape Crozier.

winter-residonce of 1867-68, near Beacon Hill, at the
head of Gibson's Cove, Hall became confident that some
of Franklin's men still survived on the shores of Fury and
Hecla Straits, and determined to rescue them before going
to King William's Land. On the 23d of March, 1868, in
company with Joe, Hannah, and one white man, he
ascended, by nearly his former route, as far as Ooglet
Islands, passed up Hooper Inlet, and, going up the
western branch of Crozier River, discovered a long, nar-
row lake, which he named "Grinnell Lake," and its outlet
" Brevoort River." Following this outlet to a large bay
he turned to the southward and found, near Cape Crozier,
the monument of which the natives had told him as hav-
ing been built by white men; but the deep snow pre-
vented his search for records. Hall carefully surveyed
the coast up to the entrance of Fury and Hecla Straits —
a part of the American Continent which had never been
explored; he then visited Giflford River, finding there
also relics of white men, and returned to his quarters
June 26th.

At this time occurred the mutiny among the five
white men whom he had hired from the whaling-ships
the preceding autumn. It began with threats of desertion
and ended with Captain Hall's shooting the leader. The
circumstances attending this event belong to his bioirra-
phy ; they are minutely detailed in his journal. Notwith-

197
1808.

198
iseo.

The Fifth New Year's Day.

standing the refusal of the white men to renew their term
of service with him Hall remained to cnrry out his pur-
pose of reaching King William's Land. Spending the
rest of the season in laying in supplies for the following
year, and in making a survey around Lyons Inlet, which
corrected Parry's chart and placed a new inlet on the
maps. Hall passed his fifth severe season with the Esqui-
maux at Repulse Bay. There were as many as cne hun-
dred and twenty-two Esquimaux living there; yet food
was plentiful, and he seems to have heen quite happy in
his celebration, among them, of the New Year's day of
1869.

After many preparations, Hall at length, on the 23d
of March, again started for King William's Land. His
company consisted of five Esquimaux men, three women,
and two children.

Following the route he had traversed twice before,
he reached his cache near Cape Weyhton April 2d, and
Ibund it undisturbed; some of the provisions had been
damaged by exposure.

Entering the land at Colvile Bay, he traveled in a
northwesterly direction, and on the 9th reached the ice of
Pelly Bay. The natives whom he here met showed him
many articles which had belonged to Franklin's expedi-
tion.

Continuing his journey, he made an almost direct

Fran/din's Ship.

wr.dterly course over the land, and, crossinj^ Simpson and
drinnell Lakes, he reached the ice of Inglis Bay on tlio
8th of April, having fortunately killed some musk-cattle
and deer on the way.

Crossing Sheppard's Bay, he approached King Will-
iam's Land, and, when near that island, found many other
relics, and heard much more respecting Crozier and his
men, from the Innuits. They said that one of Franklin's
ships, after having been abandoned, drifted down to the
shores of O'Reilly's Island, and was there visited by sev-
eral of the natives.

The Innuits were convinced that some white men
had passed a winter in the ship there. Afterward, the
natives had obtained a great deal of wood from the wreck,
and, breaking into the cabin, found there a very large
man — dead. The ship was subsequently so broken by the
ice that she sank.

From his conversation with the Innuits, Hall became
satisfied that he had discovered the places where the re-
mains of at least seventy-nine of Franldin's men lay. On
the 8th of May, he started with a small party to visit
Todd's Island and the shores of King William's Land.
Here, also, with many other relics, he found human bones
in several places.

One entire skeleton he brought home. It was after-
ward placed by Mr. Brevoort, of Brooklyn, in the hands

199
1860.

200

1800.

Grozier and His Men.

of an English officer. Hall erected monuments over the
places where the dead men lay, and fired salutes in
honor of their memories.

At Sheppard's Bay he met other natives, who had
seen Crozier and his party of about forty-five men in
July, 1848, a few miles above Cape Herschel. They
had given Crozier some meat. Crozier's men were putting
up a tent in which to pass the night, and the natives
encamped near them; but while Crozier's men were
sleeping the natives got up and went away. The party
seemed very hungry, j^othing more was seen of them
until the following spring, whrn the natives found their
dead bodies. Captain Crozier's body was never found,
and they behoved that he had escaped and reached his
country. Captain Hall blamed the Innuits for not remain-
ing and hunting for the Crozier party.

The Esquimaux who weio with Hall now insisted
that the land would soon be bare of snOw, and that unless
they began their return they would not be able to get
back to Repulse Bay until fall. Captain Hall, though
very anxious to remain longer about King William's Land,
was compelled to yield to their wishes. On his return, he
followed substantially the same route as that taken on his
outward journey. Stopping frequently to hunt, they
killed eighteen reindeer, seventy-nine musk-cattle, and
two 3oals. In speaking of this, Hall remarks that Crozier

lialVs Return.

and his party need not have starved if they had known
the resources of the country, or had with them a few Es-
quimai^x to point out its abundance.

The month of July, was spent in further sur-
veying, in hunting and fishing, and in preparing to
return to his country. Hall had determined to attempt a
journey to York factory if no whaler appeared by the
10th of August, but on the 6th of that month he received
a visit from Captain Fisher, of the Ansel Gibbs, who
had just arrived in the bay. On the 26th of August, he
placed on board, the whalebone which he had secured,
and eighteen deer, which latter were fully appreciated
by the ship's company. With Joe, Hannah, and a
little girl whom these Esquimaux had adopted, they arrived
at New Bedford on the 26th of September, being pre-
sented with a free passage by the owner of the vessel,
Mr. Jonathan Bourns, junior.

Some time after his return. Captain Hall addressed
to Judge Charles P. Daly, president of the American
Geographical Society, a letter in which he gave a concise
account of the geographical results of this his second ex-
pedition. In justice to Hall, this compendious statement
of the work of five years is here given.

"Dear Sie: Continued occupation since my return
has prevented me from giving you, as you requested, an
account, in detail, of what I have observed in respect to

201
1800.

ill!
i!!!

202 Letter to Judge Daly.

"the geography of the Arctic regions. With my first
voyage you are sufficiently familiar, and I have nothing
to add to what is contained in the volume published by the
Harpers. During the last five years that I have spent
in the Arctic, I availed m} self of every opportunity afibrded
me for accurate observation, and I give you the results.
You will remember that Wager Bay is an old discovery
of Middleton's, in 1742, when he was in search of a north-
west passage. The general outline or rough sketch then
made remains unimproved to the present day. I explored
this inle'u lor sixty miles, up and down, to its junction with
Roe's Welcome, and made a series of observations from
astronomically-determined positions.

"Eepulse Bay, though visited by Middleton, and after-
ward by Parry and by Rae, still remains but imperfectly
defined. I have, from my own observations, the data for
a more accurate delineation of the outline of this bay. I
discovered and surveyed a new inlet in latitude 67° north,
longitude 84° 30', a few miles north of Norman's Creek,
of which it may be said to be a counterpart, running from
Lyon's Inlet to the eastward. I may be excused for ex-
pressing to you the gratification I felt in making this dis-
covery, remembering that Parry, in 1821, when exploring
and surveying the opening to which he gave the name of
Lyon's Inlet, determined, as he says in his narrative, to
leave no opening or arm un visited; and yet with all his

Letter to Judge Daly.

"care and the aid of his officers and four hoats' crews, ho
overlooked tie new inlet I found, from the fact that a high
island shut out from his view the entrance to it. I dis-
covered a l»ay on the west side of Fox Channel, latitude
69°, iongitude 81° 30', which makes west-southwest for
fifteen miles. This Parry also missed, which is not re-
marl able when we consider that his was a marine survey
along the west side of Fox Channel to Tg-loo-lik, an isknd
near the eastern end of Fury and Hecla Strait. I discov-
ered an important lake, twenty-five miles in length, in
latitude 68° 45' north, longitude 82° west. I call it Im-
portant, as it abounds in salmon of large size, some being
six feet in length. It contains, also, many other species
of fish, some of which I think have been hitherto un-
known. Also another lake, latitude 69° 35', runniuL^
parallel with Fury and Hecla Strait, about fifty miles in
length. It has two outlets. I followed up Crozier's River,
the mouth of which Parry discovered, and found its source
to be ^he lake described. At the west end of the lake is
another outlet forming a river, which 1 followed down to
the Gulf of Boothia, where the river dipcbaigcs itself into
a fine baj— another discovery It ft?i to my lot, also, to
ascertain the northwestern part of Melville peninsula, at
and below the western Aitlets of Fury and Eecla Strait,
which may be said to complete the discovery of the
American continent.

203

204 Letter to Judge Daly.

" I discovered a long island lying to the northwest, and
westward of the western outlet of Fury and Hecla Strait,
and also the coast of the mainland on the north side of
the ahove-mentioned outlet of the strait, and I found that
the "Jesse Isle," laid down and so named on Dr. E,ae's
chart, at the north of Parry Bay, latitude 69° 30', longi-
tude 85° 10', is not there.

"Although Parry had his vessels, the Fury and the
Hecla, near to Amherst Island, in 1822, and sent out
from there exploring and surveying parties, directing them
to search, if possible, for the western outlet of Fury and
Hecla Strait, they were unable to find it. In the follow-
ing spring, 1823, while his vessels were in harbor at
Ig-loo-lik Island, latitude 69° 21', longitude 82° west,
Lyon, Parry's associate, undertook to reach the western
outlet of the strait by means of sledges and dogs; but
after journeying for nineteen days he failed to accomplish
it. In 1847, Dr. Eae left his headquarters at Fort Hope,
at the head of Repulse Bay, with the intention of reach-
ing the outlet of Fury and Hecla Strait, but before he
could get there his provisions gave out, and he was com-
pelled to turn back. I had some reason, therefore, to
feel gratified when I found myself traversing thv. very
region that such intrepid explorers as Parry, Lyon, and
Rae had attempted to reach in vain.

" The next important contribution to geography was

Letter to Judge Daly.

"my discovering an important island north of Ormond's
Island, at the east end of Fury and Hecia Strait. What
Parry has put down upon his chart as the mainland, north
of Ormond's Island, is an island, but somewhat less in
size than Ormond's Island.

"I think that if Parry had known of the existence of
the channel which is on the north side of the new island
that I refer to, he would have succeeded in getting his
vessels much farther to the westward in the strait than he
did. By passing through this new channel and by keep-
ing close to the land on the north side of the strait. Fury
and Hecla Strait, like the passage leading into Wager Bay,
and like Hudson Strait in the navigable season, may be
penetrated by keeping on the noYth side, while the oppo-
site or south side is encumbered by heavy ice.

"From intelligent Esquimaux, whom I met at Ig-loo-
lik, I obtained information about, and sketches of, the west
coast of Fox's Farthest, latitude 66° 50' north, up to what
Parry calls "Murray Maxwell's Inlet," which is near the
east end of Fury and Hecla Strait. Murray Maxwell's
Inlet, as Parry calls it, is in reality a sound or strait
that sweeps around to the eastward, forming a large island.
If you take your pencil and continue the so-called Murray
Maxwell's Inlet to the eastward and to the blank in Parry's
chart, you will have the delineation of the island that is
there. To the eastward of the Calthorpe Isles and Cape

205

206 Letter to Judge Daly.

"Konig, you will find the broken lines of the land that
Parry discovered. He could not determine whether it con-
sisted of islands or formed a part of the mainland. From
Esquimaux, who had been there, I learned that it consisted
of two islands. The nearest approach I made to them
was on my visit to Fern Island, which you will find on
Parry's chart attached to the narrative of his second
voyage.

"At Ig-loo-lik I met Esquimaux who were natives of
Cumberland Sound, sometimes called Cumberland Inlet,
which, you know, is on the west side of Davis Strait,
above Frobisher Bay. These natives made their way
to Ig-loo-lik by first making a portage from Cumberland
Sound to a large lake, called upon the charts Kennedy's
Lake, and which, by the way, I may remark, no white
man has ever yet seen, and then launching their oo-mi-ens
(women s boats) upon the lake, which they traversed west-
ward, entering a large river, and drifting down it with a
swift current to Fox's Farthest, where the river enters the
sea. From there they turned north, and coasted along up
to the Cathorpe Isles, and from there crossed over to Ig-
loo-lik.

"From Esquimaux at Ig-loo-lik I also obtained im-
portant information of a new bay that will not only be of
interest to geographers, but must, I think, eventually be
of great value to our commerce. The entrance to this

Letter to Judge Daly.

"bay has onl • been seen, and is indicated upon the Arctic
charts as Admiralty Inlet. Nothing has been known,
however, by civilized man of the extent of this bay or of
its character. The entrance is from Barrcw's Strait, lati-
tude 73' 43' north, longitude 83° west, and the bay ex-
tends very nearly in a southern direction to about 71°
north latitude. The west side has a coast-line on a grad-
ual curve from Barrow's Strait to near its limit, the con-
cave on the east, while the west (east 1) side has many
bays or fiords, with some good harbors in them. The
bay is free from ice every summer, and none of the ice
from Barrow's Strait ever finds its way into it. This bay
abounds in whales (Balcena Mysticetus, or smooth back,
the most important to civilized man), in narwhals (the
sea unicorn), and in seals. So abundant are the whales,
that the natives sometimes kill in their rude way as many
as five large ones in a few days. The information I de-
rived from the Esquimaux has convinced me that this new
bay will prove as valuable to whalers as Cumberland
Sound. From 1840 to the present time the product from
whale-bone and oil from Cumberland Sound, by English
and American whalers, has amounted to 115,000,000;
and as the area of the whale-fishery is gradually diminish-
ing, the fact of the existence of this bay I regard as of
great value, as opening up a new ground for the prosecu-
tion of this important industry.

207

^^^^PMi''

208

Letter to Judge Daly.

''I also obtained valuable information from the Esqui-
maux at Ig-loo-lik respecting Pond's Bay, the western
prolongation of which, upon our present Arctic charts, is
miscalled Eclipse Sound. If the testimony of the Esqui-
maux can be relied upon, and I place the fullest confidence
in it, Pond's Bay terminates in longitude 81° west (ap-
proximately) ; and the representation upon the Arctic
charts of a strait from Pond's Bay to Prince Regent's In-
let, on the northern part of the Gulf of Boothia, is erro-
neous.

"It has been the supposition of geographers that Davis
Strait and BaiRn's Bay are connected with Fox's Channel
by straits. This is not the fact. All the intelligent
Esquimaux that I have met in my two voyages assert
that the land bounded on the north by Barrow's Strait,
upon the east by Baffin's Bay and Davis Strait, on the
south by Hudson's Strait, and on the west by Fox's Chan-
nel and Prince Regent's Inlet, is one land or one great
island. They know of a much smaller island, that has
Pond's Bay on its south side, Navy Board Inlet (or, more
properly, strait) on its west, Lancaster Sound on its north,
and Baffin's Sea on its east side.

*' My other contributions to geography are that Dr.
Rae's Colvile Bay, in latitude 68° north, longitude 88° 20',
is not a bay, but very low land ; that his Grinnell Lake
and Simpson Lake, which he delineates as one continuous

Letter to Judge Daly.

lake, are, in fact, three distinct lakes ; and, lastly, that his
Shephard's Bay extends northerly about twelve miles
beyond the limit he has assigned to it.

"This, my dear sir, embraces all I have to communi-
cate. You will remember that I went out with very lim-
ited resources, and was more circumscribed for the want
of means than almost any Arctic explorer. Should I
again go out, as I trust to do, I hope to extend the
area of geographical discovery and accomplish some-
thing that may redound to the credit of our common
country.

"Very respectfully, yours,

"0. F. Hall.
'•Hon. Charles P. Daly,

''President American Geographical Society"

The purpose of giving the preceding summary of
Hall's Arctic explorations, previous to his taking com-
mand of the Polaris Expedition, has been to show
how eminently he was qualified for that service, not only
by his zeal and devotion to it, but by a long course of
discipline, and by the hardihood, and knowledge, acquired
by living nearly eight years in the region of the Esqui-
maux, as no white man had ever done before.

One of his objects in going there was to acquire
knowledge and experience to be employed in a future
exploration of the highest attainable latitudes of the

209

210 The Scientific Corps,

Arctic Ocoun. IliH settled conviction was that there was
a way open to the Pole itself.

When ho took command of the Polaris he held in
his hands the very means, lon<^ coveted, of gratilying his
paramount wish to carry out this idea.

The vessel was thoroughly built and amply supplied
with stores and provisions. The oflicers and crew were
particularly well trained for Arctic service. Several of
the ollicers were men of uncommon ability and of largo
experience.

To connnence wi^h the scientific corps :

Dr. Emil Bessels, the head of this corps, as is well
known, was a graduate of the University of Heidelberg,
a man devoted to science, and eminently sagacious and
industrious ; in addition to this he possessed the advantage
of experience. Under the auspices of the celebrated
geographer. Dr. Petermann, of Gotha, he had gone out
in the sealing- vessel, the Albert,' in 1869, and made
extensive explorations in the seas between Nova Zembla
and East Greenland, with important observations on the
Gulf Stream. lie had served for six months as volunteer
surgeon in the Prussian army in the Franco-German war.
He had volunteered to accompany the expedition as soon
as he heard that there was difficulty in obtaining the
services of a competent person.

Mr. II. W. D. Bryan, a graduate of Lafayette Col-

The Officers.

lego, Pennsylvania, was recommended by his Alma Mater
for the position of Astronomer. Previously to sailing ho
prepared himself for his duties by an additional course of
study and practice at Washington. He seems to have
enjoyed in an eminent degree the confidence and esteem
of all his associates.

Mr. Frederick Meyer, a native of Prussia, graduated at
a military academy, and received a commission as lieuten-
ant in the Prussian army. Before he left Germany he
held an appointment in Maximilian's army, but on reach-
ing the United States decided not to go to Mexico.
Having entered the United States Army, he was detailed
as a signal observer at Saint Louis. He distinguished
himself in his corps by the accuracy of his observations,
and the systematic and thorough performance of his
duties, and was detailed by General Albert J. Myer,
Chief Signal-Oflicer United States Array, to serve on
board the Polaris.

Of the officers of the ship under Captain Hall, Capt
S. 0. Budington had made thirteen voyages to Baffin's
Bay, and had commanded several whale-ships, in one of
which, in 1860, he carried Captain Hall to Frobisher's
Bay.

Capt. G. E. Tyson, the assistant navigator, had had
command of five ships in the whaling service. In the
years 1865 and 1807 he had met Captain Hall at

211

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212

Officers.

Repulse Bay, and he wa^ with Oapt. James Budington
when the Resolute was found and brought to the United
States.

Mr. H. C. Chester had spent ten years whaling in
Arctic seas, principally in Behring Straits. He was a
man of great strength and activity, and of marked force
of character. He was devoted to his profession. His
personal influence over the crew proceeded from his officer-
like conduct, as much as from his other quaHfications as a
seaman.

William Morton had passed nearly thirty years of his
life in the naval service, part of which was during the
late war. He had been with De Haven in the first
Griunell expedition (1850-51), and with Kane in the
second (1853-55). Dr. Kane said of Morton that he was
as gallant and trustworthy a man as ever shared the
fortunes or claimed the gratitude of a commander.
Morton transferred to Hall the allegiance he had for-
merly given to Kane.

Mr. E. Schumann, the engineer, had been assistant
engineer in the service of the Lloyds Steamship Company,
having been a long time on board the Saxonia. He
was an excellent engineer and machinist. The manner
in which he saved the Polaris from destruction (described
in the body of this narrative), proved thai he possessed
great coolness and excellent judgment. When he joined

Grew.

the Polaris, he could scarcely speak a word of English;
before he returned to the United Ptates he not only spoke
the language well and fluently, but enjoyed reading the
works of Dickens.

His assistant, Mr. Odell, had been in the service of
the Government during the late civil war. He was a
practical man, a good machinist and blacksmith.

Mr. J. B. Mauch, in addition to his ordinary duties,
showed himself possessed of culture and ability as an
observer of natural phenomena. His observations are
frequently cited in this narrative. The ingenuity and skill
of the carpenter, Mr. Coffin, were exercised with fidelity
whenever his health permitted him to be on duty.

The sterling qualities of the crew of the Polaris have
been more than once noted in the text, on the authority
of their experienced mate, Mr. Chester. These were
abundantly tested in the trials and the dangers which at-
tended the termination of the voyage.

Concerning Joe, Hannah, and H is, it is sufficient to
recall their valuable services as interpreters and as hunt-
ers, who often maintained the very lives of the ship's
company.

The object of this enumeration and of these com-
ments is to show that Hall possessed every means, instru-
ment, and qualification for attaining the end of his voyage;
except, indeed, personal good, health. If he had carried

213

214

Disappointment.

with him in the Polaris the strength and power of endur-
ance exhibited in his former explorations, he might have
reached his utmost hope, that of raising the flag of his
country over the Pole.

-.-O^'."

Qdur-
have
f his

CHAPTER IX.

The crew, during the two weeks of Hall's iUness, isri.
had been enaployed in their ordinary daily duties, such as ^•^*""»«''-
cleaning decks, keeping the fire-hole open, procuring ice,
and other like work; and in addition, nearly every day
they were engaged in banking up the sidea of the ship
with snow. At first, the blocks of ^now were cut from the
bank near the observatory, and sledded over to the vessel.
A few windy days, however, brought the snow in thick
drifts off fi-om the land, and packed it against the promi-
nences which rose near the ship, above the general surface
of the ice, so that the labor was not so great. Owing to
the rapidly decreasing daylight the work was greatly de-
layed, and was not completed until the 7th. A wall
had been by that time built all about the vessel from
5 to 8 feet thick, and as high as the top of the bulwarks
where the awning was housed. A flight of large snow steps
was made, leading to the opening in the awning, which
was on the port side, just over the forward gangway.

218

1871.

iVoveniber

Igloos for Magnetic Observations.

During a part of this time, the temperature had been
very low, and when the wind blew, exposure was very
trying. The men, however, stood it bravely, and received
the commendations of their officers. Although skins had
been provided for clothing, none had as yet been made
up ; the men had nothing to wear except their ordinary
clothing : yet such care was taken that not a single frost-
bite occurred.

Messrs. Bryan and Meyer, assisted by two of the sea-
men, banked up the observatory, and made a covered,
winding approach to i\ to keep out the wind. On the
2d, Joe and Hans, under the direction of Mr. Bryan,
built two snow house* for magnetic purposes. It was
originally intended to use the observatory for such obser-
vations ; accordingly, as has been previously mentioned,
it was built with copper nails and bolts. The house,
however, proved to bo too small for any addition to its
original service. The two igloos, or snow huts, were
built not far from the observatory, and were connected by
an arched passage-way ; another passage led to the cov-
ered area in front of the observatory-door. In this way
one could go from the observatory to either of the igloos
without exposing himself to the wind. One of the snow
houses was designed for the dip-circle and the other for
the declinometer.

On the 4th, Mr. Meyer began to make regular

Scientific Work. 219

hourly meteorological observations. A small shelter had 18T1.
been built against the eastern side of the observatory. '*"''*"•"**'•
In it were placed the standard thermometer, the wet and
dry bulb psycbrometers, the maximum and minimum
thermometers, and the ozonometer. The first three were
read every hour ; the last three once in every twenty-four
hours. An anemometer was fastened on an upright post,
frozen into a barrel to keep it firm. Solar and dry radia-
tion thermometers were also used. Inside the observa-
tory, the barometer and an electrometer, connected with
prepared points fastened to a pole raised near the build-
ing, completed the outfit of the meteorologist. Mr. Meyer '
readily obtained the assistance of Dr. Bessels, who could
not work upon his special branches until the spring.
They divided the day into three watcher of eight hours
each, and took them by turns, so that one of them was at
the observatory sixteen hours out of the twenty-four.
The carpenter built a pier for the transit-instrument,
which Mr. Bryan prepared to use on the first favorable
opportunity. The tidal observations were made by two
of the seamen, Robert Kruger and Hermann Siemens,
during the day from 6 a. m. to 9 p. m. ; and by the
anchor-watch during the remaining nine hours.

On the 28th of October, Hans set some seal-traps,
without success; the two natives frequently went hunting,
but were generally unsuccessful. On the 4th of Novem-

220

A Large Seal.

NovtlLr. ^'' *^^y ^<^"«d a l»^rgo extent of young ice, only three
inches in thickness. Passing cautiously over they heard
a peculiar noise, and soon the head of a huge bearded seal
was thrust up through the ice. Hans at once fired at it,
but did not kill it, and the animal disappeared. They
waited patiently for it to re-appear, but in vuin. The
next day, however, they had better success. About 4
p. m., Hans came to the vessel, making the joyful an-
nouncement that he had succeeded in killing a very large
seal, and wanted help to bring it to the ship. The men
started at once to bring back the animal, which proved in-
deed to be a very large one^Phoca barhata. It is called
by the Greenland Esquimaux "Ursuk;" in North Green-
land, "Oo-sook;" and by the Esquimaux on the west side
of Davis Stiaits, -Qok-gook." It was so heavy that the
men found no easy task in dragging it to the vessel. Its
weight was estimated at 1,500 pounds, and its thick coat
of blubber was thought by experienced whalers to con-
tain a barrel of oil. The meat was highly prized and
carefully stored away, to be used during the winter
in case any of the company should be attacked by the
scurvy. The skin of this seal is greatly prized by the
natives, being used by them as sole-leather, and, when
properly prepared, answering this purpose excellently
well. They also use it to make their seal, walrus and
other lines, such as dog-traces, sled-lashings, &c. When

The Dogs.

the skin of this

animal cannot bo procured, thoy use other
hides; but this is preferred, being stronger, lighter, and
more readily worked than that of the other seals or of
the walrus.

At times it was feared that there would be the same
difficulty in keeping the dogs as was experienced by both
Kane and Hayes; but the peculiar malady described by
those explorers did not break out. Up to the 3d,
however, from one cause or another, thirteen dogs had
been lost— six large ones and seven puppies. There still
remained fifty-four— six Newfoundland and forty-eight
Esquimaux dogs. The puppies died rapidly, without
any apparent cause. They had generally been fed every
other day, or, at times, twice a week. At first they
wore fed on the dried fish bought for that purpose at
the Danish settlements, and sometimes with the old seal-
meat procured at the same time. Besides this, the pup-
pies were fed with bread. Hermann Siemens had no
doubt that the poor dogs were starved, for he thus feel-
ingly writes- " My heart would almost break when I saw
the poor creatures thus starved. He who caused this will
have to answer for it at the last day. He who delights in
the sufferings of a beast will grow cold and heartless and
surely also torment his fellow-men; he never can love
God."

Captain Hall's regulations in regard to fuel were rig-

221
isri.

November.

i n 'HI I

1 1 '''4

^^2 Coal Consumed During October.

JtovtULr. ^^'^ observed. Mr. Noah Hayes continued to weigh out
all the coal that was consumed, and durin^r the month of
October the weekly average in all the stoves was 1,184
pounds. The whole amount consumed during the month
was distributed among the difi'orent stoves as follows:

Pounds.

Berth-deck i^ 271

CJabin 1^354

CJaliey 1^709

Obseivatory ; <.4

Total...' 4,738

The daylight had been growing steadily less. On
the 28th of October, stars of the first magnitude could bo
seen at noon, while on the 1st of November, it is recorded
that stars of the second magnitude could be seen all day.
What was called "daylight" existed for about four hours,
from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m., during which time the twilight
was strong enough to enable the men to see to work out-
side in banking up the vessel.

On ihe 6th, the thickness of the ice was measured.
Near the vessel it was 2 feet 2i inches thick; 50 feet
from the vessel toward the shore, 2 feet 9 inches; and 25
feet further on, 2 feet 11 inches.

The weather during the sickness of Captain Hall
had been very fine, being unusually calm and clear. The

Temj^erature.

223

thermometers varied from a few degrees below zero to I8M.
—25". During the Gtli and 7th, however, the tempera- *"''*"'**'"*-
ture became milder, the thermometer going up to 14°
above zero. This wa?* accompanied by a warm breeze
from the southwest and a light snow-storm.

!i i

iiiii

': m

m m

CHAPTEK X.

On the death of Captain Hall, the command of the 1^71,
expedition devolved upon Captain Budington, who hegan ^*''*'""***"*
at once to exercise its duties ; no change was made in the
ordinary routine.

On the 13th, Dr. Bessels prepared the following
paper, which he submitted to Captain Budington. It
was signed, as will be seen, by both gentlemen.

"Consultation.

"Thank-God Haeboe,

"November 13, 1871.
"First consultation held between Messrs. S. 0. Bud-
ington and E. Besspls. Through the mournful death of
our noble commander, we feel compelled to put into effect
the orders given us by the Department, viz:

"'Mr. Budington shall, in case of your death or dis-
abihty, continue as the sailiiig and ice master, and control
and direct the movements of thfi vossol • nnH r>r n^oo^i.

228

1871.

November.

Consultation.

shall, in such case, continue as the chief of the scientific
department, directing all sledge-journeys and scientific
operations. In the possible contingency of their non-
concurrence as to the course to be pursued, then Mr.
Budington shall assume the sole charge and command,
and return with the expedition to the United States with
all possible dispatch.'

"It is our honest intention to honor our dear flag,
and to hoist her on the most northern part of the earth,
to complete the enterprise upon which the eyes of the
whole civilized world are raised, and to do all in our power
to reach our proposed goal.

"S. 0. Budington.
"Emil Bessels."

About this time, the ship's company were startled by
a loud cry of distress, at midnight, from the room of the
carpenter. He was found covered by his blankets and
crouching in horror in a corner of his bunk, believing that
he had heard a voice calling to him from the adjacent
store-room, which was closed and locked. He supposed
that some one had a design upon his life. To pacify him
the store-room was carefully searched; but notwithstand-
ing the proof thus afforded of his having been deceived, he
continued in the belief that he really had been threatened.

Tidal Observations.

229

This was the first indication of what afterward 1871.

, , . November.

proved to be an occasional mental aberration. It was
thought to be owing to the exposed situation of his room,
which had already affected his health in other respects.
Captain Budington, soon after, gave him the berth in the
cabin which had been occupied by Captain Hall.

Hayes, on the 11th, fell down from the gangway-
ladder, wrenching one of his knees very badly. He
suffered with it for a week, but regained its use, and was
soon able to resume his duties.

In consequence of some apparent irregularities in the
tidal observations on the 12th, Eobert Kruger and Her-
mann Siemens, two very trustworthy men, were placed
in exclusive charge of them, after which the observa-
tions did not exhibit the former discrepancies; frequent
soundings were taken to make sure of the zero of the
scale.

The wind varied, of course, in direction and intensity,
but generally fresh breezes or heavy gales prevailed from
the N. E. with large snow-drifts and declining tem-
perature. The snow drifted into strange shapes and piles
about the vessel.

On the 12th, after the very severe drift of the night
previous, a gangway was cut from the ship to the tidal
apparatus, with banks on either side five feet high. The
gales from the N. E. were very severe, rising to a velocity

230

Lime-Juice.

i^orem^r. «^ ^^ "^''«« P^^ Iiour. When strong gales from the north
prevailed, the ice in the straits was driven to the south-
ward, leaving many open spaces. On the 13th, a low
water-cloud hanging over these open spaces hid the op-
posite shore from view. During calms or very light
winds, an incoming tide would bring the ice up again, and
very httle water could be seen; a similar result was pro-
duced by a southerly wind.

On the 14th, lime-juice was given out for the first
time. The men rehshed it, and it was made a regular
article of daily use.

On the 15th, Mr. William Morton, the second mate
complained of a soreness in the heel. During his service
with Kane on the second Grinnell expedition, 1853-55
he had one of his heels badly frozen, losing some of the
bone ; the wound had never fully healed. When in tem-
perate regions he was not troubled by it. The sore was
an open one, and being in the center of the heel, he lost,
for a time, the use of his foot.

On the same day at about 5 p. m , an aurora borealis
was seen. It was a faint arch near the southern horizon
extending in an east and west direction.

After the cooking-stove was moved into one of ihe

state-rooms, the caboose was used as an ice-house, and

the crew were employed in procuring ice from the berg.

The provisions specially brought for the dogs having

Feeding the Dogs.

281

failed, they were now fed on pemmican, a can weighing 18T1.

November.

forty-five pounds heing given to them every three days.
When they were to be fed the whole troop, forty in num-
ber, were let in through the door in the awning over the
gangway upon the deck. The Esquimaux chopped up
the pemmican and divided it so as to give each dog his
portion. This was done in the port gangway. Two or
three men were on hand to assist and control the dogs.
When the food was ready, one dog at a time was allowed
to go into the passage and remain there until he had
eaten his portion ; when he had finished he was put out
on the ice again. It was always an exciting time. The
utmost vigilance was required to keep the dogs in order
and prevent them after being fed from rejoining the others
and getting a second share. At times their attack upon
the door of the gangway was so violent that it was almost
impossible to keep them back. Two men generally
guarded the door, armed with clubs, which they were
compelled to use lustily upon the wild and savage brutes.
It was exciting sport for the men, and although hard and
dangerous work they generally enjoyed it.

On the 16th, an elaborate proclamation was prepared,
setting apart, according to American custom, the last
Thursday of the month as a day of thanksgiving. It
was posted in prominent places about the vessel, and ex-
cited much amusement by calling forth innumerable jokes.

232

■ 871.

JVoTcmbcr.

Daily Morning Prayers.

The seal, which was much admired, was designed and
made by Mr. Schumann.
_ The 16th, being a clear day, a bright arch of yellow-
ish light was seen over the southern horizon for about two
or three hours before and after meridian. When, how-
ever, it was cloudy, no tinge of daylight was discernible.
On the 17th and 18th, a fresh breeze from 8 S W
moderated the severity of the temperature, raising the
thermometer above zero. On the 1 8th, the crew took ad-
vantage of the warm weather to enjoy themselves upon
the .CO. A large team of dogs was harnessed to one of
the sleds, the Newfoundland dogs being principally used,
m order to train them for spring work.

Divine service had been held on the 12th and 19th
At the conclusion of the service on the latter day. Captain
Budmgton announced that the daily morning prayers
would in the future be discontinued, but that the regular
Sunday services would remain as heretofore. He assigned
as a reason for this order that during the winter Mr
Bryan would be engaged in his duties at the observatory
and would not be able to be present.

The gale from the northeast, which began on the
evenmg of the 18th, increased in violence durin. the
I9th, until it had acquired the velocity of 47 miks per
hour. It continued with that force all through the night
of the 19th, and on the 20th it had not abated.

A Driving Storm.

233

At 4 a. m. of the 20th, Hermann Siemens, a very is^"!.
strong man, going out upon the ice to make his usual tidal *''*'"**'"*
observations, was literally taken up by the storm and
thrown upon the ice, which was covered with water. When
he recovered from the shock, he found that he was on his
back with hands and feet in the air; fortunately he still re-
tained his lantern, which had not been extinguished. Get-
ting upon his feet, it was only with the greatest difficulty
that ho was able to force his way against the wind and
reach the fire-hole, and when there, the snow-drift was so
severe that it was difficult to open his eyes long enough
to read the scale of the tidal apparatus. The wind blew
with such force against the broadside of the vessel that
she was thrown over on one side, and the snow wall built
around her was shoved out and broken. The open water
could be seen within half a mile.

The galloy-stove could not be made to work. The
wind drove the smoke down the stack and filled the state-
room and alley-way, so that no one could remain in the
stifling atmosphere. The small stoves in the lower cabin
and the forecastle were used, and each mess prepared
its own breakfast.

Dr. Bessels had been on watch at the observatory
since midnight, and as he did not return when his watch
ceased, it was feared that something might have happened
to him, occasioned by the storm. At 9 a. m., Mr. Mever

A Severe Struggle.

i*otcii;r. ^^^t^rminod to attempt to go to tho observatory to bring
the doctor on board. Deciding to suspend observations
during the continuance of the storm, he bundled up well
and started, and after a severe struggle with the wind
reached tho shore. The ascent of the little hill upon
which the observatory stood proved no easy task; ho
was repeatedly driven back.

It was absolutely impossible for him to stand against
the wind, and even when creeping up tho hill on his
hands and knees, he was driven back nearly twenty times,
but by dint of the greatest exertion he at last reached
the summit, and found the doctor waiting until the storm
moderated. He had been without fire since 1 a. m. It
was his intention to continue the observations until the
storm permitted Mr. Meyer to come and relieve him.
While Mr. Meyer was there, the wind blew more violently
than ever. He made several determinations of the
velocity, which, after it exceeded fifty-two miles per
hour, he was unable to measure.

The current-meter was broken so that it could not bo
used. The anemometer's cups were whirling around at
an amazing speed, but it was not possible to stand before
the wind long enough to read the indications of the
mstrument. The temperature was more than 20° below
zero; and the strong wind greatly increased the sensation
of cold. In addition to this the snow was drifting. The

Anxiety Relieved.

air was filled with cold, hard snow-flakes and the small
icy crystals which make up the snow-drifts. Those had
been torn from the surface of the high land to the north,
and were being borne along at a speed of nearly a mile
a minute. To stand with unprotected face against these
sharp and angular atoms driven with suoh force, was no
easy task.

Mr. Meyer's progress was closely watched from the
vessel, and great relief was felt when, at last, he was seen
to enter the observatory. After, however, one-half hour
elapsed without his re-appearing with the doctor, Captain
Budington began to fear lest the doctor was in trouble.
He accordingly sent the two Esquimaux to see that all
was right, and, if so, to signal at once to relieve his
anxiety. They had less difficulty than Mr. Meyer in
accomplishing the distance, because they knew better how
to battle with the strong wind. On arriving at the ob-
servatory they sent back the welcome signal, "All's well."

Soon the four men were seen coming over in pairs.
As they reached the brow of the little hill the wind
threw them down the declivity on which not even the
Esquimaux were able to walk. They were hurried alon^r
by the wind over the level ice, and reached the vessel
about 10.30 a. m., where they were warmly welcomed.
They did not escape without some injury; all being
frost-bitten with the exception of Hans. Dr. Bessels'

236

1871.

Novemlier.

236 An Anxious Day.

n^vllLr.^^^ "^^ "'PP^^- ^^- ^®yo^ appeared with fiozon
eyelids and bands, while Joe's right cheek was whitened
by the frost. Mr. Meyer was not as well protected as
the others, and liis frost-bites were much more severe;
he felt great pain from them all day. Such was the
severity of the storm that even the poor dogs suffered
greatly. Their howls of distress so affected the men that
the door was opened and they were all allowed if, come
on ''ack, where they were protected from the wind.

It was a day of anxiety. The creaking of the masts
and the howling of the wind through the rigging proved
that the storm still continued to rage. In the lower cabin
the rocking of the vessel was felt, and so also the grinding
in her icy cradle. The heavy canvas awnings covering
the vessel made, when shaken by the wind, a sound like
thunder. The gale lasted until 3 in the afternoon, when
it began to moderate ; at 9 p. m., it recommenced in all
its force, although the barometer had risen ; at midnight
the wind blow, if possible, harder than before, and the
barometer fell again.

At 1 a. m. of the 21st, the vessol begar +o feel
the motion of the open water nut im distant. The dark-
ness was increased by the heavy drift of snow, so that
nothing could be seen outside of the awnings. During
the lulls of the storm the cracking of the ice around the
vessel was distinguished. At 2.30 a. m., a severe shock

236

i*o\«>

871.
inl»«>r.

A'H Amdous Day.

ear was nipped. Mr. Meyer appcarod witli fioznn
eyelids and iiauds. whiic Joe'.s rijrbt cheek wjk^ whitened
by the l'ro.st. Mr Aloyor was not as wel' itit.lected as
liio others, {iiid liis frost-bites were ipiieli mor'^ .severe;
he felt irreat pnir- ^rovr. t^PTn al! day. Such was the
sevof^f , ,., .i.,;,.i i.ial ovtii the poor dogs suffered
greatly. Their howls of distress so affected the men that
the door was opened and tliey were all allowed to conic
on deck, where they were protected from the wind.

it was a day of anxiety. The ('realdng of ilie raacts
and the howling >f the wind through the riginng prove;
that the storm '^Lill continued to rage. Tii the lower cabin

, <\A m also (he ,ui'indin<£
■'• ' '..(dit?. r*'" hcavr cnnrnc .iwtn- : ; •

t)v- :..'■-.■ , ''

tiiunder. i' , ,. , iiu uJuumHtti, when

■' ''Cgan to moderate; at 1) ].. la., :: ^commenced in all
its force, although the barometer had ri-'on : n! inidniLdit
the wind blew, -f pobsible, harder th^n befbrf, ;-•/• ihe
h:.'i- , !' fell mrnin.

^"^•^ • •' " *' the 21st, the vessel begon to lt>o1
the inotioi ■ ,>vn .v;iter not iar distar' The 1 ,rk-

nesswa^ Jnn-o-ised by rlu- heavy drift <>. - , il^at

iiothing coiiM ,m: outside of !]•♦ ^ hurin*'-

the lulisoi t;. .ickin^ ;,k| the

vessel was distuuruishe. 2.no a. ^e\ere •'bock

-"^itmim^^ii,^

i •

ili i

Adrift.

237

(

occurred, which startled everybody. It was soon dis- 18^1.
covered that the ship was afloat, and free from the ^*''*""*"''
ice. Her motion was so great as to render it difficult to
read the barometer. The heavy snow wall which had
been built close around the ship broke through the ice,
leaving her surrounded by water. At 7 a. m., the two
natives were sent to the observatory to obtain the cuiTent
meter, and were told to see whether Providence Berg was
still in its place; they soon returned with a favorable
report; this was a great relief.

The vessel was repeatedly driven against the ice
with severe shocks. Finally, at 8 a. m., the ice broke up
and was carried away. Absolutely nothing could be seen
at a distance of five paces. The ship being free, the
chain, which had been left in the locker when the vessel
■>/as first frozen in, was bent, and the anchor got ready.
Preparations were made to veer the other chain. The
depth of water was found to be eight fathoms forward, and
six aft. The hand at the driit-lead soon after reported
eleven, twelve, and twelve and a half fathoms; the ship
was adrift.

The order was immediately given to let go the
starboard anchor, which was the best bower. After a
little while she brought up. Not taking the chain, it was
evident that she was not riding by her anchor; and upon
further examination it was found that she had brought up

238 , Dangerous Duty.

Nolelber. ^^^^^^ Providence Berg, which saved the vessel from being
carried into the pack. The captain proceeded at once to
get out his ice-anchors and to secure the ship to the berg.
He hesitated about ordering men to this duty, made per-
ilous by the darkness of the night, the extreme violence o^
the wind, and the steep and slippery surface of the berg.

William Nindemann first offered himself for the dan-
gerous duty;, immediately all the others stepped forward,
not one holding back. Protected as well as he could be
by skin clothing, Nindemann climbed out the forward
port-hole on the starboard side, and reaching a projecting
piece of the berg, began to ascend its side. The Esqui-
maux accompanied him. The side was so steep that he
was compelled to cut steps in the ice with a hatchet.
In order to light them at their work, a large pan con-
taining tarred rope saturated with kerosene oil was set
out on the ledge of the berg. When one anchor was
firmly planted in the berg, and the vessel secured to it by
a hawser, great relief was felt ; to complete the security,
two other anchors were made ready, and three seamen
volunteered to assist in planting them.

All this occupied a long time, and it was not until 1
p. m., that the hands turned in. The captain decided to
hold on to the berg, even if it should go adrift. Ninde-
mann and one of the natives were frost-bitten during their
exposure, but not seriously.

■"*^***aji«»i».

238

1871.

IVovi'mber.

Dangerous Duty.

against Providenco Berg, which saved tiu' \os8ol iioin boin<r
carried into the pack. The. captain proceedt-d at once to
get out his JL-e^anch.ax and to secure the ship U> the ])er<'-.
He he8itat<?d about ordering men to this duty, made per-
ilous \i^j tlio darkness of the night, the extreme violence of
the wind, and the >^teep and slippery surface of the berg.

Wniliani Nindemaiin first offered himself for the dan-
gerous duty;, immediately all the others stepped forward,
not one holding back. Piotected as well as he could be
by skin clothing, Nindemann climbed out the forward
port-iiole on the starboard side, and reaching a projecting
pieoe of the berg, began to ascend its side. The Esqui-
*^^*''^^ ;■' hj»' The sHc was s<» ^;teep thai; he

was eoPipt«lie.: at ritep,^ in me ice witii u hatchet.

l-aining tarred rope saturated \\itii kerosene oil wh.> set
out on the ledge of the berg. When one anchor was
firmly planted in the berg, and the vessel secured to it by
a hawser, great relief was felt ; to (^jmplete the security
two other anchors were made ready, and three seamen
voluntocT'M^ \ :^^^ ill phantiiig them.

Ail Ui;> ueeupi(;d a loiij/ time, and it w^aa not until 1
p. m., that the iiandn turned in. The ca})trtin decided to
hold on to the berg, even if it should go adrift. Ninde-
mann and one of the natives were fro9t bitten during their
exposure, but not seriously.

was

Effects of the Storm.

Outside the vessel the commotion still continued.
The sound of the water dashing against the ship's side was
threatening; the shocks of the vessel against the berg were
alarming. Notwithstanding the heavy strain, however,
the hawsers held famously. About J p. m., the gale
moderated and the watch below were allowed to turn in.

Early the next morning, Ilaus, Kruger, and Ninde-
mann went on shore to see the efifect of the storm upon
the observatory. They walked to the shore upon the
ice still fast to the berg. The tidal apparatus was found
uninjured, and Hans' sled was safe. Two sleds, one of
which hod been on board the relief-ship, under Captain
Hartstene, were lost, besides several small articles left on
the ice about the ship. Mr. Bryan, with Joe, went on
shore to secure the magnetic instruments, which had been
reported as exposed. The wind and drift had worn
away the snow houses and filled them with snow. The
declinometer was thrown from the stand, but all its parts
were found except the carriage for the magnet. The
observatory was standing, but completely buried; an
entrance could be effected only by digging through a snow-
bank six feet deep. Two dogs were missed, and at first
it was supposed that they were lost, but upon its being
suggested that they might have taken refuge in the dog-
house on shore, the bank, covering the entrance was dug
away and the dogs wore found.

239

1871.

NoTember.

RV3^w::'^^-^-f*yii!' -i

240

An Aurora.

!)i

Nolflb^r. ^^ ^^"^ ^ question whether to haul the ship back to

her former place. Sho was, however, moved a short dis-
tance, so as to lie against the berg. The gale abated, but
the sea continued, and prevented the water from freezing.
The evening was clear and bright. The moon shone
quietly upon a scone which the day before had been wild
and threatening.

During the whole of the 23d, it was calm and clear,
and a thin film of ice formed on the surface of the water.

On the 24th, the scientific observations, interrupted
by the storm, were resumed. A supply of ice was ob-
tained from the berg by sliding blocks down its side into
the port-hole. The temperature of the external air was
— 23° Fahrenheit, while that within the canvas awnings
was only — 8°. The new ice about the vessel had
acquired the thickness of five inches. The open water
was about two miles from the vessel, but the west side
of the straits appeared to be full of heavy pack, accu-
mulated during the irale.

In the evening an aurora was visible. The forms
assumed by it were peculiar, resembling in appearance
and shape those called electric clouds. At times an
arch was formed extending from horizon to horizon and
passing nearly through the zenith. The arches were
apparently narrow and the clouds thin and wanting
in uniformity. The densest parts were the brightest.

A Dock.

241

The arches were completed by the addition of parts which if^rt.
at first appeared detached. They were formed in various
ways. A band starting up from the horizon would receive
a series of additions until it spanned the vault. Two
bands rising from opposite points would extend, complet-
ing the arch. They disappeared in as many various ways
as they were formed ; but always as gradually as they
came. The most attentive listener could not hear any
sound. There was no marked disturbance of the magnetic
needle either before, during, or after the phenomenon.
The stars were seen through the clouds. The electroscope
did not indicate any changes of electricity during their
continuance.

The vessel was exposed to the floes driven in from
the straits, and the captain determined to bring her more
under the protection of Providence Berg. The men were
set to work on the 25th, sawing a dock in the young ice,
already seven inches in thickness. The moon shone so
brightly that it was convenient to work by her light alone.
The vessel had drifted against the northeastern side of the
berg, leaving her stern exposed to the attack of the floes.
The dock being sawed, she was moved ahead eighty feet,
and fifty feet from the berg, where it was hoped she
would stay during the remainder of the winter, as she
was lying under the protection of the berg and at a safe

distance from it. '' q ship had run a narrow chance of
16

2^.

1871.

IVovember.

Seal- Traps.

being carried out into the channel, where she would have
been exposed to serious iiyury, and would certainly have
been carried south, in which case little or nothing could
have been oflfected toward the objects of the expedition.
The position was regarded for the moment as secure ; but
it will soon be seen how little this conclusion was justified.

On the 26th, Divine service was hold in the lower
cabin, which was more convenient because la'-o-er. The
ice commotion in the straits still continued, the sounds of
which were distinctly heard during the whole day.

On the morning pf the 27th, the moon shone with
such peculiar distirctness, and poured such a flood of light
upon the scene, as to turn night into day. A well-defined
halo of 22° radius encircled her disk, and during a part of
the morning mock-moons also, were plainly visible. The
one below, and those at each side of the moon, exhibited
prismatic colors; they were very beautiful, but were soon
eflfaced by the clouds.

Hans had not been idle since the young ice had been
thick enough to bear him. Ho had set many seal-traps,
and, visited them twice a day, but did not, however,
succeed in catching any. Mauch, in his journal of this
date, says that he accompanied Hans on his rounds, and
after finding that no game was caught, proposed to go out
into the straits and examine closely the formation of the
hummocks. He could hear distinctly a noise resembling

1 1 KPS t I

A Southwest Oak.

the mutterings of thunder, produced by the ice in motion,
and ho proposed to go to the very spot where the noise
originated. He reached the point after a brisk walk of
half an hour, and there saw a large floe in motion, break-
ing its way through the young ice. It was moving
quite rapidly, piling up the ice in every direction, some-
times in slabs as high as 20 feet, and making a great
noise.

The spring-tide occurring on the 26th, increased the
commotions of the ice near the vessel ; water rose above
its surface. This caused no uneasiness.

A light brefi7fl from the south sprang up at 5 a m.
of the 28th. The temperature rose rapidly to six degrees
below zero and, at the same time, the barometer fell.
These changes indicated a gale from the southwest; at 11
a. m., it set in, forcing the pack toward the vessel. The
young ice was broken in many places, and hummocks
formed. Near the stern of the vessel the ice was cracked,
and hummocks rose there also. The gale continued to
increase in violence, until at 1 p. m. it had acquired the
velocity of 42 miles an hour. When it first began, it was
apparent that snow was falling heavily ; but as the wind
increased, it was impossible to tell whether it was fresh
snow, or drift. The air was filled with flakes.

At 7 p. m., the storm increased in violence, and the
ice began to pile up against the outer part of the berg.

243

1871.

Novcoiber.

244

A Perilous Situation.

Nolfmber. "^^^ °^^^® ^^^ alarming, and the disturbance approached
the vessel nearer than before. A visit to the top of the
berg was made by Mauoh at 9 p. m. Huge pieces of ice,
moving under the pressure of the wind, were driven toward
Providence Berg, and forced in, on either side, upon the
shore. The immense pressure was at length too great for
the berg ; it was broken into two parts between which
the ice was forced until they were separated by a distance
of 8 feet. This event created some anxiety. The dogs
were taken on board, and several preparations were made
for the approaching crisis.

At 11 p. m., the berg was found to be in motion
and the vessel immediately felt the pressure. One part
of the berg being small r, moved more rapidly than the
other. In the interval before the berg reached the ship
the strongest man held his breath, for it really seemed
that she must be crushed in the same manner as the ice
alongside. When it reached the vessel, she bore for a
time its great pressure without yielding — but groaning
under the immense strain. Several times it was thought
that the ice had been forced through her side. Captain
Budington remarked that the Polaris stood the pressure
heroically, but that no vessel could possibly long hold
together in her position. The wind at the time was
blowing at the rate of 47 miles per hour, and the air was
filled with drifting snow.

The Dangerous Berg.

245

When the herg first came in contact with the ship, 18^1.
a large tongue of ice below the water was forced under
the bows of the vessel, raising her somewhat, and with
the help of the wind giving her a cant. This probably-
saved her. The result was that the ice between the ship
and the shore broke, and the vessel began to move with
the berg toward the shore, still laboring heavily.

The opinion of Siemens was undoubtedly correct:
"Had the ice, lee-side of the berg, been equally strong
as that on the weather side, the ship would surely have
been cut through or thrown on her beam-ends." Even as
it was, the vessel was greatly strained, and if she had not
been exceedingly well built, the pressure would have been
fatal.

The berg moved in toward the shore, shoving the
little Polaris before it, until 2 a. m. of the 29th. At this
time the tide turned, and as the berg would take the ground
on the ebb the fear of a fatal accident was allayed. The
people, worn out with labor and watching, were allowed
to go below, leaving a sufficient number on deck. The
engineer made a careful examination of the propeller, and
found that it had suffered no injury.

At 3 a. m., the berg had firmly grounded. The
falling tide was not, however, sufficient to overcome the
momentum of the pack. It still continued to press upon
the berg, and, not being able to push it forward, began

246

Fright of the Esquimaux.

nil \

NolflLr. *® '^^^® ^* "P- -^ "®^ ^^°S^^ appeared: the berg threat-
ened to turn over and crush the ship. But at 5 a. m., the
gale began to moderate, and the pressure upon the berg
was so much diminished that it recovered its equihbrium.
Soon, however, other alarming circumstances appeared.
As the tide fell, the stern of the vessel sank, leaving the
bow 4 feet higher. At the same time she heeled over to
port so much that it was almost impossible to walk the
deck. The captain, who had been in his berth about two
hours, was called. He saw that nothing was to be done,
and after relieving their app ehensions sent the people
again below. When the tide rose, the ship came to an
even keel. Dming the gale, the temperature had risen
considerably above zero, but when it ceased, the mercury
again fell below.

The natives were very much frightened at the ship's
position, and asked permis ion to go on shore, which was
granted. To the surprise of Mr. Meyfer who had remained
on shore during the storm, they appeared at the door of
the observatory. The women and children, with their
loads of bedding and skins, crowded into the little room,
persuaded that the vessel would be destroyed. Notwith-
standing the odors which they brought with them, Mr.
Meyer received them graciously, and gave them a share
of his small establishment. In the afternoon the Esqui-
maux built two snow houses, meaning to live on shore.

Thanksgiving Day.

The 30th was the day set apart by proclamation,
as has been mentioned, as a day of thanksgiving. It
was calm and clear. The ice was still, and the vessel
lay quietly against the berg. Just having escaped from
two great dangers the crew was prepared for a general
thanksgiving. No work was done, and the whole day
was given up to amusement. It had been the intention
to have some sort of theatrical performance or minstrel
entertainment, but the gale interfered with the preliminary
practice, and it was given up. In the forenoon ?iuts
of different kinds — hickory, hazel, walnut, pecan, and
almonds — were distributed among the people.

Dinner, however, was the great ^vent of the day.
The steward and cook exerted their best skill and ingenu-
ity in preparing the different courses. Considering the
means at their command, they did extremely well, and the
result of their labors was greatly relished. The fare was
as follows : Oyster-soup, lobster, turkey, different kinds of
meats, vegetables (the favorite being green pease), a very
fine plum-duff, apple and cherry pie, North Pole cake,
nuts, raisins, and wine-punch. Much time was spent
at the table, and the dinner was greatly enjoyed. It was
set in the lower cabin.

In the evening, coffee and chocolate were served.
The men got up a little diversion, in which, as every
one was inclined to be merry, all took part. Two of the

247

1871.

November.

248

A Notable Procession.

.\olfmb4r. "^^° ^®^® P^^^®^ ^" position and covered over so as to
represent a donkey. Hans' little boy "Toby" was
placed on the back of the animal and ridden about the
vessel's deck. Peter Johnson was the manager, and con-
trolled the movements of the beast with great skill.
Noah Hayes headed the procession with his fiddle, to the
sound of which the animal and its driver marched,
followed by the other men. The after-guard were
invited to watch the performances. Great amusement
was afforded and many jokes were given and received.
Some one remarked that there was a waste of material
in the formation of the animal.

The quantity of coal used during November was
6,334 pounds, distributed as follows :

Pounds.

Berth-deck \^ 604

Cabin 1,510

Galley 2,186

Observatory , 1, 028

This increase of 1,596 pounds over the quantity con-
sumed during October, is attributable not only to the lower
temperatures during November, but also to the kind of
coal that was used. It was decided that the soft bitumi-
nous coal purchased at St. John's, Newfoundland, could

Anthracite and Bituminous Goal

249

be used with greater economy in the small stoves than in 1871.
the furnaces. Hence, during November, the soft coal had
been used exclusively, in order to save the anthracite for
steaming purposes.

i r

:^mmmmm!*m

CHAPTER XI.

No very strikinji^ event broke the monotony of life on 1871-

... 33- December.

snipboard during the month of December. The vessel
continued in the same position, leaning against the berg,
with her bow perched upon its tongue. This situation
was by no means desirable or comfortable. The ice
about the stern had been piled up very high during the
great pressure from the pack on the 28th of November,
and it was impossible to effect any change of position.
During high tide it made little difference, as the vessel
was then nearly on an even keel ; but at low tide the list
was exceedingly disagreeable. Those who had bunks on
the port side did not mind it much; but on the other side
it was often a hard matter to keep in the berths. A
new fire-hole was made on the 2d, and the tidal appara-
tus erected over it. The tidal observations were resumed,
after a suspension of fourteen days. The seamen, when
not employed about the ship, amused themselves in
various ways.

254

The Creiv.

1871.

Deceaaber.

Oil the 2d, the weather being calm and the tempera-
ture not very low (about — 7°), the men were engaged in
out-door sports. Some were driving about the ice, having
harnessed several of the dogs to sleds; others were
coasting, near the observatory ; while others again amused
themselves constructing small sleds in the fire-room,
which had been turned into a carpenter's shop. In their
cabins they whiled away the time with cards, dominoes,
checkers, and chess. The ship's company had been well
selected. They were large and strong, understood their
business, and were highly esteemed by the officers.
Mr. Chester, the first mate, writes about them in the
iog-book: "Our seamen are a busy set of mortals. Go
into their quarters at any hour between 8 a. m. and
10 p. m., when they are not at work on deck, and you
will find them busy on various branches of work, such as
shoemaking, patching, whittling out and rigging minia-
ture ships, and, in fact, sailorizing of all sorts ; and, what
is better, perfect harmony prevailing among them. They
are all good men. A better crew I don't think could have
been found for an expedition like this. They keep clean
and take good care of themselves. Everything about
their quarters looks clean and neat. There is not much
danger of such men being troubled with scurvy."

Divine service was held every Sunday, and, as a
rule, all the ship's company attended. Between three

Halo.

265

and four o'clock on the afternoon of the 2d, a most »8T1.
beautiful halo encircled the moon. The sky was clear
and the circle of light was as bright as the moon herself.
Vertical and horizontal rays extended from the moon to
the halo, forming a perfect cross. At first this was faint,
but it gradually increased in brightness, lasting about
fifteen minutes, and slowly disappearing. The brightest
portions were the cross and the spots where it met the
circle of light. The next day a similar phenomenon was
observed about 6.30 p. m. The sky was, however, then
overcast, and the air was misty. The cross was very plain,
although not so bright as on the 2d. There was no halo,
but a bright spot to the east of the moon, forming a
mock-moon, indicated where the circle would be.

On the 4th, Hannah commenced making skin
clothing for the use of those who were going on sledge-
journeys in the spring. Mrs. Hans Hendrick dia not dis-
play any anxiety to assist Hannah in these labors ; she
probably felt that all her time should be occupied in the
care of her children. By the 10th, all the dog-skins had
been washed and prepared for making up into garments.
Captain Budington remarks in his journal of this date:
"All possible preparations are being made to succeed with
our sledge-parties next spring. The time is passing very
rapidly, and we must be prepared at as soon a time as
possible, so as not to miss the best period for traveling —

256

Severe Exposure.

18TI. "the months of April and June." On the 6th, about

December.

2 a. m., Dr. Bessels started over to the observatory,
it being his tour of duty. A wind sprung up accompanied
with heavy snow-drift. He lost his way, and after
wandering around among the hummocks for some time,
concluded that it was useless to attempt to find the
observatory while the snow-drift continued. He accord-
ingly sought shelter under the lee of an iceberg and waited
there for the storm to abate. While there he kept
account of the changes in the direction of the wind,
which were duly recorded. After four hours' exposure,
at 6 a. m., he reached the observatory; strange to say,
he did not suffer any ill effects from this exposure. To
prevent the recurrence of such an accident, the captain
directed that a line should be stretched from the ship to the
observatory. The natives built snow pillars at intervals
of thirty or forty feet, on which a wire, covered with
rubber, was stretched ; the wire had been put on board
the vessel for contingencies.

At noon of the 6th, the twilight arch was ascer-
tained by measurement to have the height of 3° 16'. A
remarkable change of temperature had taken place during
the 5th instant. When the breeze from the southwest
set in, the temperature rose in a single hour from — 3° F.
to4-9°F.; it subsequently rose as high as +14°, the
highest temperature observed during the month. On the

Auroras.

257

10th, the mercury rose to -flT from —3°. During the I8TI.
first half of the month the temperature ranged quite high, ***" *'*
the lowest being —24°; on the 7th and 8th, the tempera-
ture was below —20°; the mean was about —11°. The
last half of the month was, however, much colder. With
the exception of the warm speQ about the 19th, the
temperature was nearly always below —20°; the lowest,
on the 25th, being —33°.

The meteorological observations were recommenced
after the storm of the 2l8t of November. Mr. Meyer
remained at the observatory for sixteen hours, and Dr.
Bessels the remaining eight, each day. Mr. Meyer's spare
time at the observatory was employed in mathematical
studies. He was an ardent, laborious student. Ho usu-
ally made all the observations from 9 a. m. to midnight,
inclusive. On the 10th, during the greater part of the
day a faint aurora was visible. Toward evening it be-
came more briUiaut, and underwent a variety of changes.
At one time it was in the form of an arch stretching from
S. W. to N. W., and rising to an elevation of about 20°.
Hermann Siemens says: "We also saw numerous shoot-
ing-stars, sometimes forming, as it were, a silver thread,
from the point where they first appeared to that of disap-
pearance; in a few instances I have seen small fire-balls
pushing out from them, similar to those of a rocket."

On the evening of the 16th, there was a brilliant dis-

Decemb

258 The Ice of the Straits.

1871. play of auroral action; innumerable rays shot up from the

icember. . ^ r

southern horizon, some of which passed through the zenith
to the northern horizon. They were constantly changing ;
the northern rays disappearing, and the southern collect-
ing in the S. E., and moving rapidly to the S. W , where
they vanished.

On the 17th and 18th also, auroral displays were
seen. No color was observed in any of these phenomena.
They lasted several days, varying from day to day in
form and motion.

The ice in the s,traits continued loose ; the least
atmospheric disturbance was sufficient to set large masses,
of it in motion. On the 9th of the month, the noise
could be heard at the ship.

On the 8th, the land on the west side could be seen
notwithstanding the polar night. Cape Lieber, the most
northern land visited by Dr. Hayes, was in clear view, as
well as land to the north and south of it.

On the 10th, open water was observed two or three
miles distant. This was the period of springs. The ice
about the shore was piled up in great confusion; but such
was the accumulation about the berg that no apprehen-
sion of its moving was felt.

At times, and particularly on the 15th, a water-cloud
over the patches of open water in the straits obscured
from view the coast of Grinnell Land.

Heavy Pressure.

On the 17th, the open water was only one mile dis-
tant; the space it covered could not be distinguished from
the deck. On the 19th, the pack was driven in by a
westwardly wind, and this open space was closed.

On the 11th, the Polaris labored greatly; the creak-
ing of her timbers as she moved up and down against
the berg sounded like volleys of musketry.

On the 13th, Captain Budington remarks in his jour-
nal: "The berg, which is continually breaking in pieces
(i. e., from which pieces are continually broken), is pressed
more towards the vessel. An old floe rests right against
it on the sea side, and to the right and left of this floe the
hummocks are piled up to the height of thirty feet above
the sea-level; some pretty near as high as the berg
itself." The effect of this constant pressure was to raise
the vessel still higher, increasing her inclination at low
tide. Thus her condition became worse and worse as the
winter advanced.

The snow houses built by the natives after the south-
west gale of November 28th were never occupied ; in
a few days after the storm had subsided they became
re-assured and were content to remain on board.

In the mean time the ice was accumulating in the
berths. This could not be otherwise ; being against the
sides of the ship, the berths could not be kept warm
enough by the heat from the small cabin-stoves.

259

1871.

December.

260

1871.

December.

Making Sleds.

Before the vessel broke adrift she was surrounded by
a very deep snow wall, which kept the berths much
warmer. The difference caused by the absence of this
snow wall was shown by the thermometer. Several ther-
mometers placed in a box near the stern were read three
times a day for the captain's journal and the log-book.
While the snow was about the vessel the readings agreed
exactly with those of the instruments at the observatory.
When, however, the snow wall ceased to exist, the
instruments at the ship read from 2° to 4^ higher, in
consequence of which simultaneous observations were dis-
continued. In the forecastle the same difficulty did not
exist. On each side were the coal-bunkers, and thus a large
body of air was between the sides of the ship and the bulk-
heads, against which the seamen's bunks were built. In
the lower cabin there was not much ice, for, although the
berths were against the vessel's sides, they were somewhat
protected. In the upper cabin the trouble was the greatest.

On the 11th, the carpenter was set to work making
sleds for spring travel. The starboard alley-way having
been given up as a dining-saloon was turned into a car-
penter-shop, and here the carpenter worked for several
hours each day. The alley-way received some heat from
the galley, notwithstanding which it was cold ; yet the
carpenter worked faithfully, and turned out sleds both
large and small.

i-:s^.t-:^^«K»^fiiS3!Ka»^*'

Dog-Food.

261

Nearly every day the men were employed about two 1871.
hours after breakfast in sweeping the decks and putting ****•"***'•
the ship to rights, in filling up the ice-house, and
bringing provisions from the store-houses on shore. The
dogs were regularly fed. Captain Hall had tried as dog-
food a hash made of dried salmon and sea-bread; but as
it was thought to have caused the death of several dogs it
was given up. Captain Budington's first intention, after
the seal-meat procured at the Danish settlement was
used up, had been to prepare a mixture of bread and pem-
mican. Dr. Bessels, upon being consulted, did not con-
sider it a good plan, because dogs are carnivorous;
the captain thereupon determined to feed them upon
pemmican alone. He remarks in his journal: "We must
care for them as much as we do for ourselves. The
whole success of the expedition depends on our dogs, for
with our vessel we cannot hope to reach a much higher
latitude."

During the evening of the 20th, the moon shone with
wonderful brilliancy upon the snow and ice, making every
object, however distant, remarkably plain. Distant ob-
jects were brought so much nearer that Cape Lupton, four
miles off, seemed to be within the reach of a short walk ;
and the same with Cape Lieber. The scene was solemn
and impressive.

The 21st was not allowed to pass by without that

tin

'"*^*^#«t&»

262

Christmas Eve

1871. notice which it always receives from Arctic explorers.

December. *^ *

The twilight had daily grown less and less, until it was
nothing but a light streak over the southern mountains
for a few hours each day. It gave no light, and was
but just discernible. The long-continued darkness had
become opp-essive; the exclusive use of artificial light
began to affect the eyes, and the trouble of carrying a
lantern whenever one went out, was trying. The absence
of light produced the physical effect of languor.

On the 24th, the men were invited to join the officers
in the lower cabin at 8 p; m., there to celebrate Christmas
Eve. The room was decorated with flags hung about the
walls and festooned over the door. The name "Polaris"
was exhibited in large, red letters on a white ground, and
the table was loaded with good things. The stores of the
vfc ssel had been liberally drawn upon to furnish the requi-
site entertainment. The object of the greatest admiration
was a Christmas-tree which stood in the middle of the table,
a regular pine in appearance, filled with golden fruit and
toys ; wax candles burning from every bough added not a
little to the effect. This tree possessed a peculiar attrac-
tion of its own. Through Dr. Bessels's contrivance one
of the branches was made to bleed profusely, and the sap
was gathered in glasses and pronounced delicious. After
the company had been served from the bountiful table,
and each had paid more than one visit to the flowing

Celebration.

263

branch, another feature of the evening's entertainment 1871.
appeared. It was a lottery. Mysterious packages were '•*"*"'**''•
produced and distributed as the numbers were drawn from
a hat. They were not to be opened until 10 o'clock ; but
curiosity prevailed, and they were soon examined.

A great deal of amusement was afforded by the dis-
covery that the packages contained toys, of various kinds,
and small trinkets, which had been brought by Captain
Hall for distribution among the Esquimaux children. The
men enjoyed the joke exceedingly, and merrily twitted
each other on the appropriateness of their respective gifts.
"Big Fred," as Frederick Jamka was always called,
amused the company very much by the answer he made
to one who asked him why he could not have waited until
10 o'clock before he opened his package. He said it was
10 by his watch, and thereupon held up a little toy watch,
the hands of M^hich indicated 10 hours 10 minutes. With
many toasts and remembrances of friends at home, and
for the success of the enterprise, and with much fun and
story-telling, a pleasant hour passed rapidly away. The
only drawback to the enjoyment of the occasion was the
shadow of Hall's death, which fell upon every one's
thoughts. It was arranged to have a balloon ascension
after the festivities of the evening, and all hands muffled
up and gathered on the ice near the ship. The balloon
was prepared, but the wind was so strong that all attempts

264

A Beautiful Day.

December *^ ^'^^* *^® cotton proved unsuccGssful, and finally it was
torn to pieces. Another was brought out, and after many
trials met the fate of its predecessor, much to the morti-
fication of those assisting in its preparation and the dis-
appointment of those who had braved the cold to witness
its ascent. After these abortive attempts the two messes
separated, but in their different quarters hilarity was kept
up until a late hour.

Some objected to holding the gathering on Christmas
Eve because it was Sunday night, and they wished to
have it postponed until Christmas evening ; but the ma-
jority would not listen to the postponement. The Ger-
mans, especially, insisted on its observance, and the others
cheerfully yielded. The 25th was a beautiful day, and
although the thermometer stood 33° below zero, the
weather was exceedingly pleasant. Captain Budington's
journal says :

"It appears as if Nature herself would join us in the
celebration of Christmas day. The full moon changes
night into day, and illuminates the straits as a chandelier
does a ball-room." At 3 p. m., the cook served another
of his elaborate dinners. In addition to the ordinary
dishes made from the ship's stores, and which of them-
selves when presented in all their variety, constituted a
very good bill of fare, special preparations appeared, which
were the more relished as they were unexpected. Very

Christmas Dinner.

265

good beefsteaks, taken from a portion of the musk-ox \^7i,
killed in the fall, gave the impression that butchers and ***" "'
markets, and other types of civilization, were not after all
beyond reach. Next some roast pork from the pig killed
in Upernavik was warmly welcomed. The spare-rib, not-
withstanding its age of four months, was as fresh and
sweet as though but just taken from the animal. Then,
as if to shut out all ideas suggestive of Arctic snows and
colds and horrors, among the desserts, mince-pie appeared
made of fresh musk-ox meat, dried apples, raisins, &c. ;
it was unquestionably good, if the demand for it can be
admitted as evidence of the fact. A few bottles of wine
were broached.

At 8 p. m., a very strong gale sprang up from the
N. E., blowing at times in violent squalls, accompanied
by snow-drift. It was, however, of short duration, last-
ing only until 1.30 a. m. In the afternoon of the 26th,
Joe and Hans reported quite a large body of open water
about four miles from the berg.

On this day Captain Budington speaks in his journal
respecting the position of the vessel as follows :

" On ascending the Providence Iceberg and taking a
look around, we see at first the open water at a distance
of from three to four miles, extending the whole length of
the strait from north to south. Our vessel lies on the edge
of the land-floe, protected from seaward by the icebeni.

26C

Situation of the Vessel >

Delember "^^® ^^^^^ ^^ *^® southeast. She is protected from any
danger in that direction by a considerable bergy mass of
ice, which seems to be grounded and partially kept from
going adrift by our Providence Berg. Her stern has a safe-
guard in the form of a large piece of our iceberg which
was broken off during the last gale that broke us out of
our position. It now appears to be aground not far off
our stern, and which will stop the progress of floes in case
the land-ice should become broken. The only danger,
therefore, that threatens us is from the sea side, and this
in the form of southwest igales, in connection with spring-
tides, which may push the vessel further in shore. She
will then have only two chances. She must either resist
the pressure of the berg and break the land-ice, which
has ailready acquired the thickness of three feet, or she
will be lifted up out of the water, which would, however,
not occur without the loss of rudder and propeller. This
could only be effected by a strong gale of several days'
duration. The ice before the berg must first be set in
motion before, even with the aid of spring-tide, Provi-
dence Berg could be driven in. With northeast winds,
the prevailing ones here, we generally have a very low
tide; therefore it is almost impossible for the berg to go
adrift before spring. We are, however, in by no means a
safe position."

He then goes on to express his regret that hia

\.-:m

Its Dangers. 267

advice in regard to winter quarters had not been fol- isri.
lowed. The vessel, according to his idea, would have ""**•"*"•
been safely anchored in Newman's Bay, and entirely free
from all the dangers by which she was now beset. There
would have been no drifting in the pack, no breaking out,
no subsequent forcing upon the berg, and no daily motions
in her icy bed, had the vessel been guided as his experi-
ence directed. She would have wintered at least twenty
miles further north, and nearer the musk-ox feeding-
grounds.

"On the 27th, the atmosphere was foggy and the
whole heavens overcast with low stratus-clouds. The
moon was slightly visible through the fog, having a large
halo." The vessel's position was so uncomfortable that
life on board became almost iinendurable ; at every low
tide she lay over to port, almost on her beam-ends, and
it was desirable, for several reasons, to attempt to get her
off from the berg and enable her to remain upright. ]^ot
only were her constant movements sources of incon-
venience to her occupants, but it was feared she herself
would sustain serious injury. Her rudder and propeller
were so far under the ice that they could not be seen, and
many thought they had become fastened in, so that when
the vessel lay over she broke them off and left them in
the position in which they were when frozen into the ice.
It was argued, too, that this constant motion while the

268

Failure.

Delfmber. ^^^ remained perched upon the tongue of the herg must
necessarily result in wrenching the bow and breaking off
the keel. Little hope, however, was entertained that
much eould be done toward the liberation of the vessel
until late in the spring, when human efforts would be
aided by the powerful influence of the sun. Nevertheless
an attempt was made in that direction on the 28th. It
was perhaps done more to give employment to the men,
and by a little excitement break the dull monotony of ship-
life, than with the expectation of doing much good, '^'our
large charges of gunpowder were exploded under the ice
in different places not far from the ship's side, but, beyond
jarring the ice and the vessel, no effect was produced;
the ice was not even cracked.

Luminous streamers were seen on the 29th, extending
in an arch from northeast to southwest through the zenith.
On the 30th, the Esquimaux reported open water
within one mile of the vessel. It could not, however, be
seen from the summit of Providence Berg, as the straits
were covered with an impenetrable black fog. On the
last day of the year the twilight was brighter than it had
appeared for a long time. The sky was perfectly clear,
and the moon, being in the northwest, was very distinct.
Some thought that they could detect a light straw color
quite near the horizon. This rapid and marked increase in
the extent of the twilight arch was very gratifying, and

The New Year.

269

was the subject of constant remark. Then speculations isn.
as to future movements always foll^T-ed. Perhaps no one "•*"""**'•
thing was more talked about than the question of the
probable success or failure of different plans for carrying
out the objects of the expedition.

Divine service was held as usual at 1 1 a. m. Precisely
at 12 midnight the ship's bell was rung merrily to welcome
in the Now Year. A bowl of hct punch was brewed,
according to the most approved plan, by Dr. Bessels. The
men forward fired a salute and sent a delegation to the cabin
to congratulate the officers on the occasion. This was
very kindly received, and thanks were returned for their
courtesy, with the assurance of the officers' continued good
will and kind wishes. Profiting by their experience on
Christmas Eve, and favored by calm weather, the balloon
managers were successful, early on New Year's day, in
sending up a balloon. Nearly all the ship's company were
out on the ice to watch it as it was carried away by the
light wind just felt from the east. After stopping a
minute in the rigging, it rose and moved off to the west-
ward, until it entirely disappeared. When it had passed
out of sight all were invited into the cabin, where the
remainder of the punch was mad^ to disappear in a
remarkably short space of time.

The amount of coal used during the month of Decem-
ber was as follows:

270 Coal

*®''^** Pounds.

December. n ■, >

Cabin 1,882

Forecastle 1,920

Galley 2,898

Observatory 1,360

Total 8,060

This was an increase upon the consumption during
the month of November, but not more perhaps than was
to be expected from the decrease of temperature and
the exposure of the vessel's sides for want of a snow wall.
Captain Budington, in his journal of January 2d, thus
speaks of the coal-supply: "We try to save coal in every
possible way. The fire in the galley-stove is extinguished
after dinner is over, at 3 p. m. Even the ashes, after
having fallen through the grates, are returned to the
stoves, in order to save the small particles of coal that
might slip through and thereby escape their destina-
tion. A commission, appointed on the 8th of September,
1871, by Captain Hall, to report on the amount of coal in
the bunkers, estimated it to be about one hundred tons.
Since then we have used so much coal that we are
better able to inspect and estimate the remainder, and are
satisfied that there must have been some mistake, and
that there could not have been more than eighty tons.
If the consumption of this fuel is continued at the

Necessity of Steam,

"same rate, a stoppage of which, without endangering our
health, is not possible, we will hardly have enough for two
winters, to say nothing of using steam on our return.
The idea of piloting the vessel through Smith Sound
with the aid of sails is an absurdity. Without con-
sidering the safety of the vessel, the experiences of
both Kane and Hayes are sufficient to show that a
sailing-vessel, and especially one like ours, can do abso-
lutely nothing. The first opportunity, however, we get
to leave this winter-harbor will be taken, and with the
aid of steam or sails, as conditions permit us, we will
attempt to reach a higher latitude, so as to enable us to
carry out the objects we are sent for."

The winds during December were extremely variable.
Those from the N. E. were the most frequent and violent;
the S. W. storms were next in duration and severity.
There were many days of total calm, and on others lijrht
winds blew from different directions. The sky was ren-
dered cloudy by the proximity of open water; heavy,
and at times impervious, fogs prevailed.

271

1871.

December.

XII.

CHAPTER XI T.

For several hours during the morning of the 2d, the
men worked very hard to loosen the ice under the vessel,
in order that she might be on an even keel. A deep
ditch was cut at a distance of 15 feet from her, in which
holes were made through the ice which was from 4 to 5
feet in thickness. Then four large bottles of powder were
introduced under the ice, by means of long poles that
served to regulate the positions of the bottles. The fuses
were ignited at the proper time, and the bottles exploded
simultaneously. The result was a disappointment. The
ice was but jarred, particularly near the vessel, so that
those on the ice felt the shock. It was evidently the idea
of some that the whole body of the ice between the ditch
and the vessel would be broken into atoms, and fragments
cast to a considerable distance. Accordingly, when the
fuses were lighted, there had been a retreat for protection.
This was very amusing to those who remained near the
holes. Mr. Chester, in his comic manner, as soon as he

1873.

January.

276
187a.

Jnnnnry

Ice- Blasting.

noticed this movement on tlio part of some of the men,
ridiculed it by feigning the utmost fear, and ran with all
speed far beyond any of the men, ensconcing himself be-
hind a large berg. He climbed up the berg on the side
farthest from the vessel, and after the explosion, his head
appeared over its top, and in the most anxious tones he
inquired if all were safe. After repeated assurances he
cautiously approached the ship. The ice was not seri-
ously affected ; it was not even cracked. But the shock
to the vessel was so great that it was considered impru-
dent to explode a largei; quantity of powder, and the idea
of relieving the vessel in that manner was abandoned.

With the aid of Mr. Schumann and fireman Booth
the pendulum was erected near the west side of the ob-
servatory. Dr. Bessels superintended its erection, and
formed the plan by which the box in which it swung
was so securely supported that its oscillations could not
be affected by any extraneous movement. His account of
this is as follows :

"PENDULUM EXPERIMENT.

" The pendulum is an invariable, reversible brass pen-
dulum, of 5 feet 7.75 inches in length, and very near syn-
chronous, but not convertible. It is swung on steel knife-
edges, and suspended in a box of strong board with a glass
door. In order to disconnect the instrument as far as pos-
sible from the small building in which it was swung, a

The Pendulum.

277

" square hole was cut through the floor in the middle of the * S^a.

Jan nary.

^ western wall of the observatory. Underneath this open-
ing a heavy piece of timber was frozen solid to the ground.
As the floor of the hut did not rest directly on the soil,
but was placed on beams of oak, the plank mentioned
before was entirely isolated from the observatory, and be-
came as firm, under the influence of the low temperature,
after the course of a few days, as the frozen soil itself
upon which it rested. On this piece of timber the pen-
dulum-box was screwed in such a manner that the plane
in which the pendulum was swung was that of the me-
ridian, and in order to secure the utmost steadiness a bar-
rel was placed outside the observatory on the same plank
on which the pendulum-box rested. The barrel was sur-
rounded by a heap of gravel, which was moistened with
water in order to cement it in a solid manner to the plank.
After this was done a hole was cut through the wall of
the observatory behind the place where the pendulum-box
was fastened. A half-inch iron bar, bent at right angles,
was passed through this hole, and one end of it was fast-
ened to the back wall of the box by means of five screws.
The other end, which was about three feet over the center
of the barrel outside of the observatory, was screwed
to a three-inch iron bar set up nearly perpendicular in
the keg.

"After having accomplished the work so far, the

278
1 87a.

January

Pendulum Observations.

** barrel was filled with gravel and sand, over which was
poured some water. Before the mass was frozen hard wc
leveled the pendulum-box as nearly as could be done, and
when it was found to be tolerably level, the bar outside
was fastened by means of ropes to the wall of the observ-
atory, in order to prevent it from giving way and disturb-
ing the position of the box. After two days had elapsed,
the gravel was frozen solid and the ropes were removed.
It was found that the box had not changed its level ; but,
at the same time, it was not so steady as might have been
expected. To secure it better, a hole of three inches
diameter was drilled through the floor of the observatory,
about one foot north of the box, and another one of the
same diameter and at the same distance south of it.
Through each of these holes an iron bar, one inch thick
and three feet long, was driven into the frozen soil and
connected with the box by means of two other iron bars
bent at right angles, similar to the one mentioned above,
and screwed together in a similar manner.

"The vibrations (performed in the plane of the me-
ridian) were observed with a small direct-vision telescope
placed about eight feet east of the arc of the pendulum.
The point of the swinging knife-edge served as a mark,
and observations were made with vibrations from right to
left (north to south) and from left to right to correct for
eccentricity of mark. Each mi was begun with right.

Pendulum Observations.

"An arc of a circle of 39.25 inches radius, divided from
the middle eac^ way to five degrees, with subdivisions of
tenths of degrees, was placed over the swinging knife-
edge, and the extreme excursions to the right and left
noted. The times were recorded by a sidereal chronome-
ter, which was compared with five other box-chronome-
ters, by means of a pocket-chronometer, before and after
each sot of observations was taken. The pendulum was
swung in four different positions designated by the num-
ber stamped on the rod near the knife-edge ; the number
facing the telescope thus indicating the pobition ; the num-
bers 1 and 2 being on one side, and 3 and 4 on the
reverse. The steel plates upon which the knife-edge
rested were leveled by a small spirit-level every time be-
fore the set was begun, when the door of the box was
closed and kept shut till the set was finished."

The pendulum had been ready some time, but
it was not until the 2d, that observations were begun.
Mr. Bryan, who had charge, had been occupied with the
transit instrument in observing moon-culminations.

During the 3d, a strong breeze from the N. E. pre-
vailed, reaching a velocity of forty-five miles, and at
times blowing in violent squalls, but at 5 p. m., suddenly
it died away. At 9.30 a. m., of the 4th, an arch of
luminous streamers extended from N. E. to S. W. through
the zenith. The twilight into which one end of the arch

279

1879.

January.

*fe|^'

280

1879.

January.

Increase of Twilight,

vanished, extended from southeast to southwest. It had
now become so luminous that the elevated points on the
mountain -range were remarkably distinct. Near the
horizon a yellowish hue was seen.

On the 5th, as Hermann Siemens was making the tidal
observations, his attention was attracted by the cries of a
dog apparently' coming from the starboard bow. He
found, on going there, one of the little puppies fast in the
ice. It had been caught in the ice when it closed by a
change in the tide, and was unable to free himself; it
was liberated by a hatchet, and restored by being placed
near the stove.

Nearly all day on the 6th, beautiful auroral displays
were seen. During the morning, luminous though faint
clouds were observed in different parts of the heavens.
At 3 p. m., the sky being clear and the breeze light
from the south, these clouds, in the form of an arch,
extended from northeast to southwest, enlarging toward
the northeast and accumulating abovt the mountains.
In half an hour they resumed their original shape, and
appeared in the form of light yellow and white bands.
These phenomena were present during thv°i whole even-
ing, bein<7 seen in every direction. Fantastic forms of
light came and went rapidly, and a frequent appearance
was that of a cirro-stratus cloud. On the morning of the
7th, a perfect arch extending from north to south was

An Auroral Phenomenon.

observed. It consisted of uniform bands of yellow and
white.

Divine service was held as usual at 11a. m., in the
lower cabin. The minimum temperature for the previous
twenty-four hours observed at 8 a. m. on the 9th, was
— 48°, the lowest that had been observed up to that time.
Throughout the 9th, the weather remained fair and cold,
but at 1 a. m. of the 10th, a fresh gale from the N. E.
sprang up, accompanied with snow.

Siemens says in his journal that on the 10th, at
5 in the morning, a bright arc was seen in the sky
passing from the western horizon through the zenith to
the east, parallel with the milky way, and distant from it
about 12°. It disappeared about 6 a. m., leaving three
clouds of similar brightness. This phenomenon, if elec-
tric, did not show itself in the needle. Narrow bright
strips were distinctly seen running into the arc from
the south. At the same time luminous streamers of a
greenish hue were shooting up from the eastern horizon.
The atmosphere was very hazy at the time, and only
stars of the first magnitude could be seen. Siemens
thought the phenomenon an aurora.

Spring-tide came on the 10th, but was kept down by
a strong wind. An unusually low tide on the 1 1th, caused
the vessel to hang over even more than she had done.
To move about the deck required a great deal of care.

281

1879.

January.

■m

282

1879.

January.

Sleeping-Bags.

The preparation of sleepinjr-bags for the spring
travelers was now begun. One or two had been bought
in the Danibh settlements; others were made from skins
in store and covered with canvas. At 9.30 p. m. of
the 11th, a very strong gale from the northeast com-
menced, continuinir with unabated force during the morn-
ing of the 12th. The squalls were very violent, and the
air was filled with the thick snow-drift.

At 10 a. m., an aurora was observed, which is
described in Budington's journal. Two imperfect bands
of parallel luminous clouds extended from northeast
to southwest, passing into an arch on hoth sides of
the zenith, exhibiting a light yellow color toward the
north, and a pure white toward the zenith, where they
were somewhat more faint. Their appearance and
shape toward the north were those of broken cirro-
stratus clouds; while the part of the arch south of the
zenith was a long, uninterrupted, somewhat faint band,
milk-white.

On the 14th, at 7 p. m., there was a perfect arch, of
a white color, on the eastern horizon; it was very distinct,
and from it beams shot toward the zenith. No other mo-
tion was visible. It commenced from the star Arcturus,
and passed the constellation Leonis, a few degrees south-
east of which it vanished.

On the 16th, twilight was visible as early as 8 a. m.

Health of the Crew.

The ship's company began to look forward to the time
when there would be no night and active spring-work
would begin. It was a source of the greatest gratification
that all were as healthy as when the sun had disappeared.
No case of sickness had occurred, and the scurvy, that
special dread of Arctic travelers, had not shown itself in
even the slightest form. As the sunlight increased, so that
one could look upon another without the aid of artificial
light, it was noticed that the long confinement had bleached
the skin and given a peculiar pallor to the face. There was
nothing, however, in this to cause anxiety, as each one
felt that he needed only a few days' sunlight to be entirely
restored to his usual strength. The good health of the
men was unquestionably due to the mild and judicious dis-
cipline of Captain Budington. His idea was to keep the
men during the Arctic winter warm and comfortable; to
indulge every reasonable request and make them contented;
and to encourage them to take voluntary exercise. He
held that by this course the danger of scurvy would be
lessened, and accordingly. he directed only such labors as
were indispensable; the people, when thus called upon,
entered upon their tasks with interest. He allowed them
the fullest liberty to come and go according to their own
pleasure while conforming to the rules of the ship. He
supplied them with guns and ammunition, and encouraged
them to go in quest of game. Their food was carefully

283

IS 79.

Jaiiuarf.

284

Open Water.

lunJury, ^^^^^^^^ ^"^ prepared, embracing as much variety as the
condition of the ship's stores admitted. Pork was the only
salt meat on board, and there were several anti-scorbutics.
It is, however, by no means certain that salt meat alone
causes the scurvy. The Esquimaux arc troubled with it,
and they feed entirely on fresh meat, getting salt only
from the sea-water, which is occasionally used to boil their
meats. The disease does not proceed from food only, but
depends also on the situation and the state of mind of the
patient. Where there are severe labor and exposure, the
predisposing causes are strengthened.

On the morning of this day, from the top of Provi-
dence Berg a dark fog was seen to the north, indicating
water. At 10 a. m., three of the men, Kruger, Ninde-
mann, and Hobby, went to Cape Lupton to ascertain, if
possible, the extent of the open water. On their return
they reported several open spaces and much young ice —
not more than a day old — so thin that it was easily broken
by throwing pieces of ice upon it. The large floes on the
borders of the open water were moving, as they judged
from the sound, but they were not able to distinguish the
direction in which they were drifting. Late in the even-
ing Hans started out to the cape for the purpose of hunt-
. ing in the open water. The moon was very near the
horizon, so that he was not much assisted by its light.
He saw no open water, it having been covered with young

Sledges Finished,

285

ioT, since the morning visit of the men. Hans thought ho »8y«.
leard a walrus blow, but could not see the animal. "nn-ry.

irly on the morning of the 17th, Captain Tyson and
Joo started for Cape Lupton in time to arrive there at
liibutiian, when the twilight was brightest, that iney
might examine the condition of the ice in the straits.
Upon their return they reported that no water was to bo
seen, and that the straits appeared to be covered with
young ice, not strong enough to bear their w^eight, mixed
with large floes which seemed to have just drifted
together. A low cloud of frost-smoke was seen toward
the western coast of the channel.

The carpenter, who had been for a long time em-
ployed making sledges, finished his work on the four small
sleds and commenced the construction of the large ones.
The Httle sleds were designed for individual work. It
was supposed that there might come a time in the course
of the spring sledge-journeys when the large sledges could
no longer be used, and, in order to be provided for such
an emergency, these smaller sleds were built. The plan
in this case was for the members of the party to start on,
with the small ones, each dragging his own provisions.
The sleds were all ready for service except shoeing the
runners.

Mr. Schumann made a thorough examination of the
engine, and found that it was in excellent order, not

53H!L.ti/i^j

m<':m

, Hi

286

Meteorological Observers.

Mlnlary. ^^^^°^ ^®^^ mimed 'ill any way during the winter. It
was now overhauled and cleaned.

The twilight at noon of the 1 9th, is described as being
brilliant, exhibiting prismatic colors of great beauty. The
effort to obtain a spectrum from the twilight was unsuc-
cessful. Mr. Meyer had been engaged for nearly two
months in meteorological observations during sixteen
hours each day. He was getting worn out; the con-
tinued strain was too much for him. He found that
he must begin to husband his strength for the labors of
the spring. J. B. Mauch, who had, since the death of
Hall, been writing the journal for Captain Budington,
was selected to relieve Mr. Meyer of part of his duties.
Mauch having been instructed in the reading of the in-
struments and recording the observations, and being clever
and well educa^^ed, Mr. Meyer did not hesitate to intrust
him with the charge of the meteorological observations
during one-third of the day. He accordingly commenced
on the 19th, to maiie observations from 11 a. m. to 7
p. m.

The same day Eobert Kruger and Frederick Jamka
made an excursion toward the north. The following is
the narrative of their journey :

" Soon after 3 p. m., we left the vessel with a sled
and team of eight dogs, with the intention to reach the
second cape north. On going round the first cape (Lup-

An Excursion.

ton), the change in the ice struck us; for about three
weeks ago it was full of hummocks, intermingled with
bergs larger than our Providence Iceberg. Now, all this
had changed, and a new field of ice covered the waters,
free from any hummocks or bergs save those that had
been pushed up on shore. On arriving at the second cape,
we left the dogs and sled in a safe place, and started to
ascend a hill about one hundred feet above sea-level,
from whence we would be able to enjoy a good view
to the northward. Not far off the land a vast amount
of open water appeared, extending to the northward as
far as we could see, and bathing both shores in its waves.
The moon, at the time, was shining so brightly that,
by our estimation, we were able to see twenty miles
ahead. At that point the straits seemed to get narrower.
Having stopped there about a quarter of an hour, we
concluded to return. Between the second and first cape
we had to force our way against a strong breeze from
the southwest, which was accompanied by a violent snow-
drift; the wind entirely ceased as soon as we rounded
the first cape. The whole excursion 'lasted about four
hours. We were obliged to stop the dogs several times
to disentangle their lines, especially on our way back to
the vessel."

While this party experienced a strong southwest gale,
a light breeze from the east was felt at the vessel.

287

1872.

January.

288

1879.

JTannar^'

Trips to Cape Lupton.

On the 21st, at 12 o'clock, divine service was held
as usual. The temperature was, part of the day, up to
zero, and a light snow fell during several hours.

On the 23d, the two Esquimaux, accompanied hy two
of the seamen, went to Cape Lupton. They reported a
sea of open water extending as far as the eye could reach.

On the 24th, Dr. Bessels, with two of the seamen,
started at 11 a. m., with a dog-team, to go north and
examine the water reported by the seamen. They reached
the third cape without difficulty. Leaving their sled,
they arrived at the open water about 2 p. m. They
reported a current there running to the north at a rate
variously estimated from four miles to half a mile per
hour; at the same hour at the vessel the tide was
falling. At 7.30 p. m., Mr. Bryan and Mauch left the
observatory to walk up to Cape Lupton. They took the
ice, as affording smoother traveling than the shore.
About half-way up they met Hayes, who was just return-
ing from a tramp to the third cape; he had found a
thermometer-case, which had been dropped by Dr. Bes-
sels. They pursued a narrow way between the steep
debris of the cape and a row of stranded icebergs,
which was large enough for the passage of a sled.
After passing the cape they ascended a hill, from which
there was a good view of the straits. About three miles
from the shore a narrow channel of water extended

Magnetometer.

to the north, the end of which was invisible. The moon
was very bright, though partially obscured on their return
journey by a light mist. Presently a large halo appeared,
exhibiting, on its lower part toward the south, faint
spectrum colors. Mock-moons, were seen — sometimes
one and sometimes two on either side. They reached
the vessel at 10.30 p. m., after a walk of about eight
miles.

On the 28th, Mr. Chester and a small party with
dogs and sled, went to inspect the open water which Jiow
prevented their rounding the third cape. Mr. Chester
observed a current of one mile an hour toward the north.
The existence of this open water was regarded as favora-
ble to boat journeys in the spring. A large sled was
ordered, upon which one of the boris could be trans-
ported to the open water, the extent of which it was
proposed to ascertain as soon as possible. Toward
evening, the sky cleared, and the western coast could be
distinctly seen.

On the 26th, Mr. Bryan had corariienced making
obf'ervations with the magnetometer. The ^ku was to
^,oi:tinue them for a few months with hour^ observations,
excepting on a term-day each week, when they were to
be made every six minutes. Br. Bessels and Mr. Meyer
both assisted and read the magnetoraet<:^r during the hours
of their watch at the observatory. For ^. veral days there

289

1872.

January.

290

Small Print Read.

1879.

January

was a precipitation in the form of ice-crystals, which
covered everything, and accumulated in great masses on
any metallic surface.

On the 28th, Divine service was held as usual at 12
o'clock.

On the 29th, a small arc of twiUght was visible above
the western horizon at 5 p. m. On the 30th, the twi-
light at noon made it sufficiently light to read small
print. At 4.30 p. m., two faint bands of luminous clouds
were seen extending from northeast to southwest. At
5 p. m., a streamer was seen extending from Hegulus
to Altair, where it vanished before the twilight arc. This
streamer was in the form of an arch, and very irreg-
ular in its illumination, some parts being quite faint. It
was brightest in the east where it commenced, and Eeg-
ulus shone through its most illuminated part. During the
whole of the display Mr. Bryan sat watching the mag-
netometer, but no d ^flection occurred attributable to the
streamers.

On the 31st, a very heavy gale from the northeast
commenced to blow, increasing in violence until it had
acquired in the afternoon a velocity of 44 miles per hour.
It was accompanied by snow-drift, which rendered ex-
posure by no means a trifling matter. A snow wall was
formed about the vessel 4 feet deep. It was almost im-
possible to read the instruments ; the snow-drift tilled the

Heavy Gales.

eyes and froze the water with which they became suflFused.
Notwithstanding that the observatory was well banked
up with snow, there were still a few cracks exposed, and
through these it drifted, making three heaps upon the
floor. The observer was compelled to shovel out the
snow, and his watch was a cold and cheerless one in spite
of a good fire.

During January, the highest temperature was + 3°.2
F.; the lowest, — 43^; the mean, — 21°. 9. The gale
which commenced on the last day of January continued
throughout the 1st of February. The snow-drift was
remarkably heavy, and filled up the tide-hole so rapidly
that it was found impossible to keep it clear, so that the
observations were necessarily omitted. The wind blew
with the greatest force between the hours of 6 and 7 in
the afternoon, when the anemometer registered a velocity
of 53 miles. As it blew in squalls, there were times
when its velocity was much greater. The temperature
during the severest part of the storm was — 22°. Facing
such a wind at this temperature was by no means com-
fortable or safe.

The coal used during January amounted to 7,262

291

1879.

January.

^^^ Coal Consumed.

illl^^, P°""^^' "^^^^"^ ^ decrease of 798 pounds from the amount
used in December. The consumption was distributed as
follows:

PouDds.

Cabin 1,673

Forecastle j 726

Ciailey 2,274

Observatory 1,589

--—m,

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liiMi^iiSfl

wr^

W^'^

XIII.

OHAPTEK XTII.

4
i\

The 1st of February was one of the magnetic "term-
days." The observers had a severe time, remaining con-
tinually in the cold snow-house, and jotting down every
six minutes the reading of the magnetometer. They had,
however, a small deer-skin bag in which they encased
their feet and legs, and were able without any very great
discomfort to remain there several hours at a time.

On the 2d, the heavy snow-bank was cleared away
from the fire-hole, and the tidal observations were
resumed. Although the sky was overcast, the twi-
light afforded sufficient light to read the anemometer at
meridian.

On the od, the carpenter finished one of the lar^e
sledges for transporting the boats. It was 14 feet lono-
and 2i feet between the centers of the runners, which
were 2^ inches thick, and lOi inches high. Fourteen
cross-bars, 41 by 2h inches each, were fastened by strong
lashes of raw-hide to the runners, which thus had a play

1879.

February.

296

1879.

Fcbmarjr.

A Meteor.

of about six degi-ees; moving easily ahead at this angle.
This play of the runners was a great advantage when
transporting a heavy load over rough ice; it is a feature
common to all Esquimaux sleds.

The twilight was now so bright that any kind of
print, from fine diamond up, could be easily read. A
spectrum was for the first time observed. Only stars of
the first magnitude could be clearly seen. Mauch thus
records an observation of a meteor :

"At 4.30 p. m., when making my observation, and
just attempting to read the anemometer, I observed in the
east, above the range of hills, a bright meteor slowly
moving in a southerly direction toward the ground, at an
angle of 45°. Its height when I first saw it was the
same a^ that of Procyon. It was of a light bluish color,
resembling closely in its whole appearance the blue light
that falls from some kinds of rocket, when they burst in
the air. Before it disappeared behind the hills, it left a
few sparks behind, which, however, were soon extin-
guished. Its size was that of one of the stars of the first
magnitude."

Parties of seamen now went every day to Cape
Lupton to examine the open water.

Twilight lasted on the 4th, from half-past six in the
morning until half-past five in the afternoon. Divine ser-
vice waa held as usual at 12 o'clock. During the entire

Magnetic Disturbances.

day remarkable disturbances in the motions of the inair-
notic needle were observed. As was expected, a very
fine auroral display was witnessed in the evening. The
movements wore many and complicated, and the spec-
tacle grand in the extreme. Doctor Bessels stood outside
the observatory sketching and taking notes of the rapid
changes of the phenomena. He held a string leading
into the magnetic snow-house, where Mr. Bryan sat watch-
ing the magnetometer. The doctor pulled the string when
changes occurred, and Mr. Bryan being thus warned noted
the time and read the magnetometer. In this way they
were able to trace the effect of various combinations and
movements.

It may be said, in general, that the greatest disturb-
ance occurred several hours before an aurora was visible.
The following short description of the display is condensed
from Mauch's journal : At 7 p. m., as I was returning
to the ship from the observatory, I noticed the slaty
appearance of the sky to the northwest and the occasional
shooting up of luminous streamers. At 7.15, the hojizon
to the northwest was of a blood-red color, while faint,
white streamers sprang up in rapid succession, increasing
in numbers, and rising from the west, north, and northeast
points. They were all directed toward the zenith, and the
exterior ones bending inwards gave to the whole configu-
ration a dome- like shape. They then all vanished, and

297

1879.

February.

.J"...

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

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2.0

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Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

«>

298

Auroras.

Fibmaiy. "^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ *^ "^G 3lowly from a wider extent of hori-
zon. At 8.30, new and very bright streamers advanced
toward the zenith from all directions. At 8.45, they all
gathered about the zenith and formed a perfect corona.
They then all seemed to move toward the north, as new
ones arose from the south. Mauch watched the prog-
ress of these streamers while passing over some stars,
and assigned to them a motion of between six and seven
seconds to a degree. They moved from west to east. As
the corona opened and moved toward the north, a beauti-
ful curtain was formed, its color being very intense and
bright, between yellow and white. This was the general
color of all the streamers except those in the northwest
against the deep-red sky, which seemed to take that color.
At 9.30, another corona wad formed by new streamers
coming from every direction of the compass. This sepa-
rated like the first one, moving toward the north and form-
ing, before it vanished, a similar curtain.- This latter dis-
play was much more brilliant than trie first. At 9.40, the
red part of the horizon inclined more toward the north
and northeast. The auroral display lasted all night, and
continued, with slight interruptions, throughout the 5th.
The red color of the sky moved around during the night,
was finally seen in the east, and disappeared in the south-
east before twilight.

"At 3.30 p. liu, I observed," says Mauch in his

■>:3#*r"'

Fefcraar

Auroras. " .

^ \m\ ones began to rise slowJy from a wider extent of hori-
zon. At 8.30, new and very bright streamers advanced
toward the zenith from all directions. At 8.45, they all
gathered about the zenith and formed a perfect corona.
They then ^\ F^^rn^ui «, m^vo toward the north, n? new
on«M? aroH© from thy souih. Maach watched the prog-
ress of these streamers while passing over some stars,
and assigned to them a motion of between six and seven
seconds to a degree. They moved from west to east. As
the corona opened and moved toward the north, a beauti-
ful curtain was formed, its color being very intense and
bright, between yellow and white. This was the general
mim- of ftis th» streamers except those in the northwest,

«^'«ui»t rh*^ deep-red skv. •;* hie': -^ ■ - -/^l-ttrtk. > . .■-
'' \' ■ ■ ■■ t.

coming from e\cry direction of the compass, iim m^n-
rated like the fir^t one, moving toward Ihc r-Ttli and form-
ing, before it vanished, a similar curtain.^ This latter dis-
play was much more brilliant than the first. At 9.40, the
red pan of the horizon inclined • more toward the north
and northeast. The auroral display lasted .lii night, and
cuntiDucd, Viith .-light interruptions, throughout the oth.
The red color of Ihe aky moved around dur in. ^he liiirht,
was finally se-n in the east, and disappeared iii the south-
east before twilio-ht.

"At 380 p. m., I observed," mys Manch in his

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Auroras.

299

journal, "on the northeast, east, and southeast horizon, 18^9.

. Fekmery.

beams of luminous clouds. They soon accumulated and
formed an irregular arch due east, which slowly moved,
as if driven, in a southerly direction. At 4 p. m., a new
arch extended from nearly due east to nearly due south.
At 4.10 p. m., three distinct arches, one above the other,
were formed slowly in the southeast and south, exhibiting
a very brilliant display, though fading very soon away.
Those to the south were of an intense straw-color,
and formed a brilliant spectacle. At 4.30 p. m., more
streamers were coming up from the southeast and south.
In the former direction they formed nearly the shape of
an Qgg, very regular and of the greatest brilliancy. At
4.40, they seemed to move around to the south; no more
coming up in the northeast. I might say they follow the
twilight, showing their brilliancy right alongside, as if
they would ask which one we liked best." Hermann
Siemens, in his journal, speaking of the rays combining
as it were to form a sort of screen or scroll or curtain,
and moving until they disappeared only to be followed by
others, says: "It was as if a regiment of troops retreated
before an enemy closing in upon them."

A party went again to the cape and reported that
there was young ice over the open water, and that toward
the western side a water-cloud was visible. The Esqui-
maux in their wanderings over the land found the tracks

300

Febrnarjr.

Observing Under Difficulties.

of a wolf, only a few days old. This was very encourag-
ing news to the sportsmen.

On the 7th, the water had risen around the vessel to
the depth of 18 inches above the surface of the ice. The
tides kept open the cracks about the iceberg. So muQh
snow had drifted over the ice near the berg as to make
it too heavy to be raised by the tide. Thus the ice was
greatly increased in thickness; a portion of the water
freezing and not running back on the fall of the tide.

The following extracts are from Mauch's journal:

"Between 5 and 6 p. m.,J[ assisted Mr. Bryan in taking

some altitudes of Jupiter, but then not much could be done

as the temperature ranged too low ( — 30°). It was a hard

trial for both of us. The nose suffers more than anything

else. The fingers also feel the effects, especially the points,

as the nails that cover them produce a fearful sensation."

At 5.30 p. m., on the 8th, "I observed a very bright

luminous arch of streamers somewhat extending from the

northeastern horizon to the southwestern. When I first

saw it, it was a little to the northwest of the zenith, but

the whole arch seemed to move, and at 6.30, it just passed

the zenith, and then had a position southeast of it, where

it gradually broke up. Its southwestern extremity just

touched the twilight curve, where it vanished. At 6.30,

the usual haziness of the sky, after the occurrences of

these, was noticed."

WSjMMSB^

Fog at Lookout Mountain. 301

Mauch paid a visit to Hall's grave and found that it »8Ta.
was undisturbed. Everything about it was in good order, *'**"'"'■''•
just as it had been left in the autumn.

On the 10th, while on one of those short excursions,
that were now frequently made by the members of the
expedition, he visited Lookout Mountain, and, from its
summit, witnessed a remarkably rapid change in the
atmosphere, which he thus describes ;

"I had for a short time a very extensive view over
the straits where the open water appeared as a dark
black spot on a white field. My joy and pleasure did
not, however, last long, as fifteen minutes only sufficed to
cover all by a most impenetrable fog— a phenomenon
which I never observed before in winter. I was hardly
able to see twenty paces to the west and northwest,
though toward the south it remained free for a considerable
time. There, above the new ice of the bay, a most
beautiful fog-stratum, intensely white, was hanging, and
continually changing its height."

Divine service was held, as usual, in the lower cabin,
at 12 o'clock on the 11th. On the 12th, the Esquimaux
went to the open water and saw two seals, but were
unable to get them because they were beyond the reach
of their rifles. The ship's company was much in need of
oil for their lamps, all their original supply together with
that taken from the seals killed during the winter, having

802

Amusements.

Fifrlar,. ^«^° consumed. They were at this time using kerosene
oil, and, the supply of that not being large, strict economy
had to be practiced. It was therefore important that seals
should be killed, and the natives, each day, on returning
from their hunt, were closely interrogated as to their
success.

On the morning of the 13th, southwesterly breezes
brought the temperature up to within six or seven degrees
of the zero point. The whole crew were out on the ice,
taking advantage of the fine weather, enjoying themselves
in various ways, some at .target-shooting and others in dif-
ferent games. The ice about the vessel presented a gay
and lively scene. Parties were out hunting all day. Joe
fired at a seal, but lost it in the ice. On the 15th, beauti-
ful crimson clouds were seen in the south, reflecting
some of their colors to others in the east and northeast.

On the 17th, a remarkable fall of the barometer was
observed. During one hour it fell .09 of an inch. Erom
8.30 a. m. to 4.30 p. m., the fall amounted to .481 of an
inch. From midnight to midnight the entire fall was
1.16 inches— from 30.098 inches to 28.938. At 2 a. m.
of the 18th, with the fall of the barometer and rise of the
thermometer, came, as usual, a southwesterly gale, increas-
ing in fury and accompanied by a heavy snow-drift. The
greatest velocity observed was 58 miles per hour. Early
in the morning the thermometer reached its greatest

Typical Storms,

303

height, at + 8° F. ; a great change siuce the 16th, when 1879.

Febraurjr.

the mercury wa8 frozen. The efl'ect of the wind was
noted in the tidal observations. For twelve consecu-
tive hours the height of the water was about the same,
the difference between high and low water being but httle
more than one foot. The barometer began to rise as rap-
idly almost as it had fallen. The gale continued blowing
in heavy gusts until dayhght of the 19th, when the wind
shifted to the west and northwest. The thermometer fell
rapidly, while the barometer remained stationary. A
gale from the northeast, commencing at noon (a light
snow having fallen since 10 a. m.), blew with great force,
reaching a velocity of 57 miles per hour. Soon after
midnight it lulled for a short period.

At 8 a. m. of the 20th, it was howling through the
rigging, making a fearful noise. All the snow that had
been carried northward by the southwest gale was re-
turned with interest. The air was filled as high as the
top of the masts, and so thickly that objects more than ten
feet off could not be seen. The banks alongside the vessel
were much increased. At 3.40 p. m., the storm had died
away, a scarcely perceptible breeze blowing. The straits,
which had been completely filled with ice by the south-
east gale, were cleared out, and a large body of open
water could be seen not more than three miles from the
ship.

I i

c *

304

1879.

Febmary,

Paraselenae.

The preceding account of the two storms is typical •
the number of storms of such a character recorded in the
journals is very large.

Early on the morning of the 2l8t. Mauch was called
by Hermann Siemens tc observe some very beautiful par-
aselene. The moon, a little west of the meridian, was
not quite full. Mauch made the following sketch at the
time ; the thermometer was 30° below zero.

MOCK-MOON
BZIIIU. I-UI8M.
COIiOIIS

OlilRI

U)!(o etnnjMB

CLouur

CJIIPI
LOMQ BTItEAKS

It was so hght at midday that no stars could be

seen.

Dr. Bessela now addressed the following communica-
tion to Captain Budington :

Projected Jijxpeditiona,

" WlNTEll-QUARxERS,

(^'Latitude 81° 38' north, longitude 61° 44' west,)

^'February 21, 18Y2.
"Sib: As with the return of the sun the further
operations of the expedition must be begun, and as, in
regard to all those, a consultation between us should take
place, I forward herewith to vou the sketch of a plan by
means of which, as I think, we may best fulfill the mission
upon which wq are sent.

** Very respectfully,

"Emil Bbsselb.
"Oaptain S. 0. Bddington,

*' United States Steamer Polaris."

SKETCH OF A PLAN OF OPERATIONS.

"As matters stand now, there are two ways of
accomplishing the object of the expedition: either by boats
and the vessel herself, or, as at first proposed, by sledges.
Let us now consider both ways, and the plan of opera-
tions for each that seems to offer the most advantages.

"The settinir out of a boat party will, of course, de-
pend entirely upon the area of open water and the improb-
ability of new ice being formed that would interfere with
its navigation. Perhaps the party could start during the
last of March or in the beginning of April — that is to be
seen — if the vessel does not break out before that time,

806

1879.

506

Projected Expeditions.

^ISJ^rj. ""^^^^^ "^^y occur at any time, as our anchorage does not
give us much protection.

"If the journey -jward the north should be made by
means of a boat, considerable time must elapse before it
can be safely begun, and the question arises how to em-
ploy that time to the best advantage.

"As the object of the expedition is a geographical
one, and as geography consists not merely in laying down
a coast-line, as many may think, but requh-es much more
than that; a sledge-party should be formed, provisioned
for twenty days, to penetrate into the interior of the
country, to discover if % consists o^ an ice-plateau, as is
supposed by some, but which does not seem probable,
or, in a word, to investigate its configuration. This would
also give an opportunity for answering some important
questions contained in the instructions.

"Another party could, at the same time, go to Cape
Constitution, to determine astronomically the position c^
Morton's farthest point, which, in regard to longitude,
ought to be verified. Besides that, these points of the
coast-line should be connected with the survey of our
anchorage.

"Regarding the matter of verifying positions, it will
also be very desirable to send a party to Grinnell Land,
the coast-line of which, although changed a good deal by
Dr. Hayes, does not seem to be correct, and ought to be

Projected Expeditions.

307

"resurveyed. Besides that the party could, perhaps, find 18 7a.

.„ , ^ , . February*

out II the land contained any glaciers, as Dr. Hayes
stated.

"There is no doubt that it would be considered as
a very valuable geographical discovery to determine how
far Grinnell Land extends from east to west, which might
be done by ascending some of the high mountains near
its coast. It must be confessed that this party woulu
be subject to many difficulties and much risk, even if
open water did not impede their progress, because the ice
is rough and hummocky, and liable at any moment to go
adrift.

" (As matters stand since the day before yesterday,
it would be impossible to cross the strait. February 21,
1872.)

"It is not impossible that the ice in the southern part
of the straits will be better for traveling purposes, so that
the Cape Constitution party might cross with compar-
atively little difficulty; but if you take into consideration
how much trouble it cost Dr. Hayes who crossed the strait
twice, how it enervated his party, it seems better to give
up this plan, especially because next summer there would
be very likely a more convenient way of reaching Grin-
nell Land.

"As it has been concerted, the Polaris will leave at
her anchorage a depot of provisions and a boat. Should

I -'
\

•M

% ■

308

Projected Expeditions.

Febraa;^. "^^® ^^^^^^ ^^ Compelled to leave her anchorage before the
sledge parties return, then the party arriving first at Po-
laris Bay should wait for the other, and upon its arrival
proceed to Newman's Bay (the only harbor we know of
toward the north), in the most expeditious manner. By
all means it would be a good plan, if the vessel breaks out
before the return of the sledge parties, to leave also a boat
with a patent log and provisions at Newman's Bay, be-
cause the boat left at Polaris Bay would be used to carry
the united sledge parties, and there should be another to
fall back upon, in case of accident.

"If the vessel should drift south during the absence
of the parties, then documents of the further route they
intend to take will be found a few feet to the west
of the present site of the observatory. The spot may
be known by the iron bar which now holds the pend-
ulum-case.

"Let us return, after this digression, to consider a
plan for the operations of a boat party toward the north.
One of the smaller boats should be taken, with as many
provisions as possible, the necessary instruments, and
small stores. The party should follow up the eastern side
of the strait, surveying the land and making such investi-
gations in hydrography, in regard to currents, sea-atmos-
phere, and soundings, as may be made without too much
delay.

Projected Expeditions.

809

"As near each full degree of latitude as possible IS^a.

Fetoruarf.

the party will build a cairn, and deposit a record of its
proceedings, in order that the vessel, if necessary, may
know where to search for it.

"Should we, notwithstanding the favorable prospect
we now have, be compelled to use sledges on the jour-
ney toward the north, then we should start as soon as
possible, by all means by the middle of March, because
it is not probable that then the temperature will be
much lower than it is now, although we might have more
gales.

"It cannot be denied that it is a great advantage to
use dogs for draught, provided suflacient game can be pro-
cured on the way for their food, but as we are compelled
to travel over a poor country and make large distances the
dogs will prove hinderances rather than help. We must,
then, as the English expeditions have done, almost exclu-
sively use men for draught. Two dog-sledges should be
taken, loaded with four small sleds, the provisions belong-
ing to them, and besides provisions for the whole party
for thirty days. Should the two sledges meet with many
difficulties in advancing, which will very likely be the
case, then they will establish, at places they may find
favorable, small depots of provisions for their return, stay
as long as possible with their small sleds, and return
when pirp.iimstnnPAs rfinm'rA if TK^p fTi« orvmU ^Ar^Ac ^:ii

*■ ' ill!

ts >

310

Projected F^xmditions.

.wlllty. "^" ^«^^^d ^itli the undiminished provisions, and each
man drag his own sled, a total weight of two hundred
pounds.

" By no means can the small sleds expect to return
by the same way over the ice, because at that time it will
be broken up, and the vessel herself under way for a high
latitude. ,

"As has been mentioned in the case of the boat
party, the sledge party will also build cairns and deposit
records of their proceedings.

" Having arrived on their return at a place from
which they are unable to travel any farther south, they
will keep up a continued watch and signalize by flags and
smoke, while the vessel fires a gun several times a day.

" Now, a few remarks upon the operations of the
vessel. It would undoubtedly be best to use as little as
possible of our coal, and to proceed north by sail. If it is
possible for the vessel to advance along the coast of Grin-
nell Land it would be profitable to do so, on account of
the running survey that could be made, as there certainly
will be some one on board who can conduct a work of
this kind.

" The determination of the local attraction of the
compass before the vessel starts should not be neglected
as heretofore, because without this an able survey cannot
be made.

Washington's Birth-Day.

311

"It should be considered as a matter of the highest 1879.

Febraarjr,

importance to take deep-sea soundings, or soundings in
general, whenever practicable ; for, except those made by
John Ross in 1818, there are but a few taken by Ingle-
field and two by Kane. If the time will not allow of
more, one sounding a day would be valuable and should
be taken.

" If the water is not very deep, one of the smaller
dredges should be used to procure a larger number of
specimens than can be obtained by the apparatus of
Brooks.

"Emil Bess els.

" Winter-quarters, latitude 81° 38' north, longitude
61° 44' west. February 10, 1872."

It was intended to celebrate Washington's birthday
by a dinner, but the gale blew so fiercely that it was im-
possible to make the galley-stove draw. The meal was
cooked upon the small stoves, and each mess had what it
chose. In the cabin musk-ox meat and clam-chowder
were the favorite dishes. The captain broke open a box
of Koesysbacher wine and gave one half dozen bottles to
the men forward and the remaining half dozen to the
cabin mess.

Early on the 28d, the temperature was below the
freezing point of mercury. For two nights in succession
two diuCFCut; men, who wcro making tidal observations,

312

Looking for the Sun.

4 «!

it,' I

r.»™*,. ^«'-« s'"«ed by a strange sound near the observatory
The dogs, which lay near the vessel, were also much
excited when they heard it, and ran in that direc-
tion, returning after some time looking as if they had
given chase to some animal. This aroused some of the
men, who, on the 25th, set out on a grand hunt to dis-
cover, if possible, the cause of these noises. Another
party went to Observatory Bluff to cal^h a gUmpse of the
Bun, as they were told it would be near enough the hori-
zon to be seen from such a height. So few were left on
the ship that no Diving service was held. The hunting
parties were as usual unsuccessful. They tramped over
miles of the desolate country without seeing any signs of
animal Ufe. Low, thick stratus clouds hung about the
horizon so that the sun was not seen. Several small
cirro-cumulus clouds near the zenith were colored with
deep orange and crimson hues, while the tops of the
momitains near Lady FrankUn Bay were of a yellowish-
white color, aa if illuminated by the direct rays of
the sun.

On the 27th, an unusually low tide, the effect of a
strong northeast wind, caused the vessel to heel over in a
very uncomfortable position. Without assistance it was
impossible to walk across the deck. When the tide rose
again the water stood two feet above the ice alongside the
ship.

The Sun Appears.

318

The morninff of the 28th, was bright and clear, and 1^7 ft,

° ' o Fetornary.

there was a promise that the sun would he seen after its
absence of one hundred and thirty-two days. At 11 a. m.,
all hands were out watching the steadily increasing light
about the southern horizon. Some were perched on the
foretop, and others on the top of Providence Berg, while
groups at the observatory and on the floe were eagerly
discussing the approaching spectacle. A few small clouds
over the tops of the mountains were brilliant with the
light of the sun, and were takon by some for the sun itself.
At 11.55, a small portion of the sun's upper limb was seen
through a gorge in the mountain, but it soon disappeared.
At 12.15, the whole orb suddenly appeared from behind
Cape Tyson, and rolled in full glory over the southern
fiord. Cheer after cheer went up from the joyful com-
pany, with ceaseless echoings. The floe seemed ahve
with young school-boys, out for a short recess. The
men leaped and jumped about, and tried in vain to ex-
press their full joy. Cries of "0! how warm it is!"
"He has not forgotten us," &c., went up on all sides.
The carpenter was particularly happy, and went around
with a bottle of wine, which he had saved from Wash-
ington's birthday, calling upon each one to take a drink
with him. The sun continued above the horizon until
2 p. m. At that time, however, it appeared as a red
ball hansrinsr over the straits to the southwest.

314

Sledge Operations.

s-F

Fi*™*;^. ' ''""'" "^ '''"« ^"^ giv-en to each man, and Dr. Bessels
distnbated one hundred oigarettes among the men forward.
Joe, who had been out hunting, reported that he had
seen m the open water three dovekies. He said they
were the young of last year, and that it was well known
among the Esquimaux that this species of bird spent their
first winter in the Arctic regions.

To the communication presented by Dr. Bessels on the
21st, Captain Budington replied as follows:

"Thank-God Harbob,

"February 29, 1872.
"Sib: I have carefully examined the contents of
your communication, dated Thank-God Harbor, February
10, 1872; and your suggestions as to an early trip t» Cape
Constitution and the inland meet with my entire approval
Anything to the furtherance of science which can be done
before the starting of the final expedition to the north in
pursuit of the principal object of this expedition, I would
decidedly advise you to undertake, and you may be
assured that all possible aid on my part shall be given to
you and your undertaking. The expedition to the north
will, ,n all probability, proceed by the aid of boats; and
It IS my decided intention, in such a ease, to take com-
mand of the boat party. To come to any conclusion as
yet m regard to the details of this boat journey and the

Heavy Snow Storm.

915

"proceedings of the ship, appears to be useless, inasmuch I'^'^a.
as circumstances will generally govern our actions.
"Very respectfully, yours,

"8. 0. BUDINGTON,
" Commanding United States Steamer Polaris.
"To Dr. Emil Bessels,

" Chief of the Scientific Party

^' of the North Polar Expedition."

The carpenter was engaged in putting a window in
the roof of the observatory. He could not have selected
a more unfavorable time; the wind was blowing with
great violence from the northeast, and the usual snow drift
was not wanting. Mr. Bryan, and Mauch, who were on
watch at the observatory, worked for two hours to clear
the snow out that had drifted in through the hole the
carpenter was making for the window. To add to their
disappointment, the window was not put in after all, some-
thing occurring that rendered the postponement neces-
sary. The wind was blowing so fiercely that the observ-
ers determined to remain at the observatory during their
entire watch, instead of going to the vessel for their dinner
at 3 p. m., as was their custom. They did not, however,
remain without something to eat, as Joe brought some din-
ner over to Mr. Bryan. Joe also brought a letter fi-om
Mr. Meyer, stating that Dr. Bessels was suffering so much

^^ (^oal used during February.

TlSllrj, ^'^^ ^'' "y«« *^^* ^« ^<>«Jd be unable to take his watch.
It was proposed that Mr. Meyer should make the observa-
tions >om 7 p. m. till 7 a. m. the next morning, and then
Bryan and Mauch should come on watch. The snow had
drifted so much about the vessel that the bank which was
16 feet distant was 10 feet high and very wide at its base.
The highest temperature recorded during February
was -0^7 F.; the lowest, ^3^5 F.; while the mean
was about ^2r.3 F. These figures are made up from
the regular meteorological journal.

The coal used during the month of February was,
in the —

Poimds.

± orecastle ^ j 943

^^^^° 1,'738

^^"^y 2,487

Observatory j ^qo

'^«*a^ .'-.. 7,660

This was an increase over the previous mouth of 398
pounds.

v-m

ill

CHAPTER XIV.

The heavy gale from the N. E. continued during
the Ist and 2d, at times attaining a velocity of 50
miles per hour. The wind had blown so fiercely ou the
night of February 29th, that fears were entertained lest
the vessel should get adrift. Captain Budington remained
on deck until 1 a. m., anxiously watching for any sign of
movement, and all were momentarily expecting the cry
of "all hands!"

From this time light winds and fair weather were ex-
perienced until the 7th and 8th, when a heavy N. E. gale
set in. On the 10th it attained a velocity of 36 miles
per hour.

During the 11th the wind was variable. In the
afternoon a very romarkable change was observed. It
blew from S. E., then E., then N. W., then W., and then
settled down to a gale from the N. E., reaching on the 1 2th
a velocity of 50 miles.

After this, light winds and calms prevailed up to the

1879.

march.

320

1873.

march.

The Winds.

•¥:

20th ; then again for over two days a very strong gale
blew from the N. E., with drifting snow. The anemome-
ter, for eleven consecutive hou.s, recorded a velocity of
40 miles per hour.

The effect of the wind upon the temperature was
very remarkable during the month. Northeast and east
winds always lowered it, while southwest and northwest
winds raised it. Mercury was frozen during the 2d, and
the first part of the 3d. On the 4th, mercury was frozen
from midnight until the southwest breezes set in during
the afternoon.

On the 6th, during the prevalence of the southwest
winds of the early part of the day, snow fell. From 8 a.
m. till 1 p. m., a N. W. wind brought thick fog, the ther-
mometer standing at -20°. Then a gale set in from the
N. E., which cleared away the fog, brought snow-drift,
and lowered the temperature ten degrees. As it increased
in violence the mercury fell until finally it was frozen; it
continued frozen until 10 p. m. of the 9th. The gale
abated on the 8th, but the coldest weather occurred on the
9th. The spirit- theraiometer read at one time — 53°.9
F.; as it had a correction 5°.4, the true temperature was
considered to be -48°.5 F. This was the lowest
observed by the expedition.

The wind varied in direction and force in places quite
near each other. On the 13th, a party at Cape Lupton

'■■}

Effect of the Sun.

experienced a very strong S. W. gale, while it was per-
fectly calm at the ship. On the 23d, a heavy snow-drift
was seen moving rapidly down the straits under the force
of a strong northeast wind, while near the vessel only
light airs were stirring.

On the 3d, the solar radiation thermometers were
placed in position. On the 15th, the black bulb in vacuo
read at noon +26°, while the snow on the ship's side was
melting. On the 24th, the black bulb in vacuo rv-:id
+51°.9, the one free +0°.4, while the temperature of the
air was — 14°.4.

The gales of wind were sufficiently frequent and
strong to keep the ice in constant motion. A southwest
gale covered the straits with the rough pack, while north-
easterly winds cleared the ice out, and left large expanses
of open water reaching sometimes quite near the ship.

On the 12th, the wind was so strong that it was
impossible to keep any fire in the galley-stove. When-
ever fire was kindled the smoke was blown down the
pipe, and filled the passage-way, making it impossible for
the cook to do his work. This trouble was caused by
N. E. gales, and it seemed impossible to remedy it. The
same day, stones as large as an egg were found on the ice
twenty paces from the shore, where they had been trans-
ported by the wind. On account of the continued motion
of the Polaris, the cradle of ice in which she lay constantly

321

1879.

niarcli.

-i
I;

' '!

f.« "

^ ^

322

1879.

march.

\ Strain on the Vessel

ill

increased in thickness by additions to its surface. Thus
the ship was lifted up bodily, so that on the 1st, the
6-foot mark was visible above the ice; the bow was lifted
more than the stem. The higher she was hfted the
greater was her inclination at low tide. It was found
necessary to fasten cleats fore and aft upon the cabin and
on other decks. lu the lower cabin, the officers were
compelled to stand at their meals, and even that was
attended with difficulty. During all this time the strain
on the vessel was very great, causing the timbers to
complain. The sounds were so loud that the people were
kept awake notwithstanding their familiarity with them.
The result of this was that the ship was very severely
strained; even the beam ends, and joints of the frame,
opened.

On the 26th, the engineers discovered that the whole
engine had shifted bodily about three inches toward the
port side of the vessel.

The light increased rapidly. On the 1st, the window
in the observatory was found useful, no artificial light being
needed for six hours. The weather was almost always
more or less cloudy.

Mauch mentions in his journal that on examina-
tion of the meteorological record he found that there had
only been one day, the 25th of November, during which
there were no clouds. The proverbial clear sky of the

Twilight at Midnight.

823

Arctic regions was not seen, owing, perhaps, to the 1873.
proximity of open water. The cloudy weather caused the
greatest inconvenience to Mr. Bryan in his transit-work.
The object of that work was to obtain as many moon-
culminations as possible. When it is stated that, during
four lunations, twelve series of observations only were
secured, some idea of the amount of cloudy weather can
be formed.

On the 10th, twilight was more brilliant at midnight
than it had been at noon during the month of December.

Captain Budington, in his journal of the 13th, says:
"At 8.15 a. m., a.s the sun was just coming up from
behind the mountains in the southeast, we noticed one of
the most beautiful phenomena. The glorious orb, unri-
valed in its magnificence, exhibited an imperfect halo of
about 22° radius. The sky was clear, and the lower at-
mosphere somewhat misty. Both sides of the halo ex-
hibited very distinct spectrum colors. They seemed to
rest upon the ground. The one to the left-hand side had
for its base the plain, and as background the hills that
surround our harbor toward the east, not more than two
miles distant; the other rested on the side near the beach.
The red color in the spectrum was inside, and the other
color? followed in their usual succession. The phenomenon
continued the entire morning. At 1 p. m., the balo seemed
to be more perfect, and the upper part was more illuminated.

■»i

\}H

, ^ vtsS»(h*'mBN'iHfW*-Wi.,i-

•ill

324

1879.

fliarcta.

A Photograph.

"At the same time minute ice-crystals began to fall. The
sky then cleared up entirely, and the atmosphere became
extremely pure. During the rest of the day, the sun
shone very brightly until 5 p. m. It has been undoubt-
edly the most beautiful day that we have spent in the
Arctic regions since making winter-quarters. It compen-
sates us materially for the dreary tediousness of the winter.
For several successive hours an entire calm existed. The
temperature, compared with that of a few days ago, was
pretty high, ranging about -21° F. The opposite coast
was clearly visible, and the straits were again partially
covered with new ice. Most of the men were out enjoy-
ing themselves on the ice ; some, however, preferred a
long tramp to the north, a direction which seems to be a
favorite one with them."

The main-deck awning was taken off on the 15th, to
give light to the cabin. Its removal had been delayed in
order to allow Dr. Bessels to take a' photograph of the
ship in her winter rig. A very good negative was ob-
tained from a position near the observatory. Dr. Bessels
ihen took it to the ship and washed it, but it was a fatal
operation, as the whole picture peeled off. He attributed
the accident to the freezing of the film while carrying the
negative to the vessel.

On the 18th, the quarter-deck awning and tho fore-
castle awning were removed. The binnacles were re-

Seals.

325

placed in the pilot-house. When all this had been 187a.

■^ march.

done the men took the little howitzer upon the ice,
where they amused themselves by firing balls at an ice-
berg.

On the 24th, the twilight was so bright that common
print could be read at midnight. The effect of the light
and heat was observable in the vegetable growth, for on
the 13th Mr. Schumann brought to the observatory a sprig
of Salix arctica, the buds of which were almost bursting.

The Esquimaux were repaid for their labors in hunt-
ing by an occasional sight of seals, and on the 18th, Hans
shot an ook-gook; he was not, however, able to secure it.

Captain Budington, in his journal of the 23d, says:
"Hans, who has been out to the open water in pursuit of
seals, returned towards noon, reporting that he had ob-
tained one of the animals. He took a sled and a team of
dogs with which to transport it to the ship, and soon came
back with his trophy, which, to our greatest surprise,
proved to be a Phoca foetlda, a very rare species. Its
skin is of a dark grayish-black color, and entirely covered
with white concentric rings. The doctor prepared the
seal for the Smithsonian Institution. Upon dissection it
was found to contain a foetus, weighing seven and a half
pounds, and covered with hair of a silver-gray color.
Hans deserves much credit for his perseverance in catch-
ing the seal. Watching at a hole made in new ice of

326

Land and Water Animals.

...,.2: "»''»"' *•■«« inches thickness, he at last caught sight of
the animal, and fired at it. The water, however, swept it
under the ,. e, and he was compelled to take off his coat
and with his arm reaching into the water, he felt witli
the spear all around under the ice whore the seal mi.ht
have floated to. Three holes he was forced to make in
the ice before he found the animal and properly secured
It. Aobody, I believe, was happier to-day than Hans.
lor dunng the past four weeks it was rather hard for him
to go out hunting daily, and return disappointed."

The next day Hans shot another seal, and came to
the ship to procure a sled. He carried also his kyak out
to the open water to aid him in obtaining it, but before he
reached the place of attack the animal had disappeared.

On the 8th, the Esquimaux hunting on the land saw
a rabbit, or Arctic hare. The next day many small tracks
were found on the snow, which, after considerable discus-
sion, were pronounced to be those of alittle Arctic animal
ealled the "lemming." This occasioned considerable sur-
pnse, since the lemming was not known to exist on the
western coast of Greenland. On the 14th, Dr. Bessels
reported that he had seen a snow-bird in the ravine back
of the observatory.

On the 16th, Messrs. Chester and Bryan, while taking
a walk on the ice, saw a gull flying toward the north.
On the 22d, William Nindemann and Gustavus Lind-

Shrimps.

qvist went to examine a steel-trap set by them a few
days before. They were much gratified to find that the
leg of a very fine white fox was firmly held by the trap.
The poor animal had firozen to death. They offered it, as
they did everything they obtained, to Dr. Bessels for a
specimen; but on account of the condition of the leg he
was obliged to decline it.

Many attempts had been made to obtain some ani-
mal life from the water through the tide-hole, but they
had been unsuccessful, if the shrimps be excepted with
which the water was fairly alive. Some of the seamen
proposed attempting to use them as food. They lowered
a piece of pork into the fire-hole, and after a few moments
they pulled it up, covered with the little creatures, of which
the largest were not more than an inch and a half long;
they varied in length some being almost too small to be seen.

The water was seventy-two feet deep, and seemed
to be alive with them. In a little while the seamen
obtained a large pot-full. They were cooked for lunch,
but, perhaps for want of skill, they did not make a
palatable dish.

On the 24th, two of the men reported that they had
seen two white gulls. On the 25th, Captain Budington,
while taking a walk to Cape Lupton for the purpose of
examining the ice, saw two ptarmigans, which he sup-
posed were the birds seen the day before by the men and

327

1879.

Marcb.

'k;

.1,

i'.t

"II

•f

328

Ferocity of the Dogs.

«!'*•. ""■^'"''^n fo' gulls. The same morning Robert Krnger
and Fred. Aunting reported seeing two ptarmigans on an
iceberg and firing at one without success. It was con-
cluded that they were the same birds that had been seen
by Captain Budington.

On the 24th, one of the men, in a tramp over the land
found among some moss on a stone, two caterpillars,
which he brought to Dr. Bessels for his collection.

Mauch's journal of the 3d says: "To-day I have
t« announce a sad loss. Our yellow Esquimaux bitch
'Smarty is no more. The poor a.imal had young ones
yesterday, some of which were devoured by the other
dogs a. soon as they were bom. About 9 a. m., one of
the men found the dog on deck and other dogs tearing
ber to peices, and swallowing her partly alive. He chased
the dogs all outside, and gave ' Smarty ' a nice place in a
corner, where ,,he soon was stiff. Indeed, the voracious-
ness of these Esquimaux dogs is beyond all hmit. Not
satisfied with her young ones, they tried to eat her up
too, just because the poor animal in her weakness could
not defead herself. We can soon tell what good these
dogs will do us."

On the 6th, there were twenty-five dogs in fine con-
dition for sledge travel. Many of the others also could be
used, so that there were enough to equip two or three
parties for explorations overland. On the 12th, and for

Preparations for Sledge-Journeys.

329

March.

a few days previous, several of the dogs were troubled JJf^!.?*
with fits.

The fire-hole had been encroached upon so much by
snow-drifts and by the accumulation of ice around it
— ^hourly removed from its surface io keep it open — that
the labor of the tidal observers was very much increased.
A new fire-hole was cut on the 4th, about eighty feet from
the vessel, clear of the snow-drift. The thickness of the
ice was found to be 4 feet and 1 inch.

, Dr. Bessels suffered at times considerably from his
eyes, so that he was unable to take his regular watch at
the observatory. He had already begun to prepare for
one of the sledge-journeys which he contemplated making
before it was time to use the boats. It was conceded
that, if possible, the boats should be used for northern ex-
ploration. The men were more familiar with boats, more
could be carried in them, and under favorable circum-
stances a longer journey could be made. The open water
seen during the winter was encouraging, and led to the
expectation that when summer began the straits would be
sufficiently free to admit of boat-navigation. Captain
Budington proposed to do his utmost to attain a high lati-
tude in boats. It was, however, very well understood
that they could hardly be expected to start before June.
In the mean time there was the sledding season of nearly
three months for that kind of work, by which the success

330

Frozen Kerosene Oil.

4
I

«.*'•. "^ "'« EnglM' Fmnklin Relief Expeditions was attained

Dr. Be88el8, to whom the direction of siedge-journeys in

the event of Hall's death, was expressly given by Mr

Bobeson, exerted himself to employ this means to the best

advantage. I„ his plan of operations he proposed to fit

out at least three parties. All were very mueh rejoiced

at th>s exhibition of zeal and activity. On the 22d he

was prevented from starting by the threatening indications

of the barometer.

Maueh's journal of the 8th says : "I saw for the first
time to-day frozen kerosene oil. The crew were digging
out a barrel on shore from under the snow, and they tapped
It on the spot. I immediately concluded, being just in
the mood to make some experiments, to determine the
freezmg-point of kerosene oil. I filled the basin which
stands m the observatory with the oil. introduced one of
our best spirit-thermometers into it, and watched the
temperature until the oil began to coagulate or get solid.
This point I found to be -.32°.5 F. I exposed it
et.ll longer, expecting to be able to get a hard cake, but
m vam; the temperature fell as low as -W during the
time. The consistency of the oil, when thus frozen, may
be compared with melting wax. It has a milk-like, trans-
lucent color, and retains impressions with the finger very
easily. It seems not to crystalize, for I was not able t»
.detect any crystal in it, even under a microscope."

Vegetable Fossila.

During one of his hunting expeditions, Joe rode
down to the southward and westward, and saw what was
supposed to he a large bay, to which was afterward given
the name of "Petermann's Fiord."

The 16th was a beautiful day; all hands enjoyed
it. On the ice near the ship the four Esquimaux children
were playing very happily. Mr. Meyer was at Capo
Lupton surveying; Mr. Schumann was on the ice sketch-
ing the vessel; Mr. Odell was engaged in repairing the
snow steps that led up to the gangway — building marble
steps, as he called them; and Fred. Auntingwas flying
what he called a North Pole kite, with a small flag attached.

On the 17th, Jamka and Nindermann found upon
Offley Island some very valuable fossils. They were
the only vegetable fossils that had been discovered by
the expedition, and were very fine specimens. They
looked like petrified pieces of sugar-cane or bamboo. All
the specimens that were collected, upon their return to the
vessel, were at once given to Dr. Bessels for preservation.
As the days lengthened, the people took more exercise, and
the time between meals began to seem long. To remedy
this, on the 20th, the three meals were restored, and the
hours prescribed were, 7.30 a. m., 11.30 a. m., 5.30 p. m.

During part of the 20th, the men were employed in
making small canvas bags for use on the boat journey. It
is unnecessary "^o enter into the details of the many ex-

331

1879.

IBurcli*

» It

M
I if*

••t;

I Ij

Mh i m tt» mi '»*it. v iim mm jm

3«2

1879.

Marcli.

Sledge Journey South.

cursion partioa; none of thorn wore without interest, but
nothing new waa discovered.

At 7 a. m. of the 27th, Dr. Bessels. accompanied by
Mr. Bryan and Joe, with a team of fourteen dogs
equipped and provisioned for fourteen days, set out on
a sledge journey to Cape Constitution to connect Kane's
survey with Thank-God Harbor. At 1 p. m.. a mes-
sage was received from them saying that thny had for-
gotten the India-rubber camp-blankets, and roquestino-
that they be sent. This was written on a piece of wood
and sent by a dog, who carried it on his neck. It was
brought to Captain Budington by one of the men on the
dog's arrival. The blankets were sent by Hans and
another man. who found the party occupying a snow-
house on Offley Island.

The Arctic day was so far advanced that no artificial
light was needed in the cabin, even at midnight.

On the 29th, the fog was so thick that the observa-
tory could not be seen from the ship. The thermometer
was —13°, and many ice-crystals were deposited.

On the 30th, Peter Johnson saw a hare on the plain
east of the observatory. The men were eager to kill it
and at 4 a. m. of the 31st, one of them started in pursuit'
returning with it at breakfast-time. He had found the
tracks in the fresh snow, and was soon able to overtake it.
The hare was not afraid, but stood on its hind legs and

Ptarmigans,

looked at its enomy with curiosity. In tho course of the
forenoon the nion brought to tho ship eight ptarmigans,
killed on tho plain southeast of tho observatory.

The highest temperature during tho month was +4°;
the lowest, — 48°.5 ; while the mean was about — 23°. 2.

The coal used during the month was 7,891 pounds,
distributed as follows :

Pouuda.

Cabin 1,892

Forecastle 1,973

Galley 2,665

Observatory 1, 361

This Tvas aii increase of 291 pounds over the amount
consumed during the month of February.

333

1879.

march.

f 4

i;^'

i ,

m if

■

:xv

■V

»4

,«i^

CHAPTER XV.

On the Ist of April, -Captain Budington began to
make arrangements for his share of the spring work. He
decided that he would send out two boats as soon as the
condition of the ice rendered it advisable, and had the two
smaller whale-boats brought from the shore, and placed
on the ice near the ship, that they might be thoroughly
fitted out. He appointed Mr. Ches'er to command one,
and Captain Tyson the other, and they were directed to
select their boats and crews.

The crew of boat No. 1, named by the commanding
officer the "U. S. Grant," comprised;

Mr. H. C. Chester, first mate, commanding.

Mr. Frederick Meyer, scientist.

Hermann Siemens.

Robert Kruger.

Frederick Aunting.

Frederick Jamka.
Boat No. 2, named the "George M. Robeson:"

Capt. George E. Tyson, assistant navigator, com-
manding.

1873.

April.

'5.

t s

1-1

338

\ The Boats- Creivs.

187a.

April.

Dr. Emil Bessels, scientist.

Gustavus Lindqvist.

Henry Hobby.

I'eter Johnson.

William Nindemann.
The commanders were ordered to have their boats
and crew in readiness to start the 1st of May.

At 2 p. m., Mr. Bryan and Joe started to rejoin Dr.
Bessels, whom they had left on Offley Island, with a sled
which they had brought back to be repaired. Hans, with
another sled, accompanied them, on the complaint of Joe
that the work was too hard for him. In the afternoon
two ptarmigans were caught; a wolf also was seen. On
the 2d, canvas covers were made for the boats. Mr.
Chester superintended the work, and by his direction pro-
vision-lockers were built, and boards added, extending the
height of the gunwale six inches. The continued increase
in the sunhght was still noticeable. At this time, the sun's
rays were illuminating the mountain peaks at 3 a. m.

At 8.30 p. m., his center was slowly moving over
the tops of the mountains in Grinnell Land; at 9.30,
his upper limb could still be seen through one of the
gorges. Soon the sun would be entirely above the hori-
zon for the whole twenty-four hours.

On the 3d, the solar radiation black-bulb ther-
mometer in vacuo read, when at its highest + 59°.7, the

A Remarkable Ravine.

339

free bulb + 50°, while the temperature of the air was
— 10°.4.

On the 4th, Mr. Chester fastened on the stern of his
boat a large reel, upon which was carried 2,500 fathoms
of sounding-line. The seamen had measured the line,
and the reel was arranged for the work of taking sound-
ings. Mr. Odell and the firemen were employed in mak-
ing iron bolts and braces for use in the boats.

Mauch's journal of the 7th, says : " I have visited
the ravine east of the observatory, distant about two
miles, and shall never regret the time I spent there.
The sight which I enjoyed was beyond my expectations.
A narrow gorge leads into it, on each side of which the
slaty overhanging layers of Devonic limestone, much
broken and cliffy, give it the aspect of the ruins of some
of those old castles that I saw on my trip down the Rhine.
But far more grand and magnificent it gets the farther we
proceed. 1 meet with a large snow-wall at least one hun-
dred feet high, perfectly perpendicular, except on the top,
where it seems inclined to tumble over and bury a person
that gets too near; but, to proceed further, I must pass the
dangerous spot. Here is a ravine leading out. I try to
ascend it with hands and feet, using my knife to cut steps
whenever I get on hard snow. I nearly reach the top,
when I find an obstacle in my way in the shape of a bowl-
der, which is jammed between the rocks and makes a fur-

1879.

April.

rA
m

' "i

'pilM4lG<f<4»l«-l>4l>it9'A«,. .

340

1879.

April.

Return of the Sledge-Party.

"ther attempt impossible. I am compelled to return by
the same dangerous route, and conclude to follow the ravine
to its end, where, as I know from others that have visited
the place before, an ascent is possible. At last I am be-
fore a snow-wall which appears to be the end of the ra-
vine, and by cuttiii^^ ■ i; !ps into it with my knife, as I have
done before, I find myself on top of the hills. From there
I conclude to return immediately on board."

At 11.30 a. m. on the 8th, Dr. Bessels and his party
returned to the ship from their sledge-journey. They
were all in good health and spirits, with the exception
of the Doctor, who was suffering from snow-blindness.
The following brief account of the journey is taken chiefly
from Captain Budington's journal.

The course at first was nearly south. At 11.30 a.
m. of the 27th of March, a fog gathered about them and
a light snow began to fall. The view was very limited,
and they soon found themselves lost among the hum-
mocks. The traveling was slow and laborious. The
dogs continually needed assistance ; the sled being heavily
loaded, the work was by no means easy. At 1.15 p. m.,
the coast was reached. The fog and thick snow-storm
still filled the air, and nothing definite in regard to their
position could be determined. After some discussion
Joe's view was adopted, that they should move down the
coast toward the southwest. At 4.30 p. m., after much
labor on account of the rou^h ice, the southern fiord was

Building an Igloo.

reached. On arriving at the southwestern end of Offley
Island they resolved to encamp. Joe found a deep bank
of snow, which, by piercing it with his spear, he proved to
be sufficiently hard to use in the construction of a house.
With his long-handled snow-knife he cut several blocks of
about the same size. They were from two to three feet
in length, about eighteen inches wide, and six inches thick.
The larger surfaces of the blocks were slightly curved to
suit the form of the igloo. When nearly enough blocks
were cut, he marked out a circle within which he cut out
other blocks, by means of which the floor was lowered
the thickness of one block below the general surface of
the snow. The widest one he reserved until he closed up
the first layer, and then used it to begin his spiral. Each
block was firmly placed and fully supported by bringing
the beveled edges into contact with each other. After the
first course, the blocks were made to incline inwaiJly by
beveling ofi" the edges upon which they stood. It was
soon finished; Joe stood inside of a complete and perfect
snow-dome. The final touches were given to it by smooth-
ing ofif the surface and filling up the cracks. Then Joe
selected a place for the entrance, and still further sunk
the floor by a space 2 feet wide, 18 inches deep, and
about 3 feet long from the edge of the wall back toward
the center. When this floor was completed, a hole was
cut through the wall for a door.

341

1879.

niarcli.

H f«

i
•6,

'il

342

1879.

march.

Furnishing the Igloo.

When the house is built on a deep snow bank, the
wall is 'sometimes not touched, as an entrance can be dug
out of the snow under it. Then an arched way is built
outside to protect the entrance from the wind. A small
house is built near by in which to store the articles of
food that are not immediately wanted.

The process of moving into the house commenced.
First the rubber blankets were spread over the floor, and
upon them were laid the sleeping-bags and extra clothing.
The provisions were stored on each side the entrance, and
the Esquimaux lamp placed in position. While this was
going on, the dogs were fed and Dr. Bessels prepared the
supper, which, when the house was finished and furnished,
all went in to eat. Joe fitted a large snow-block into the
door, and cut a small hole near the top of the house for
ventilation. The whole party then crawled into their
sleeping-bags, and lying with their heads to the entrance
were soon asleep. They lay eighteen inches below the
surface of the snow, protected from the coldest winds.
Joe lighted the lamp and placed the wet stockings and mit-
tens on a frame stretched over it. But the lamp was not
large enough to dry all the articles, and many were placed
under the sleepers to receive the warmth of their bodies,
which protected the clothing from being frozen.

Under these circumstances the temperature soon rises
to +35° F., and then every one is comfortable.

„

Traveling up the Fiord.

Early on the 28th, the party walked over the island,
examining and surveying it. From the smnmit Cape
Lupton could be seen, and it also could be perceived that
by the projection of Cape Tyson, Offley Island had
appeared from Cape Lupton to be a peninsula.

Leaving some of the provisions in the snow-house,
at fifteen minutes past noon, they started up the fiord, the
ice of which was at first smooth and suited for rapid
travehng. The cause of the wide track in it, running up
the fiord as far as the eye could reach, was the subject of
much speculation. Its edge was bordered by large hum-
mocks, and the whole did not seem to be the work
of more than one season. The land from Cape Mary
Cleland is low and extends eastward, forming a bay.
The course of the party was directed toward the cape at
the other extremity of this bay. An immense ook-gook
was seen lying on the ice near the crack. The dogs see-
ing the animal, and being eager to rush at it, were with
difficulty kept quiet. Joe went careful!} forward with
his rifle, but before he could get within shooting-distance,
the beast became alarmed and rolled into the water.

A long line of cliffs was found to begin from the
second cape, forming, for a great distance, a perpendicular
wall of limestone, which enters directly into the water
without any debris at its foot. On the northern side this line
of cliffs is somewhat broken, far in the distance, by glacier

343

March.

344

Ice-Bergs.

ill

■

isra. discharges, while on the southern side of the fiord the cliffs
are neither so steep nor so regular; the glacier resting on
them can be seen. One feature, however, is common to
both sides. This is a peculiarly marked and well-defined
stratum which is seen to rise above the ice, and can be
traced by the eye to a great distance toward the southeast,
where it ascends to the top of the cliff. The southern
cliffs present a similar formation. After rounding the
second cape the traveling was very good, except where
patches of deep snow and difficult cracks were encountered.
Here the experience of J[oe was brought into use, and a
great deal of time was saved by his judicious selection of
crossings. At 2.30 p. m., it appeared that the fiord was
shut up by immense icebergs ; on going nearer, however,
a passage was discovered quite close to the cliff At 4.45
p. m., coming to a crack which could not be crossed, and
where the bergs closing up prevented further traveling by
the sled, the party encamped. They built a snow-house
and passed the night very comfortably.

Early on the 29th, a ptarmigan halted in its flight on
the ice near by them, but not long enough for the huntero
to get their guns loaded. Dr. Bessels and Joe started on
foot to ascertain if there was any possibility of proceed-
ing in the sled farther up the fiord. With great difficulty
they crossed the crack, and then walked a short distance
along the cliffs. Their progress was, however, soon ar-

Observations.

845

rested by bergs. They climed the higbest to examine the
condition of the ice. As far as they could see there was
a confused accumulation of bergs, crowded closely to-
gether, leaving such spaces only as were due to irregular-
ities of form. The fiord seemed filled from shore to shore
with these bergs, which varied in shape and size, but not
much in height. The termination of the fiord was not
visible ; its general direction was southeast.

Dr. Bessels, on his retm*n, tried to take a sounding
in the crack near the encampment ; all the line was run
out — 90 fathoms—without finding bottom. Mr. Bryan,
during the day, was engaged in determining the position
of the encampment, in making observations for declina-
tion and dip, and in taking the necessary bearings and
angles for the correct delineation of the coast-lines. The
latitude observed was 81° 05' N. With the small Casella
theodolite the height of the cliflfs was found :o be six hun-
dred feet. A very prominent turret was selected, and not
only its height, but its distance and bearing from the
camp determined. The peak, from its shape and form
was named the Devil's Thumb, after the large island in
Melville Bay which bears that name.

On the 30th, a heavy snow-storm and a thick fog
prevented the party from returning to Offley Island. It
cleared up, however, during the morning, and at 1 p. m.
they set out. They soon came to a crack which seemed

1879.

march.

t ,t

346

An Accident.

ft
i

mill: "'"^^^ ^^'^«'' than that which they crossed on their out-
ward trip, and they were delayed some time before a suit-
able place for crossing could bo found. Joe wont ahead,
and, finding a place, made a signal for the others to come
on. The dogs were going very nicely and needed no
urging, but Mr. Bryan, wishing to practice with the whip,
struck at them. Instead of hitting the dogs, however, he
swung the end of the long lash around and hit Dr. Bes'sels
a violent blow on the face, which caused great pain and
called forth some remarks of a significant character ; but
the doctor's equanimity was soon restored, and it was
mutually agreed that whip-practice should be deferred to
a more fitting occasion.

Arriving at their encampment on Offley Island at
5.30 p. m., they found that their snow-house had bent in
so much by the warm weather that they were obliged to
take off the top and rebuild it.

Early on the morning of the 3 1st, they were up
preparing to start toward the south. The sled was loaded
near the house, and in its passage, over the rough ice
down to the smooth ice of the fiord, it broke. Joe de-
clared that it could not be mended, and that he would be
obliged to return to the ship after another; accordingly it
was unloaded and temporarily patched up for the trip. Dr.
Bessels concluded to stay on the island to make geological
observations and collect mineralogical specimens. One of

•I

Solitude.

347

•I

Iho dogs was left as a companion for him, and Mr. Bryan
and Joo roturnod to the ship. It afterwards appeared
that Joe broke the sled on purpose, by letting it fall, while
heavily laden, on the point of one of the runners. When
the doctor had first spoken to him about this excursion,
Joe proposed to take two sleds, Hans driving one ; com-
plaining that it would be too hard for him to do all the
work. Dr. Bessels did not think so, and wishing to carry
as few provisions as possible, decided to have but one sled.
Joe apparently agreed to it, but on the first opportunity
made an excuse to return to the ship. When he arrived
there, he told Captain Budington that he must have Hans
and another sled; that he could not manage one so heavily
loaded.

Captain Budington accordingly sent Hans; and the
party, now consisting of Mr. Bryan, Joe, and Hans,
reached the island at 7.45 p. m., April 1st. They found
the doctor well and in good spirits, having met with no
trouble during his solitary sojourn. Those who were on
board were loud in their praise of the doctor's bravery in
being wilHng to remain alone so far from the ship, even
for that short time.

On the 2d, at 7.45 a. m., the whole party started
toward the south. They rounded the southeastern ex-
tremity of Offley Island and crossed the mouth of the
fiord. The traveling proved to be very good indeed, with

1§79.

April.

i*1

'fln

348

'ti

1879.

April.

Kennedy Channel.

only occasional cracks and rough ice, and at 11.30 a. m.,
they reached the other side of the fiord. A bay extends
from the cape, at the southern entrance of the fiord, to
the cape at the northeast entrance of Kennedy Channel.
They steered across this bay, making a direct course from
cape to cape. Both capes are quite high, while the inter-
vening land rises gradually in terraces, being very low near
the coast and rising to an equal height with the capes some
miles in the interior.

They reached Cape Morton at 3 p. m. Joe Island
bears about west from this cape. Upon rounding it they
found the tracks of a bear. The ice was very rough, a
large portion of it being young ice, with many cracks.
They saw here the first signs of an ice-foot since leaving
the ship. The land now turned toward the east, and a
fiord was seen extending inland, on the other side of which
was an island lying under a very large and bold headland.
This was thought by them to be Cape Constitution, the
object of their journey. They then directed their course
toward Hannah Island. The traveling was very bad;
they were obliged to use the greatest discretion in select-
ing their route. The ice-foot was the safest, but frequently
they found it so completely blocked up that they were
compelled to seek the more insecure ice of the straits
This was frequently young ice, hardly able to bear the
weight of the loaded sled; at times they escaped breaking

A Bear Killed.

349

through only by dashing over the thin places. Lifting the i8T».
sleds up and down from the ice-foot and over the rough ^"*'"*
hummocks was not an easy task; all became very weary.
While striking across the fiord several bear-tracks and in-
numerable fox-tracks were seen, in such succession that
foxes seemed to be following the bears as constant com-
panions. After great labor and not a little danger the
island was reached at 8.30 p. m., and an encampment
made on its western side.

On the 3d, the natives, very weary with their labors
of the previous day, were allowed to go off to the open
water to hunt seals. Several were killed, but only one
was secured. Mr. Bryan occupied the day in taking ob-
servations. The latitude observed was 81° 07'. Dr. Bes-
sels attempted to make a trip up the fiord, but the dogs
refused to go and proved to be the masters. The next day
Joe drove the dogs, and, at 7.30 a. m., they started up the
fiord, into which several arms of a glacier emptied. Its
head was about twelve miles from the encampment. On
their return they met a bear, which Joe killed after an
exciting and interesting hunt. They arrived at the en-
campment at midnight. Hans had been hunting all day.

Cape Bryan was found to be tv^elve hundred feet
high. The party supposed from its latitude that it was
the Cape Constitution of Kane, which was only known by
the description of Morton as having perpendicular sides

i L,

350

.'Vii

I ill

1879.

April.

Cape Bryan.

and being flanked by two islands. Joe and Hannah Isl-
ands, though not exactly answering the description of
Frankhn and Crozier Islands, were at first thought t» be
the same, and it only remained to ascertain if the cape
was perpendicular. As it did not look so from the island,
it was determined to test it by personal examination!
Accordingly on the 5th, at 5 p. m.. Dr. Bessels, Mr.
Bryan, and Hans set out for the cape. The ice-foot was
so blocked up with hummocks that it was impossible
to travel over it with the sled. Having secured the dogs,
they left the sled and rounded the cape on foot. It did
not correspond in any particular with the description of
Cape Constitution. In the distance another cape was seen,
which entered the water perpendicularly. They undertook
to go to this cape with the sled, but after a severe struggle
they were obliged to stop when within a few miles of it.
Afterwards, arriving there on foot they discovered that it
was not Cape Constitution. They were-unable to proceed
further, on account of the serious obstacles in the way and
the want of provisions. Before turning back, however,
they identified Cape Constitution and Franklin Island, the
former some thirty miles distant. The water .vas open in
Kennedy Channel as far as they could see. They regained
the encampment at 3 p. m., after an absence of twenty-
two hours, during which they had traveled under great
difiiculties. On the 6th, just below Cape Bryan, they met

l^he Steward's Sickness.

351

Joe, who had become anxious and was in search of them.
Happily he brought with him welcome supplies of pro-
visions.

At 2 p. m., the next day, the whole party set out on
its return to the ship. They reached Offley Island at 2 a.
m. of the 8th, where they breakfasted, remaining until
3.45 a. m.

They got on board at 11 a. m., as has been mentioned.
Dr. Bessels suffered a great deal with his eyes. He was
obliged to keep his bed until the 13th, and was not
able to resume his regular watch at the observatory until
the 23d. During his absence, Mr. Meyer took his place,
making observations each day for sixteen consecutive hours.

On the 11th, the magnetometer showed that the
needle was very much disturbed during the appearance of
bright parhelia.

The sun, at midnight of the 16th, shone brightly
above the mountains. The calm, cool weather during
the first part of April closed up the straits. A few gales
during the last of the month set the ice again in motion.

John Herron, the steward, was laid up with a swollen
foot, suffering considerably. His complaint was at first
pronounced to be rheumatism ; but, on the 20th, he showed
signs of scurvy.

The traces of the little lemming attracted a great
deal of attention, and many efforts were made to catch

1873.

April.

^ '>

t >i

352

1879.

Open Water.

some of them. Traps were set all over the plain, but in
vain. On tlie 17th, Joe and Hans went off to the south-
east hunting, but were obliged to return, as the dogs got
into such a desperate Sght that nothing could be done
with them. One of them was so badly injured that it
was found necessary to kill it.

Ine dogs go in pairs, which are inseparable. They
often crowd themselves, while running with the sleds, and in
the hustling together have, at times, long and severe battles.

On the 20th, another copper cylinder was thrown
overboard.

On the 22d, Mr. Bryan with Mauch walked up to the
fifth cape, above Cape Lupton. From an elevation of
about twelve hundred feet they had a very extensive
view. They could see the west land as far as Cape
Joseph Henry, which was distant about 80 or 90 miles,
with great distinctness; the eastern coast was shut out by
Cape Sumner. Open water seemed to extend from shore
to shore, and from the third cape northward for about
twenty miles. There, a pack filled the straits, which,
however, seemed somewhat open toward the western
coast. A low cloud extended from north to northeast,
but it was so distant and faint that it was impossible to
tell whether it was a water-cloud or not.

On the 24th, the men amused themselves with the
howitzer.

3
n

1 ,

1 [li 1 ii I i

1 ll ' '1

lir '1

-t

'II' d

■5

<■,' ' »

* '

352

Open Water.

Bome of tl>em. Traps were sot all over the j,lain, bu. i„
vam. On the 17th, Joe nnd IU„,s went off to the .onth-
east hunting, but were obliged to return, as the ,tog» .r„l
into sueh a desperate %ht that uotiiinj- could be ,1.^0
with (hem. (;u. „(■ then, was so badly injured thai, it
was found neeessary to kill it.

The dogs go in pairs, whieh arc inseparable. They

often crowd lhen,selves, while running with the sleds, and in

the hustling together have, at times, long and severe bailies.

On the 20th, anoiher copper cylinder was thrown

overboard.

On the 22d, Mr. tiryau witii Maucli walked up to the

.ai^M/ {^ roiij a,i elcrn^f m of
"^''"' ' ' ' ^ '^ta ihi>y had a ven .vtcn^ivo

view, Th^y .ouid .eo .he west land as tar a.. Cape
Joseph Jfcnrv, whicii was di.tnni about 80 or 00 mile,
with great distinctness; the eastern coast was shut o:. by-
Cape Sumner. Open water seemed- to extend from shore
to shore, and from the third cape northward for about
twenty mile ;. There, a pack filled the straits, which
however, seemed somewhat open toward the weste, J
coast. A I.w cloud extended from north to i.ortheast
but it was so diaant and feint that it was iu^possible to
tell whether it was a water-cloud or not.

On the 24th, the men amused dietuselves with the
howitzer.

B*
n

a
n
n

•a

I'i

't:i

{

Successful Hunting.

Mr. Meyer determined the distance between the ship
and the observatory to be thirteen hundred and seven
feet.

On the 25th, Joe and Hans returned from a musk-ox
hunt, for which they had left the ship on the 19th. They
had killed on the land north of Newman's Bay seven
musk-oxen, one rabbit, and two ptarmigans; they brought
part of the meat with them; the remainder they cached.
In one of the cows they found a foetus, which they
brought to Dr. Bessels. They reported having seen an
Arctic owl and another herd of musk-cattle, and had dis-
covered four small islands in the bay.

On the 27th, a party, consisting of Mr. Chester, Fred.
Jamka, and the two Esquimaux, started off with two
teams for a musk-ox hunt.

The crew had been employed during the month in
clearing off the deck of the vessel of all snow and ice, in
preparing for the boat's journey, in arranging in a suitable
pile the stores and provisions which were to remain on
shore, and in transporting others to the ship.

On the 15th, the ice from about the rudder and pro-
peller of the Polaris was cut away so as to expose them
partially; everything was in good order. Only three men
could work at a time, but as their relief was frequent,
they made good progress. The log of the Polaris speaks
of the condition as follows:

353

1879.

April.

,!»

354

Icicles.

1879.

April.

"I think that it will be some trouble to keep the Polaris
afloat when she comes dow, into the water again. Her
B'des are much open. Her main rail is broken in one
place by the heavy pressure of the whole top-work of the
vessel listing over so much and for so long a time. No
ordinary-built vessel could staud such a wrenching."

On the 30th, the seamen cut some of the ice away
between the vessel and the berg for the purpose of pre-
^-enting her from falling over so much at low tide, but
the object was not accomplished. The moderation of the
temperature had led to the formation of great icicles;
some of them hanging from the berg were as thick as a
man's arm.

On the 26th, the black-bulb thermometer in vacuo
read +83°.4, the free one +17».8, while the temperature
of the air was +4?.%. During this time the sky was
clear, and a light wind was blowing from the southeast,
with a velocity of three miles an hour.

The highest temperature during April was +10° 7
the lowest — 28°.8, and the mean — 5°.7.

In compliance with the orders of Captain Budinaton
the boat-parties had prepared everything to start on°the
let of May. The temperature, however, remained too
low for their journey.

^t 10 p. m. of the 1st of May, Mr. Chester and party
returned. They were all well, with the exception of

The Midnight Sun.

355

Mr. Chester and Frederick Jamka, who were suffering l8Ta.
from snow-blindness. They had 'illed two musk-oxen on ""'*
the extensive plains north of Newman's Bay, and had
traveled to the hsad of the bay, finding a glacier which
discharged itself at that pomt. They had lost one dog,
and had been delayed by others which had fits. They
brought back a good deal of meat, which was stowed away
in the pilot-house.

On the 4th, a strong gale from the northeast pre-
vailed, rising to a velocity of 63 miles per hour; not-
withstanding this there was no open water to be seen
in the straits. On the 7th, Joe drove Mr. Meyer down to
the mountain south of Polaris Bay, to enable him to com-
plete the survey commenced in the autumn; they started
at 4 a. m., and did not return until 7 p. m. During the
day some of the hands were out hunting, and brought
back one ptarmigan and one hare.

The 8th was the warmest day experienced for some
time, and the crew enjoyed it. Captain Tyson and one
of the men were out on the plain for a day's hunt. At
midnight, for the first time, the sun shone upon the
observatory, and the temperature did not fall below zero.
Observatory Bluff had for a long time cast its shadow
over the building; the shadow had gradually shortened
and now could not reach it.

On the 9th, at 4 a. m., Mr. Meyer and Joe started

I. <
i

356

isra.

JUajr.

Highest Point on Land.
for Nowman'8 Bay, intending lo »urvoy that and tho coast
<« far as possiblo; and, if time permitted, to go further
north. Captain Tyson and Hans sot out at tho same time
on a musk-ox hunt.

The seamen had been at work cleaning the vessel and
overhauling the rigging, so that, on the 10th, she was
reported ready for service, when freed from the ice. The
steward continued to be quite sick, with marked symptoms
of scurvy. Some of the men succeeded in catchin.. a
lemmnig. All were very much interested in the little
creature, as it was the first they had seen.

The northeast gale of the Ilth, had no apparent
effect upon the ice. This occasioned much uneasiness.
The hopes of success in further northern exploration had
centered in boat-expeditions. The frequent open water
dunng the winter and spring had warranted these hopes
On this account the ice of the straits was closely watched
for signs of open water, which had disappeared at the
moment when most looked for, and when most necessary
At 10 p. m., on the 14lh, Mr. Meyer and Captain
Tyson, with the Esquimaux, returned. They had crossed
Newman's Bay, and traveling over the mountains, had
reached the latitude of 82" 09' N., as determined by Mr
Meyer with a sextant and artificial horizon-then the
highest northern point ever reached by land. They would
have gone still farther had not their fuel given out. While

iJr«»»i fy J ZinJe7iJr<,)a

1*1

'II

- i inW li T' WW gM Wip— BUM

Beer.

Meyer and Joe went to the mouth of the bay to survey,
Captain Tyson and Hans crossed it, hunting for musk-cat-
tle, of which they killed twelve, eight large ones and four
calves. On the south shore of Newman's Bay, Mr. Meyer
deposited a record which had been given him by Captain
Budington for that purpose. The weather was so favora-
ble that he was able to sketch the west coast of the strait
as far north as Cape Joseph Henry.

The men had been engaged for two or three days in
making beer. It was sour and bitter, but they seemed to
relish it, and it was thought that it would do them good.
The barrel was placed in the galley, and all were greatly
amused at the sign fastened over the door : " North Pole
Lager Beer Saloon. No trust. Peter Johnson. Cash."
On the 16th, the ashes which had accumulated dur-
ing the winter were spread out on the ice near the ship to
absorb the sun's rays and hasten the melting of the ice, in
order to free the ship as soon as possible. The steward
was now improving very rapidly; he ceased to lake
medicine, and ate much raw meat for his scurvy.

At 10.30 a. m., of the 17th, Hans and Peter John-
son started for Newman's Bay on a hunt, and at 1 1.30
a. m., Joe and Robert Kruger followed them. From 4
a. m. to 11 a. m., Joe had been with Mr. Meyer, at Cape
Lupton, and out on the ice of the straits. Mr. Meyer was
engaged in finishing the survey of the surrounding coasts.

357

1679.

May.

■Ik

358

1879.

may.

Boat at Cape Lupton.

Too much credit cannot be given to him for the zeal and
ability with which he prosecuted the survey of Thank-
God Harbor.

On the 18th, three snow-birds were seen. On the
19th. the two hunting-parties returned, having killed two
musk-cattle and two ptarmigans. They had seen large
numbers of these birds, and could have obtained more if
they had been supplied with shot-guns.

Mauch says in his journal : " I have been up to Cape
Lupton, comparing Hayes' 'open polar sea' of the 19th
May, 1861, with the present one. The straits present a
vast body of impenetrable pack, with not a speck of open
water."

On the 29th, the steward had so far recovered that
he was able to resume his duties. During his illness, Wal-
ter Campbell, one of the firemen, had been of great serv-
ice in doing part of his work.

The rise of the tide, together tvith the melting of the
snow, produced from two to three feet of water on the
port side of the vessel. It was necessary to run plank
out from the ports to get on board dry-shod. Mr
Chester, having completed his boat, in order to be ready
to start as soon as the ice opened, transported her to the
httle cove just north of Cape Lupton. For this purpose
the large sled and a full team of dogs were used ; the men
keepmg company to help over the hummocks.

Flies.

359

The 2l8t was a very warm day; the temperature,
for the first time, rising above the freezing point to +33°.6
r. The Esquimaux women improved the sunshine by
taking the musk-ox skins to the shore and preparing them
for preservation. Mrs. Hans, with her children about her,
amused herself in watching a fire built between two
stones and the frying of a steak on a thin piece of slaty
limestone.

The two natives, with Booth and Hobby, started for
Newman's Bay to bring back the meat which had been
left there in a cache. In the afternoon a fly was seen.
It was much larger th&n an ordinary house-fly. On the
22d, a northeast gale failed to open the straits ; the spirits
of the explorers were very much depressed. Dr. Bessels
succeeded in catching two flies, which made the begin-
ning of his collection of insects. A snow-bird was seen
near the observatory.

On the 23d, the hunters returned, bringing large loads
of meat. They had also killed two ptarmigans and had
seen one hawk.

On the 24th, water was discovered in the bilge to the
depth of three feet; it was feared that the vessel was leak-
ing. Attempts were made to pump it out, but the pumps
could not be made to work. The next day the men used
the small pump, the 'handy billy,' and freed the ship.
The water returned, however, with an increase, but it

1879.

Qiay.

360

Captain Tyson's Boat.

„. »• could not be detemined whether it wa. caused by a leak
or by the melting of the ice i„ the bunkers. On the
27th the carpenter and Booth were sent below to look
for the leak, if one existed. On the 28th. the water had
gained hve .nehes during the night; this indicated that
the ship was certainly leaking.

To return to the boat-journeys. On the 24th, Captain
Tyson s boat was taken to Cape Lupton. On the 25th, the
provisions were sledded to the boa... Joe, after one of his
oads, mstead of returning to the ship, went out into the
stait. and killed a small seal. The sight of three streaks of
clear water in the straits had raised the spirits of officers and
men, exciting great expectations; all, however, were cast
down^when on the 26th, the straits were again blocked np.
Hannah, in one of her travels, found a very interest-
.ng rehc, near Cape Lupton. It was quite a large piece
of an Esquimaux sled-runner, with one of the cross-bars
It was partially imbedded in the shingle and its position
was rom four to five hundred yards from the coast, and
about fifty feet above water-level. It remained an pen
quest, on whether it had drifted there or whether it had

been Icf there by some Esquimaux in his wanderings

Robert Kruger brought to the ship a hve lemming
which was put into a box, and carefully fed. On th'
m, m one of their excursions far out in the straits after
seals, the natives saw two gulls and several dovefcies

Esquimaux Habits.

Another live lemming was caught by Kobert Kruger,
and added to the one in the box.

The lowest temperature during May was 7°.5,

the highest + 33°, while the mean was +17°.7.

On the 28th. another load of provisions was taken to
Cape Lupton. -The cracks now in the straits opened
with a rising tide, and closed with a falling one."

The sailors began to complain that Mrs. Hans did
not keep her apartment clean; being just forward of their
quarters, it threatened to become very disagreeable, as
the warm weather advanced. Captain Budington ex-
amined the room, and was utterly astonished at its state.
He had never seen such a filthy place during his long ex-
perience among the Esquimaux. He arranged, for the
family, a tent on deck, where they would at least have
fresh air, and had their room thoroughly cleaned.

Some German sausage had been included among the
■provisions for the boats; it was, however, decided that it
was too salt to be palatable, and it was brought back to
the ship.

The two Esquimaux started off on the plain on a
hunting-expedition. They were provisioned for several
days. At 9 p. m., of the 30th, Robert Kruger and Her-
mann Siemens, who had been out all day, returned with
the intelligence that they had killed a musk-cow. This
roused the whole crew, seven of whom at once started for

361

1879.

May.

* ,

^^4

«<

^ ^. .u-lft ~

mifm

— Ba»^n»T5rt!B5(i5n=3S!*S5Ww»*r^

litl

362

An Exciting Hunt.

•^«- the foot of Chester's Mountain. The herd from which one
had been killed consisted of four animals; one bull two
cows, and a calf.

Hermann Siemens, in his journal, says: "Suddenly
we saw two of these animals, with a calf, resting on the
snow at the foot of the mount near one of the ponds
about five hundred yards from us. Seeing us they jumped
up, when we fired at them. While I was reloading my
companion suddenly warned me that a large bull was
u.akmg at me behind my back, and, looking around, I saw
It furiously nraning against me with all its speed I
qmckly retreated until ready with my breech-loader.
When I halted, the beast joined the others, and the three
formed a line, with the calf behind them, ready for fight
bellowing terribly. We now fired again, but as we dii
so at a considerable distance, not daring to close in with-
out dogs, only one female fell, and the others, with the
calf, took flight. As I had no mo™ balls, and my com-
panion only a shot-gun, we did not follow them."

The party that left the ship soon found the dead cow
and while two of them stopped to skin it the others weni
m pursuit of the rest of the herd, William Nindemann
was the fortunate one, and succeeded in shooting both
the bull and the cow. The calf remained near its fallen
mother. At 2.30 a. m. of the 31st, some of the men
started to return to the ship with the musk-cow, and

Musk Cattle.

three men, ^^AXmui Nindomann, Gust. Lmdqvist, and
Henry HoM^y, remained to skin the other animals. Not-
withstanding that two of the best teams were away, the
dogs, which had been hastily collected, pulled remarkably
well, and brought the party back in a short time.

At 9.30 a. m., the three men returned, bringing with
them the calf. It was alive, but unfortunately one of its
legs had been broken by a random ball, and Dr. Bessels
killed it to put it out of misery. Nindemann had only
wounded the two animals, which were found and killed,
but not where he left them stretched out. At 10 a. m.,'
Dr. Bessels went with two of the men to superintend the
skinning of tho animals, his object being to keep the skin
perfect, so that it could be stuffed. They returned at 7.30
p. m., leaving one other load to be brought to the vessel.
The meat was placed in the refrigerator in Providence
Berg. As the weather became warm it was discovered
there was no place about the ship where meat could be
kept.^ A large, square hole was then dug in the berg, and
in this ice-chamber it remained sweet and fresh.

363

1879.

f'l

!*1

CHAPTER XVI.

The crews for the boat-expedition were ready, and
waiting only for a favorable opening in the ice. As both
the small whale-boats were assigned for the northern jour-
ney, it was necessary for the rest of the crew to have one
of the other boats in readiness for use. One of the large
whale-boats which had been upon the house, was there-
fore overhauled and painted, and on the 1st of June
hoisted up to the davits.

The men had become rather impatient, and for a
change, Captain Budington determined to send them off
on a hunt; accordingly, at 1.50 p. m., Mr. Chester's crew
started off At 5.50, they reached the place where
one of the musk-oxen, that had been killed a few days
before, lay. It was about fourteen miles southeast of the
ship. William Nindemanu was sent back with the meat,
and Hermann Siemens, Robert Kruger, and Fred. Jamka
remained and erected their tent.

On the 2d, Joe and Hans returned from their

1879.

June.

«■ I'

■ ,1

•I'

< II

""""-wr

368

1879

Juue.

Discouraging Prospects.
Imnt. Thoy had seen no musk-oxen, but had caught
two seals in Newman's Bay. On the 3d, three feet of
water was again found in the bilge. The dock-pumps
being frozen would not work, and it was necessary
to get up steam. The little boiler was suffieient, and from
noon to midnight kept the pumps going l\\\ the water was
out. Captain Budington sent Captain Tyson tward the
north to report on the state of the iee and the prospects
for the success of the boat-parties. Accompanied by
Mauch, he started shortly after breakfast, and, after a long
and weary tramp, reached the cape just below Sumner
Headland. They estimated that they were eighteen miles
from the vessel and fifteen hundred feet above the sea-
level. After lunching and taking a short nap, they re-
turned to the ship, arriving about midnight. Their report
was very unfavorable. The straits were filled with ice
There were a few disconnected leads as far as Newman's
Bay, but north of that the pack was close.

Budington says in his journal: "The plain is full of
fine streamlets of water that give moisture to the ground
Saxifragas are blooming, and are distributed all over the
plam. Insects are getting numerous. Flies and mosqui-
toes are met with. This single warm day has called many
into life." -^

The log-book at this date says: "It was discovered
to-day that the vessel leaked most at high water, and that

Stopping the Leak.

*' the oak was somewhere near the forward end of the
ves >el, as the water could be heard in the hold running
all, the vessel being much down by the stern. In the
a*»«rnoon, after a close inspection outside and around the
buw of the vessel, the leak was found. It was on the
starboard side of the bow, near the stem, right below the
6-foot mark, the water at low tide being just below it.
The heavy pressure, caused by the vessel's hanging over
so much above the ice, had bent or cracked the stem and
split open a plank, leaving a crack which ran from the
stem to about eight feet aft. We went immediately to
work to take off the iron sheeting and repair damages,
but after an half-hour's work had to stop on account of the
turning of the tide, which rapidly rose above the leak.
We cannot now tell how badly the stem is damaged."

The work of stopping the leak went on. The crack
was thoroughly calked and leaded over, and the iron
sheeting restored to its place. The vessel did not, how-
ever, cease to leak. Further search disclosed a corre-
sponding crack on the port side. It appeared that the
whole stem was wrenched and split. The seams were
opened on each side, and unfortunately, that on the port
side was under water at low tide, and could not be closed.
On the morning of the 4th, Captain Tyson's crew
started south to take the place of the party in camp,
which, on being relieved, returned to the ship. They

369

1879.

« ^

■f,:

■■i

■t»!«L'.f.

370

June.

A Natural Refrigerator.
brought six ptarmigans, the only game they had secured.
The Esquimaux who had been hunting all day in the
straits caught three seals. They saw twenty-four sunninc.
themselves on the ice, near a crack of considerable len^rth
and about three feet in width. A large flock of eider-
ducks was seen from the vessel. The ice about the deck-
pumps had finally melted away and they were in working
order. The steam-pump kept the bilge clear. The tem-
perature rose to +42°, and the effect of the sun was very
marked. There was no difficulty in obtaining water. A
large hole was cut in the berg, which in a very short time
was filled ; indeed, the whole side of the berg had become
a water-course. A hose was placed in this hole and con-
nected with a hand-pump on deck , from this natural re-
frigerator one could readily get a bucket or tumbler of the
coldest ice-water.

Early on the 5th, Mr. Bryan and Joe set out for the
southern fiord. Mr. Bryan wished'to complete its survey
m which some few important bearings had been omitted.
Mauch was again sent to the north to examine the
condition of the ice. His report was most discouraging,
^ot even the disconnected leads seen by Captain Tyson
were visible; the whole surface of the straits north, west,
and south, was covered.

William Jackson, the cook, had a very severe fall
but fortunately did not break any bones, although he suf-

Open Water in Kennedy Channel.

fered great pain. Wood obtained from old boxes and bar-
rels was now used for fuel instead of coal, which was
precious ; it was expedient to reserve the coal for steam-
ing.

Hans was oflF to the south and west hunting, and
brought back with him a full-sized ook-gook. He created
great excitement by reporting that there was a large body
of open water at the entrance to Kennedy Channel. This
renewed the hope that something might yet be accom-
plished by means of boats. The open water into which the
ice would be carried by the current and north winds,—
leaving an opening above, through which the boats might
reach a high latitude,— was expected to be seen first at
the south.

In the afternoon, of the 6th, Mr. Bryan and Joe
returned, having successfully accomplished their object.
The traveling over the ice was quite bad on account of its
being generally honey-combed. The feet of the doffs
became very sore ; it was necessary to protect them with
skin-boots to enable them to travel. In many places there
was a great deal of water upon the ice, the pools, made
by the melting of the snow and ice of the neighboring
hummocks, being so deep that it was necessary, when
crossing them, to stand upon the sled and hold the instru-
ments to keep them from getting wet. They encamped
on Oniey Ii^land, and found there an old Esquimaux

371

1873.

June.

f^i

372

1879.

June.

Fossils.

settlement. Eemains of several stone huts were also
found, and the ground was streaked with the bleached
bones of animals which had constituted the food of the
natives. Many pieces of wood and bone which had been
used in the manufacture of sleds and hunting-implements
were picked up. A large number of the most interesting
of these relics, together with many beautiful specimens of
fossils, were brought to the ship by Mr. Bryan and given
.to Dr. Bessels. Some of the same kind of fossils had
been brought from Offley Island early in the spring.
They were the remains of good-sized tropical trees, and
were not found at any other place in the vicinity of Po-
laris Bay. All the fossils found near Thank-God Harbor
had been taken from erratic bowlders, the slaty limestone
of the mountains containing no fossils whatever. Offley
Island is, however, formed of entirely different rock, and
It was in the native stone that these fossils were embed-
ded. Most of them were collected among the dSris at
the foot of a perpendicular ledge which was slowly beinrr
disintegrated.

The party had seen numbers of seal and birds, such
as dovekies, ducks, and gulls.

While Mr. Bryan was at work on the island, Joe
started after some seals. Slowly crawling on the ice
nearly half a mile, imitating a seal, so as not to frighten
a watchful ook-gook, he succeeded in getting quite close.

Struggle with a?i Ook-Gook.

and fii-ed at it. For a while it lay perfectly still.
Leaving his recumbent position, he walked toward the
animal. It began, however, to move, and Joe fearful
lest it should crawl to the crack, threw down his gun,
and running up, seized it by one of its hind flippers
and pulled it back, just as it was about to drop into the
crack. He was not strong, and the beast was large and
powerful, so that he could only draw it back a short
distance, when his strength gave out. The animal again
made for the crack, but Joe returned to the charge before
it could plunge. Unfortunately he had left his large knife
at the sled; having only a pocket-knife, he used it to
the best advantage, but was unable to reach the huge
creature's vitals. He continued the struggle until he was
completely exhausted, and wc.s then forced to let the
animal take the water. He bore about him the marks of
the struggle, being spattered with blood from head to foot.
The party had gone some distance into the liord, and
'ipon their return stopped at the tent to make r, jall upon
the men encamped there. They found all v 11 and in
good spirits, but unsuccessful in securing f.r^v musk-cattle.
Henry Hobby returned with them, bringing five ptarmi-
gans, two different species of snipe, and om snow-bird.

During the afternoon, a beautifal mirage of the
western coast was observed. The appearance of the land
about Lady Frarkln Bay was particularly marked.

373

187a.

June.

>'«

tiS^!^rSM'

374

1879.

June.

Renewed Hopes.

On the morning of the 7th, Mr. Chester went to
Cape Lupton to examine the ice, and soon returned with
the report that there was open water near the cape, and
that ho should start at once. All was excitement and
joy. The men were nearly wild with the prospect of
doing something. Great expectations were raised that
they would now be able to atone for the inactivity
of the spring, and add to the usefulness of the expedition.
During the whole winter the boat-journeys had been
talked about, and it had been shown over and over
again how comparatively easy it was to go to the Pole
No difficulties were allowed to stand in the way, and
the route was as clearly marked out as if it were a
well-known chanr'el. Undoubtedly the warm glow of
the cabiu-stove lad much to do with the coloring-
thrown around this boat-journey. So completely had the
self-deception been effected, that people now looked with
confidence to the result. Hans was sent to the south
to brmg back the remainder of Captain Tyson's crew
and returned at 6 p. m.. with the men, eager to set
out for the north. It may well be doubted whether
any expedition ever left an Arctic vessel with more con-
fident expectations.

Tidal observations at the ship were now to be
omitted, there being no one left to take them. The
meteorological record was kept by Mr. Bryan whose

Boat Crushed.

watch extended from midnight until noon, and hy Mauch
who observed during the remaining twelve hours.

Mr. Chester and his crew set out, under orders from
Captain Budington, at 8 p. m. for Cape Lupton, where
they found less open water than was counted upon.

On the 8th, Captain Tyson's crew went to Cape
Lupton, Captain Tyson and Dr. Bessels remaining at the
vessel. One of Tyson's crew brought back a report by
no means favorable. Mr. Chester had not been able to
get off, and was anxiously waiting for an opening in the ice.
The leak of the Polaris seemed to be increasing, and an
effort was made to use the donkey-engine and pump to
clear the vessel.

On the 9th, at 1 1 a. m., Mr. Chester arrived at the
ship, bearing the unwelcome and unexpected intelligence
that his boat was crushed by the ice and was an utter loss.
The effect upon the ship's company was indescribable.
The grief at the disappointment of their expectations was
great, and every one listened with anxiety to the details.

The following is the mate's own statement from the
log: "On the morning of the 8th, quite a strip of open
water leading up around the cape ; launched the boat and
loaded up; pulled up about two miles; the pack closing
in again, landed on the fast ice; here we stopped about
four hours, watching the movements of the ice from the
hill. At the end of that time, the tide turning, the ice

375

187a.

June.

376

The Men Escape.

III* '''"'g»° to open again up around the cape near the shore-
dragged our boat and provisions over an old floe about'
one-half m,le m extent, and pushed on again. We had
proeeeded about one mile when the small drifting ice com-
pelled us to land. We pulled np on a level floe between
wo grounded icebergs, which we considered a safe place
to eamp. The pack soon set in, and we made arrange-
ments for a short nap before the tide turned again to set
the ice off. A good watch was set to observe the move-
ments of the ice, &e., with instrnctions to call up the
crew as soon as the ice opened snfliciently for a passage
of our boat np around the cape. At 6 o'clock on the
•corning of the 9th, the ice began to open again. The
mate who was asleep on a rubber-blanket about one rod
ahead of the bo»t, was called by the man on watch. At
that mstant the ice broke between him and the boat.
Ihree of the men were with the boat. The piece of ice
hey were on went off so rapidly that we could not get
to them. They soon came in contact with the movL
pack, and the boat wa^ crushed to pieces. Everyt
thn,g that wa. in her wa, lost, with the exception of
three nfles, the box-chronometer, and a few other small
articles. The ice soon became still, which enabled the men
t« get off safely. The pack was moving np the coast to
the northwest. A point of an old floe came i„ con-
tact with the land-ice about a quarter of a mile to the south

Canvas-Boat.

"of us, which 1^ 'oke the ice where our boat was, there
being at the time quite a space of open water between
our boat and the moving pack. Among the articles lost
with the boat was the Casella theodolite, which was very
much regretted."

A little past noon the crew arrived. They were not
at all discouraged, feeling that it was an unavoidable
accident. Mr. Chester at once asked and obtained per-
mission to make another attempt in the Heggleman port-
able folding canvas-boat. His crew set to work to rig it
up in the best of spirits, hoping that after all they might
accomplish something. Dr. Bessels left the vessel imme-
diately after dinner to join Captain Tyson, who had gone
to the cape in the morning. They were to be prepared
to start in the evening. Joe, who had been out hunting,
shot one seal and two eider-ducks.

On the 10th, a little open water was seen, which
encouraged the hope that Captain Tyson had been able to
start. Steam was kept up constantly. It was necessary
to work the little engine six hours out of the twenty-four
to keep the vessel free from water. In the boiler ten
pounds of steam was needed when working; at other
times only six pounds was maintained.

During the night of the 10th, the temperature fell
below the freezing-point, and the pools of w^ter were
covered with a thin film of ice. It was noticed that now

377

1879.

Jnne.

378

■WW*,

June.

Chester Starts Again.
wh.ch fell ,he„ wmds from the southwest prevailed

t w,„d passed over the warm land, while the
-thwe.t wind traversed the iee-eovered strails.

On the nth, Hans and one of the men took an
advance load to Cape Lupton for Mr. Chester. Upon Lis
-..he reported that Captain T.son and ere^h!:

At 10 a. m. of the 12th, Mr. Chester and crew set
off ... good spn-its, with the canvas-boat, singin. a 1!

n.aste!tnd'lt;L^'";;''^^ '''"-'''''■' »"« ^-»-
the I4tl T ! ^ ^'"'^ ""'" ^^^ ">« «>">• On
*"''*'/»: ^"^o' "^ Wrd called a boatswain. He also

vessel, the horns of a reindeer. A white gull was seen

propeller from ice. There ^^, „„ •

leak and !f „ improvement in the

leak, and .t was necessary to keep steam „p continually.

one hour; remarkable because it was so different

Preparing Specimens,

from any experienced during the winter. A northwest
wind WC3 blowing and the thermometer stood at +33°. 1.
A northeaster sprung up and the temperature went up to
+41°.5.

On the 16th, a little open water was again seen, and
a large white gull w^as observed flying toward the north.
The ashts, sprinkled on the floe, had worked their way,
under the influence of the sun, down through the ice until
there stood over them a pool of water two and a half
feet deep and about two hundred feet long by thirty
broad.

Greatly to the disappointment of all, no open water
could be seen on the 1 7th; a flock of geese was seen
flying in a southerly direction. On the 18th, a light
snow fell. Ducks now resorted in great numbers to the
pond a short distance north of the observatory; Hans
was fortunate enough to get within shot, and succeeded
in bagging one of the beautiful king-ducks.

Mauch took upon himself the labor of preparing
specimens during Dr. Bessels' absence. He spent a great
deal of time in skinning and stuffing the different birds,
in collecting botanical specimens, and in bottling insects.
In addition to these labors and the twelve hours' meteor-
ological observations, he kept, as before. Captain Buding-
ton's journal, and wrote up the daily log for Mr. Chester.
He was a very b"3y man; and when it is remembered

379

1S7«.

June.

880

IhL*!' '•'"" '^" <'««*««' ihi.oih

^V^"/< IIV//,v',

•■<'««i!Mr (||,i|,,w

'«'0 liiiK*!

<>n llio anil. II

•"*'' vohu.tnry ,,m.I |,oy,Mi,l I,

'<»n», HO ilini it

»" VKSN,^! w„H Ituikill^r XV

iNvolvo ItoiirN out oC tl

^vnM lUM'rNNnry (o k,M»|) |I

H^ l\voiily.(om-. Tl

i'»«'«niiUMi. and oM o<M,i-lw,gH «onk

>V«M(« ||S(Mt

UNO (linii Im,.

"' l»"'"lp foill^r

»«' wood wjiH nil
'• '" <'nid(» luipontiiio

will

<>'> do luoniin^r or llioL'Oih, II

» »i> ook nook; lliov ||,„| I

"'•oiil Iwoiil

y lour Ikmi

IS.

'iXvvi

<Vi»iu ilio v.vssol. |),„.|„,. ,1
f^liook \v„s H»||, onusod |,v a

""N mid .l<,o roliiriKMl

'»'•'" .«'»'>o IWmi 11,0 voHsol

'•nv.Mi was soon hy lUumnh.

K'Ho coiiiiii.nml, prcHlnrino- «onio

n two niiloH

•^^ '»f<t' a N. !•;. ^al
'M'«^" NVMlor WMs soon not nioro ||,a

<l«v. Ilio wind roso lo a vol

'»* «nVli( of tho iJKl,^
*'niok in tlu

n sovoro

' I0t>

Tin

' noxt

flmiis lo (ho

looily oC .10 mil,,, ,,„ ,

Nolli

Nvosi and sonMiW(>st

'"'>.«: ImiI ono In-oad

•onr; tho
woro coniplololy ohmrod.

tloMod ovor horo and ||
oxjHviod th.nl Iho

lull)

ivxpanso of wnltM- oonid 1
«oJ<^ wilh piooos of ioo. It

•0 soon,

was

a fondiiiionov. all th

I>«H>vido for suoh

takon on board, and

*''"' ^*^»"'»l l>'M.sod for Inol w,Ks Uik

rtvords wort> loft in Iho bnihiino-

v»vss(>| would ol(\'u- liors(»ir. 1
iiistrnnionls woro

tnorylhino- about Iho ol

aooonntofthooxpodition.

•sorv.'ilory
*" <o Iho ship. Two
a ^HMioral ono.

mstruotions for Iho boat

and a spooial ono, coi

partio!

iXivinjr
iilainnig

Tho wind ooutiuuod on Uie i>l>

il. and

It was

iully

ex-

Sawiiu) Oat.

poctod ilmi Providoiico Hurg would got adrift luid ho
drivoii into tlio HtmitH. Tho wind, liowovor, diod iiwjiy iit
noon; tlM^ hor^r kopt Hh p|a(!o. All tho i(!o outHJdo of it
hml \rmi\ und tho wiitor onnio to within thirty foot of tho
Htorn or tli(^ Hhip. 'V\w ioo wjih ton foot thick, and ^ajn-
powdor failod to hroak it up. Hovoral ^ndls won^ Hoon
during tlui dny and ono dovc^kio was Hhot. A coppor
<'ylindor, contninin^r a rocord of tlit) pro(!(!(Mlin^rH of tho ox-
prdition ti|> to (liitc^ waHoarofully Hoalod and thrown ovor-
hoanl. A litth^ to tho north of tho vchhoI waw a largo
horg, which, IVoni itn i)oouliar Hliap(s Iwid hoon known
among iju, HailorH as tho '• I^\!rry-hoat." TIuh was lloattid,
and oarriod ahout IimIC a niilo to tho north, whoro it
gronndod.

On tho 2;{d, tho onginoorH and firomon wore engaged
in altcu-ing largo ico-sawH, to make tlu^ni more Horviceahlo
in cutting out tho whip; a dc^rrick waH raiwod for work in<
thoin. Tho captain had now decided to naw the vchhoI
out, and tho (^-ew hcnng small, all hands were wet to work
on the 24th, lahoring, with slight interruption, from 2 a.
m. to 4 p m. The lower ends of the poles of the derrick
were iron-shod, and it was so rigged as to he easily moved
from i)lace to place.

At 7 a. m. of the 2r)th, the work of sawing was rc-
conunenced, and a little after noon it cleared the ice, which
was twelve solid feet in thickness to within ten feet of tho

381

.If

IN79.

Junn.

'^^Mriiilil^"*T "r ■'■"-' -"'•-'-fril' —

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

{./

^ w^\

#JJ

1.0

M 124

S= Ka K^

2.2

l"l

I.I

1.25

£ lit

£ us 1110

1.4

1.6

Photograpliic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

€3

382

Ship Floats.

1-! J «hJP.- tbere, the ice being fifteen feet thick, the sawing was
arrested. As this ice was separate from both the berg
and the land-ice, it was thought practicable to move the
whole mass at once. In order to accomplish this, a very
heavy purchase was rigged of four double blocks, the fall
of which was taken to the capstan. It finally proved
successful, and at 5 p. m., the stem of the vessel was free.
Two dovekies were shot during this day.

On the forenoon of the 26th, the saw was again at
work. After clearing away much ice from near the ves-
sel a new cut was begun, leading directly into the pond
made by the ashes. It was reached at 1.30 p. m., when,
immediately the ice opened, the Polaris slid from the
tongue of the berg and was once more afloat. She leaked
so badly that the steam-pump was at work all day with-
out cessation.

The dogs and everything on the ice worth preserving,
were taken on board. Captain Budington determined to
start at once, under sail, for the north. There was much
open water in sight, and it was possible that Robeson
Strait was free, and that a high latitude might be attained.
The boat-parties, now absent more than two weeks, were
supposed to be at least as far as Cape Joseph Henry, and
it was expedient to join them, if possible. The first step
was to get the anchors. The starboard anchor lying under
Providence Ber^ was inaccessible. The port anchor lay

iHMi

Unsuccessful Voyage.

clear, but after heaving at it for three hours the crew were
unable to break ground. The captain was very anxious
to improve the opportunity, if there should be one ; the
anchor waf therefore buoyed and the chain unshackled.
At 8 p. m., the Polaris got under way. Beside the cap-
tain, there was only one able seaman on board, and he
was the cook.

Steering to the north, and rounding Cape Lupton, the
ship seemed to have before her a clear sea. Very soon,
however, ice was encountered, and on approaching Cape
Sumner the pack was found to be impenetrable. Eunning
down its edge she crossed the basin and arrived at Capo
Lieber, where, again, no opening whatever was found.
All night she traversed the face of the pack in vain.
Next day the ship returned to Thank-God Harbor, arriv-
ing at 10 a. m., and tied up to her old friend, Providence
Berg.

It was observed that there was not quite so much
water running aft as usual ; upon investigation it appeared
that the limber-holes were chol 1, and the water was
backed up. The fore-peak, the chain-lockers, and the main
hold were full of water. Many of the provisions were
seriously damaged. The carpenter and Fireman Booth
were sent below to bore holes in the bulk-heads.

On the 28th, the water at the anchorage was so clear
that the tongue of the berg, upon which the vessel had

383

1873.

Jane.

'^1

384

Ice Again.

,...; l"""? iJI winter, was plainly visible. The damage to the
vessel could also be seen. The whole stem was split off
and wrenched .„ port. The part below the 6-foot mark
projected at least half an inch beyond the upper part. It
was not to be wondered at that the vessel leaked as ,ae
did ; the only wonder was that she kept afloat

During the morning, rifle-shots were heard off on the
eastern plain, which came from Kruger and Siemens, two
of Mr. Chester's boat-crew. There was much surprise at
tneir return, and they were eagerly questioned as soon as
they came on board. They reported that both boat-
crews were encamped on the ice at the mouth of New-
man's Bay; that they had had comparatively little diffi^
oulty m getting there, but that it wonld be impossible to
make further progress toward the north. They bore a
note from Mr. Chester asking for bread. Captain Bud-
ington, after hearing their stoiy, determined to proceed in
the vessel and pick the boats „p, „ot only to secure their
necessary help in taking care of the ship, but to be ready
to move north in the vessel should the opportunity
occur. '

At 1.15 p. m., the Polaris got under way, but unfor-
tunately encountered as usual the blockade of ice at Cape
bnmner. Signals were made for the return of the boats
without success. During the night the Polaris traversed
along the edge of the pack, which presented an unbroken

Breaking out the Anchor.

mass; and in the morning the captain sent Hang with a
not« to Chester, directing him to return with the boats,
after which the vessel was headed for Thank-God Harbor.
Another effort was made to obtain the anchor with an
increased purchase, which resulted in getting some addi-
tional chain. At low-water (midnight) the cable was
hove taut and secured. This broke out the anchor with
the rise of the tide, and at daylight it was hove up and
catted; lines were, then run out to the berg, and the
vessel was properly secured. At thirty rods ^ obt of the
berg, the depth oi the water was seventeen fathoms ; its
temperati^- • at the bottom was + 32M ; at the surface it
was -f 36°.8, and the specific gravity was 1.0270. The
mean temperature of the air during the day was +46°:
the highest was + 52°.

The bay still remained free from ice, except a little
of the land-ice and a few drifting pieces. At the north the
pack was slowly moving toward the south. At the head
of Kennedy Channel there was but little ice. The highest
temperature recorded in the meteorological journal during
June was + 49°; the lowest, + 28°; while the mean was
about +37°.l.

On the Ist of July, the perishable articles on shore
were stored, for additional protection, in the observatory,
which was covered with a sail.

Captain Hall's grave was made to present a better
2S

385

1879.

June.

* !

386

Another Effort to Get North.

luiy?* appearance than was possible when the ground was frozen.
It had been surrounded with stones; some soil was trans-
ported to it, and a few plants set out. A copper cylinder,
containing the history of the expedition, was also buried
in the grave. A head-board was set up, on which was
painted —

TO THB MEMOBT OP

0. F. HALL,

Late Commander of the U. S. North Polar Expedition,

DiedNov. 8th, 1871:

Aged 50 years.

At 7 p. m.. Dr. Bessels and Hans arrived at the

vessel, having walked over from Newman's Bay. They

had started at 3 p. m. the day before, and were thus

twenty-seven hours on the road.

Captain Budington made another effort to reach
Newman's Bay, in order to take off the boat-parties. He
ordered stoam to be gotten up at 9 p. m., and at midnight
the ship was under way. A three-quarters of an hour
after midnight she passed Cape Lupton. The sun, which
was quite low, blinded the eyes and prevented seeing
far aliead. The water seemed to extend a long distance,
but at 1.50 a. m. of the 2d, the pack was again met
off Cape Sumner. The ship ran c-outhwest down the
face of the pack, which extended from Cape Sumner to
Cape Cracroft, and through its whole extent there was no

J M

386

1879.

JIuh

•n^j^mmnce thm was possiblft .vl en the p-^iund .. ., froztu.
It had been surrounded wUh ^i^>nxsi some mil .,. frans-
ported lo it, and a few plauts .ec out. A noppn . .Jinder,
contaiuiuL' the history of the e<pedition, wa^ ,o buried
in the grave. A head-boruM was set up, on '.%hich wm
painted —

TO THJi HFMORT OP

0. F. JfALL,

Late Commander of ti,«< U. S. North Polar EjpedUlon,

Died Nov. 8th, 1871 :
Ag«^d 00 years.
At 7 p.m., Pr Iie(?HeIs ana iU-^*>^ ^i.^m at the
t«8scl, having fVnr; , jiay. They

», and were thus

tweiily-tieven Uonrni on iU.

Captfii-- ^!«4inirton made anotuuf aifort to reacii
Newma.i « Day, in ordor to taki. off *he boat-parties. He
ordered steam to b ; gotten up .i „ 5;. uL, ml at midnight
the ship wa8 under way. At three-quarters of an hour
after midni-hi ^U passed Cape Lupton. The .uii, wliich
'■ " funded the eyes and prevented seeini^

u.. aj.c... = :a'. vater seemed to extend a loni< distance,
^'^ ^*' ^•'" '- • 0^ the 2d, the pack w.. .^nin met
off Cape Htimr-er. The ship ran south ..,. ^own the-
lace of tk: pa.K. winch extended Ir < a>€ Sumner to
Cape Craerott. 4ad t trough its whole .^u,m there was no

Troubles with Ice.

opemng large enoagh to ad,»it a small boat. None could .«..
bo seen with the glass. At 10.15 a m., Kruger and '""•
Siemens were landed at the ravine above Cape Luplon, to
carry a letter to Mr. Chester, and also some supplies.
The sh,p returned to Providence Berg at 2 p. m., and
was secured by hawsers. A great change had taken
place m the ice of the harbor. Providence Berg had at
first been connected ou ite sontheast extremity with the
land-,ce but now this had gone, and the berg stood clear.
Some of the dogs not being found, it was supposed that
they had gone adrift upon the ice.

On the 3rd, the ice began to come down the straits
approachmg the vessel; and she was moved to the
southeast of the berg. At 7 p. m., a gale from the N. E..
assisted by a high tide, set adrift the land-ice; the vessel
ran jut mto the straits, where she was kept under way

t<^ !''v^Z^ "■• "' *" '*' "'^ *'"P ^'^ "^'^^ °"«Je

' it .^T "' ^"■^' """• """''y ''" """"J^ t»">ed in.
They had been kept up all night working ship. Notwith-

standmg ths, they were turned out at 6 a. m., to protect

the vessel from ice drifting into the harbor, to do which

at was necessary frequently to change her place. At 6 p
m., aN. E. gale sprang up, bringing down with it We
pieces of drift-ice, which frequently threatened to strike
the ship ; they were, however, kept off by poles.

387

■ '(
' ' 1

1
*

388

1879.

Mmly,

Fourth of July.

At 9.30 p. m.. a pioco large enough to be called a
berg bore down with great rapidity, threatening to strike
the vessel amidships. Its momentum was sufficient to
crush in the side of the Polaris, and its approach was
watched with extreme anxiety. When within twenty feet
of the ship it struck the tongue of Providence Berg, which
arrested its progress, turned it off in a southerly direction,
and saved the vessel. The tongue which on this occasion
had rendered such providential service is the very one
which had caused so much injury to the stem and fore-
foot during the winter. It was both bane aud antidote.

Til, 4th was to those on board the Polaris a
day of very hard work, for which they had been ill
prepared by their severe labors of the previous night.
They had no enthusiasm to expend in celebrating the
day.

The gale ceased at noon of the 5th. The Polaris
was then moved in toward the shore, and anchored in 13
feet of water at low tide. Mr. Bryan with Mauch shot one
Sabine gull and two boatswains. At 10 p. m., the tide
rising, the floes set in toward the vessel, and it was neces-
sary to veer cable. At midnight, a thick fog came over
from the west. At 6 a. m. of the 6th, the vessel grounded
in \Vi feet of water. Dr. Bessels killed three fork-tailed
gulls and two boatswains. Mauch shot a small duck of
an unknown species and three dovekies. During the

Ji?tur 71 of Tyson.

night a light rain foil. The ice continue J to force the ves-
sel farther upon the beach.

The following soundings were made at 3.30 a. m.,
the ship heading S. 8. W. :

Bow, 13 feet; midships, port side, llj ^feet; star-
board side, 13 feet; stern, 12 feet. At 5.30 a. m., she
heeled over so far that the scuppers were under water.
A-n effort was made to haul the ship off at high water,
but without success; it was necessary to wait for the
night tidt At 2.30 p. m.. Hobby arrived on board
and reported that Captain Tyson and his party would soon
follow.

At 2 a. m. of the 8th, all hpnds were called, the an-
chor was hove up, the ship warped off shore, and the
anchor dropped in five fathoms of water. The same hour
Captain Tyson with the remainder of his crew, and Fred.
Aunting, of Mr. Chester's crew, reached the vessel, having
walked over from their boat-camp in twelve hours.*

At 3 p. m., a N. E. gale sprang up, accompanied with
rain and snow. The floes were so troublesome that the
position of the ship was frequently changed.

Early on the morning of the 9th, she was so severely
pressed by the floes that it was necessary to resort to the
saws to relieve her. These annoyances were frequent
during the day and kept the men busy.

389

1S79.

Mu\y.

m I

B-r

1^'

' For Tyson's journal on this boat journey see Appendix.

;|^y7^1jSf....p^-,^-^«j.^^^^.;^.-j^y-^

390

JInif.

Scow Injured.

^'••^■•y^Aot a brent-goose on the plain; it had
been the source of considerable sport. When first seen
Hannah wounded P in the wing so serionsly that il
eonld not fly. ft was, however, very shy and fleet, and
did not allow the hunters to get within range. A great
deal of powder aad shot was wasted on it, and every one
who fired was satisfied that his shot took effect, which
led to an amusing calculation as to the amount of lead the
poor goose carried about with her.

On the 10th, the ice was carried away by a N E
gale. On breaking out the main hold to ascertain the
amount of damage done, it was found that the water had
merely spoiled some sugar and molasses.

At 4 a. m., of the 11th, the ship was carried where
the anchor was free from ice. There was open water
around the vessel for the space of dx miles, only here and
there icebergs and grounded floe-pieces; at noon the ice
set m again, and the scow which had been left unprotectf I
at the ship-s side was stove. This scow wo. a little flat-
bottomed boat made at the New York navy-yard for Dr
Bessels. It had proved to be of great service in passing
from the ship to shore, and in going out on short huntmg-
excursions.

On the 12th, new ice formed about the ship, although
the temperature of the air wa. 4-38°. This was owing
to the large quantity of ice in the neighborhood, and the

Lost in a Snow Storm.

stillness of the water. The cook killed three dovekies,
and Dr. Bessels bagged a golden plover.

On the 13th, the fore-peak was broken out; two
barrels of sugar and one of flour were found partially
damaged; the spare sails stowed there were taken out and
dried. Breezes from the southwest blew all day, but the
larger floes were kept off by bergs in the neighborhood of
the ship. On the 14th, a very heavy snow-storm be{:iit
at 3 a. m., and lasted for five hours; in the evening it
rained. During the day new ice formed between the ship
and the shore.

On the 15th, ten dovekies were killed; the result of
the next day's sport was nine dovekies, one lumne, one
king-duck, and a duckling.

At 6 p. ra., of the 1 6th, a light rain began to fall.
One-half hour after midnight Kruger and Jamka, two of
Mr. Chester's crew, arrived at the ship, having been about
thirteen hours walking overland. On the 17th, Mr.
Meyer returned from Newman's Bay. He was twenty-
eight and one-half hours on his journey, having lost his
way in a snow-stoim, and being compelled to seek shelter
under a rock until the weather cleared up. At midnight
the rain changed to snow.

A great deal of snow fell; the mountains were
covered, and there were large patches on the plain. The
whole region looked as it did in the previous September.

391

1879.

July.

^r"

liiiij

392

l^angers from Ice,

•/.r* In the evening. Mr. Bryan and Mauch went out in the

on and tL it"; 't ""^ ""' ^^'^ "^'^ -"= '^is
"ue, and tliat killed on the 5th were nil t>,nf

Dr. Bessefa had kept the first CTk "".^^'^ ^^^-J-

he threw it away when the «" "^ """'' "^ ^'""'

made a fine specLt ' "" "'""■"«''' ^"■"^

Pr„vidl!eT' ^'^ '~ •*' *" ■■'=^ ^- - ^"^ '^^^
mv.dence Bergwa« partly turned over and stood on end

The ,oe was p. ed „p in aU banner of shapes on i.oZ

;^^'rti';rt ;r "^' ''''■ ^"^ ---^

resnmed if, ! , "^ ""' ""^ '«=«' *•>« ^^'S

27 W '""" ^''''"'- ^^«- Ninden.ann anf

■ close TLlJ'- "• "' "^"^^ *"' ^'^ - waa
Close ,n to the third cape, and the whole strait as far

as vwble, was completely blocked.

On the 20th, the ice pressed very heavily a^ains't th«
Polans, especially on her starboard garter. mT 1
"" °" '-'• "^-™ ''-^ '-'y ^eet^hiek, ca^! Ll:;

Preparing to Leave the Ship.

slowly toward her. Much doubt was felt as to her safety ;
fortunately, however, when within a short distance it
grounded. On striking, it broke into many pieces, which,
turning over, exposed massive rocks embedded in the ice.
These pieces drifted further in, and the vessel, retreating
before them, took the ground in twelve feet of water.
Happily she was prevented from heeUng over at low tide
by several hummocks which had grounded near. Great
pressure showed itself all about the harbor; Providence
Berg was again pressed in toward the shore; one large
floe-piece was turned on edge near the thip and towered
twenty-five feet above the surface.

Captain Budington says: "During the entire after-
noon, while the tide was falling and not much danger ex-
isted, we were clearing the hold and hoisting the provis-
ions on deck so as to be prepared in case any accident
should happen which would compel us to leave the ship.
The hold we found partially filled at the time of low
water — no water coming to the pumps. The rest of the
day we did not experience any further troubles — the tide
falling. The next high tide we have to expect at about
1 a. m. to-morrow morning. Night-tide, according to our
observations last winter, being higher, we have to expect
the worst. As we cannot move now, we must patiently
wait what the ice will do with us. A northeaster would
indeed be a blessing."

393

1879.

July.

' tt

394
1 87a.

July.

Pumping.

th,t tf ^'^^ '■ ■"■' "*'"" ^'''' " '""<• '«P«rt was heard like

tha of a cannon. The people rushing on deck were t\i

h the watch that Providence Berg ha'd split .ZZ '

Dunng low water, the men were allowed to go hnnt-

-g on the plain. They brought in seven brent-geese.

three goshngs, six dovekies, the nest of a gull with five

young ones, and two lemmings.

At low water, on 22d, the ship heeled over so much
that .t was necessary to lash the boxes and barrels. One
duck and one gosling represented the sport of this day
In the evening, light rain feU for a short time. Efforts
were made to move the vessel at high water, but without
success; at 1 a. m., of the 23d, all hands were called, when
she was hauled into thirteen feet of water. While this
work was carried on, Mr. Chester and Hermann Siemens
amved from Newman's Bay.' They had waited to get the
canvas boat into a secure place on land. At the next
low t.de the ship again grounded, but was afterward
hauled mto fifteen feet of water.

On the 24th, Mr. Chester, who had been sick imme-
d-ately upon his retorn from the boat-journey, began to
show signs of ecurvy.

On the 25th, two copper cylinders, containing an
account of the progress of the expedition and its plans

!!'!'J^!!!!!^!!'*«^^d^^r^_ch^^

• For Ctate', Journal „„ this boat Journey see AppeudlT

39-4-

July.

Pumping.

. to uf .. «u,„o„. The ,,eot,!e msbing .„ do,.k woro told
by tt^ wa,c. .hat r.-„v,-*,nce Bor, ha.l ^pht ,.,.„de,

1 >-.nn. !. ,w wafer, the men were allowed t^ «o hnnt-
2 ■• - HHin. They brought in «ove„ bre„t-,ee.o,
tft'o-t.. H.^,. ,,x dovekies, the nest of a gull w* five
yonug; ones, and two lemmings.

At low water, on 22d, the ship heeled over so much
,'' w"s necessary to lash the- boxes and bmrels. One
duct and one gosh^ represented the sport of this day.
'" '*' *^^"""«' "S''* ™-" fell for a short tiu,e. moL
were n„.,,e to move the yessel at high water, but without
»uu,.es»; at , a. m.. „f the 2.Sd, all hand, .ere caliod. when

' ' w,wr. While this

. . , , ■ ' H«rm«riii Siemens

amveu ircni Newman's Uay.' f hey ;. ,,^.

.«avas boat into a secure place on land. A. u..',*«
"W ade the ship again grounded, but was afterward
hauled mto fifteen feet of water.

On the 24th, Mr. Chester, who had been siek imme-
diately upon his return from the boat-journey, began to
show Bi'xn?^ r>f Fcnrvv. & "^

<^" ^iic 1'. . , ,wu copper cylinders, coutaininir an
account of ^h, pro,,ress of the expedition and it. plans
were t{irow.^o.,,hoard. Mr. Ciiester wa. ..n.f.ierahly

•For Chester. J. unnil ou thiN boat jourm'^ ,.

Appcpdix.

bett
8om
of t
divi(
the!
The
or te

to br

tions
deep
thick

*'I am 1

ish A]
knowE

Hallos Grave.
better, although his gums were still sore and his legs
somewhat swollen. The whole crew, with the exception
of the two engineers, the steward, and the cook, were
divided into three watches, for the purpose of working
the large deck-pumps to clear the vessel without steam.
The ship wa^ cleared by working the large pumps eight
or ten minutes an hour.

On the 26th, a light wind from the southwest helped
to bring in the ice, and the harbor was again filled.

On the 27th, Mr. Chester added to the other inscrip-
tions on Captain Hall's grave the following, cut in very
deep letters, on a piece of pine wood one inch and a half
thick:

In memory of

Chables Francis Hall,

late commander

tJ. S. Steamer Polaris, North Pole Expedition.

Died

Nov. 8th, 1871.— Aged 50 years.

"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live."

The kindness and respect manifested by the Brit-
ish Arctic Expedition,-at this moment authoritatively
known,— is very gratefully acknowledged.

395

1879.

Jaljr.

396

1879

Juty.

Vegetation.

The board was then painted and screwed to the head-
board on the side opposite Schumann's inscription.

During the day two dovekies were shot. On the
plain the men met, on the 28th, a flock of forty geese
but were unable to secure them. Two lemmings were
caught, for which the sailors rigged a cage on top of the
galley. This cage had glass sides and many little retreats;
and much interest was shown in watching the little crea-
tures and in feeding them.

Early on the 29th, all were startled by a heavy shock
from a floe striking the vessel amidships. Joe shot a seal
ana a dovekie.

Mauch, in his journal, says: "I have been out on
shore this forenoon, probably for the last time this season
Takmg a walk along the beach down south, I thought that
I should fall in with geese, but none made themselves vis-
ible. The plants are dying ofi* already; and the willows
which, with their leaves of a beautiful green, gave the
plain the aspect of a meadow, are now turned yellow
There are very few flowers, though many seeds. JNfearly
all the seed-bearing plants are fully ripe."

Beginning at 7 a. m. on the 30th, a hght rain feU most
of the day.

Captain Budington says, in his journal of the 31st:
"I have been on the summit of the high bluff just north
of the observatory, where I had a view over the ice of

Temperature.

"the straits. Towards the north, whore Robeson Strait
leads into our basin (which I would like to see called
Hall's Basin), there is a body of open water, and a long
streak appears to extend from there along the opposite
coast, where I was able to tra^'e it as far as Cape Lieber.
Abreast of our bay, about one-half a mile off, west of
Providence Berg, there is a very extensive floe, taking up
the greatest part of this basin. I was unable to make out
any motion in the floe in either direction."

The highest temperature observed during the month
of July was +53°.3 F.; the lowest was +34° F.; the
mean was +42°.3 F.

397

1879.

July.

* 1 '

CHAPTER XVII.

On the 1st of August, Hans was sent to the top of IS^*-

° ^ ^ August.

Observatory Bluff to report on the condition of the ice.
It proved to be very compact, with the exception of a
little water near the western coast. He felt a strong
southwest gale on the bluff, while it was calm at the ship.
Hans took daily trips to the mountain, where, to insure
accuracy, he made a pencil-sketch showing the patches of
open water. In this way, the captain was able to deter-
mine the daily movements of the ice and to judge of the
probabilities of an early opening.

A careful estimate of the quantity of coal on hand
was now made by the engineers, who reported that
there was only enough for six days' steaming — a supply
sufficient to carry the vessel, under favorable circum-
stances, to Disco. Captain Budington then determined to
start toward the south as soon as an opportunity presented
itself.

On the 2d, Mr. Odell reported that he had traveled

2«

R^l

J^1

SI I!

402

1873.

August.

■

OdelVs Monument.

over the hills to the shore of Robeson Channel, and found
it completely blocked with very heavy ice. He had for
several weeks been in the habit of making daily pilgrim-
ages to the summit of Observatory Bluff, where he amused
himself in erecting a high pillar of stone. It was nearly
six feet square at the base and from eight to ten feet in
height, and was compactly built. Upon one of the largest
stones in its side, he cut his initials, the name of the vessel,
and the date. As a large flock of brent-geese was flying
past the vessel at a distance of not more than fifty yards,
Hobby killed one with a Ipall from a Sharp's rifle.

On the 3d, from 2 to 4 a. m., rain fell. At 2 a. m.
of the 4th, a very high tide brought off the large floe to
which the Polaris was attached, and, as it floated off, the
hawser which connected it with the vessel parted; the ice
in general was loosened, and some sunken pieces rose up,
striking the ship with considerable force. The hummocky
pieces forced her astern, and her motion in that direction
was accelerated by attempts to haul in the cable. The
consequence was that the ship grounded, and, at low
water, there was at the stern a depth of four feet less than
she drew. At the next high tide, however, she again
easily floated. During the day, a great many dovekies
were shot, and about two dozen snipes. The sun at mid-
night now disappeared behind the bluff.

At 1.30 a. m. on the 5th, all hands were startled by

Shoenmker.

a very severe blow which the vessel received on her star-
board quarter from a floe turning over. Young ice now
began to form about the ship whenever it was calm.
Hans went out in his kyak toward the south, and shot
three brent-geese and several plovers. About six miles
down the beach, he found one of the best hunting-dogs (a
very excellent musk-ox hunter), wounded, probably by a
musk-ox. His name was "Shoemaker". He had been
missed eight days. One of the seamen immediately
started down the coast to carry some food to the sufferer,
and, on the 6th, Hermann Siemens and Peter Johnson went
down to bring "Shoemaker" to the ship. They carried
him in a blanket, which was slung on a pole borne on
their shoulders. The poor dog was very much cut up;
there was a hole in his side between two of his ribs, and
one through the fleshy part of his leg. These holes wc:e
about the size of a musk-ox horn ; his belly was goiod
and cut, and nearly all the skin taken off: The two
Esquimaux were out nil day in their kyaks. They found
many geese. Hans shot tliirtccn and Joe twelve, of
which several were goslings. One of the crow shot a
boatswain and several plovers.

Kruger and Hobby obtained permission to go to Kew-
man's Bay after the clothes which they had been com-
pelled to leave there. Captain Budington says in his
journal: "Each of them belonging to a difierent watch, I

403

1879.

August.

I .1

■f

404

1879.

Aug:nat.

Thoughts on Betiirn.

"granted their request, as one man always can be spared
and seven can work the pumps. They left hi the afternoon.
However, I found myself forced to give them especial
orders to return immediately in case they should encounter
a northeast breeze, for I intend to take the first oppor-
tunity I get to leave this harbor. A delay at this ad-
vanced season will most probably prove fatal. As we
will be unable to keep the vessel afloat in her present
condition during another winter, we will be compelled to
run her on the beach. I have always been living in hopes
that we should get farther north with the vessel; but this
season is so unfavorable, the ice being so compact and
close, that we may almost consider our return this year an
impossibility. Since the return of the boat-parties, we
have not had an opportunity to start north; and, even if we
had such an opportunity now, it would not be at all advis-
able, without enough coal, to risk it with a vessel like ours
at this advanced state of the season."

On the 8th, all hands rejoiced to hear from the hill-
top that there was open water not more than eight miles
from the vessel. The Esquimaux shot four seals, but were
able to secure but one. At 3 a. m. of the 9th, the two
seamen returned from Newman's Bay, and reported that
there were a few leads in the ice toward the north, but
that south and west, it was very close. At 11 a. m.,
Meyer, Siemens, and Lindqvist started for Newman's Bay;

Photographic Views.

the first, to recover some instruments; the last two, to get
their clothes. They reached the boats at 7 p. m., the
traveling being very good, as the land was free from snow,
and the streams in the ravines were either very low or
completely dried up.

Captain Tyson saw open water from the crow's nest,
four or five miles distant. Hans shot two seals, although
he only brought one to the ship. At this season of the year,
the seals are not very fat, and when killed sink quickly, so
that the hunter must be active to secure them. On the
10th, a light wind from the K W. sprang up, but did not
last long ; the hope that the ice would be driven to the
southward was not realized.

Dr. Bessels, assisted by Hayes, was engaged in making
preparations for taking photographic views; they were not,
however, successful. A number of snipes and turnstones
were shot. At 10 p. m., Mr. Meyer and party returned
from Newman's Bay. He brought for the doctor his valua-
ble microscope, which had been left there with the boat.

Siemens in his journal says : " Ofi" Newman's Bay, the
strait was beset all over; not a single strip of open water
being visible."

Thin ice now began to form every night between the
ship and the shore, and it became difficult to force the
scow through it. It is noticed in one of the journals that
the ice thus formed was quite fresh.

406

1873.

Augast.

406

Charles Polaris Hendrick.

1879.

On the nth, the ice of the straits was observed to be
in motion, drifting to the south.

A luige space near the observatory was covered
by a luxurious growth of wheat about eight inches in height.
Among the stores that had been placed on shore was a
barrel of wheat. In moving this, its head was broken in,
and a quantity was scattered on the ground, which had
grown up, presenting the appearance of a verdant oasis.
The dogs were very fond of nibbling the tender stalks.

At 6 a. m. of the 12th, Mrs. Hans Hendrick was
safely delivered of a boy. , All were much surprised and
pleased at the advent of the little stranger, who was unani-
mously named by the crew Charles Polaris Hendrick.

Hans, from his trip to the hill, brought back such a
favorable report that Captain Budington went to examine
the ice. He decided that it would be safe to try to force
the vessel through, but sent Captain Tyson up to the hill,
who returned at noon confirming his own judgment. Ac-
cordingly, every preparation was at once made. The dogs,
twenty-one in number, were taken on board. An effort
to get the anchor proved unsuccessful, in consequence of
the ice resting on it ; Providence Berg had not yet released
the other anchor, so that both had to be abandoned.

A list of the stores left on shore will be found in
Appendix No. 2. These were intended as a provision for
a future emergency.

406
AairnMu

Charks Polaris Beuanvi:.

On the nth, the ice of the straits was observed to be
iu motiou, drifting to the south.

A laro^o 8pa€o near the observatory was covered
by a luxurious frrowtli of wheat about eight inches in height.
Among the stores that had been pUiced on shore was a
barrel of wheat. In moving this, its h«'ad was broken in,
and a quantity was scattered on the ground, which had
grown up, presenting the appearance of a verdant oasis.
The dogs were very fond of nibbling the tender stalks.

At 6 a. m. of the 12th, Mrs. Hans Hendrick was
safely delivered of a boy. , All ^vere much surprised and
pleased av ..k .»dv*nit of the little stranger, who was unani-
mously narm ! ' tu«i?ri»W' -is If AfiflrjV^

ilaus, from his trip to the hiii, brought back such a
favorable report tluit ra|)tain Biidington went to examine
the ice. Ee decided that it would be safe to try to force
the vessel through, but sent Captain Tyson up to the hill,
who returned at noon confirming his own judgment. Ac-
cordingly, every preparation wa« at once made. The do^-s
twenty-ono in number, were taken on board. An eflbrt
to get the HSi.^jor proved unsuccessful, In consequence of
the ice resting on if ; Provid. ice Berg had not yeA released
the other arjchor, so that both had to be abimdonod.

A list of the stores left on shore will be found in
Appendix No. 2. These were intended us a provision for
a future emergency.

! r

s ■ ■

fl
fi

Leave Thank-Ood Harbor.

At 4.30 p. m., the engines were started, and the
Polaris left Thank-God Harbor. Just as the vessel
got in motion, one of the best dogs, a Newfoundland,
named Tiger, leaped over the stern bulwarks upon the
ice. His loss was greatly regretted ; ho was a general
favorite.

The ice was quite compact; but, with great care, the
vessel was piloted between the heavy floes, changing her
course frequently, but always gaining ground ; she labored
heavily all night. At 5 a. m. of the 13th, the open water
which had been seen from Observatory Bluif was reached,
and the vessel seemed to rush with extraordinary speed,
until it was necessary to shorten sail, on account of the
thick fog, which lasted an hour. The coasts on either side
were carefully examined, and it was discovered that there
were several glaciers on Grinnell Land, although none of
them had discharges into Kennedy Channel. At 9 a. m.,
a very close and impenetrable pack was encountered.
The vessel was tied to a large floe, and drifted slowly
down the channel with the pack ; about noon, she was
quite near Hans Island and west of it. The latitude by
observation was 80° 48' N; longitude, 68° 38' W. The
ship continued to drift, and at 7 p. m., was midway between
Hans and Franklin Islands, which are ten miles distant
from each other. Soundings were taken at a depth of 203
fathoms, with a bottom of black limestone. The temper-

407

1§79.

408

Cape Constitution.

a'»»««* ^'^"'"^ ^* *^^* ^®P*^ ^*^ ^2-®' *n^ *^o specific gravity
1.0281.

At 1 1 p. m., the ice opened somewhat, and one hour's
hard labor secured an advance of one mile. During the
morning of the 14th, several unsuccessful attempts at farther
progress were made, and, at noon, the opening of a lane
enabled the ship to get close to Franklin Island in forty-
five minutes. On passing it, the grand spectacle of a huge
land-slide was witnessed, in which immense clouds of dust
were raised, accompanied by a loud noise.

At 2.45 p. m.. Cape Constitution was passed, which
Morton and Hans both recognized as the highest point
reached by them on their memorable sledge-journey when
with Kane, in the spring of 1854. During the day, Hans
shot a small seal. At 1 1 a. m., a very close pack was en-
countered, and it was necessary to secure the vessel to one
of the floes. By a subpolar altitude of the sun, the lati-
tude of 80° 02' N. was obtained. Several unsuccessful efibrts
were made to force a way through the ice ; at 10 a. m.
on the 15th, it opened somewhat, and the vessel was a^ain
started ; after a few hours, however, the ice once more
closed, and the engines were slopped, having propelled
the ship about six miles toward the west.

At a. m. of the 16th, Mr. Meyer obtained, by the
change in the sun's altitude on the prime- vertical, 80°0r X.
for the latitude. The Polaris remained all day fast to the

„

Warping.

floe. There was now only coal enough for four days*
steaming ; the prospect of reaching Disco during the fall
began to look dismal. The latitude obtained at noon was
79° 59' N.

On the 17th, the ship received a slight nip, which
made her heel considerably. Every preparation was made
to have things ready to be thrown, if necessary, upon the
ice. Water was seen at an estimated distance of eif^ht
miles to the south, but it was impossible to reach it. At
10 p. m., the vessel received another severe nip, which con-
tinued for an hour, and was attended with considerable heel.
The latitude at noon of the 1 8th was 79° 44' 30" N. Henry
and Baohe Islands could be seen from the crow's nest.

On the 19th, soundings were made, and the depth
found to vary from ninety to ninety-five fathoms. The
ship was now being pumped by steam, and, the leak hav-
ing very considerably increased, the pump was kept going
twelve hours out of the twenty-four. At 10 a. m., a large
floe to the north began to move, and would have struck
the vessel had she not been at once warped a short dis-
tance ahead and secured in a bight. The removal had
scarcely been effected when a collision of the two floes
occurred with great force, exactly where the ship had
been moored.

During the 20th, light rain fell at intervals, making
everything disagreeable. Notwithstanding this, the crew

409

1879.

AuVHNt.

410

A Severe Nip.

Aw«. "^^ employed in constantly moving the ship to save her
from being caught between floes. It was aggravating to
see clear water at a distance, to which there was no access.
During the prevalence of a S. W. wind, it was thought
that the vessel was drifting to the north; but at 4 p. m.,
the wind shifting to the north, the southerly drift was un-
mistakable. Latitude at noon, 79° 42' IST.

On the 21st, the fires were drawn to give the engineers
an opportunity to repair the little boiler ; in the mean
time, the deck-pumps were started to keep the ship clear.
It was then manifest that the ship was leaking much more
than she did when in Thank-God Harbor. The latitude
at noon was 79° 39' N. At 1 p. m., the vessel suffered a
very severe nip, which listed her over to port so much as
to be decidedly uncomfo table. A southwest gale prevailed
on the 22d, and a light rain fell for several hours. The
dogs, for the first time since leaving Thank-God Harbor,
were allowed to go on the ice.

The latitude, at noon of the 23d, was 79° 37' N. Mag-
netic bearings were taken daily for the correction of the
coast-lines, and some grave errors in that of Grinnell
Land were noticed. The temperature during the night
now began to be as low as 28°; its effect was very plain.
At 6 a. m. of the 24th, a breeze from the north sprang
up, and assisted the current very materially m carrying the
vessel toward the south.

Heavy Floes.

411

At 9 a. m., the ice opened somewhat, and, steam 18T».
having been raised in the little boiler, it was hoped that "'"***
some progress might be made ; but the lead closed before
the vessel started. The land explored by Kane south of
the great Humboldt Glacier was now plainly visible in
clear weather. A great line of bergs stretched out from
Humboldt Glacier similar to that seen when the Polaris was
passing up through Smith's Sound. The vessel was nipped
several times during the day, but not severely ; she gave
proof of her strength and of her fitness for ice-navigation.

The temperature during the night fell to 26°.6, new
ice being rapidly formed, half an inch in thickness.

Mauch says in his journal of the 25th : " The ice is
opening a few hundred yards from us, but so little that we
cannot take advantage of it. The surrounding ice consists
of heavy floes, between which it would not be advisable
to try to force the ship ; her fate would soon be sealed.
Although our prospects for a release are somewhat dreary-
looking, nobody appears to be down-hearted, a fact which
makes me conclude one thing, that they do not appreciate
a winter in the pack, or that they are Arctic heroes, fit for
such expeditions. The officers are, of course, aware that,
ten chances to one, we are lost if we should not be able
to reach the land; but they do well in not expressing their
feelings, so as to keep up good spirits among the ship's

com nan V,

412
isra.

August.

Working Through the Ice.

At 10 p. m., one of the men shot a large seal from
the vessel; the scow was lowered, and the seal secured.

At 6 a. m. on the 26th, the ice again opened, and
the captain ordered steam to he raised, hoping to be able
to find a passage. At 8 a. m., he cast off, and, having
crossed the open space of water, entered the only lead in
Its neighborhood. Following it with great difficulty
through its intricate windings, he found it to be a blind
lead. At 10 a. m., it closed, when the Polaris, having
for a whole hour worked in vain te force herself through
was tied up te a floe. The drift during the day seem^'ed
te be teward the east. Latitude at noon, 79° 36' 30" N.
The blades of the propeller were found te be some-
what bent. Every precaution was taken te keep the
well free. While the ship was in motion, a man was sta-
tioned there te signal for the engine te be stopped when-
ever the blades were about te strike a piece of ice. Not-
withstanding this care, tiie blades had suffered.

The sun, which since April had remained above the
horizon, now disappeared for a short time at midnight.

On the 27th, every preparation was made for Tpossi-
ble abandonment of the vessel. Considerable open water
could be seen toward the west, but it was wholly inac-
cessible. Rensselaer Bay and Cape Isabella, or land
"ear them, could be seen from the mast-head. To-
ward evening, the pressure being slack, the vessel wa^

Battling with the Floes.

413

warped between the floes which had brought her up the 187*.

day before.

On the 28th, there were several leads not far to the
west, but the ice was too close to enter them. The ves-
sel was warped for several hours without making much
progress. Latitude at noon, 79° 35' 47" N.; longitude at
6 p. m., 69° 09' W.

On the 29th, toward evening, water was seen to the
westward not more than three miles distant, and an attempt
was again made to warp the vessel through a lead which
promised to afford an opening. After four hours' hard
work, the young ice, which was two-thirds of an inch
thick, proved to bo too great an obstacle, and steam was
raised to overcome it. The vessel worked laboriously
until 6 a. m. of the 80th, but during all these hours suc-
ceeded in pulling out of the way only one small piece of
floe ; this allowed her to advance not more than once her
own length. The latitude at noon was 79° 35' N. One
ivory-gull was seen during this day — the only thing of life
in all that waste of ice.

By observation of the land, the vessel seemed to
drift on tiie 31st, a few miles N. then S., and so on,
first in one direction and then in the other. Her drift to
the E., and her delay at this point, were attributed to a
discharge of ice from Hayes' Sound. Another sugges-

Hnn \xriM flinf RmJl-ll'a Sf»«Oif v«rod nofiinllTr l%l/\«lrr.rl nr> tx-nA

414

The Drift During September.

fc'

4."^/'^.'" ">« '■'^« P'-e^^ing down from the north, and meet.W
this remtanco, passed to the eastward to fill „p Smith's
bound.

■ The highest temperature observed on board the ship
dunng the month of August was 52°.8 P.; the lowest
was 28».9 F.; while the mean was 37° F.

The drift of the vessel during the month of Septem-
ber was mconsiderable, averaging m much more than
a rrirlo a day; she probably never drifted N., but prin-
e,paUy toward the S. and W. Southerly winds cheLd
her at times, and again she remained nearly station-
ary dunng periods of ealm; her movements being gov-
erned d„,et,3, by those of the ice. The vessel on the 3d
of te month was in latitude 79° 34' N., and longitude
68 o6 W. On the 28th, her longitude was 70° 48' W
and her latitude on the 30th, was 79° 02' N.

No very severe gales occurred during the month.
Th,s was a disappointment. A strong gale from almost
any quarter would have broken up the ice, and made an
openmg by which she eould have worked her way to the
southward. The ship's company were wilUng to risk the
dangers of such a gale for the benefit it would confer

The following is a summary of the weather durin..
beptember. It rained from Uo 3 a. m. of the 1st, and dur!
.ng the first part of the 2d. From 4 p. m. to 10 p. m. on
the 2d, snow fell. From the 18th to the 26th inclusive

SSS^SiS3&s:sEssmui.i

Condition of the Ice.

415

with the exception of the 23d, snow fell every day, almost 187a.
always from midnight until 5 or 6 o'clock in the morn- **"*'•""**'
ing. The fall at any one time was not heavy, although
the whole p mount during the eight days was large. Thick
fog gathered about the ship at 7 p. m. of the 3d, and con-
tinued throughout the 4th. On the 9th and 10th, it
renewed itself, and again on the 15th and the 30th. One
of its effects was to cover the spars and rigging with great
ice-crystals, which gave the vessel a wintery appearance.
The condition of the ice during this month was as fol-
lows. On the 1st, a few detached pools of water were seen,
the land being on this day covered, as it was also on the
29th, with thick clouds. On the 2d, the ice was quite
active, moving in various directions and piling up large
hummocks. On the 4th, the young ice had become suf-
ficiently thick to bear the dogs. On the 8th, an open space
of water was seen to the east of the ship, but entirely
inclosed. On the 11th, the few open spaces to the north
and west were not large enough to tempt the captain to
try to get the vessel into them. .\c 8 p. m. on the 14th,
a large floe moved down toward the vessel, breaking up
in its progress young ice four inches in thickness. For-
tunately, some larger ice interrupted and arrested its
progress.

On the 15th, there was a slight motion in the ice,
which, however, produced no effect on the vessel On

416

Preparations for Disaster.

seieLtcr ''''' ^'^^^' "P®" ^^^^'^ ^tts Been to the S. W. and W.,
not more than five miles distant. It was an opening
which would be closed in a moment, and yet the idle
fancy indulged itself in imagining what might be done by
a vessel in a couple of days in such water and in certain
directions. It had, however, become the universal opinion
that the ship would winter in the pack. At 9 a. m. of
the 30th, the floes— between which the vessel was— sepa-
rated and left an open space seventy-five yards wide on
the starboard side of the ship.

At 9 p. m. of the 16th, the full moon rising in the
east was distorted, being twice its natural size and very
red. The light had diminished so much, on the 27th,
that a lantern had to be used to read the instruments from
8 p. m. to 4 a. m.

On the 2d, the hold had been cleared out, and twenty
barrels of pork and four tierces of molasses were brought
up on deck. In order to have everything in readiness for
disaster, the gaff-topsail and the storm-staysail— sails that
were not of much use under even the most favorable cir-
cumstances—were unbent and cut up into bags for
bread and coal ; and, on the 4th, two tons of coal were
brought on deck in the bags. On the 10th, the stores
from the rooms forward of the men's quarters were also
taken on decjc.

It began now to be necessary to have lamp i about

Drinking- Water.

417

the ship, and the only kind of oil that remained, in any 1 87a.
quantity, was seal-oil. The Esquimaux were expected to **"*•*""**'
catch a sufficient number of seals during the winter to
keep the ship supplied with oil. Among the stores, there
were one or two students' lamps, which, on the 11th, were
tried with seal-oil, and found to work admirably, after
arrangements had been made to regulate the flow.

Drinking-water was obtained from the pools in the
floe, and sledded to the ship. It was found, however, to
be somewhat biackish, and it was feared that it would
prove deleterious. Special care was taken to get the
water as fresh as possible; but, as the ice increased over
the little ponds, their water became unfit for use ; ice was
then obtained from some bergs in the neighborhood, or
from the tops of old hummocks.

Some changes were now made in the ship to add to
the comfort of the ofl^icers. The forward state-room on the
starboard side, occupied bj Mr. Chester and Captain Ty-
son, was enlarged by taking in the passage-way; a small
stove gave them sufficient warmth, and a hurricane-house
was built over the entrance to their room. Joe's room
which adjoined Mr. Chester's, was enlarged in the same
way; its entrance being aft, from the passage-way. To
protect the cabin, a door was cut through into the starboard
passage-way, and the door leading directly- out of the
cabin was closed.

418

House on the Floe.

IS 79.

September

Hans and his family having returned to the forward
state-room, occupied by them during the winter, the
cook and iiis culinary utensils were removed down to the
lower cabin. The pipe from the galley-stove led up
through the upper cabin, and was expected to afford con-
siderable heat there.

On the 16th, a house on the floe was begun. This
floe, to which the vessel had been attached for a lono-
time, was about three miles in circumference, and nearly
round. It was quite a heavy floe; its average height
above the level of the water being about five feet.
Its surface was very broken, and many of its depres-
sions contained fresh-water ponds. Its edges were piled
high with hummocks, thrown upon it by severe ice-
pressure.

A large lake was selected, about two hundred yards
from the ship, the smooth surface of which was made the
site of the house. The lake was protected on the north
and south by high ridges of hummocks.

Captain Tyson was appointed master-builder, and
was assisted by Morton, Bryan, Mauch, and Esquimaux
Joe. The house was designed to be 27 feet by 24, and
to face toward the S. E. Holes were dug in the ice
for poles, in which they were allowed to freeze. Twelve
were set on each side, and three large ones placed across
the center to support the roof, which was to be of canvas.

The Leah

419

In sinking tLo largo poles, the floe was cut entirely 1879.
through at a depth of six feet. September

The leak in the Polaris continued to give trouble ;
nine hundred pounds of coal were used daily in working
the pumps. Many plans fbr stopping the leak were tried
without success; Chester and the carpenter went down
into the forepeak, and worked in vain at it several hours.
It was then decided to attempt freezing the water in the
vessel, and 90 fathoms of small chain were payed down
the forepeak into the water— to hasten the freezing of
which a wind-sail was rigged to carry the air down upon
the chain. On the 11th, the ice having been cut away, a
sail was stretched under the bows. Again, on the 13th,
it was attempted to make f^e after bulkhead of the fore-
peak water-tight. At the same time, oakum was stuffed
into the leak on the outside under the sail. But after all
had been done, the leak proved to be ps bad as ever.
The engineer now turned his attention to a more econom-
ical use of fuel in keeping the ship clear. In the fire-
room, there was a small boiler designed to be used with
the apparatus for burning oil. Schumann believed that if
he could fix up this boiler and make the proper connec-
tion, he could raise sufficient steam to keep the donkey-
pump at work— a pump which had only been intended to
fill the engine- boilers with water. The boiler was moved
aft and secured to a bed made for it ; and its smoke-pipe

420

The Little Boiler.

■•4

.•I«!L';r ^"^ '"" "P ^^''^"fe'^ J««'8 room to boat it. Fortunately,
it was made to work very well, consumin^r only 350
pounds of coal a day, and keeping the pump constantly
going. A careful estimate on the 23d, of the quantity of
coal still on hand gave 20 tonl. The constant work, day
and night, of the little pump, proving too much for it,
it broke down on the 29th. The bilge-pump was set to
work while the former was repaired. In these emer-
gencies, everything depended on the skill and industry of
Mr. Schumann. His energy and resources rose with the
occasion ; and ho was ably seconded by his assistants,
especially by Booth.

The second whale-boat was now taken off the house,
where it had been stowed, and hung on the forward davits
on the port side, to be ready to be lowered at a moment's
warning.

During the first two weeks of the month, many birds
and seals were seen, but none killed. A turnstone was seen
on the 3d; a flock of dovekies on the 9th; dovekies, eider-
ducks, and three seals on the 10th ; and a few seals on the
13th. During the i.cxt week, Hans was the successful
hunter, although both natives went out every day, and,
skirting the edge of the floe, watched for seals in the open
spaces or in the young ice. Hans shot three dovekies on
the 14th, and on the 16th, 18th, and also on the 21st, suc-
ceeded in catching a seal. On the 18th, Joe saw some

Scurvy.

walrus, and fired at thorn without success. During the
next week, Joe was more fortunate, shooting two seals on
the 22d, one on the 23d, one on the 24th, two on the
26th, three on the 28th, one on the 29th, and one on the
30th. On the last of these days, many other seals and
also some eider-ducks were seen. Hans did not meet
with so much success, but caught one seal on the 28th
and one on the 29th. A large number of the seals were
immediately eaten, and many were stored by the captain,
who thus commenced laying up provision for the winter.

While hunting on the 24th, Joe had quite an advent-
ure. He had killed a seal in open water not far from the
edge of the floe, and, not having his kyak with him, he
ventured after the seal on a cake of ice. The cake broke
into two pieces, and as neither piece singly had sufficient
buoyancy to bear him, he placed one foot on each, and,
catching his harpoon in the firm ice, slowly drew him-
self in with his prize.

Mr. Meyer began to show signs of scurvy. At first
it was thought to be rheumatism; but bis leg became
drawn up so badly that he was only able to touch the toe
of his foot to the ground. He was very reluctant to take
the medicine which the captain prescribed, namely, fresh
seal-blood and raw meat. It was, however, prepared in
various ways, and his principal diet for a long time was
4seal. He recovered slowly under that regimen.

421

1879.

S«^pt<>niber

422

Hans' Adventure.

1879.

October.

-1^;

On the Ist of this month, there was considerable
movement in the ice, and the large floes were heard
grinding against each other and crushing the young ice.
The vessel did not, however, suffer ; the projections on
either side of the bight, in which she lay, kept off" the
heavy floes. A good deal of open water was seen to the
S. and S. E. along the land. The latitude observed on
this day was 79° 00' N. The minimum temperature dur-
ing the previous night was —1 °.6 Fahr. This was the first
time since the winter that the thermometer had fallen
below zero.

The hours of the previous winter, for meals, were now
resumed; breakfast being at 9 a. m. and dinner at 3 p. m.
Mr. Chester tapped a barrel of beer, which he had pre-
pared, and it received the hearty commendation of those
who tried it.

Hans succeeded in catching a seal under unfavorable
circumstances. He killed the animal, and, in order to
reach it, he used a small piece of ice as a float, ferrying
himself out in the little pool. When in the midst of the
water, the ice closed ; the little piece of ice upon which he
was, turned over, and Hans got a ducking ; he was res-
cued with the assistance of Joe, after much labor; like
a good fellow, he kept fast to the seal all the time, and
brought it to the ship.

On the 2d, the vessel sufi*ered a slight pressure. Robert

The Polaris Near the Land.

423

Kruger shot a seal, and Joe was equally successful. At
11.30 p. m., Mr. Bryan determined, by observing the
altitudes of two stars, the ship's position to be, latitude
78° 59' N., longitude 70° 35' W. ,

On the 3d, the vessel experienced a very severe nip.
In the morning, Joe caught a large ookgook, and in the
afternoon a smaller seal. The ookgook was 8 feet long
and 6 feet in circumference; it was supposed to weigh
600 pounds and to contain a barrel of oil. An eider-duck
and an Arctic owl were seen near the vessel. Latitude
observed, 78° 58' N.

The ship was in a thick fog on the 4th from 3 to 8 a.
m. ; she was rapidly approaching the land ; Hensselaer
Harbor was thought to be not more than twenty miles
distant.

Captain Tyson finished the frame of the house on the
floe ; it stood ready for its canvas covering. Mr. Meyer's
scurvy had almost disappeared. Two eider-ducks were
seen on the water near the ship. Hans caught a seal, and
Joe brought three to the ship. The two Esquimaux went
out regularly every day, and walked along the edge of the
floe, watching for seals in the little pools that were formed
at different points. They were watched from the vessel
with a glass, and whenever the signal was made, the dogs
were harnessed, and carrying the scow, were driven with
great rapidity to the place to bring back the seals. On

1879.

October.

ii
I

424

1873.

October.

U:i

Three Seals Killed.

this day, Joe signaled that he had killed a seal, and
Jamka, who was nearly always on watch, with Aunting,
started at once with the dog-team. Jamka was the most
successful dog-driver in the crew. They launched the
scow, and had just landed the seal on the ice, when an-
other bobbed up its head to see what was going on, and
Joe shot it. As they were paddling after the second, a
third appeared, and looked inquiringly around. He stayed
up long enough for Joe to level his rifle at him, and was
added as another trophy.

On the 5th, the ice moved considerably; the floe
swinging round and the' vessel shifting her head from
N. N. W. to W. i N. The house on the floe was now
covered with canvas made from the awnings which had
been spread over the deck the winter before. From 5
to 10 a. m. on the 6th, a gale from the south prevailed with
snow. The latitude observed was 78° 57' 30" N.

Snow fell on the 7th from 2 to 7 a, m. Part of the
crew were employed in finishing the house on the floe,
and another part in hauling ice to the ship. The engi-
neers had made arrangements to melt ice, so as to have
fresh water for the little boiler. Mr. Schumann had fitted
a blow-off" so as to clear out the salt that was left in the
boiler, but it did not keep the boiler entirely free from
incrustations ; it was thought best to use fresh water. Joe
caught another seal, and he found that a snow wall

A Bear.

which he had erected to shield him from the winds while
waiting for seals had been torn down by a bear, and that
the animal had followed him nearly to the ship.

On the 8th, the house on the floe was completely fin-
ished. Hans caught two seals and Joe, one. So many
had now been caught that it was thought there would be
enough blubber to supply oil for the winter's use ; and so
much meat had been packed away that no apprehension
was entertained of scurvy during the winter. The lati-
tude observed was 78° 47' 45" N.

On the 9th, there was much motion in the ice. Many
large hummocks were found, and the vessel drifted rap-
idly. Mr. Meyer, by the bearings of two or three promi-
nent capes, determined the ship's position to be latitude
78° 45' N., longitude 70° 15' W. Eighteen hundred
pounds of bread were placed in bags and carried to the
house on the floe. Hans caught two seals. Two of the
men out hunting saw a bear. They fired several shots at
it, but failed in wounding it mortally ; it escaped over the
rough hummocks toward the shore. When this was re-
ported at the ship, there was a general rush with all sorts
of weapons toward the scene of action, but Bruin was out
of sight.

On the 10th, Cape Grinnell was thought to be twelve
miles distant. The leak in the Polaris had somewhat dimin-
ished, and it was hoped that soon the water in the fore-

425
isra.

October.

426

Passing Cairn Point,

oc.!rf;. P'^^ ^^"^^ fr^^^^ »P and no more pumping would be
needed. Two seals were caught.

On the 11th, the hnt at Anowaytok, mentioned by
Kane, was seen, and recognized by both Morton and Hans.
It was about six miles from the vessel which now began
to drift very fast, and there seemed to be a prospect of
her passing out of Smith's Sound before the winter. Many,
however, still beheved that the Polaris would be detained
there until the following summer. Joe caught a seal. Some
alterations were made in the seamen's quarters to insure
greater comfort.

At 8 a. m. of the 12th, Cairn Point was only two
miles to the S. E., and the ship was moving rapidly.
At 9 a. m., two parhelia were seen. The latitude ob-
served at noon was 78° 28' 21" K Joe caught a seal.
The little donkey.pump again broke down, and while the
engineers were engaged in repairing it the bilge-pump in
the starboard passage-way was used to .keep the vessel
clear.

On the 13th, Gale Point was due west at noon. The
N. E. gale which had been prevailing for two or three
days had materially assisted in carrying the vessel to the
southward. During the morning of the 14th, the vessel
was drifting quite rapidly down the middle of the straits.

The floe was turning, and at times it made a com-
plete revolution. The tracks of three bears, one old

Northumberland Island.

one and two cubs, were seen near the vessel. They were
probably prevented by the dogs from coming nearer.
Joe caught a seal during the day. Mr. Meyer was
entirely restored, and was in perfectly good health and
spirits.

Northumberland Island was now in sight, far to the
S. E. A fresh breeze from the west sprang up toward
eveuing.

At 5 a. m. of the 15th, a very heavy snow began to
fall, and continued until 8 a. m., when the wind blew so
hard that it was impossible to distinguish between the
falling and the drifting snow. The gale increased to 40
miles an hour, and continued all day, driving the vessel
with its surrounding ice with great rapidity. It com-
menced to blow from the S. E., but shifted to the
S., and finally to the S. W. During its prevalence,
the air was so completely filled with the flying snow
that one could not see more than 20 or 30 feet. The
ship had remained fast to the floe so long, and drifted with
it so far, that no particular anxiety was felt as to the result.
The captain had, however, always said that if the vessel
passed through Smith's Strait, he would not feel easy until
the ice in which she lay, had joined the regular Bafiin's
Bay pack. The "north-water", as it is called by whale-
men, is always found in the northern part of Baffin's Bay;
and he knew that, were this safely crossed, the ship would

427

1879.

October.

428

1879.

October.

ii k

Drifting Rapidly.

float quietly down with the pack all winter, and be released
in the spring far to the south.

The direction in which the vessel was moving was a
matter of speculation; the fact of her moving was ad-
mitted. The daily work being done, after dinner the men
settled themselves down as usual for the enjoyments of
the evening. At 6 p. m., it was reported that the star-
board side of the vessel was free from ice. The captain
turned up the people, and secured the ship by an addi-
tional hawser to the floe. This extra hawser was over
the stern, and led from a large ice-anchor, sunk in the floe,
to the main-mast. Two hawsers had served during the
whole of the drift to hold the Polaris to the floe, one^'over
the bows and one over the stern.

Final preparations were made to abandon the vessel;
nearly everything had been got ready on deck; the sea-
men still had their clothes and personal efifects to look
after.

The Polaris was driven along at a very rapid rate.
Many eager faces looked over the rail and peered into the
darkness and the gloom, wondering what would happen
next. The sky was threatening. The moon struggled in
vain to break through the clouds. Two icebergs were
passed in close proximity. Some judgment could be
formed by means of them as to the rapidity with which
the vessel was moving. One could scarcely help shnd-

'm
m

»1

'mm

_..__

II;

I* *

428

Drifting Uapidly,

flurti (quietly down wJri, tho pack all wintur. an<] be rrlcased
ill 'he sprinu' jar to tli.- south.

The direction in whicli tho vessel was moving was a
matter of Hpe.',ii]atioii; the fact of lier moving- was ad-
mitted. The daily work bein^r dono, after dinner tho nuni
settled tbeniselves do.vu as nsual (or the enjovments of
t]ie evening. At « p. ,.,., if was repoiLcd that' the star-
board side of the vessel wa. i,ve from ice. The captain
turned up the peoplo, and secuu-d the ship bv an addi-
tional hawser to the iloe. Tiiis extra hawser was over
tile stern, and led from a large iee-anchor, Knnk in t ho (]o(.,
to n.o main-hinst. Two hawser, bad served during the
" ■ ' '% to hold the PolarjH to tbe iloe, one over
'* '' ^-''ws and one over

'••ea-

■■ "^^loii the n...>
'"- ""iHiv on atjci.
Vi :' -Ui\ ]iau tiu;,r c!oUic . aiid pert^onal eilbcts to look
;*ftpr.

Tho J>olavi. .X.,, ^nven along at a very .apid rate.

M:.nv ea.- . i .ko-' <.ver ffu- rail and peered into the

^^ ' i- "< 'i;: wondering what would huppc:

tiii«atening. The moon struuf>je<J in

'•'■ clouds. Two icebergs were

^'"i Sonie judgment could bo

'" -:; to the rapidity with whieh

"V- Onu : Hild scaicely help shud-

vam t<» br

pnssed k
formed l)y
ilie vcbse] vva.s

I ':

'Mil

-.■^■aaridab^-^t^MJ^lltifli.- .

The Nip.

dering a8 lie thought of the consequences of running
into one of those gigantic ice-mountaina. One or two
persons thought the land was visible, but it was very
uncertain.

At 7.30, the vessel ran among some icebergs, which
brought up the floe to which she was attached ; at the
same time, the pack closed up, jamming her heavily;
it was then the vessel received her severest nip. It is
hard to describe the effect of that pressure. She shook
and trembled. She was raised up bodily and thrown
over on her port side. Her timbers cracked with loud
report, especially about the stern. The sides seemed to
be breaking in. The cleat to which one of the after
hawsers was atiached snapped off, and the hawser was
secured to the mast. One of the firemen, hurrying on
deck, reported that a piece of ice had been driven
through the sides. Escape from destruction seemed to
be impossible. The pressure and the noise increased
together. The violence of the storm, the darkness of
the night, and the grinding of the ice, added to the
horror of the situation. Eeeling that it was extremely
doubtful whether the ship would stand. Captain Budington
ordered provisions and stores to be thrown upon the
ice. Then followed a busy scene. Each one was deeply
impressed with the exigency of the moment, and ex-
erted himself to the utmost. Boxes, barrels, cans, &c.,

429

1879.

October.

430

1879.

October.

Throwing Stores on the Ice.

were thrown over the side with extraordinary rapid-
ity. Men performed gigantic feats of strength; tossing
with apparent ease, in the excitement of the mo-
ment, boxes which at other times they would
not have essayed to lift. Forward, coal and the
more substantial provisions and bags of clothing were
thrown overboard; abaft, the lighter boxes of canned
meats and tobacco, with all the musk-ox skins and fresh
seal-meat, were transported to the floe. The cabin was
entirely emptied ; beds and bedding, clothes, and even orna-
ments, wore carried out. Messrs. Bryan and Meyer placed
upon the floe the boxes containing all their note-books,
observations, &c. This was done deliberately and after
mutual consultation. The boxes were too large to be
carried about, and, in the actual condition of things, the
floe appeared to be, decidedly, the safest place. They
were taken far back and placed with the provisions and
clothing.

Mr. Bryan's box contained, together with his private
letters and papers, the following public articles : —

Note-books containing astronomical and geodetic ob-
servations made by Captain Hall;

Observations made with the transit-instrument: for
time ; and for. longitude, by 12 complete sets of moon-cul-
minations, and by observations on Jupiter's satellites;

Observations made with the alt-azimuth instrument or

Mr. Bryants Box,

Casellu theodolite: for latitude of different places; for time;
for declination of magnetic needle ; and for surveying pur-
poses ;

Observations made with the sextant : for position at
different places; for the lati'.ude of Thank-God Harbor
by double and circum-meridian altitudes of the sun and
stars at both culminations ; for time at Thank-God Harbor
by sets of single and equal altitudes of sun and stars, a
very largo number; for longitude of Thank-God Harbor
by altitudes of the moon, and by over 300 lunar distances;
for declination of magnetic needle by solar bearings; for
determining the height of twilight arch and the diameters
of halos; and for surveying purposes;

Observations with the magnetometer: for variation
of magnetic declination, comprising hourly observations
extending over five months, and six-minute observations
during three term-days in each month ; for absolute decli-
nation, by reference to terrestrial objects whose azimuth had
been determined by solar bearings; and for absolute intensity;

Observations with the dip-circle: for magnetic inclina-
tion in several places, including 23 sets at Thank-God
Harbor ; and for relative intensity by Floyd's needles ;

Observations with the prismatic compass : for mag-
netic declination; and surveying purposes;

Note-books of surveys, and the daily chronometer
comparisons;

431

1879.

October.

li !

432

1873.

October.

Mr. Meyer's Box.

Two large books containing a very full daily record
of events;

Several books containing detailed accounts of impor-
tant events;

A large botanical collection;

Several choice zoological and mineralogical speci-
mens.

The ibllowing list of the contents of Mr. Meyer's box
is taken from his report to Brig. Gen. A. J. Myer, Chief
Signal-Officer of the Army: —

Private letters and documents;

Eecord of meteorological observations reduced and
corrected;

Books of comparisons for the correction and veri-
fication of meteorological instruments and observa-
tions;

Table of relative humidity, and dew-point for indi-
cations of the wet-bulb between 0° and 50°;

History of the expedition in journal form;

Meteorological journal containing a detailed record
of occasional observations and short discussions of marked
meteorological phenomena;

Astronomical and geodetical observations, including
surveys of all land discovered and corrected ;

Observations on magnetic declination at numerous
locaHties;

Heroism of Engineer Department.

Observations on horizontal intensity of magnetism at
Thank-God Harbor by theodolite-magnetometer;

Botanical collection of plants between latitude 81°
26'N. and82°07'N.;

Topographical map of Thank-God Harbor and Polaris
Bay, secured in a tin cylinder.

The pendulum-obsorvations, which properly belonged
to Mr. Bryan's work, having been recorded by Dr. Bessels,
were fortunately kept by him, and not put out on the ice.

The Esquimaux women and children took refuge on
the floe. It should be mentioned, however, that Hannah,
after taking out the things from her room, worked like a
man, proving herself equally capable in handUng heavy
boxes.

The little bilge-pump in the passage-way had been
kept going, but the leak was increasing, and it could no
longer be made to suck. Captain Budington at once
ordered steam to be raised in the little boiler. It was
dangerous to be at work down in the fire-room, when the
ice was threatening to crush in the vessel's side above
them; but the engineer department did not now shrink
from danger — it never had done so.

The two boats were lowered, and, with the scow,
were placed on the floe. The pressure had now be-
come so great that the great floe itself had cracked in

several nlaces. and the vessel was frradunllv hronkinjr off
28

433

1879.

October.

■-•h \\

434

The Separation.

o.?,'t. "' "''so ''"d •'o^g down the pieces. Many articles had
boon thrown in a heap near the ship, and it was found
that some of the lower things in the pile were dropping
through between the vessel and the ice. It was also seen
that should the ship be cut through and sink, many, if
not all, these articles would sink with her. A call was
therefore made for men to carry these articles to a safer
place on the floe. There was no special designation for
that duty; but Captain Tyson, taking several persons
with him. at once entered on it. After laboring about
one hour and a half, the decks were cleared and the men
on board ship had finished their work. At 9 30 p m
by some change in the ice. the starboard side was again
clear; the vessel was free from pressure, and the cracks
in the floe began to open.

Unfortunately, two of these cracks ran through the
places where the stern a.ichors had been planted, break-
...g their hold. The wind, still strong, now drove the
vessel from the floe, and, the anchors dragging under the
stram, she swung round to the forward hawser. The
latter slipped, and the vessel was carried rapidly awny
from the ice. The night was black and stormy, and in a
few moments the floe and its precious freight could no
longer be seen through the drifting snow. Before the
separation, it had been noticed that the floe was much
broken on its edge; that the provisions and stores were

The Men Left on the Floe.

separated from each other by rapidly widening cracks;
that the men also were on different pieces of ice; that
active efforts were being made to launch boats in order to
bring the scattered people together. Several men were
seen rushing toward the ship as she was leaving, but
they failed to reach her. The voice of the steward, John
Herron, was heard calling out, "Good-by, Polaris!"

435

1873.

October.

5 f

\i'

XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII.

As soon as the floe -party disappeared, Captain Bud-
ington called all hands to muster, when it was found that
fourteen men remained on board :

Captain, S. 0. Budington ;

First mate, H. C. Chester ;

Second mate, Wm. Morton ;

Chief of scientific corps, Dr. Emil Bessels ;

Astronomer, R. W. D. Bryan ;

First engineer, E. Schumann ;

Second engineer, A. A. Odell ;

Carpenter, N. J. CoflSn ;

Firemen, J. W. Booth, W. F. Campbell ;

Seamen, J. B. Mauch, N. Hayes, H. Siemens, H.
Hobby.

This remnant of a crew, so suddenly reduced, gazed
on each other for a few moments in silence— when the
order was given to station the lookouts ; the duties of the
ship were resumed.

1879.

October.

440
187a.

October.

The Polaris Afloat.

The impression was that both the rudder and the
propeller had been injured, and without the former it was
useless to make sail ; there was, as yet, no steam. The
wmd drove the vessel with rapidity through the water,
which, except for detached pieces of ice, seemed to be
clear; the sea was rough. Several bergs were passed in
safety, but not without increased anxiety when it was
remembered that the boats had been left on the floe.
This was a period of deep gloom and of conscious help-
lessness, not unaccompanied, however, by that trust in
Divine Providence which never forsakes the breast of an
able seaman.

A few moments after the separation, one of the fire-
men who was below getting up steam, reported that the
vessel was leaking very fast. Mr. Schumann was sent to
make an examination, and his report was very alarming.
The water was pouring in so rapidly that he feared the
fires would be put out before ..earn was raised to work
the pump ; all hands were at once sent to the large main-
deck pumps. A few pails of hot water from the boiler
started the fou- pumps. "Now work for your lives, boys,"
said the captain; and all worked with a will; continud
streams poured from the pumps. The scuppers, even
when cleared, were not sufficient to carry off the water
in which the crew were standing-insensible to the expos-
ure because working for life. Frequent soundings of the

Pumping for Life.

well showed that the leak was gaining ; the engineers and
firemen were urged to their utmost. Everything com-
bustible, including seal-blubber, which happened oppor-
tunely to be at hand, was thrown into the fire. They
worked as they never had worked before ; for they knew
very well that if the water rose to the fire-plates all would
bo lost. After an hour and ten minutes of the severest
labor, the welcome word was passed that steam was up
and the steam-pump at work ; this came not a moment
too soon. So rapidly had the water gained that, at the
moment the pump commenced to work, it was lapping
over on the floor of the fire-room. In a few moments
more it would have reached the fire itself, and the his-
tory of one part of the crew of the Polaris would have
ended. The steam-pump, however, did good service, and
rapidly gained on the leak, so that all anxiety was for the
time removed.

The Polaris continued to drift along until toward
midnight, when she ran into posh ice, and her progress
was stayed. The wind died away and all was quiet;
the moon began to show herself more frequently, and a
few stars were seen here and there. The men gave them-
selves up to broken slumbers, which, under the circum-
stances, were the only rest possible. The ofiicers (their
own bedding being on the floe) sat up in Mr. Chester's
room, and discussed the probable fate of their absent

441

1879.

October.

442

Looldng for Floe Party.

oifole;. ^«""P^"''«"«. ^nd their own, by no means brilliant, pros-
pects.

'niQ morning of the IGth was calm and clour. At
daylight, the first object was to determine the ship's posi-
tion. The vessel lay in young ice about twelve inches in
thickness, not far from the eastern coast. Upon studying
the land carefully, it appeared that she was about half-
way between Littleton Island and Cairn Point, and not
more than five miles from the coast, opposite the head of
Life-Boat Cove. Since there was only coal enough to
keep fires alive for a few days, it was evident tha't the
vessel must be abandoned. The foresail was unbent and
cut up to make bags for coals and bread.

Mr. Chester was sent to the crow's nest to look for
the party left on the ice. Ho examined everything care-
fully with a good glass, but could see no living creature.
He thought he saw some of the provisions and stores on
a floe, out toward the middle of the strait, about four miles
from the ship ; others who saw the same thing felt sure
that it was black ice, or stones, or d4bris. Henry Hobby
looked also for the missing people, but could see nothing
of them. This was variously accounted for ; first, by sup-
posing that the vessel had drifted entirely out of sight ;
secondly, by supposing that she was concealed by the
land. Mr. Chester says in the log-book : - The large floe
that our party were on must have stopped to the south

Land Reached.

443

" of Littleton Island, and very near the east shore of the 1 87a.
straits." '•*•""»*•■•

About 8 a. m., a breeze sprang up from the N. E.,
breaking up the young ice, and making lanes of water lead-
ing to the shore. At once the captain decided to take
advantage of these openings, and get the ship as soon as
possible secured to the land. When it was proved that
the ice would bear, Hermann Siemens was sent out to
plant anchors for warping ship. The little boiler con-
tained steam enough for a few revolutions of the engine,
and once in a while it was used to help the vessel round
a point. All were agreeably surprised to find that the
propeller was in good condition, and that the rud-
der, although injured, could still be relied upon. When
the wind strengthened, the jib, main-sail, main-spencer,
and the stay-sail were hoisted, and the vessel made good
way.

Thus the ship finally reached the land, where she was
secured with heavy hawsers to large grounded hummocks;
she lay with her starboard side toward the beach. After
her stern-post took the ground, it was impossible to get her
farther up. On the ebb, she heeled so much that the
water came half-way up the bulwarks.

The captain and Dr. Bessels took refuge for the night
in Mr. Chester's room. Morton, Bryan, and Mauch chose
the forecastle, where they found some blankets left by the

444

The Leak.

■I

oifol?;. "'^"^i^^ had gone on the floe. The whole company was
badly off for clothes, having none but those on their backs.
A few refuse pieces of clothing wore f )und, and added to
the scanty store. The sentiment of relief and gratitude
for the escape from their recent perils was deep and
universal.

Early on the morning of the i7th, the crew were
set to work making preparations for leaving the ship.
Toward noon, it being very high water, an attempt was
made to get the vessel nearer shore, and more head on ;
the grounded ice-masses were, however, so close together
that little could be done. During the morning, two blue
foxes were seen. The sun at noon did not show itself
above the mountains. It had been seen on the 16th~tho
last time for several months.

At night, by invitation of Captain Budington, those
who had lived in the forecastle, moved with their bedding
into the cabin. The eating was done in the lower or
berth-deck cabin ; there were two tables. At low tide
there was an opportunity to examine the leak. The
whole stem was gone below the six-foot mark; one or two
planks, still attached, were bent back on the port side.
The captain was greatly surprised that the vessel did not
leak more, and could only explain it by the many thick-
nesses of timbers in the bows, which were solid for some
distance from the stem.

Esquimaux.

On tho 18th, no pack-ice could bo seen to the south-
^;ar<l and westward, tho N. B. gale having driven it away.
T^'M day was warm and pleasant, although overcast and
.'■<^.T;y ; a little snow fell in the afternoon.

The crew were employed in taking things to the
shore, about 400 yards distant. The two yards, the two
booms, the two gaffs, the two top-masts and their rig-
ging, were taken down, and hauled to the shore; the sails,
having previously been unbent, were made up ready for
transportation. The vessel was further secured by two
additional hawsers. A blue fox was seen near the land,
and two ravens flew over.

The 19th was a day of calm, with a little snow. At
the moment of going to work, the sound of dogs was
heard, and it was at once thought that those of their com-
pany from whom they had been separated, were return-
ing. Tho excitement was intense; some looked out into
the straits, others to the south, and others toward the land,
in the direction from which each imagined the party was
coming. In a few moments, two figures were seen on the
land, making a loud outcry ; but, on their approach, there
was great disappointment in finding that they were only
Esquimaux.

They soon reached the ship with their small sled, the
runners of which were shod with bone, drawn by nine
dogs. They were dressed in dog-skin jumpers and bear-

446

1879.

October.

446

Polaris House.

o\Zt. '^^" *^""«^^«- ^^Pt^^» Budington, who had had some
experience with Esquimaux, and could make himself intel-
ligible, at once addressed them. They managed to find
some words in common, which, aided by signs, enabled
them to carry on quite a conversation. They said they
were from Etah ; that they had smelt the smoke from
the vessel, and had come over the land to see what
it was. They had heard nothing and seen nothing of
the floe-party. Their names were A-wah'-tok and Mi'-ouk.
They are mentioned in Kane's work, and after a little
while they seemed to remember Morton. They ex-
pressed their willingness to help in transporting articles
to the shore.

They were very much surprised to see the number
of seals hanging in the rigging and the musk-ox skeletons
on the deck, and exhibited great wonder and interest upon
being shown the cat and the live lemmings-animals
which they declared they had never- seen before. They
helped during the day in landing stores.

It having been decided that it would be impossible
to remain in the vessel, Mr. Chester, assisted by Booth
and Siemens, began to build a house upon the shore. With
the yards and other materials, a square frame, 22 by IG feet,
was put together. A corresponding frame of lighter
stuff made the roof-plates, and was supported by planks,
6i feet high, forming the sides of the house. When in

Landing Stores.

447

the afternoon work was stopped, the house was framed isra.
and the four sides boarded up.

The Esquimaux left the Polaris early on the 20ih,
promising to return with some of their tribe to assist further
in transporting to the shore the contents of the ship. The
weather was mild all day, making it very pleasant for
work, notwithstanding a light snow was falling. The
crew was again employed in hauling stores to the shore.

The work on the house progressed rapidly. A ridge-
pole was secured eleven feet above the floor, and rafters were
placed at convenient distances. There being no suitable
lumber for covering the roof, two sails were stretched over
the rafters. Before night the floor was nearly laid.

While at work during the day, Dr. Bessels twice fell
through cracks in the ice. Mauch tried it once; he
was not very well provided for such experiences, having
only one suit of clothes; it was some time before a change
of raiment could be found for him.

Early en the 21st, six Esquimaux came with five
teams of dogs. They evidently had come to work, and
they did work hard all day, proving themselves a good-
natured set of fellows, full of fun, and ready at all times
for a laugh. The crew loaded the sleds at the ship and
unloaded them on shore.

It was hvely sport with the teams hastening back
and forth from ship to shore, and the loads they carried

448

1879.

October.

^ i

Moving into the House.

were remarkable. Four of their uogs would trot off gaily
with a weight which four of the ship's crew could scarcely
move. The difference in the sleds, however, must not be
overlooked; the Esquimaux sleds were light and shod with
bone, slipping easily over the ice, while the sled used by
the Polaris men was heavy and shod with iron. At first,
all the smaller sleds having been left on the ice, the largo
sled, made by the carpenter the winter before for trans-
porting boats, was used; this sled, however, proved to bo
unwieldy, and was sawed in two, but even the half was
too heavv.

The building of the house had advanced so rapidly that
the bunks, in two tiers, six on each side, were now put up.
At the end opposite the door were two other bunks, one for
Captain Budington and the other for Mr. Chester. Nearly
all moved ever and slept in the house that night. The cap-
tain showed the Esquimaux a number of whaling harpoons
and lances, telling them that if they stayed and helped him
until everything was out of the ship he would give them
many presents. They seemed pleased, and promised to
render good service. Captain Budington says in his jour-
nal: "We have taken stock of oui ammunition, and find
that we can avail ourselves of about eight pounds of pow-
der, which some of the men had stored away in their
chests and powder-flasks. This is all we have'^on board,
the powder-can having been also put off on the ice

3:1

Store-House.

449

"during the fearful night of the 15th; also all our isra.

Sharp's cartridges, except some open [loose] ones which
were found amongst the men's things. One box of mus-
ket-cartridges we have, and plenty of shot and lead; also
several shot-guns. In fact, we are not altogether as bad
off as we first supposed, and the only thing that we are
short of is clothing. This, if we cannot get any game,
we may feel considerably before spring comes on."

On the 22d, the natives continued to assist, and a
great deal was removed from the ship. The galley was
placed on the southeast corner of the house, and the small
stove was also taken over and put up. The house faced a
little to the west of southwest.

Articles could be sledded to the house at or about hio-h
tide only. At low tide, the ice of the bay sinking, there
was left a huge crack betwcan it and the ice-foot, which
it was impossible to cross with a sled, and at this crack,
there was a difference of level of between five and six
feet. But the work was not stopped on acco.uit of these
obstructions; the sleds were unloaded >iear the crack.
Every one moved over and slept in the Lonre, with the
exception of the two engineers -ho stil: ; ipt the engine
moving. Reindeer tracks were now seen near the ship.

On the 23d, Mr. Chester extenucv' the house io
provide a store-room equally as wide, and nearly as
long; it was built on the southwestern end, and inclosed

<0.

450

The Polaris Abandoned.

oc*«5e*: *^«g^"^y- The door being at the same end, the store-
room answered the purpose also of an ante-room, keeping
out the weather. The two engineers came over with the
cat, leaving on the Polaris at night only the firemen and
the Esquimaux. Their work being finished, the Esqui-
maux returned to their homes early on tiie 24th, having
received many presents. During the day, the bunkers
and bulkheads below deck were torn down, and every
useful thing was carried to the upper deck. At 6 p. m.,
the pump was allowed to stop, and thus the final act of
abandonment was executed.

^1.

On the 25th, it was discovered, on examination, that
there were but six tons of coal remaining. A great deal
of lumber, however, had been brought on shore, and more
could be obtained from the wreck during the winter. The
water had risen during the night five feet above the fire-
room floor.

Mr. Bryan with Mauch went hunting ; they crossed
to Littleton Island, but saw no game. Dr. Bessels fol-
lowed them, with the same ill success ; upon his return,
however, he shot a blue fox near the house.

This day an Esquimaux arrived at the house with his
family, consisting of his wife and two children, a boy of
four, and a girl of about two years of age. They lived
at the head of Eoulke Fiord. The captain at once noticed

A Tattooed Esquimaux.

that the woman had her face tattooed, and said that she
must have come from the West-land, as tattooing was a
custom which did not obtain among the East-land natives.
After some conversation, the captain ascertained that his
surmise was correct. A party in an oomiak and five
kyaks had crossed over, four or five years before, and
these were the only survivors. They had introduced the
use of the bow and arrow. Kane and Hayes particularly
mentic-: that the Smith Sound natives did not use that
weapon. The woman was very intelligent and readily
understood the captain.

On the 26th, the water had risen in the vessel to
within three feet of the upper deck. A very severe wind
from the N. E. sprang up, but was not much felt. The
weather fortunately had remained fine until the party from
the ship had become established, and had made them-
selves comfortable in their new quarters. They could not,
however, help speculating upon the fate of their late com-
panions, wondering if they were exposed to this storm
with no shelter. The general opinion was that Tyson had
been able to effect a landing with his men, somewhere to
the south, and that he would probably use his dogs, sleds,
and boats to travel up the coast and rejoin the main party.

A large number of Esquimaux, comprising the whole
population of Etah, consisting of nine men, three women,
and eight children, now made their appearance. Most of

451

1879.

October.

■

452

An Exciting Chase.

■ I -

olfol?;. *^^ '^^'^ ^^^ ^^®° ^" ^^^'^^i t^« vessel before. They could
give no information respecting Tyson and his people, not-
withstanding the many and pressing questions put to them.
These natives brought some walrus meat.

Mr. Chester started oflf on a deer-hunt with the West-
land native and his family. Hobby shot a blue fox near
the house. The Esquimaux attempted to pass the night
in the ship, but when the vessel heeled over at low tide
the women became so frightened that they would not stay
on board ; the men built a snow house, where they all
passed the remainder of the night.

On the 27th. lumber was pUed up near the house for
winter use. Quite a stir was occasioned by the discovery
of a man running on the ice of the straits far from land.
The twilight was too faint to distinguish objects clearly ;
but he ran like a white man. The suggestion that it was
one of the ice-floe party led to great excitement. Several
started out to run and meet him, and others prepared to
run ; but after some time it was discovered that it was an
Esquimaux, who had gone out in search of food for his
dogs. This news was carried along the line of runners,
and brought them all back, except Morton, who was out
of hearing, and continued on until he reached the man.
The Esquimaux from Etah were allowed to pass the night
on the floor of the house, presenting a motley but inter-
esting group.

Looking for the Iron Boat.

453

In the evening, a faint aurora was seen. The wind > 879.

lu c\n T- October.

on the 28th, .. as so strong that httle outside work could
be done. The Esquimaux left for their homes.

At 9.30 a. m. of the 29th, Mr. Chester returned. He
had been to the hut of the Esquimaux with whom he went,
at the head of Foulke Fiord, and about one and a half
miles from Brother John's Glacier. He had seen two rein-
deer, but had not been able to get within rifle-shot. The
wind during his absence had been so strong that he could
not venture far from the igloo. The lowest temperature
of the season, — 4°, occurred to-day.

On the 80th, more lumber w-as brought from the ves-
sel, and the forge and anvil were set up in one corner of
the store-house. In the evening, Mauch and Siemens each
shot a fox ; Hobby shot three.

On the 31st, Captain Budington sent a party, con-
sisting of Mr. Chester, Dr. Bessels, Noah Hayes, and the
carpenter, with pick and shovel, to McGary Island to look
for the boat left there by Dr. Hayes, and to see if it could
be used. They failed to find any trace of the boat, which
was probably hidaen in the deep snow.

Mr. Bryan with Mauch and Siemens took a tramp
over the land to the northeast ; they killed no game, and
saw only two foxes and some deer-tracks.

464

1879.

November.

I •

, Hunting Parties.

On the Ist of November, a heavy, dark cloud was
seen over the straits, hiding the western land and indicat-
ing open water. Two Esquimaux families came over from
Etah ; they were driven from home by want of food,
having been compelled to kill some of their dogs. Three
foxes were shot near the house.

The meteorological observations were recommenced;
Mauch's watch was from 4 p. m. to midnight, and Dr.
Bessels observed for the remaining sixteen hours.

On the 2d, a severe gale from the S. W. prevailed,
with an exceedingly heavy snow-drift. The Esquimaux
women were engaged in making a few mittens and other
garments out of skins that happened to be on hand. On
the 3d, Mr. Chester and the carpenter started out hunting,
but were unsuccessful, although one deer was seen. On
the 4th, a small building for the transit-instrument was
erected about thirty yards southwest of the house.

It began to be disagreeable to have so many Esqui-
maux night after night sleeping on the floor, and a tent
was set up, made out of a sail, in which they passed the
night ; but they did not like it. On the 5th, Mr. Chester
and Noah Hayes went up the coast with one of the natives
on a hunt, but saw no game. Hobby shot a fox. On the
6th, a white fox was caught in a steel-trap. The same
day, Mr. Bryan and Schumann set out with two of the
natives, with their families, for Etah, on a hunting excur-

Etdh.

455

sion. As the ice of the straits was not firm enough to 1879.
bear them, they were obliged to cross the land. After
ascending a high hill, they passed in a southeasterly direc-
tion across an undulating plain, and, entering a tortuous
ravine, were led to the shore of Foulke Fiord. The land
was high and steep, and its descent was not effected with-
out danger. Heaching the settlement of Etah, they found
that it consisted of three huts built of stone and turf. The
two larger huts were the joint property of two families
which were blood-relations. The first was occupied by
A-wah'-tok, one of the men who had first visited the ves-
sel; his wife's name was Ke-shan'-gua, and he had two
sons, mere lads, A-ning'-a and Kes'-su. His daughter,
Mak-shan'-gua, was married to Neu-in'-nea, and had a
young daughter; she lived with her father.

The second hut was owned by Shu'-kok and Ira'-me-
nah, who had married very pretty sisters, A-nul'-lok and
A-ma'-mie. Shu'-kok, or, as he was sometimes called, Na-
nook'-ie, had two bright little boys, Mi'-ak and Shu'-loo.
Im'-me-nah had a girl and a boy, Nel-le'-ka and Koh-ket'-
sha. The third hut was the property of Mi'-ouk, who
occupied it with his wife, Six'-se-a, a young son, Ko-lus'-
suk, a little daughter, Ma-kip'-su, and a baby boy, Charley —
so named by some of the crew. The hut at the head of
the fiord was inhabited by the West-land family. The
man's name was E-took'-a-jeu, nickramed Jimmy ; his

456

Reindeer.

I ■

III

J.Zler. ^'^'^'' ^■"^'^^'■^"' ^'^ ^'^^^ W's, Pun'-o-pa; and his littlo
girl's, Mun'-ning. Besides these, there were staying in the
huts two young couples, E'-nu and his wife, Mun'-ny, and
A'-kooand his wife, Koosh-oo'-e-tah ; Ma-jet'-siia, his wife,
A -ma, and daughter, E-nel'-look, and an old widow woman,'
Ka-rush'-uck. Messrs. Bryan and Schumann passed the
night in Shu-kok's hut, some of his Esquimaux friends
going into one of the other huts to make room for them.
The next day, in company with Shu-kok, they went after
deer. They saw several, but did not succeed in getting a
shot. The following day they returned to the house, three
Esquimaux men, with their teams, accompanying them.

Captain Budington says, in his journal of the 7th :
" Two natives left us this morning early, before breakfast,
carrying one of our Sharps' rifles with them, which one of
the men had put on the sled, intending to accompany it.
Henry Hobby left us after breakfast, following the sledge-
track to Etah, but returned to the house in the evening,
completely tired out from his long tramp. He reached
Foulke Fiord after the darkness had set in already, but
there lost the sled-track, and, not being able to find the
huts, he hurried to get back again. On this excursion, he
saw three deer ; fired at one of them with a navy pistol,
the only weapon he had, and missed." In the evening,'
Captain Budington shot a blue fox ; and, on the 8th,
Hobby shot another. The captain cooked his, and it

Amusements.

457

was highly relished, notwithstanding the previous preju- 18TSI.

Novenibor.

dice against it. Heretofore, fox-meat had always heen
given to the natives ; it was now determined by the ship's '

company to keep it for themselves.

On the 9th, Shu-kok returned to Etah. It was a
severe day, the strong wind making the traveling very
diflicult. Campbell accompanied him, notwithstanding
the earnest remonstrances of all the others. In the after-
noon, the natives in the house furnished the company a
good deal of amusement by showing their tricks, and by
dancing and singing, using a tin pan as a drum. Jimmy
was dressed up in a white navy-frock and round hat, and
danced a regular break-down to the music of Mr. Chester's
violin. Every one was convulsed with laughter.

Two natives, A-wah-tok and his son-in-law, Neu-m-
nea, came from Etah, traveling for the first time on the
ice. They went out, the next day, walrus-hunting, to the
edge of the Hoc which was not more than a mile off, and
brought back part of a large walrus on a sled; the
remainder they afterward carried home to Etah. A blue
fox was also killed.

The crew did not fail to remember that at home it
was the day for the election of President; they polled
their votes accordingly, all being allowed to vote except
Dr. Bessels, who had not been naturalized.

On the 13th, there w^as a very severe storm from the

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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Sciences
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 145S0

(716) 872-4503

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458

An Igloo Built.

wovfl?;,. ^- ^^ «^companie(l by a blinding snow-drift, which did
not add to the comfort of those who were obhged to be
abroad; yet E-took-a-jeu and family came from Etah,
without seeming to mind the weather. A blue fox was
killed during the day. A good deal of moisture condensed
and froze on the canvas covering of the house, and when
the outside temperature rose, or there was a hotter fire
than usual in the stove, it dripped down into the berths
and on the table. To remedy this, the carpenter tacked
boards up, so as to receive and turn oflF the water.

The Esquimaux now; began to pass back and forth
between their settlements and the house so frequently that
it would be tedious to give a record of their movements.
The West-land family built a snow house near the ship,
with the intention of remaining with their new friends
all winter.

On the 14th, though it was cloudy, no difficulty was
experienced in reading the smallest type. Mr. Chester
was busy copying his log into a smaller book, which would
be more easily carried, while the original might be cached
near the house.

On the 19th, a snow wall was built over the door to
protect it from drift. Hobby shot two foxes on this day,
and one on the day previous.

Mauch and Siemens, on the 2l8t, went to Littleton
Island, in pursuit of reindeer, but found none. Diamond

Rye used for Coffee.

459

type could still be read at noon. The natives continued isra.

DecembeFi

to come and go in great numbers.

On the 25th, Nanookie, with Jim s assistance, finished
aii igloo for his fajaily, on a snow bank about a quarter of
a mile S. E. of the house.

On the 27th, more natives arrived from Etah. They
had been suffering from want of food.

On the 30th, the barometer rose to 30'" .6. The
highest temperature for the month had been 19°.8, Fah-
renheit; the lowest, — 17°.l ; and the mean, about 1°.9.

The supply of coffee being exhausted, rye was used
in its place. Miouk arrived from Etah, with a sad story
of the wants of the people there; some had already moved
south to better hunting-grounds, and others intended to
follow.

The strait continued open, a dense water-cloud hang-
ing over it. On the 3d, the open water was not more
than one and a half miles from the ohip. The noise
made by the crushing and grinding of the ice was loud
and long-ccntinued. The crew rejoiced that they were
not exposed to the perils of the floating pack. The even-
ing before, a faint aurora had been seen.

The Esquimaux endeavored to go south, but were
unable to get round Cape Alexander, on account of the

460

Disdplim Maintained.

«:'

D/ee«?;. "P'" ^^*^'*- N^"^«»^^ l>»ilt an igloo, and occupied it
with his family. During the next few days, twenty-one
Esquimaux remained at Polaris house, some sleeping
m Igloos, but most of them staying in the house.

On the 7th, a serious violation of discipline occurred—
the only one during the voyage. An engineer and a sea-
man quarreled about the possession of a shelf, and made
use of threatening language and gestures. Captain Bud-
. mgton, by a prompt and efficient exercise of Lis authority,
restored order.

On the I2th. Hobby shot a fox near the house •
many more of these animals would have been killed but
for the presence of their enemies, the Esquimaux dogs
On the I3ta, five families of Esquimaux were living in
.gloos near the house, and taking two meals daily with
their white friends. They comprised five men, five
women, and seven children. In addition to these, there
were always two or three casual visitors. On the 14th •
Sip'-su andhiswife, A-man'-a-me'-lia,camefrom thesouthJ
from Northumberland Island, as nearly as could be a.cer-
tamed-to tell their Etah brethren that there was good
huutmg below, and that the Esquimaux there had an
abundance of walrus and seal-meat. Captain Budington
mquired diligently of Sipsu for some tidings of the ice-
floe party. If tbey had succeeded in landing on the
coast, these natives would doubtless Lave seen them

Mid- Winter TwiUght.

To hear nothing of them was a great disappointment,
and no very strong hope of their safety could now be
entertained.

On both the 20th and the 2l8t, the height of the twi-
light arch was measured by Colby's horizon-instrument.
No very decided results could be obtained, as it was
extremely difficult to tell exactly where to point the
instrument. Many measurements were made by different
persons, the results varying from 8° to 10°. Some very
coarse print was read on the 21st.

Budington says in his journal : " There is a consider-
able difference with us between midwinter of this year
and the last. In Polaris Bay, we only saw a small por-
tion of the twilight arch for two hours, while here we see
the twilight for six hours. The arrival of this day when
the sun will gradually return to us, we have expected
with great impatience. Although the health of our com-
pany is the very best, and will, I trust to the Almighty,
remain so, the uncertainty about the fate of our comrades
on the ice throws a gloom over our party which cannot
be entirely banished. The fact that we did not hear of
them through the natives makes me believe that they
remained on the floe. I can only hope they saved enough
provisions to pass the winter."

Miouk made many trips to the ho ise to beg bread
and blubber; his family remained at Etah in a starving

461

1879.

I>eceinber.

i if

462

Daily Itoutine.

JeflL. '""^^'^"^ ' ^« ^^' c««^P«"ed to kill four fine dog8 to
supply their wants.

Mr. Bryan says in his journal of the 24th: '"Tis
Christmas-eve, and we are all thinking of our homes, but
none, apparently, home-sick. There are but three fami-
lies, comprising ten persons, staying with us at present.
We are constantly having visitors. I took quite a long
walk with Mr. Chester to-day. It has been very mild
indeed. There is a vast difference in the intensity of the
twilight here and at Thank-God Harbor at the same sea-
son of the year. We could see very well to-day to pick
our way over hummocks and cracks. We are jogging
along slowly, exceedingly glad that the turning-point of the
winter has passed, and looking hopefully forward to our
spring work; suffering, however, daily from anxiety as to
the fate of our comrades. We always hope for the best,
but we have little grounds for thinking that thev are
safe." ^

Thedomesticlife in Polaris Lous c,as simple enough;
each day was an almost exact counterpart of the preced-
ing. Breakfast was taken at 9 a. m., before which hour
few got up. Two successive tables were set, there not
being room enough to seat the whole at one time. The
morning was employed in observations, in cleaning fire-
arms, in writing journals, or in ordinary occupations. Mr.
Chester was for some time engaged in making different

Powder Explosion.

463

articles from the ivory of the walrus. Dinner was served 18TJI.
at three p. m. ; there was no regular supper. Chess,
checkers, dominoes, and cards constituted the principal
amusements. Ten was the hour for turning in. During
the day, the cat was very shy, and kept herself the greater
part of the time in the captain's bunk ; at night, she came
out and frolicked through the house.

Captain Budington took every opportunity to gather
information from the natives, who became more communi-
cative when better acquainted. E-val'-lu seemed to possess
the best faculty of making herself understood ; her hus-
band looked at her with admiration while she was talk-
ing. Through her, the captain learned some particulars
of that company from the West-land, of which she and
her husband were a part. Her story was that they had
crossed over to the spot where Hayes had left his iron
boat, which they found stove and useless ; they took up
everything, including the oars, and then passed over to the
mainland, where they found Dr. Hayes' observatory.
They stayed about there several days examining the
strange things which they discovered. While sleeping
in the house one night, they dropped some fire into a
powder-cask and were blown up ; four or five of them
being killed, among them Jim's father. The survivors
of the disaster returned to their native land, leaving
E-took-a-jeu.

4G4

1879.

December.

Temperature.

The steward, Booth, was laid up on the Slst, with
swollen wrists and ankles, and showed every sign of the
scurvy. ,

The highest temperature during December was 15°.0
Fahr.; the lowest, —27°.5 Fahr.; while the mean was
about — 8°.5 Fahr.

«»

XIX

3(1

CHAPTER XIX.

The twilight had now so much increased that on the I873.
Ist, the noon observation was made without artificial light. '"""•"'''•
The straits continued open, and, on the 3d, the noise from
the grinding ice resembled continued thunder. The coal
diminished rapidly, and it was necessary to economize ;
the captain ordered the fire in the little stove to be put
out at 9 p. m. This obliged Dr. Bessels to make his ob-
servations from midnight to 6 a. m. in the cold; his
enthusiasm supplied sufficient heat. This practice of doing
without the fire was, however, continued only for a few
nights. As an additional saving, the captain determined
to dispense with the galley-stove, and to cook only one
meal a day, and that upon the small stove, but this piece of
economy was necessarily abandoned, on account of the
galley-pots not fitting on the small stove.

On the 11th, a party of eight men, two women, and
one child, drawn by six teams of dogs, arrived at the
house from some settlement near Northumberland Island.

i .. ; 1

468
iHra.

Janniiry

Wood from the Ship.

Tho people wore in good condition, and had forty or fifty
very fine dogs. Prominent among them was Ka-hi-ti'-naii,
mentioned by Dr. Hayes. They were also accompanied
by an old woman, At-koot'-ta, or Nu-li-a-jesh'-shu, tho
widow of Metek. one of Dr. Kane's visitors ; she seemed
after a while to recognize Mr. Morton. On the 12th, the
thermometer fell as low as — 41°.5. On the 20th, non-
pareil type could be read at noon. This day the coal gave
out, and the wood whicli had been stored in the autumn
about the house, was used in its stead. A raven is seen
flying near, o. ^ as one had been seen late in November,
it was supposed the bird had spent the winter in the
neighborhood. The straits still continued open, and tho
grinding of tho ice occasionally made fearful noises.

On the 22d, the edge of the floe was not more than
two miles off". The natives went out several times to hunt
for walrus, but were unsuccessful. A fox was killed near
tho house ; Dr. Bessels and Hobby both' tired at it, and,
some time afterward, Miouk found it dead ; but the cau?e
of its death always remained a mooted question.

On the 24th and the 26th, the instruments indicated
a temperature below the freezing-point of mercury, but
the mercury, though exposed, did not freeze.

On the 27th, all the wood that could be found near
the house having been used, it was necessary to go over
to the ship. Great care was observed to leave untouched

The Polaris Well Built.

tbat part of tho vessel from which wood for the boats waa
to be taken. Shico the iron boat of Dr. Hayos couKl not
bo found, the solo dependence of tho party rested on boats
of its own construction. Every nail and screw now found
was carefully preserved, there bein<r none in store. The
Polaris had been so faithfully built that it was no easy
task to break her up. It w. . necessary to reduce tho
wood to splinters to take it off. In carrying this wood to
the house on the 29th, it was found tha iie high tide had
overflowed the ice and raised the ./ater up to within
twelve paces of the door. Tho effect of a residence of two
winters in the Arctic regions was now apparent in the
diminished strength of the people, who were easily fa-
tigued by slight labor.

During January, the highest temperature recorded
was — 8°.5; the lowest was — 4r.6; while the mean was

— 27°.8.

The whole of the second day was occupied in tear-
ing down the wheel-house; on the next day, the wood was
taken to the house, making fuel enough for two days. The
heavy northerly gales had kept the ice in motion, and con-
stantly increased the extent of the open water. The edge
of the floe was not more than a mile distant from the ves-
sel, and the west side of McGary's Island was washed by
the sea.

The walrus liver last brought by the Esquimaux and

460

I87S.

Febraar|r.

470

1873.

February

A Window Placed in the House.

eaten by the ship's company, produced a dysenteric effect,
but, at the same time, removed sore and diseased gums
and all the other symptom of scurvy with which many
of them had been troubled.

On the 5th, Mauch shot a white fox found running
over the vessel ; two ravens were seen.

On the 6th, at meridian, a distinct orange color was
discernible over the mountain-tops toward the south.

On the 7th, the bowsprit was sawed off and taken to
':lie house for fuel. One solitary raven was noticed mak-
\g daily visits to the house. A window was placed in
the roof of the building, and during several hours of the
day the oil-lamps could be dispensed with. Mauch and
Hayes took a tramp over the plain to the east, skirtino-
the mountain-range, and seeing fresh tracks of three
ptarmigans.

On the 9th, a S. W. gale completely filled up the
straits with ice, and for the first time the western coast
was visible ; every day since the middle of October, the
time of landing, it had been obscured by the water-cloud.
The next day, however, a N. E. gale again cleared out the
ice, and the water-cloud resumed its place. All the natives
!eft for their southern hunting-grounds during the latter
part of January, except Jim and his family, who proved
to be very useful. In severe weather, Jim always pro-
cured the ice, and in many other ways rendered good

^tet^S^S^^^s^-' s V

Teazing the Esquimaux. 471

service. His wife, Evallu, did a good deal of sewing, and 1 873.
made many garments out of skins. Their little children ''*'""""''''
were continual sources of amusemei^t, and many pleasant
hours were spent in playing with them. The little girl
was a general pet, making many friends by her pretty
face and affectionate disposition. Some of the crew took
pleasure in teazing the Esquimaux, and did not recognize
in them a common companionship ; but, at the same time,
the natives were good-natured, and made themselves use-
ful and agreeable to those who treated them with kindness.
On the 17th, the tops of the mountains to the N, E.
were illuminated by the sun's rays. For several days, the
storms had been so severe that it was not safe to venture
on board the vessel after wood. The forecastle-hatch,
which had been set up on shore for the use of the transit-
instrument, was, therefore, taken down and converted into
fuel.

On the 20th, 8hu-kok and Im-me-nah, with two new
natives, arrived from the south, bringing a large quantity
of walrus meat, which was highly relished. The same
day, the foremast was sawed through near the deck, and
used for fuel. The barometer, which had been very high
all day, toward evening rose above 31 inches. The atmos-
phere was clear, and there was no wind; the temperature
went down to —43° Fahrenheit. Mercury remained in a
solid state for ten hours.

472

1873.

February.

Open Water.

On the 21st, another window was put in, on the other
side of the roof. A native came on the 22d, and another
on the 23d, both bringing with them some portions of a
walrus hVer, which is the choice part of the animal; this
attention was fully appreciated.

On the 25th, a window was placed in the store-room,
and the sawing of the wood was done under shelter. The
open water could be seen about two miles from the vessel.
The water-cloud continued, however, to shut out all view
of Ellesmere Land. On the 27th, the sun was seen from
the deck of the vessel. Dr. Bessels shot a blue fox. On
the next day, Jim and Awah-tah caiiic from Etah. Jim
had been there hunting for two or three days, and had
evidently been very successful; he brought back some
walrus meat, and a large piece of Hver, which he gener-
ously gave to Captain Budington.

Mr. Chester, assisted by Booth and Coffin, com-
menced the selection of wood for the construction of the
boats. He had already «.ettled in his mind the plan of
construction, and now entered on his work as deliberately
as if he were in a ship-yard.

The parts of the Polaris which furnished the material
for the work were the provision-lockers and the ceiling of
the main cabin.

During the month, the gales were very severe, and
were usually attended with snow-drift. The northerly

A Bear Hunt

winds brought cold weather, and the mercury always rose
with southerly winds. The highest temperature was
2°. 6 ; the lowest, — 49°.l ; while the mean was — 26°.7.
On the 1st of this month, a very heavy gale so
blocked up the entrance to the house, that Jim had to dig
a passage through the drift before he could get in. The
sun was seen over the mountain-tops from the house on
the 2d. Early in the morning, Awah-tah saw a bear not
far from the vessel, and started in pursuit. He had with
him his sled, drawn by a train of dogs, and, for a weapon,
a spear four feet in length. He remained out all night,
and, late on the 3d, returned with the bear's carcass on
his sled. During his absence, it was bitterly cold, with a
severe gale from the N. E., but he seemed to care as
little for the cold as he did for his solitary fight with the
bear. When the old man took off his jacket to dry it, his
back, marked with the scars of what appeared to be
frightful wounds, showed that he had previously had fights
with the same enemy. Notwithstanding these wounds
and his advanced age, Awah-tah could still throw a spear
further and with truer aim than any other man of his tribe.
Four Esquimaux came from the south, paid a short
visit, and returned on the 4th. Up to this date, there had
been fifty-one different Esquimaux at Polaris House.
On the 6th, the water-cloud disappeared for a short time,
giving a second view of the western coast. On the 8th

473

1873.

march.

474

Buying Dogs.

March. ^"^ ^*^' ^'^^^ "a*i^es arrived, bringing walrus meat and
liver; many of them were moving toward the north to
hunt bears. On the 11th, Siemens and Mauch, walking
over the plain to the east, saw a hare. On the 12th,
twilight lasted all through the night.

Dr. Bessels having expressed a desire to make a sledge-
journey to Humboldt Glacier, Captain Budington bought
dogs of the natives, obtaining for that purpose, by much
persuasion and high prices, ten very fine animals.

Among those who came to the house was a man
with a wooden leg, named Ar-row'-tah. His story was
that, when quite a boy, he was out hunting birds on a hill,
and was seriously injured by a stone rolling on his foot.
His mother cut off his leg about six inches below the
knee. The surgeon of the North Star (1849-50) made a
wooden leg for him, which was repaired and renewed by
Dr. Hayes. The one he now had was fitted with an
ankle-joint of his own manufacture.
Siemens says in his journal : —
" In the morning (13th) we saw two parhelia, and, in
the evening, a cross over ilio moon. The paraselena) which
we saw had prismatic colors. Bright rays went from the
real moon to the mock moons, of which we could see but
three, the moon being but a few degrees above the sum-
mit of the mountains. These mock moons were in a
beautiful circle surrounding the moon."

^ii^siwwftme^wwme ,

Pendulum Observations.

On the 15th, Campbell went with Jim to a place
called by the natives Etah-Wa-tan'-ny; he returned on the
18th, much pleased with the hospitality he had received.
This settlement was a little below Sutherland Island, and
is marked on the map as Sor-falik. The open water now
washed the base of Cape Alexander, so that in their jour-
ney they were obliged to mount and cross the glacier that
discharges on each side.

The Esquimaux still continued to come and go,
spending sometimes one day, and sometimes several, at
the house. On the 24th, the number of Esquimaux visit-
ing the house had increased to seventy-seven. On the
night of the 30th, there were twenty-three Esquimaux
sleeping on the floor of the house ; their want of cleanh-
ness made this a trying infliction on the good nature of the
men. Additional snow-houses were built for those who de-
termined to remain for some time near their white friends.

Dr. Bessels and Mr. Bryan had been engaged for
eight successive nights in making pendulum-observations.
In order to be as quiet as possible, they selected the hours
from 1 to 5 a. m.

On the 26th, Hobby and Booth went with some
natives to Etah-Watanny to hunt deer. By this time,
Mr. Chester had finished getting boat-lumber from the
ship ; all the material he needed was carried over, and
neatly piled up not far from the house.

475

1873.

march.

476

The Whalers.

1873.

April.

Some of the younger members of the company
made a base-ball and some bats, and amused themselves
near the house playing ball. The ball-ground was the
smooth ice of the bay, on the east side of the penin-
sula on which the house stood. The Esquimaux were
very much interested in the play, but could not learn
to catch. On the 29th, Hobby and Booth returned,
having met with no success in hunting, but having en-
joyed the?" visit among the Esquimaux very much. Dr.
Bessels was engrossed in making preparations for his
sledge-jouraey. ,

The highest temperature during March was — 4°.4 ;
the lowest, — 47°.0; while the mean was — 26°.3.

Nearly every day, tlie crew were now engaged either
in ripping off wood from the vessel, carrying it to the
shore, or preparing it for the stoves.

Some of the Esquimaux informed the captain that
each year ships were seen near Cape York, and that very
frequently they communicated with them: adding that
last year some men of the crews landed. On the 4th,
Mr. Chester built a work-bench near the house. Dr. Bes-
sels was superintending the preparation of provisions for
his sledge-journey; he packed, among other things, 50
pounds of pork, 100 pounds of bread, and 2 gallons of
molasses. On the 6th, Jim who had been sent to Cape
York, and had been gone eleven days, returned with but

Umingmung Island.

one deer-skin. He brought, however, some walrus meat
and liver, which was gratefully received.

On the 7th, the sun was above the horizon at 9 p. m.
The southwest gale prevailing during the 7th and the 8th
brought back the ice into the straits; the water-cloud dis-
appeared, and the western coast was again seen.

Early on the 8th, Mr. Chester started with Shu-kok
on a deer-hunt. He went provisioned for one week, in-
tending to live in a snow-house. In a conversation with
Jim, Captain Budington ascertained that there were many
Esquimaux living in the neighborhood of Cape Isabella
and all along the coast of Ellesmere Land. Jim said that
his father-in-law lived there, and that, in winter-time, they
frequently communicated with each other, crossing the
straits on the ice. He also said that the land was an isl-
and, and that he himself had frequently gone all around
it; that the Esquimaux called it Umingmung Island, from
the number of musk-cattle which are found upon it. From
this conversation, it was inferred that mited States or
Hayes Sound must turn to the southward and unite with
Jones Sound to form an island.

It was also thought highly probable that the Musk-ox
Island of which McClintock speaks was, in fact, Ellesmere
Land.

On the 10th, Shu-kok returned, bringing two hares
which Mr. Chester had killed. Tracks of deer had been

477

1873.

April.

478

A Deer Killed.

Aprt?.' ^^^"* ^^'^'^o^ ^^^^ ^^0 next morning to return to Mr.
Chester.

Early on the morning of the 11th, there was great
disappointment at finding that the two hares had disap-
peared. The natives who slept all night in the house, very
innocently said that they had eaten them raw, and that
they were venj good--" Am-a-su-ad'-hj pe-yuke" Dur-
ing the day, the thermometer rose for the first time above
zero, reaching 5°.8. The crew was now employed in
getting wood from the ship and in preparing portable bags
in which to pack the provisions for the boats; each bag
held about 25 pounds.

Mr. Bryan went with Kow-ket'-shu to make Mr.
Chester a visit, and on his way met Shu-kok returning
with part of a deer which Mr. Chester had shot. Ho
found Mr. Chester in a snow-house a little to the south
of Port Foulke. After hunting over the plains some time
without seeing any deer, he killed a rabbit and returned
to the house.

On the 13th, natives came from the south, and re-
ported the death of Sipsu, who, with his wife, A-man'-a
mc'-lia, and two sons, had visited the Americans during the
latter part of March. He was said to have died of some
afiection of the chest.

At 10 a. m. of the 13th, Dr. Bessels started on his
sledge-journey, with the purpose of reaching Humboldt

„

The Midnight Sun.

479

Glacier, if possible, and, after examining that, of crossing isra.
Smith Sound and exploring United States or Hayes Sound. '''"'"'
He took with him Jim and the wooden-legged man, Ar-
row'-tah, who understood that the doctor wished to go to
the western coast, to which he himself had long contem-
plated a trip in search of a wife. He had been a widower
long enough; and, among the women on the east side, there
was no one that exactly suited him. They started with
two very heavily-laden sleds, provisioned for one and a
half months, and well suppHed with all necessary instru-
ments.

At 6 p. m. of the 15th, Mr. Chester returned from
the south, having met with no further success in his hunt
for reindeer. On the night of the 16th, the sun disap-
peared at 11.30 p. m., but was only hidden one hour;
and on the night of the 17th it was above the horizon at
midnight.

At 2 a. m. of the 18th, Dr. Bessels returned on
account of difficulties with his drivers, who had refused
to proceed. Arrowtah had been insubordinate. Dr. Bes-
sels had followed up the coast, and, in order to get around
the open water, was obliged to go on as far east as the
meridian of Rensselaer Harbor. This was unexpected,
since the position and the extent of the water-cloud had
encouraged the expectation that the open water would be
further from the coast. After getting round the open

480

1873.

April.

Sledge-journey,

water, he continued north as far as the observed latitude
of 79° 16'. At this point, a line of hummocks was
encountend, which the natives refused to cross. He then
turned to the northwest, traveling in that direction until
he arrived at the western coast, at a point midway between
Henry and Bache Islands. Here, also, he met hummocks,
which the Esquimaux again refused to attempt. He then
ran down the coast to the southward, looking for an open-
ing in the Une of hummocks, until he reached the mouth
of Baird Inlet. Still finding no passage, and his Esqui-
maux continuing troublesome, he determined to return
and get another man to take Arrowtah's place. He was
compelled to retrace his steps to Rensselaer Harbor in
order to get around the open water again. The hardship
of accomplishing such a distance will be fully appreciated
when it is told that the first night was spent in a snow-hut
on the ice near Cairn Point, and that during a whole day
he was prevented from traveling by a heavy storm. Jim
was willing to make another attempt, but Arrow tab posi-
tively refused, and the doctor would under no circumstances
consent to trust himself with him a second time.

Not discouraged, he determined to make a second
attempt; and accordingly, on the 19th, started south to
find an Esquimaux to go with him, and also to obtain
some more dog-food. This dog-food was walrus-skin, taken
off from the animal, with some of the blubber remaining ;

Dr. BmeW Plana.
it w«8 kept in largo rolls, and cut up as it was noodod •
" ^"' ^"'•y ^'^g food. On tho 20th, Dr. Boesels
returned with a pieeo of dog-food, and with E-win-ok'-
8hua, whom ho had persuaded, by tho offer o." a largo
snow-kmfo, to accompany him. This native had been
several times at the house. Ho was an active fellow of
more than ordinary intelligence, nick-named by tho captain
"Sharkey", from a resemblance to a Cumberland Gulf
Esquimaux, whose traits had led the whalers to givo him
that name.

The doctor's party started at U a. m. of the 22d
The dogs were strong, and moved off briskly with tho
two heavily-loaded sleds, but at 4 p. m. the party
returned, having broken their sled after getting as far as
Cape Ingleficld. When the sled was taken to bo repaired
It turned out, on Sharkey's own confession, that he
had broken it on purpose, and had resolved not to
make the journey. Dragging the sleds over the hum-
mocks was too severe labor. Jim, now, also refused to
go, and he was instigated by his wife to persist in this
refusal. Finding that none of the natives would accom-
pany hm,. Dr. Bessels, whose resolution was still unbro-
ken, proposed, with the consent of Captain Budington, to
attempt a sledge-journey accompanied only by Hobby
His real plan, as now made known, had been to ascend
as far as Thank-God Harbor, and, after recruiting there

481

■ srs.

Arrll,

482

Boat-aails.

ISTS. and taking in a frosh supply of

AprU

a irosti supply ot provisions, to go as much
further north as practicable. The rapid dispersion of the
ice and the lateness of the season compelled him to
abandon this project.

On the 26th, a very strong gale from the N. E.
broke up the ice a great deal, and made much open water;
the ice was entirely cleared out from between McGary
and Littleton Islands; the southwest point of the tongue
of land upon which the house stood was washed by the
waves. The gale continued on the 27th, when the water
approached within 400 yards of the vessel. On the 28th,
it was within 250 yards, and appeared to touch the shore
a few miles to the north. On the 29th, a large seal was
seen lying on the ice not far from the ship. Several of
the crew tried to get near it, but were prevented by
the broken ice. It was waked up by a shot from Hayes,
but was not hurt.

Under the skillful direction of Mr. Chester, the boats,
which were laid down on the 19th, were making rapid
progress, and promised to be finished by the middle of
May. On the 30th, the sails wevj made, Mr. Chester
chose a square-sail for his boat, whi'o Captain Liuding-
ton ordered a sprit-sail. They were made of cotton
sheets and some linen toweling.

The highest temperature during April was 2r.3;
the lowest,— 3 r.6; while the mean was— 6°.0.

482

1879.

Ai»ni.

Boat-sails.

and taking in a fresh supply of provisions, to (m as much
further north as practicable. The rapid dispersion t>f the
ice and the lateness of the season compelled liiiu to
ahnndon this project.

On ih9 26th, a very stroiig rale from the N. E.
broke up the ice a i^roat deal, and made n)uch open water;
the ice was entirely cleared out from between McOary
and Littleton Islands; the .^uuthwest point of the tongue
of land upon which the house stood was w..-h(Ml by the
waves. The gale continued on the 27th, when the water
approaclied within 400 yards of the ves.sel. On the 28th,
li waa within 250 yards, and appeared to touch the shore
a few mil«^s to tiie north. Ou Mie 20th, a Uw^c- S' al was
.: - . • iwfc tkr fVom thi; hip. Several of

the ere« ♦^r/rtf ■,., .- t n;'rsr it. bnt .t\^ere provnnted by
the bi'oken ice. ii ■ .^i.. .i up b* a shot from ilayee,
but was not hurt.

Under the skillful direction of M]^ Chester, the boats,
which were laid down on the 19th, wcrti uiak)?i<4 rapid
progress, and promised to be fiuidicd by rliu n.-'hllo of
May. Ox\ the '^'Oth, the sails were made. Mr - 'h ester
chorf'j a s<piare-sail for his boat, whilt^ ( ^aptain iiuuing-
ton ordered u sprit-sail Tliq/ weri^ made of oution
sheets and some linen toweling.

The highest temperature during April was vT.?,;
the lowest, — Hl°.6; while the mean wur^ — 6^0.

J*-

anc
Ho
gre
Hu
hoi
pr(

fe\
th(
It

th(

sai

sc<
up
fir
It

h(
m

V(
SI

Scow Built.

Up to the Ist of May, there had heen one hundred
and two Esquimaux, men, women, and children, at Polaris
House, with as many as one hundred and fifty dogs. The
greater part of those who lived along the coast from
Humholdt Glacier to Melville Bay made a visit to the
house; for the whole population of that region does not
probably exceed one hundred and fifty souls.

Hayes and Campbell started on the 1st, to spend a
few days with the Esquimaux at Etah-Watanny. During
the first four days of May, snow fell almost continuously.
It was the heaviest snow-fall experienced by the expedition,
the snow in some places being three feet deep. The natives
said that such a storm occurs every year about this time.

On the 5th, Mr. Chester commenced building a small
scow, to be used for hunting in open water, intending,
up: a his departure, to give it to Jim. It was entirely
finished on the 7th, and painted and launched on the 12th.
It frequently proved serviceable.

At 6i a. m. of the 6th, Haye". and Campbell returned
frcm Etah-Watanny. They had been on the road twenty
hours, walking through the deep snow, and were very
much exhausted. During their absence, they had had
very bad weather, and were not able to go far from the
igloos, so that they saw no game. They reported that
Miouk died on the 3d. He had a very short sickness, and
suflfered from inflammation of the lungs.

483

1873.

484

1873.

may.

Miouk Buried.

The men had a good opportunity of witnessing the
funeral ceremonies. Shortly after Miouk's death, the
hody was wrapped in skins and placed on a sled, with all
his hunting implements. The sled was dragged up the hill,
side behind the village, and the body was placed in a hole
dug in the snow, in a sitting posture, with the face to the
west, his sled and other personal property being laid over .
him. All manifested their sorrow in their peculiar man-
ner. The women carried a bunch of dried grass in the
left nostril; and the men, one in the right. Budington
says in his journal:— "As I understand, the widow of
Miouk killed the youngest child, a baby about six months
old. One of our men had prevented her from committing
this crime on the day of Miouk's death; but Jim's wife,
Evallu, informed me to-day that it was really done while
our men were out on the ice. These natives are indeed
to be pitied, and a mission station erected among these
savages would be a good work. If we could take these
natives down to the southern part of Greenland, as Dr.
Kane had already proposed, I am certain our own Gov-
ernment, and also the Danish authorities, would approve
of such an act."

The men witnessed also the ceremony of a divorce,
which grew out of the following circumstances, the knowl-
edge of which was gleaned from various sources :—Munny,
a well-formed and good-looking Esquimaux giri, in love

Divorce.

with Fi-shet'-shu-lok'-ku, was forced by her father to
marry Enu, a youth in better circumstances than her lover.
After a lapse of time, the first lover's worldly circumstances
were improved, and a divorce was resolved upon from
her husband, with whom she had lived unhappily. The
ceremony of divorce was as follows :— Munny lay upon
her back on the sleeping-place of one of the igloos, with
her knees drawn up, and a cord around her head. Ka-
rush-uck, a very old woman, stood over her, holding the
cord in her hand, and uttering wha,t appeared to be a form
of words, frequently changing the tone and measure ; at
intervals pulling on the cord, and raising Munny's head.
This harangue continued for two hours. No Esquimaux
was in the igloo at the time except Shukok, Munny's
brother-in-law. As soon as the ceremony was over, Shu-
kok took her on his sled to one of the settlements further
south, where she was received by her sister and by her lover
who immediately proposed and was accepted. During
the ceremony of divorce, the husband was in another
igloo crying bitterly. He lay all day with his face to the
wall. He spoke to no one, and refused to eat. The next
morning, he seemed more composed, although still very
sad and desolate. He returned with the men to the house,
and remained, wandering about several days in a listless
manner, with scarcely a smile upon his face, looking very

485

sad, as he tried to tell tbfi stnrv nf \\\o ^r^a.

1878.

Mnj.

f I-

nr.

unuy *"Z/e

486

1873.

Hunting Party.

tong'-e-tuk", or '^gone'\ was the burden of his lamenta-
tion.

On the 9th, there was a very severe N. E. gale, the
velocity rising to 48 miles per hour. On the 10th, tw6
burgomaster-gulls were seen. On the 11th, Mr. Chester
with Jim went to Etah to spend the day hunting ; they
saw no deer, but very many hares ; but, unfortunately,
Mr. Chester's cartridges for the breech-loading fowling-
piece which he carried, were found defective. Jim shot a
hare with a navy pistol.

On the 13th, Siemens, Hobby, and Mauch, with
three Esquimaux, went hunting. The following account
of their hunt is taken from Mauch's journal :—

"At 4.30 a. m. on the 13th, I left the house in com-
pany with the other men already named. For driver I
had Kow-ket'-shu, a sentimental young man, who amongst
us goes under the name of 'Simple Simon'. I must say I
would have enjoyed the ride much better if my driver had
not been talking the whole way of 'pid'-del-e-tay' (give
me). In fact, I had to promise him everything that I
possessed, and then he was not satisfied, but desired to
know what he could get when the ship that shall take us
away comes up here. In the first place, he wants a great
many knives and guns, powder, &c. This formed the
topic of his conversation, and whenever I tried to get him
off that, he always recommenced the old story about

Mr. Bryan's Trip.

"giving. We stopped a short distance south of Port Foulke,
behind a small island. Conducted by Shukok, we went
over the plain back of Aubrey Mountain, where we ex-
pected to meet plenty of deer. However, we were sorely
disappointed, being compelled to return almost without
any game. Hermann, who, with Sharkey, had been on
another place, had shot two hares. About noon, we left
for Foilke Fiord, where we stopped at the foot of Dodge's
Mountains, and went hunting around Alida Lake and
Brother John's Glacier. Hermann again was the fortu-
nate man. He shot another hare, and, on top of the hill,
he fell in with a deer ; but as his Sharps' rifle proved to
be unfit for use, he did not get it. About 6 p. m., we
left Alida Lake for our homeward route, and arrived
at the house about 8 p. m., much fatigued from our tramp
over the mountains."

At 6 a. m. of the 13th, Mr. Bryan set out with Jim to
go to Rensselaer Harbor, where he designed making time-
observations for the meridian difference between that har-
bor, the best-established meridian on the coast, and Polaris
House. The following account of the trip is taken from
his journal: —

Crossing the ice of the little bay, they struck the ice-
foot at Cape Hatherton, and followed it until they came
to the bay just south of Cairn Point. Traversing this bay
in order to shorten the distance, thev took to the land, and

487

1873.

nay.

488

1873.

May.

Difficult Traveling.
passed over the isthmus which conBects Cairn Point with
t e ma,nland. Thence they kept out on the smooth ice
of the straits, and outside the hummocks. At the merid-
ian of Annowaytok, they met a line of hummocks extend-
ing as far north as could be seen. Toward the west the
ice was ™ooth and unbroken, toward the cast it was old
and exceedingly rough , icebergs and bergy masses were
scattered all over it. rendering sledging almost impossible,
lummg oward the land, with much difficulty, they crossed
a belt of hummocks about three-fourths of a mile wide
and reached the ice-foot near the hut at 1 1.30 a. m '

Owing to the extreme roughness of the ice. it was
necessary to hug the ice-foot, which, following the sinuosi-
ties of the coast, greatly increased their journey The
snow upon the ice-foot had become soft under the sun's
influence, and. as it was quite deep, it proved to be a
great impediment to travel. Quite an amusing incident
occurred on the way. Mr. Bryan, sitting on the sled be-
hind Jim, being fatigued, fell asleep. He was suddenly
awakened by feeling the sharp sting of Jim's lash across
His face. He began to expostulate mildly with the driver
when he discovered that he also as asleep. The dogs
were slowly and laboriously wading through the snow
urged to their utmost by the continual application of the
wh|P m the hands of the unconscious Jim. They arrived
at Kensselaer Harbor at 10 p. m.

Rensselaer Harbor.

Stopping on the land west of the island on which
Kane had his observatory, they built a snow-house. The
14th was cloudy. The 15th set in cloudy, and by noon
there was no indication that it would clear up. In making
the arrangement with Jim, Mr. Bryan had hoped that the
weather would be favorable, and the contract had included
only one sleep. Not wishing to impose upon the good-
natured Esquimaux, he told Jim to return, leaving one
of his dogs as a companion. At first Jim did not wish to
go, but, being further urged, started at 1 p. m., carrying
a note to Captain Budington, and reached the house early
on the morning of the 16th. Just three and a half hours
after Jim's departure, it began to clear off. The copper bolt,
set in lead in the crevice of the rock by Dr. Kane, left
there to mark the site of his observatory, was found, and
observations were successfully made near it. At the spot
where Baker and Shubert were buried, Mr. Bryan found
that the white paint with which their names, with suitable
inscriptions, had been marked, had almost entirely disap-
peared from the rock; a few words only could with diffi-
culty be spelled out. A great many pieces of wood, iron,
glass, crockery, leather, cloth, and rope lay about the
island and on the mainland.

The necessary observations having been taken, Mr.
Bryan resolved to return. After eating a hearty meal, and
giving the rest of the provisions to the dog, he made up

489

1878.

nay.

I i

490

1878.

may.

A Toilsome Tramp.

his bundle, and, finding that the dog would not carry it,
he shouldered it himself, and started on his toilsome tramp
at 7^ p. ra.

After a walk of twenty hours, he came to the hut at
Annowaytok, where he began to feel tired and hungry.
The bundle, which at first had seemed quite light, now
felt very weighty, and he left it on a rock near the ice-
foot, where it was subsequently recovered. After a rest
of two hours, at 5^ p. m. of the 16th, he resumed his
journey. The ice upon the sound, being smooth and free
from snow, was better for walking than the ice-foot; it
also shortened the distance by enabling the traveler to pass
from cape to cape. Walking for some distance, he came
to a fresh crack, about 2 feet wide, where, forgetting how
tired he was, he made a false step and fell into the crack
up to the arm-pits. After taking oflf his stockings and
wringing them out, so that he could walk, he felt very
much refreshed. Soon afterward, he 'came to a large piece
of seal meat and blubber, which had been left on a cake
of ice by some of the natives. The dog and the man saw
the meat at about the same time, and had a race for it.
The dog reached it first, but did not get more than one
bite before he was driven oflf. The meal was not very
palatable, for during this the breeding-season the flesh of
the male seal is very strong and smells villainously. It is
even oflfensive to the natives. Hunger, however, over-

A Sixty-Mile Walk.

camo all fastidiousness, and Mr. Bryan's knife was soon
at work, largo masses being ravenously eaten. After sat-
isfying their hunger, both man and dog proceeded on their
journey strengthened. The vile taste of the seal meat,
however, lingered for a long time.

At 2.10 a. m. of the 17th, much to the relief of Cap-
tain Budington, who had begun to be apprehensive about
him, Mr. Bryan reached the house. The distance which
ho had walked in these 28^ hours of constant travel, tak-
ing into account the windings of the coast, was estimated
to be at least GO miles. Dr. Kane had called the distance
from Rensselaer Harbor to Etah 91 miles, and Etah was
less than 20 miles from Polaris House. Soon after Mr.
Bryan's return, his eyes began to hurt him, and ho suffered
the agonies of snow-blindness in its worst form for two
days. His face also was blistered so badly that all the skin
came off. By the 20th, however, he had entirely recov-
ered from the painful effects of his tramp.

On the 14th, three Esquimaux, who had been absent
42 hours on a hunt north, brought to the house twelve seals ;
snow-birds and gulls were seen near by. On the 16th, the
temperature was for the first time above the freezing-point
of water. The rocks, however, had, for some time, been
furnishing water to the birds and foxes, from the melting
snow. On the 17th, the boats were painted and the store-

room was taken do a most of \\° wnnr! hni

TT-w'-v^M r-zviliil UOCU iUl lUUI.

491

187S.

Mmy.

il2

I8T8.

III

Eclipse of the Sun.

On the 18th, there was a great deal of water in the
straits, where the birds flocked in numbers. The atmos-
phere was wonderfully clear, and portions of the land north
of United States Sound could bo seen. On the 19th, Hobby
and Mauch went out in the little scow and shot six dove-
kies, and on the 22d three more were shot by Mauch. On
the 21st, Siemens shot two hares on the plain east of the
house. On iho 23d, Jim and Enu came fror. the north
with six seals ; Jim had shot two with a navy pistol. On
the 24th, a hare was killed. Jim took Dr. Bessels to
Brother John's Glacier,, and returned to the house, leaving
the doctor there, -hose object was to examine the glacier
and make some observations that would show its rate of
progress.

On the 25th, Coffin shot a hare. Preparations were
made for observing the eclipse of the sun predicted for
the early morning of the 26th ; the observations were suc-
cessful.

Two sleds with natives came from the south, bring-
ing fifteen auks, which they had killed on their way up ;
they reported that large flocks were flying into Foulko
Fiord.

On the 27th, the boats were finished; they were well
built; their dimensions were,— length, 25 feet; breadth, 5
feet; and depth, 2 feet 4 inches. There was room for six
rowers and the cockswain; a spare oar was provided, fit-

Catching Auks.

ted as a mast; the boats wore flat-bottomed. Mr. Chostor
had exhibited not only great skill in workmanship, but
great ingenuity in selecting and adapting the material,
in the use of imperfect tools and in supplying the
many deficiencies incident to the situation. Tools were
made when necessary; screws took the place of nails;
and the boats were strengthened by copper rods amid-
ships and between the timbers. The feeling of gratitude
to Mr. Chester for providing these efficient means of es-
cape was deep and universal.

On the 27th, Mr. Bryan, accompanied by Awah-tah,
set out to join Br. Bessels, in order to determine the
meridian difference between Port Foulke and Polaris
House. They crossed the land, as they had done in the
autumn. Mr. Bryan wished Awah-tah to go directly to
Port Foulke and leave him there, while he brought the
doctor down from the head of the fiord; but the Esqui-
maux wanted Mr. Bryan to see him catch auks. Accord-
ingly, they ascended the fiord, stopping not far from its
head, at the base of Dodge's Mountains, the sloping side
of which covered with large stones, fairly swarmed with
the little creatures. The view at times was obstructed by
them, and the rocks were whitened by their breasts; their
chirping filled the air. Having fastened the dogs at the
foot of the mount, the party climbed part of the way up,
until they were fairly in the midst of the little creatures,

493

1873.

Muj,

494

1873.

May.

Sonntag's Grave.

where, with a small net made of sinew and faster^ed to a
hoop 18 inches in diameter, on a pole 10 or 12 feet long,
Awah-tah caught them as they flew within his reach!
They were constantly in motion and in such numbers,
that he very soon bagged a large quantity of them.

After the dogs had a hearty meal, the journey was
resumed. Reaching the head of the fiord, they found
that Dr. Bessels had finished his work., and was ready to
return. Taking a short rest, the party again set out, stop-
ping at Etah, and depositing there the doctor's camping
arrangements. They then crossed the fiord, and, upon
reaching the land, Mr. Bryan and the doctor left Awah-
tah, at his own request, at the s^d, and walked over to
Port Foulke. They found that Sonntag's grave had been
despoiled; the gravestone was down, and his bones were
scattered about. They replaced his fine large skull in
the grave, collected all the other bones, and refilled the
grave; the headstone was also reset. It was afterward
learned that the Esquimaux had dug up the grave to get
the wood of which the coffin was made. No signs of the
observatory could be seen; the relics were very few, con-
sisting of some pieces of wood, a small piece of rope,
and broken glass. Dr. Bessels at midnight returned with
Awah-tah to the house, leaving Mr. Bryan to make some
observations, in which ho was successful, notwithstanding
Dr. Bessels had carried off* the trough of his artificial

)

i t

Conntag's Grave.
ioro, with a smnll net made of sinew and fastened to

^ioop 18 inclic^ if! K'*n,,.t
Awnh-tab -m^U lu,

on a polo 10 or 12 feet 1

oiiir.

K-V

Tl
that

• r! J.

'fvintj

as they flew witJn'u his reach.

y n

i 'a

He ''oi V

ofion and in such numl

bcrs.

After the d

'I lii;

-ai'i

*)■

resumed. Eeachinir (f,
that Dr. BesseJs Uad linjsij..^
return. Taking a short rest,

heai'ty

ntitj of them.

liJCMf *('o

f th

journey was
u lioni. thev found

k, and

was ready to

iJj*: !'?•••{

rJocto

ping at Etah. nrd depositinir there th
arrangement.. They then crossed the fiord
reachino jhe hnd, Mr. Vn ,

y again .set out, stop-

'fS

camp

ino"

and.

upon
'"(^ tlic doctor left Awah-

0Vo»- fo

despoiled; tlK- gravo.ln.e .■„. ,,...„. and'hi,s l,„nes uero
;;"'""■' ■■''"""■ ''-^- -l''"-'^ '.i-s /l„e ,,.,,„ «k„|, ,„
tiie gnnv. .ollocted all tho other b„„o., and rofilled tl.o
Srnve; (ho h«,d.,io„e was ako ro«et It wa. afterward

loaruod that ll,c r.:.,,n„naux l,ad d„. „,, ,l„. „rnvMo ..ct
te«-oodof..hW,tl„.c««i„«.a.s,„a,i., .N„ si,,,, ,.f ^e

'" -n, the rehcs uere very lew, con-
" "i" ' ^'"'^^1^^^^'- '^ wood, a smaii piece of ropo
-a rok,.n glass. D. Bezels at midnight returnea widi

Awah-tah to the honso. 1' - ?.,., ^u. n,^,„„ , ,
, . .. M\ hi van If) nwkp snmc

observations ir '

„ """""" ■"■ ■> '^ ^iK'ccsslbl, „otwithsf.-mdimr

J>- 3te.* hau .a„ . J „,r .,. h„„,h „f his ^tity;;

IfT.

ITS,

The Crews Selected.

horizon, for which he was obliged to make a wooden sub-
stitute. When about to start on his journey home, a na-
tive, sent by Captain Budington, came to him with a sled;
he arrived at the house at 11 p. m. Jim, Enu, and Acoo
returned from the north at about the same time with four-
teen seals.

The 29th was fully occupied in active preparations for
the departure of the party from Polaris House. Each one
being allowed to carry eight pounds only, it was hard to
decide what should be taken and what left. Provisions
for two and a half months were carefully packed in small
bags for easy handling. Some of the rigging was chopped
into small pieces for fuel, and excellent fuel it made. The
crews were selected and assigned ; Captain Budington's
crew being as follows r—N. J. Coffin, stroke ; Wm. Morton,
A. A. Odell, Noah Hayes, J. B. Mauch; R. W. D. Bryan,
bow. Mr. Chester's crew consisted of Dr. Emil Bessels,
stroke; Emil Schumann, J. W. Booth, Walter Campbell,
Henry Hobby ; Hermann Siemens, bow. The position
of the house, as determined by Mr. Bryan, Was,— latitude,
78° 23' 30" N.; longitude, 73° 21' 10" W.

On the 30th, almost all the land-ice broke away, and
with it the Polaris went adrift. She was carried about
200 yards toward the south, where she again grounded.
At high tide her upper deck was about two feet below
the surface of XhQ water. Siemens and Hobby went

495

1873.

may.

m -;■

496

1873.

Jnne.

"Ready to Start South.

out to her in the little scow, and fastened two large
hawsers to her from the rocks on shore. It was thought
she might be driven high and dry upon the beach in the
autumn, and furnish to the Esquimaux a supply of wood.

Meteorological observations were now discontinued.
They had been regular] < nade from the 1st of November,
Dr. Bessels observing during sixteen consecutive hours
each day, and Mr. Bryan who relieved Mauch on the 21st
of November, observing during the remaining eight.

On the 31st, the boats were carried down to the
shore, and the provisions were distributed and got ready
to be put on board. The 2d of June was the day ap-
pointed for sailing.

On the 1st, Captain Budington and Mr. Chester were
quite sick with pains in the chest ; on the next day they
were much better, but Booth began to suffer from the
same complaint. A gale was blowing from the N. E.,
and it would have been imprudent to launch the boats.

"^■^....Z--

,.ff

pii

CHAPTER XX.

lil

On the 2d, Captain Hall's largo Arctic library was
carefully packed in his trunk, taken about one-fourth of a
mile in a direction ^.. S. E. from the house, and there
placed in a cache ; where were also deposited the pendu-
lum, the transit-instrument without its glasses, three box-
chronometers (sidereal), and the two log-books of the
Polaris, together with a statement of what had been done
by the Expedition, and of their present prospect of reach-
ing in the boats either one of the Scotch whalers at Cape
York, or the Danish settlements.

All hands were called at 1 a. m. of the 3d, in order
to be ready to get off at high tide. There was some dif-
ficulty in launching the boats, on account of the swell and
the loose cakes of ice. Jim and his family were loath to
part with the "Kodlumhs" whose hospitaUty they had
enjoyed during the winter, and the sentiment was recipro-
cated. The other Esquimaux did not display any feeling;
this was attributed, not unreasonably, to their extreme'

1873.

June.

500

187a.

June.

Sorfalik.

pleasure on coming into possession of so much valuable
property.

The boats, having been freighted and manned, got
under way, and at 2.30, stood down the coast, with a fair
wind, Chester being ahead. At 3.45, Cape Ohlsen was
passed. From this point to Cape Alexander, which was
doubled at 6.22, the sea was quite rough. The boats leaked
a little, but here proved to be very good sea-boats. When
they were south of Cape Alexander, the wind going down
it was necessary to take to the oars. At 11, the boats
came to a loose pack which they could not enter; and, not
being able to effect a landing, they returned to Sorfalik,
where they arrived at 2 p. m., and were hauled up on the
ice-foot, near the deserted stone huts of the Esquimaux.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in eating, and hunting
auks.

At 6.10 a. m. of the 4th, the boats were again
launched, and the ice being compact' near the shore, a
straight course was shaped for Hakluyt Island, which was
reached at 9.20 p. m., after an almost uninterrupted pull
of fifteen hours. It being low tide, it was impossible to
haul the boats up on the ice-foot. A hot soup made from
the auks proved a delightful addition to the supper. Cap-
tain Budington suddenly became very sick, and for a time
there was doubt of his recovery, but he finally rallied.
The watch being set, the crews went to sleep, but at high

•^1

;>/.

5<J0

in-

Sorfalik.
rH^asurc (.1) cominir Into po^.c^^ioi, oi v. ,„„i, ,^^.„^,i^,^^

; l'>j»cttV.

The l)o.aH, having- bwen frciVhicd and iimiined, not
undei- wny, and nt 2.30, tJtaod down the cea.st, with a Lr
wiud. fJicstcr being ahead. \i, :; t5, rnpc Of.Iseii ua6
pans.-. ^ ■, -am this p^i,, f. C.;.. A.^.ndor. which Ma«
double.^ at. (1.22, the ^t:l nvu.> quiie rungh. The boat« leaked
a little, but here proved to hv s wy oood .scvi-!iuat«. Wlion
they were nonth of Cape Alexuudor. the wind going down
it was necessary to take to the oar... At Jl, the bouts
erne to a loo.o pa .1. wl.l.h they cu.dd iiot enter; nr.!, nol
'■■■ '^n; e!, a. landing, ihoy rtanrned to Sorfalik,

'r;>nIod up on rhe

The rest of the afternoon wa.s si
au!:s.

At ().i.» a. ai. of the 4th, the boats were agaif.
launched, and the ice being compacIT near the ^=horo, a
straight coarse was shapnd for Hakluyf T^-^^A .vbirb wa^
renohed at y.-n p. p, , nfter an almo.t n.nu.crrupl.d pull

>• ' •' liou It being low tide, it wa? inipof^siblo to
iiuu. uie !,outH u, OH ihe ice-foot. A hot souj) made from
Lbe auk. proved a dehghtfnl addition lo tho supper. (Jap-
tain Ibidingron .udder^lv boramc vcy sick, and for a time
there was doubt of i. ..,,,ry, but bo finally rallied.
The watch being set, lu. crew, went to sleep, but at high

Lit,

Hakluyt Island.

water all hands were called, and the hoats were hauled up
on the ice-foot. At that time, a very strong breeze was
blowing, which made the rocks an uncomfortable place for
sleeping; Mr. Bryan, however, with Hayes and Mauch,
found a large rock, under the lea of which they made their
bed by digging away a bank of snow and putting moss in
its place, over which they spread a blanket, covering
themsf'Vves with two other blankets. They slept com-
fortably, but when they awoke found themselves com-
pletely covered with drifted snow.

A severe gale from the S. W. on the 5th, kept the
party in the same place. A raw and dreary day was
passed in the boats, under the awning. Some of the crew
ventured on a ramble inland, and found a rookery of
lummes and little auks on the north side of the island,
where the cliffs rose almost perpendicularly out of the sea.
Toward evening, the gale had increased so much that
the spray came over the boats, and it was necessary to
haul them higher up.

The 6th was another wretchedly uncomfortable day,
with a violent siiow-storm and a low temperature. The
party was compelled to resort to exercise to keep warm,
which, owing to the snow and wind, was difficult and pain-
ful. At 3.30 a. m. of the 7th, the gale died away, and the
failing snow was scarcely noticed ; the sun came out and
the weather was bright, with a light breeze from the

501

1878.

Jnne.

502

if i

1873.

Jane.

Northumberland Island,

southwest. Captain Budington's boat was cleared out, and
turned bottom up to repair the leaks.

The cat had become quite wild from the excitement
of the journey and its confined quarters ; when taken from
the boat, it ran away, disappeared among the rocks and
was not again seen.

The latitude observed was 77° 24' N. The condition
of the ice toward the south was examined by Mr. Bryan,
who reported that there was a good chance to reach Cape
Parry. The height of his lookout, measured by an ane-
roid barometer, was 1,325 feet.

At 6 a. m. of the 8th, all hands were called, for the
second time during the night. Mr. Chester shoved off a
little before 8, and made an unsuccessful attempt to double
the southwest point of the island ; the passage was made
between it and Northumberland Island, where a good deal
of very close ice was encountered; the wind was blow-
ing strong from the S. W., and the^ snow was falling
thickly. The coast of Northumberland Island was fol-
lowed until the pack coming in made it necessary to seek
the ice-foot, which was done at 11 a. m. At the landing,
there was an extensive rookery of little auks, three hun-
dred and fourteen of which were shot at a short distance
from the boats. The birds crowded so closely together
that many were killed at one shot.

The boats started again at 8 a. m. of the 9th, but

5oi!

^-"■' Oaptaiii Biiaiiigton'a bont was clca

tiic buai, it ran uwav

- lia irom the excitt;-
irter^ ; when taken {mm

. i

(>!

!U i!i!

o|joiieu liiat there vva« a fTooti cba^
i'uny. The helgiL . lookoqj,. racasun
' old barometer .8**5 foot

• ojuiitiiii)
s'n. Bryan,
each Ca|,i!!
■.■f an aric-

i2:iii.

h<>iT\'(>(

iiitj: .>Li(.>nn iron.
thickly. Tli-

Jro

ic c<>n

vhich

that ];' !*!v vverc ki!;.

itnv was faJliu,^

■S'T

'losnl

( W'

Whale Sound.

were soon driven back by a heavy snow-squall and a
southwest wind which brought in the pack; at 9 a. m.,
they were hauled up again on the ice-foot. The boats
continued to leak a little, but were easily kept free by
occasional bailing.

On the morning of the 9th, every auk had disap-
peared; geese, ducks, gulls, snipes, snow-birds, ravens, a
swallow, and foxes were seen; some moss was found
which was used for fuel. At 9.30 a. m. of the 10th, the
party made another start, pulling along the island until
compelled to stop by the pack, when the boats were acrain
hauled up on the ice-foot, at 11.15 a. m. Mr. Chester,
after ascending a hill, reported a good opportunity for
reaching Cape Parry, there being a wide lead entirely
across Whale Sound. Getting under way at 8 p. m.,
the boats coasted the island a short distance, and then
struck across the sound; southwesterly winds had, how-
ever, closed up Chester's lead. For a time, efforts were
made to open a passage for the boats. When about one-
third of the distance across the sound, at 10.30 p. m., the
ice suddenly closed, pressing heavily against Captain Bud-
mgton's boat, when the crew leaped upon a floe and hauled
up the boat rapidly, but for which she would have been
crushed. At this time, Mr. Chester's boat was ahead, and
m a .mall pool which, closing shortly after, compelled
him also to haul up on the ice. Captain Budington's crew

503

1873.

Jnne.

504

The Boats Beset.

1878. did not turn in, but

Jane.

m, but remained all night ti^
warm by exercise on a cake of ice not more than twice
as large as the boat ; the temperature was 23°. The cake
drifted at first north, toward the island, and then followed
its western shore, at a distance of about four miles. A
slight breeze from the east aided their progress toward the
N. W. ; there was some fear of the boats being sepa-
rated.

At 6 a. m. of the 11th, Captain Budington's boat was
opposite the point from which it had started to cross the
sound. Quite a space of open water was seen between
the land and the edge of the pack about a mife distant,
and it was decided to make an effort to reach it.

At 7.30 a. m., the movement was begun. After
several trips, all the provisions were carried to another
floe, nearer the open water; then, cutting down the hum-
mocks to make a smooth way, the party returned and
dragged the boat to the provisions. After about ten such
trips, the water was reached at 11.30 a. m., when, rowing
against a head wind and sea for an hour, the two miles of
open water were crossed, and the boat was hauled up on
the exact spot which it had left sixteen and a half hours
before. Mr. Chester, with his boat, had already arrived at
the same place, having had a longer distance to make, but
being more successful in finding leads and in being able to
drag his loaded boat over the ice.

Londirv'!

» uand Ju«a 9, 1873.

504

Juu«>.

The Boats B ,e/.

>"i - auii in, but remained all night tryin/r to keep
wuriii by exercise on a cake of ice not more tlian twio©
as Jargc as tijo boat; tlie tei»«>«'miture was 23°. The aiko
drifted at fir:;t north toward ' .hI, and then followed

iU v.o^t.,rn .1...., at a distui.Lv . Jmiit four nules. A
slight ijiLu-x 11 um the eaat aided th: ., jTogreas toward the
X. W. ; there was some lear of the boats being sepa-
rated.

At 6 a. m. of the lltli, Captain Ikdiugton's boat was
opposite the point from which it had started to cross the
sound. Quito a space of open water was sceii between
the land md tlie eiige of ihe .«aok r^udt a mile distant.

'lir

!♦««'

I«» f«"'^i»l;

lloe, nearer the open watiT; then. di'wn „., .

mocks to make a smooth way, rho p/irt-y returned and
dragged the boat to the provisiouo. After abont ten such
trips, tlie water w-i8"renebpd at f l.:50 a. n.i., when, rowing
against a head wind and sea for an hour, the two miles of
open w«r4^,r w.uc cnigsr ; the boat was hauled up on

xact ^mi '^imii> it liwl b-ft sixt(>o,n and a half hours
before. Mr. Ohester, ^^ ,.. , u>-ui, had already arrived at
the same phu-e, hx^\.^^ imd u longer distance to make, hut
being more successfal in iinding leads and in ])eing able to
drag his loaded bout over the ice.

f I

f i

Landing on Northumberland Island, June 9, 1873.

Dalrymple Island.

The crews were very thankful to get out of the pack;
they were grateful for their escape from the danger of
being bound in it, and carried with it to the south. The
exposure on the floe during the night had made nearly all
of Captain Budington's crew snow-blind; and every one's
face and hands wore so badly burned that the skin came
off, causing great suffering.

The grateful prospect of a Sound clear from ice was
seen from the hill-top on the 12th. At 10.30 a. m., the
boats got under way, and, after passing through a small
stream of ice, found open water. A good breeze blowing
out of the sound enabled them to carry sail until 5 p. m.,
when, being within a few miles of Cape Parry, the wind
died away and the men took to their oars. At 6,
the cape was rounded; at 8.45, the boats stopped on
the fast ice, just above Fitz Clarence Rock, for half an
hour, until the tide which was running very strong against
them, turned ; at 9.45, they were hauled up on Blackwood
Point. The boats were again launched at 11.45 a. m. of
the 13th, and sailed for an hour under a light wind abeam,
after which the oars were used faithfully until 9.30 p. m.,
when the party landed at Dalrymple Island, having
stopped at 6. p. m. about half an hour for lunch. The ice
was fast across Wolstenholme Sound, so that the boats
could not go inside of the islands. Many walruses, seals,
and narwhals were seen, and also a great number of

506

1S78.

Jane.

506

1873.
June.

Wohtenholme Island.

birds. The last few hours of the journey had been spent
in an almost vain struggle against a strong wind and tide;
the island was reaohed, however, just in time to escape a
severe southwest gale. It was expected that many ducks'
eggs would be found on the island, but the season was too
early.

Forty-five minutes past meridian on the 14th, another
start was made. The boats kept down along Wolsten-
holme Island until they came to a close pack, where they
were hauled up on the ice-foot at 2.30 p. m. Captain
Budington at once dispatched Messrs. Bryan and Odell to
the hills to report upon the prospect of proceeding further.
They walked down the ice-foot a short distance, until they
came to a place where an ascent of the steep mountains
was practicable. On reaching the summit, it appeared
that the fast ice extended from the island, south, along the
coast of the mainland; but outside there was a passage
between the land-ice and the pack as far as Conical Rock,
which was as far as they could see. They could perceive
that the land-ice extended out into the straits a considera-
ble distance, and that it would require a long detour to get
round it. The aneroid barometer at the. summit of their
lookout read 28.69 inches; the difference between this
reading and that at the sea-level, indicated a heijrht of
about 730 feet Whalers were now anxiously looked for.
desiring to get to Cape York as soon as possible,

I btsifl.i

,ltati!l'iip-i' .,'«(|hK)UfMt^ : ■:-:ii^MV'::

I I

t ^1

5or>

1873.

Juur.

Woldenholme Islnnd.

:.'i: li>>,

'i iie last few hours of tho jonrn(3y liad bov;
ill an almo.st vain striitrgle against a strong wind aiid tide;
the island was roach ed, l}.>wevcr, just in time to escape a
se^'oro southwest gale. fMm<; expected that manydiu-k.'
eggs would bo tband on ili.: i: -hi but the season was too
oarly.

, Forty-five minute^s past ni^riamn on the 14th, another
start was made. Tlie bf>ats kept down along 'Wolsteii-
holme Island until they came to a close pack, where they
were hauled up on the ice-foot at 2.3(» p. m. Captain
Budington at once dispatchtul Messrs. Bryan and Odell to
(he hills to repor; ^hc pms^p^ ©f proceeijin^^ Ajrthcr.

They walked down the ice-foot a <?hort distimf^fv until \hvv

Vih

outh, along the
coast of the mainland ; but outside there was a passage
between the land-ice and the pack as ia*r as (Jonical Bock,
wliich was as far as they could see. They coidd perceive
that the land-ice extended out into the stiaits a considera-
ble distance, ami tliat it would require a long detour to ixet
ronnd it. The aneroid barometer at the summit of their
lookout . ::^.m inches; the difference between this
feading and that at thu sea-level, indicated a height of
;il.)out 7v;iO feet. Whalers were now anxiously looked f(>,
Desiring to get to Cape York as soon as possii

=*.

r
' 'i'

?»M

>!&.

Conical Bock.

Captain Budington determined to take the risk of stand-
ing out, and started again at 10.30 p. m. Ho had a
hard pull against a very strong wind. At 3.45 a. m., of
the 15th, not being able to make headway against the
wind and sea, he hauled the boats up, but finding that
he was not on the fast ice, at 10.30, he again launched
them, and at 7.30 p. m. reached the south side of Con-
ical Rock, where he encamped upon the ice of a small
bay. During part of the passage, the wind had been
favorable.

In the afternoon, the first light rain of the season fell.
During the 16th and the 17th, the weather was so bad
that Captain Budington layby; the storm of wind, snow,
and rain confining the people to the boats, which it was
necessary to haul further back on the ice. Conical Rock
was left at 6.30 a. m. on the 18th. The land-ice having
been followed about 5 miles, at 8.45 a. m., the incoming
pack rendered it necessary to haul up on the floe. The
greatest trouble in camping upon the smooth land-ice was
the difficulty of obtaining water; to melt snow consumed
the fuel very fast. At midnight, Mr. Bryan, by observa-
tion, found the latitude to be 76° 02' 30" N.

Again, at 7.30 a. m. on the 19th, Captain Budington
set out with a fair wind, but after an hour, was obliged to
haul up on the ice in consequence of its closing. The
object now was to keep close in with the fast ice, and take

507

1873.

Jaae.

i <V

' iA%

508

1873,

Jane.

The Boats Among Ice.

• advantage of every opening made in the pack, as by hold-
ing on to the fast ice, the ground already made would
be kept. At noon, the pack moved off, and the boats
got under way; but, after making about 13 miles
under sail, they were forced to stop at 2.30 p. m. A
severe gale, which prevailed during the latter part of the
day, had broken off a very large portion of the land-ice;
for at 8, the party found that they were adrift, and
were not able to see the extent of the floe. At midnight,
they again got under way, and, after a pull of two
hours, reached the land-i^e; but, the part upon which they
were, being very rotten, they took the first opportunity to
move on. Starting at 3 a. m., they were tempted by a
very fine lead to run off from the land-ice, and, after a
hard pull of seven hours, they found the end of the lead,
and hauled up on a large floe. They then discovered,'
however, that they were not on the land-ice, as expected!
but were adrift. They were unable lo help themselves,
and were in danger of being carried out to the middle of
the channel, and then down toward Labrador and the
Atlantic.

The following account of the 21st is taken from Bud-
ington's journal: —

"At 8 a. m., we left the floe, proceeding through
loose pack-ice. After an hour, we were compelled
to haul up again. Here wc were compelled to stop

■-> I

Melville Bay.

"for about an hour; then the ic - commenced to slacken in
a northnstef.y direction, and we immediately launched
our boats. After a short pull through the loose pack, wo
made a large body of open water, in which we proceeded
in an E. S. E. direction (by compass), this being the
direction in which I bad observed the farthest land in
Melville Bay. It was fortunate I did take the direction
by compass, and also informed Mr. Chester of our course,
for a heavy fog soon set in, which, in fact, became so
thick that we almost lost sight of the other boat. At 4
p. m., we reached the fast floe, which was making from
Cape York right across the bay in a direction about S. E.
by E. Here we enjoyed light, favorable air from the N.
E. and plenty of open water ; we therefore proceeded
along the floe under sail until 7 p. m., when we had to
haul up our boat and drag it over a narrow tongue of ice,
launching her again on the other side of the tongue.
After a short time, the ice again compelled me to haul up
on the floe at 9 p. m., and, as there was no further chance
of proceeding, we encamped for the night. One boat
(that is, mine) has been leaking so badly that we caulked
her again all over after our arrival here."

During the night, the pack pressed very heavily
against the land-ice near the encampment, and the boats
were taken further back to protect them from the pack,
which was eating its way into the floe. Soon after the

509

1873.

June.

510

1873.

June.

BudingtorCs Boat Stove.

removal, the pressure ceased, and a large portion of the
floe broke oflf. The boats again started at 8.30 a. m. of
the 22d, but were able to advance only half a mile.
From this point, it Could be seen that the pack pressed
close against the land-ice for several miles; and the only
hope was for a northerly wind that would drive the pack ofif,
and open a passage, though it was feared that a very strong
wind might break off a large portion of the Melville Bay
land-ice, and carry the boats with it out into the pack.
At midnight, the ice began to open, and at 1 a. m., the
boats were launched. .After having gone a short distance,
it was necessary to haul them over the floe about half
a mile. Again launching, the party rowed a short dis-
tance, when the pack moved in very rapidly. Mr. Ches-
ter's boat, which was a httle ahead, passed through a
narrow strait, but Captain Budington's was caught
between the floe and the pack. He f aw the danger, and
called upon the men to pull harder; but, being tired and
not seeing the danger, they did not exert themselves
sufficiently. When fairly caught, all hands jumped upon
the ice, and, by great exertion, hauled the loaded boat
up, on her broadside. One plank was stove, but was
speedil}' repaired by tacking tarred canvass over the open-
ing, after which the boat was again launched in open water.
It was impossible to go much further, however, on account
of the pack, and the party lay by. At 4.45 a. m., plenty

510

1 87:i.

June.

Budhigton's Boat Stove.

romoval, tho i)ro88iirc ceased, unci a largo portion </ Ua
lloo ,. The boats again started at 8.n0 a, m ..''

tile l'2u, ixit were able to advance only hall a mile.
From this point, it could bo seen that the pack pret^sod
elofcit) agftintst the land-ico for several miles; and the only
hope was for a TiMiherJy w nd that would drive tho pack olF,
and open a passage, though v was feared that a very stron<r
wind might break off a large portion of tho Melville Bay
land-ice, and carry tho boats with it out into the !»ack.
At midnight, the ice began to open, and at 1 a. Jti., the
boats were lainiched. .After having gone a short distance,
it was nect K?.a,ry to haul them, over tho lloo about half

■ • Mrtv rowed a sihovt din-

laiiw, uhtm tho paeiv .•

tor's ))ont. which was a Iiitle uhe/ul, passeu U;,ru •
narrow strait, but Ouptain Budint^ton's was cauohi
between the Iloe and the pack. He saw the danger, and
called upon the men to pull harder;' but, being tired and
not seeing the danger, tliey did not exert themselves
sufficiently. Wlicn fairly caught, all hands jumped upon
the ice, and, by great exertion, hauled the loaded boat
up, on her broadside. One plank was stove, but was
speedily repaircil f.y hiciving tarred canvass over the upL-
ing, after which the boat was again launched in opcu vv
1 1 was impossible to go much furtlier, however, ou m>
of the ])ack, and the party lay by. At 4.45 a. m. i.U.-.nty

i '
I

Sighting the Ravenscraig, June 23, 1873

!i>r

Ship Ahoy!

511

cl* fi. ih water was obtained from ponds on the neighbor-
in,'; icebergs. All hands lay down, except Mr. Bryan and
id Chester, left on watch.

At 10 a. m., Mr. Chester electrified the company ly
"inlling out "Ship ahoy!" A'joat ten miles to the south,
fastened to the land-ice, were seen the three masts and
the smoke-stack of a bark. There was a thrill of joy. Hero
was the Scotch whaler that had been expected. The flag
was hoisted on two oars lashed together. The bark, by
running up her ensign, soon gave notice that the signal
was seen. Mr. Chester and Hobby wore at once dis-
patched to communicate with the vessel, and ask passage
for the company. They were met, when little more than
half-way, by ten men who had started out to render assist-
ance. Two of them turned back to report to the captain ;
the remaining eight, accompanied by Chester, continued on
toward the boats, which they reached at 3 p. m. They had
been so thoughtful as to fill their pockets with ships' biscuit,
not knowing but that the strangers were actually starving.
They communicated the grateful intelligence that the ice-
floe party, under Captain Tyson, had been picked up.

Captain Budington ordered all hands to prepare to
walk to the vessel. After taking a good meal and collect-
ing their personal efiects, together with the records and
collections, they started at 6 p. m., being very kindly
assisted by their new companions. After a weary tramp

187».
Jnn«.

. ♦!]?■'

•Kii»» - t<.

— '- • — -'

512

Sescue by the Savenscmig.

, J3. over the floe, rendered worae by the rotten condition of
the ice and by the soft snow, they arrived at the vessel at
midnight, where they were most kindly received and wel-
comed by Dr. A. D. Soutter, the surgeon. The ship lay
m latitude 75° .38' K., longitude 65° 35' W. She proved
to be the Ravenscraig, of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, owned by
Mr. Nmian Lockhart, and commanded by CapUin William
Allen.

Every one on board did his utmost to make the ship-
wrecked party comfortable. Dry and warm clothing was
provided, and a plentiful table was spread before them, far
exceeding anything thoy had been accustomed to for
nearly two years. They needed no soporific to induce
sleep when they turned into the welcome bunks The
Ravenscraig not being built for carrying passengers, it was
at first a question how the new-comers could be accom-
modated. Scotch hospitality, however, soon devised the
means. Captain Allen insisted upon Captain Budiugton
taking his state-room and sharing his bunk; Mr. Chester
enjoyed a cushioned settee in the cabin; Dr. Bessels occu-
pied Dr. Soutter's bunk; the mates, Burnet and Smith
took care of Morton and Schumann; when Anderson, the
i>ec«nd engineer, turned out to take his watch, at 2 a m
Mr. Bryan turned into his bunk and finished the night-
forward, the men .vere very kindly eared for, the seamen
eliar.-„g ^,;th them their bunks, fitting up special ones,

Otiwr Chances of Escape.
taking them into their messes, and showing them evety
possible kindness end attention.

The Kavenscraig had been detained unusually long at
whatisknownasfte-SouthwestKshing-.justoffthemouth

of Hudson's Straits, and had eome to MelvJle Bay too
late to find a clear passage. Seven of the whaling ueet had
parsed through the bay early in the month ; but one other
Scotoh vessel, the Tay, remained behind, her detenUon
being occasioned by some repairs to her machmery. The
Harold, a Norwegian vessel, on its first cruise, also passed
through Melville Bay later in the season. So that, it
Captain Budington and his party had missed the Kayens-
craig they would still have had a chance of bemg picked
™ 'xhey had never doubted their ability, however, to
iach the Danish settlement. It is true that the most
dangerous part of the voyage was still before them, fo^ as
they advanced, the ice would have opened, and they
would have been exposed to the danger of gales of wmd
and the heavy seas accompanying them-a danger which
would have been very formidable in their small, shallow
ilat-bottomed. unseaworthy boats. They had used up all
their fucLbut had accomplished about one-half the distance
bad abundance of provisions, and were becoming inured
to the labors and hardships of their situation. But wh, o
they were thus trustful of the future, they were supremely
happy in meeting with the Eavcnscraig.

513

514

1879.

June.

Mr. Chester's Boat,

Tho watch in the crow's-nest of the Ravenscraiff had
seen Budington's party on the ice at 5 1. ra., but had taken
them at first for Esquimaux, the boats looking h'ke sleds,
and their pile of provisions like a team of dogs lying on the
floe. On getting nearer, the watch saw ^he boats more dis-
tinctly, and the surmise was that one of ihe vessels which
had preceded the Kavenscraig had been lost, and that her
crew was returning in her boats. When still nearer, the
men were more distinctly seen walking on the floe, some
of them having hats on. This puzzled the people of the
Ravenscraig, since all the Scotch whalemen wear caps. It
was then suggested that it might be some of the crew of
the Polaris, but the idea was not at first generally accepted.
They could not for a time make out the b \it flag ; but they
hoisted their own flag, and sent out tho men which met
the party from the boats.

On the 25th, twenty of the crew of tho Kavenscraig,
accompanied by tho carpenter and two other men of the
Polaris, walked to the boats, and brought back Mr. Ches-
ter's boat, together with a few valuables which had been
left. This boat was a little damaged by dragging it over
the ice ; Captain Allen at once set his carpenter at work
to repair it, and secured it on deck. It was carried to
Dundee, and Mr. Lockhart afterward presented it to the
Smithsonian Institution. It was brought to the United
States free of cost by the steamer Georgia, of tho State

}

Lancaster Sound.

Line Steamship Company. Placed at the International
Exhibition at Philadelphia, May 10, 1876, by the side of
Kane's boat Faith, it formed part of the Arctic collection
furnished for the Centennial by the United States Naval
Observatory.

On the 26th, the ice opened a little, and the Ravens-
craig steamed slowly for about four hours ; the next day
she succeeded in getting a few miles further.

Captain Allen determined to accomplish something
on the 4th, and the Americans on board assured him
that he would have good luck on account of the day.
He passed the day in the crow's-nest, and kept the vessel
butting at the ice. She fought her way foot by foot.
When she was brought up by the ice, she was backed, if
there was room, and then was started forward at full
speed. The shock as she struck the ice almost always
started a crack, and, unless the floe was heav;^ , the ship
buried herself half her length in it; besides this, the ves-
sel was rolled, the men running in a body from side to
side. Thus she made gradual progress untii evening, when
nhe came into open water

Having reached the latitude of Oonjcoi Rock, she
turned to the westward, and on the eveniro- of the 5th,
made the west land. Early on the 6th, she entered Lan-
caster Sound and kept along the northern coast until,
passing Cape Warr ^der, she crossed U Admiralty Inlet.

515

1873.

Jllljr.

516

Homeward Bound.

Itn^uni ^^^" «ff ^^P^ Crawford, on the morning of the 7th she
spoke the steamer Arctic, and received a visit from her
commander, Captain Wilham Adams, accompanied by
Captain A. H. Markhara, of the Royal Navy, who on his
return referred to this visit in his admirable and popular
work. "A Whaling Cruise to Baffin's Bay."

Owing to the crowded state of the Ravenscraig, one-
half of the Polaris men now went on board the Arctic •
they were Mr. H. C. Chester, Dr. Emil Bessels, Mr.'
Emil Schumann, Noah Hayes, Hermann Siemens, Henry
Hobby, and Walter Campbell.

In the pursuit of his business, Captain Allen ran into
the mouth of Barrow Stnit, and then returned to Prince
Kegent Inlet.

On the 17th of July^ he spoke the steamer Intrepid,
Captain Soutar, who expressed a desire to have some of the
Polaris men. Accordingly, Mr. B. W. D. Bryan, J. B.
Mauch, and J. W. Booth were transferred to the Intrepid,
and the vessels parted company.

The Arctic, having filled up, turned her head home-
ward on the 10th of August, and, on the 20th, the Rav-
enscraig was spoken, and the four Polaris men still remain-
ing in her were transferred to the Arctic; they were
Captain S. 0. Budington, Mr. William Morton, A. A. Odell
and N. J. Coffin.

The Intrepid was thought to be so far oflF from the

Arrival in Washington. 517

Arctic that she could not be reached without the sacri- 1878.
fice of too much time and fuel, and the Arctic, with **"***"•*"
her eleven Polaris passengers, resumed her voyage. On
the afternoon of Friday, September 19, she anchored in
Dundee.

Captain Budington and his associates received every
attention from William Reid, Esq., United States Vice-Con-
sul. By the courtesy of the officers of the Inman Line
of Steamships, they were offered first-class passage in the
City of Antwerp, and sailed from Liverpool on the 23d.
They speak in the highest terms of the kindness of Cap-
tain Laver and his brother officers, and of the civilities
received from the passengers.

On arriving in New York, the vessel was met at
quarantine by the navy-yard tug Catalpa, which car-
ried Captain Budington and his companions to the
United States ship Talapoosa at the Brooklyn navy-yard,
in which vessel they arrived in Washington on the 7th of
October.

On the 12th of September, the party left on the Intre-
pid, learned that the Arctic had sailed for Dundee, having
on board all their comrades.

On the 13th, the Eric, Captain J. B. Walker, was
seen to have her ensign flying— a signal that she was

518

Mauch and Booth.

1873.

October.

about to start for home. The Intrepid ran down to her
to send letters, and on Captain Walker's oflfering to take
the three Polaris men with him, they were transferred.
They were treated with great consideration by Captain
Walker and his officers, and by an English gentlemen,
Mr. J. Rickaby, a passenger, whose courtesy will never
be forgotten.

On the 28th, when off Cape Dyer, the final depart-
ure was taken for Scotland. Head winds and rough
weather kept them beating about in Davis Strait for a
long time, so that it was not until the 12th of October
that they passed Cape Farewell. At 5 a. m. of the 20th,
Cape Wrath was passed, and after a stormy and danger-
ous voyage they finally anchored in Dundee at 3 a. m. of
the 22d.

They received QWQvy attention from Mr. Reid, the
vice-consul, and many kindnesses from the people of
Dundee.

Mauch and Booth, through the courtesy of the officers

of the State Line, were given first-class passages in the

steamer Georgia. They sailed from Glasgow on the 24th,

and arrived in New York on Friday, November 7, having

been very kindly treated by Captain Cooper and his officers

and by the passengers.*

• By the provisions of an act approved by the President of the
United States June 23, 1874, "appropriate compensation and acknowl-
edgment" were authorized to be made to the "owners, oflicers, and

Mr. Bryants Arrival.

519

Mr. Bryan, bv means of a cable dispatch, obtained per- 1 873.
mission from the Secretary of the Navy to remain one '**''*"""*"'"
week in Europe. He visited Edinburgh, London, Paris,
and Dublin, and left Queenstown on Saturday, November
1, in the Java, of the Cunard Line, arriving in New York
on the 13th.

" sailors of the British whaling and sealing steamers which contributed
to the rescue of the survivors of the Polaris".

On the report of a board of officers composed of Commanders
G. O. Remey and G. W. Sumner and Lieutenant-Commander ii. H.
Gorringc, the Secretary of the Navy awarded to the owners of the
Eavenscraig, Arctic, Intrepid, and Eric, compensation for the sub-
sistence they had supplied; to Captain Allen, the sum of $800; to the
owners of the Eavenscraig, a gratuity of $600, and to each of her men
who walked on the ice to rescue Captain Budington's party, $25: also,
to Captains Bartlett, Adams, Soutar, and Walker, $300 each. The Cap-
tain of each vessel was informed by the Department that he was at lib-
erty to purchase a gold pocket chronometer, and tohave inscribed thereon
that it was "a token of the gratitude of the United States for kindness
to the officers and men of the Polaris." The thanks of the Government
were also expressed to the officers of the State and the Inman Lines of
Steamers.

CHAPTER XXI.

Tho narrative returns to the party left upon the floe,
the situation of which has already been given. They were
busily employed in removing to a place of safety the pro-
visions and stores which had been hastily and indiscrimi-
nately thrown upon the ice. Captain George E. Tyson,
assistant navigator, had taken the direction of this work,
and it had been carried on with activity and success.

When the ship disappeared, the broken pieces floated
off; carrying on them men, stores, provisions, and records.
The boats were at once launched, and, in the midst of
perils and sufferings, these men were taken off" and
brought back to the main floe; as the night was too
dark and tempestuous to risk further the lives of the
men, the articles remaining on the drifting ice were aban-
doned. There was a blinding snow-drift caused by the
gale from the S. W. ; it was impossible to move about.
After working on the floe till midnight, the crew, with the
Esquimaux men, women, and children, huddled together

187».

October.

.-.^^ w

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

1.25

l^|28 |2.5
1^ h^ 12.2

fir 1^0

1.4

1.6

^"^

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

524

The People on the Floe.

olfo^r. "°*^^'* *^® insufficient protection of some musk-ox skins.
In the morning, it was discovered that the great floe had
been broken by heavy icebergs, but fortunately, the piece
upon which the people had taken refuge was very much
the largest.

This party consisted of the following nineteen persons:

George E. Tyson, assistant navigator.

Fred. Meyer, meteorologist.

John Herron, steward.

William Jackson, cook.

J. W. 0. Kruger,

Frederick Jamka,

William Nindemann,

Frederick Aunting,

Gustavus W. Lindqvist,
Peter Johnson,

Joe, ^

Hannah,
Punny,
Hans,
Hans' wife,
Augustina,
Tobias,
Succi,

Hans' baby (Charles Polaris),
The provisions, when collected, amounted to fourteen

Seamen.

> Esquimaux.

V
or

■V Iff- a- ^.

524

The People en the Fhe,

ocfol?;. ""'^'"" ^'^'*' ^"snffi<\'f^nt protection of some mask-ox .ki,i,>
In the mouiing, it waa diycovored tliut the grtub- floe l.fwi
been broken by heavy icebergs, but fortunately, the pi»,«i<^
upon which the people had taken refuge was very much
the largest

This party consisted of the following nineteen persons .
George E. Tyson, fis^istant navigator.
Fred. Meyer, meteorologiat.
John Herron, ste^^'ar(|.
William Jackson, cook.
■T. W. 0. Kruf-vr,

(iuhtava- ■* ■ ,. :i
Petev 'Tohnsoii,

■*?*?t»fl5ri.

Joe,

Hannah,
Punuy,
Hans,
lianB' wife,
Augustina,
Tobias,
Sucoi,

Hans' baby (( bur}«>s J^olaris),
The provisiouH, wh*m wollccted, uncounted u i^rteen

> Esquimaux.

€

Near the Land.

cans of pemmican, twelve bags of bread, eleven dozen
cans of meats and soups, one can of dried apples, fourteen
hams, and a small bag of chocolate. There were, more-
over, the two whale-boats of the Polaris and the two kyaks
of the natives, a canvas A-tent, and some instruments of
navigation, including boat-compasses and a chronometer.

The floe had been brought up by icebergs near Lit-
tleton Island, although the land was not recognized. So
near was it, however, that two of the men walked over
the ice and visited McGary's Island. Captain Tyson de-
termined to reach the shore as soon as possible, in order
to secure the assistance of the Esquimaux living in the
neighborhood in procuring food and shelter for his party
during the winter.

The men, who had been without food since 3 o'clock
of the previous day, required something to eat ; a fire
was made, some of the canned meat was cooked, and
chocolate or coffee was imperfectly prepared. After break-
fast, they took to the boats, intending to make for the land
and search for the Polaris, carrying with them some of
their stores, and meaning to return for the things left be-
hind ; but, in the mean time, a breeze from the N. E. hav-
ing sprung up, they found it impossible to get through the
loose ice, and were obliged to haul the boats up again.
Soon after this, the Polaris was seen rounding a point,
eight or ten miles distant, under steam and sail. Signals

525

1879.

October.

9''

526

The Polaris Sighted.

olto^r. ^®'*® "^"^® ^^ hoisting the colors and by showing a piece
of dark India-rubber cloth, and the motions of the ship
were anxiously watched through a spy-glass ; but neither
the signals nor the men were seen by the Polaris. The
ship stood along the shore, and dropped out of sight behind
an island or a headland. This was not owing to any want
of attention on the part of Captain Budington or of his
officers. A careful lookout was kept on board the Polaris
all day. Mr. Chester particularly says : — "I was up and
down the masthead all day every ten or fifteen minutes,
until we got near the land. I went up there to look for
our lost parties, but I could not see them at all."

Wanting some poles for a house, or tent, Captain
Tyson sent some of the men to the other side of the floe,
where he knew they would be found. Here the vessel
was again seen. On this being reported to Captain Tyson,
he took his spy-glass, and, going to the point, thought he
saw her tied up to the bay-ice. At this time the floe,
which had been stationary between two grounded ice-
bergs, began to drift. He determined to make another
eflPort to reach the ship, hauling one boat across the floe,
and then taking to the water; but the setting-in of the ice
and the northeast gale defeated this project. He was
compelled to haul the boat back on the ice, and to leave
her where she was, with provisions, clothing, and a com-
pass in her. During the night, the gale, accompanied

(

The West-Land.

with snow, broke up the ice, separating the party from
this boat. The piece on which they were left was only
about one hundred and fifty yards across each way.

The gale continued through the 17th, moderating
early on the 18th. They had drifted rapidly away from
the land, and when it cleared, they found that they were
not far from the west coast.

Before, however, the ice was sufficiently firm to afford
them a passage to the land, a gale from the 8. W.
sprang up, which drove the small cake of ice upon which
they were, rapidly toward the eastern coast. The gale
continued through the 19th, but the 20th was moderately
calm, with a very thick snow-storm.

Esquimaux Joe says that, after being driven near the
west coast on the night of the 16th, the ice-floe party re-
mained in that neighborhood for about two weeks, the ice
being very closely packed and stationary. During this
time, he and Hans visited the west-land. Early in No-
vember, the ice began to drift, and moved over toward
Northumberland Island, which was passed at no great dis-
tance. They then drifted to the eastward of the Carey
Islands.

Joe caught one seal on the 18th, and two on the
19th, after which, as long as these lasted, the floe party
had two meals a day, consisting each of a small piece of
seal-meat, the soup made from this meat, and about one

527

1879.

October.

528

1879*

October.

The Boat Hecovered.

ounco of bread. The provisions were kept in a store-
house, and served out by weight, the allowance being
eleven ounces per day. The lamp, which, after the fuel
gave out, came to be exclusively used for warming and
cooking, was an imitation of the ordinary lamp of the
natives. Their stone lamp is hollowed out like a shallow
dish, with an inverted edge, on which a little moss is
placed for wick, which, when lighted, tries out the oil
contained in the blubber; and this is all the fire the Es-
quimaux have, either for heating or cooking, or for drying
clothing. The lamp psed by the floe party was made
from a pemmican can, canvas being used for a wick.
Three snow-huts were built, under the direction of Joo
and Hans, by the crew: one for the crew, including an
additional apartment for Captain Tyson and Mr. Meyer;
one for Joe and his family; and one for Hans and his chil-
dren.

On the 23d, Joe exclaimed, "I see the boat!" With
the aid of glasses, it was easily made out. Immediately
after breakfast, at which an extra allowance of bread was
issued as a preparation, an attempt was made to recover
the boat, and, if possible, the tent and bread ; it was suc-
cessful, and resulted in bringing back not only the boat,
but two compasses, one can of pemmican, twenty-seven
two-pound cans of preserved meats, and six bags of bread,
containing in all probably eight hundred pounds.

The Floe Drifling.

529

On the 27th, the suu had nearly disappeared, 10' only i 8r«.
of its disk being visible at noon.

During the remainder of the month of October, the
house which had been built on the old floe was cut down and
brought over on two separate expeditions; also the canvas
and bags of coal which had been left there. Finally, it was
determined to go back to the original floe, and, with the
indispensable help of Joe and Hans, on the first days of
November, everything was transported except one of the
kyaks which was lost. Captain Tyson took up his lodg-
ing with Esquimaux Joe, while Mr. Meyer lived with the
men.

On the 3d, the weather was thick with snow ; the
floe was supposed to be adrift, and the hopes of getting
back to the Polaris were nearly abandoned.

On the 4th, it cleared up, and it could be seen that the
floe was entirely surrounded by water, and was drifting to
the southward. Mr. Meyer says, in his journal, that the
party was now below Wolstenholme Sound ; this seems
hardly probable, however, when the short time during
which the floe had been adrift is taken into account.
Joe and Hans went out this day hunting, but returned
without game. An addition was made to the stock of
wood by recovering some, near where the big canvas hut
had stood. The old allowance of three-fourths of a pound
of food was resumed.

4 i

i 'I

i .1

530

Hans Taken for a Bear.

ifa'vfiJ;,. ^" *^^° ^^^ ^"^ <5th, tho weather continued clear, the floo
drifted as before, and Joe returned with a seal, which was
very welcome. On tho 7th, the clear weather changed to
snow, and du.ing this day and tho 8th and 9th, the party
wore shut up in their sncw-houses, with the exception of
Joe and Hans, who went out hunting without success. On
the 10th, the party supposed themselves to be below Carey
Islands. Joe and Hans went out hunting, Joe returning
before dark without Hans. Kruger and Joe went in search
of him after 8 p. m., and had the good fortune o find him.
Ho had lo . ' bis way, having left the floe in pursuit of game,
and being unable to retrace his steps. When Kruger and
Joe found him, they mistook him for a bear, and got ready
to fire at him— a mistake into which they were easily misled
by his fur clothing covered with snow, and his attitudes in
climbing over the hummocks. The night was a very rough
one, the wind strong, and tho snow drifting; if they had
not met Hans, ho might have perished.

Nothing is recorded during the 11th and 12th, except
the state of the weather which was variable, and the con-
tinual drifting of the floe. On the 13th, it was thick and
snowing ; but another load of wood was obtained from tho
place of the old house, and another igloo was begun for tho
storing of the provisions.

From the 13th to the 21st, it was for tho most part
clear. On the 15th, five of the dogs were shot, after suf-

The Sufcrinys of the Mm, 531

foring very much from hunger; the natives not having l§rJl.
caught many seals, it was imposnible to feed them. wovembw.

On the 19th, Captain Tyson was quite sick with rhea-
matism.

The natives saw two bear-tracks and five seal-holes.
On the 21st, they brought in two seals, without which it
would have been impossible to ' avo any fire; one boat
had already been cut up. During this month, the darkness
interfered with hunting, and on some day *he total want
of light rendered it absolutely impossiM>; besides, when
heavy winds prevailed, the party was often blockaded by
the snow-drifts.

The effects of exposure and want of food began to
show themselves ; some of the men trembled when they
tried to walk; the children often cried with hunger al-
though all was given to them that could possibly be
spared. The seals brought in were received with grati-
tude; the invaluable success of Joe and Hans was fully
appreciated ; without them, the chances of life would have
been very much diminished. So keen had the appetites of
the party become that the seal-m^at was eaten uncooked,
with the skin and hair on.

On a clear day, there were three hours of light resem-
bling twilight. Bear-tracks were again seen, but, unfor-
tunately, not the bears themselves. At this date, only
four dogs remained, and they were loan and weak.

632

1879.

IVovember.

■

Thanksgiving Day.

On the 22d Joe shot a seal, and on the 23d, Hans
shot another. These two days were clear and cold, with
a light north wind ; the stars were visible at mid-day
even when the moon was shining. Captain Tyson speaks
in his journal at this time of the effect of continued hunger
in keeping the mind constantly dwelling upon food.

The 28th was Thanksgiving Day, and some httle
addition was made to the usual allowance. A can of
diied apples had been reserved for the day; to this was
added chocolate and a few biscuits. These wore the
delicacies; but, to satisfy the cravings of hunger,
it was necessary to resort to the seal, of which, with-
out entering into details it may be said a substan-
tial repast was made. This was the breakfast. For
the dinner, six biscuits, a pound of canned meat,
one small can of mock-t'irtle soup, and one can of
corn, divided among four persons, formed an extra aUow-
ance.

The 30th was a cloudy day, with a westerly wind.
Land in the neighborhood of Lancaster Sound was seen
by Meyer, bearings S. E. or S. Captain Tyson again
visited the site of the canvas house to get canvas to
line Hans' igloo and make it more comfortable for the
women and children.

The month of December opened with clear and calm
weather and a low temperature. The most important

Northern Lights.

533

event of the first day was the meeting of a bear by Fred- is^a.
erick Aunting, which he did not dare to approach, having '***'*""**''
no confidence in his gun.

On the 2d, land was again seen. The gh'mmering
twilight was now reduced to two hours— from 11 a. ra. to
1 p. m.— appearing as a streak of light to the south.
Hans was sick, and Joe went out sealing, notwithstanding
the increasing darkness, but found no water. From the
3d to the 6th inclusive, the wind continued to blow from
the N". W. ; it was, however, very light, and the tem-
peravure ranged from —1° to —15°. A white fox, which
had often ventured near the encampment, was shot on the
5th.

On the 6th, there was a remarkable display of north-
ern lights; the luminous streamers which rose to a height
of about 30°, shot up from the usual dark base at the hori-
zon.

On the 7th, it was cloudy in the morning ; toward
evening the clouds dispersed. A clear sky and a well-
defined ice- horizon enabled Mr. Meyer to take an altitude
of y Cassiopeia), which gave him the result of 74° 4' N.
as an approximation to the real latitude, and the meridian
passage of the same star furnished an approximation to
the longitude— 67° 53' W.

Life upon the floe was very simple. Most of the
time was passed in the snow-huts. Tt wma tnn AnAr f^

534

Decfimber.

A Day's Ration,

walk about, even if there had been a motive; and it was
also too cold. As a matter of economy, exercise, which
creates hunger, was avoided; to keep warm and still, was
found to be the most agreeable mode of passing the time,
and the best suited to their circumstances.

The allowance of food was given out in ounces. A
day's ration consisted of six ounces of bread, eight of
canned meat, and two of ham for the grown persons,
with one-half as much for the children. These materials
were mixed with indifferent water, and warmed over the
lamp, and even this quota was more than could be well
spared from the remaining stores. The measurement of
the supplies was made by an ingenious contrivance of Mr.
Meyer, which he thus describes:—

*'I constructed a scale by connecting a fine three-
cornered scale (rule) with a lever balance taken from a
broken aneroid, and attaching to the ends of the scale on
cords two pasteboard boxes of equal weight. The weights
I formed of chamois skin and shot, taking as a unit the
weight of the meat contained in a one-pound can, and
successively dividing it into half-pounds, four ounces, two
ounces, and one dunce."

Great reliance, however, was placed on the success
of Joe and Hans in hunting. While the darkness lasted,
very few seals could be caught ; but it was reasonably
expected that, when the period of daylight became longer,

Christmas.

not only seals, but bears, and foxes in their trails, would be
killed.

The remainder of the month of December was at-
tended with few events of interest. The weather at times
was very cold, the thermometer falling as low as —26°,
and rising on one day, the 2l8t, to 9°; the mean being
about — 5°.7. On the 10th of the month, the light had
increased so that the thermometer could be accurately
^read. On the 1 1th, Hans, with the usual skill of a native,
caught a white fox by means of a trap. The journals of
these days speak of auroral streamers and coronas, and of
the brilliancy of the deep winter nights.

The festival of Christmas was celebrated by an extra
meal. At breakfast, an additional ounce of bread made
the soup a little thicker than usual. At dinner, there was
a soup made of seal's blood, a can of sausage-meat and a
can of apples, half a pound of ham and two ounces of
bread. Herron says, in his journal, it was the sweetest
meal he ever ate. In the evening, they had their usual
thm soup. The next day was very stormy; a severe gale
blew, accompanied by a snow-storm with heavy drift.
The latter part of the month held out the promise of bet-
ter things, as Joe shot two seals, one of which he secured
by means of his kyak, for which he had shouted to the
men, who brought it over the floe to him. It gave them
all a hearty meal for that day, and sent them to bed

635

1879.

December.

'\i

536

1873.

Janoarjr,

New Year's Day.

thankful and trustful. The blubber furnished fuel for
warming food for the three weeks following. The month
ended with calm and clear, but very cold, weather ; the
lowest temperature of the 31st being —23°.

The first day of the new year was sad and dreary
enough. It was the coldest day as yet experienced on the
floe, and the men had never been in so bad a condition
for food. In one of the journals, the dinner on New Year's
Day is described as "moldy bread and short allowance."
Captain Tyson says in his journal, "I have dined to-day on
about two feet of frozen entrails and a little blubber." And
he adds, "I only wish we had plenty even of that."
There was also a little pemmican soup. The weather was
clear and calm. The natives went out on their daily hunt,
but found nothing; there was no open water. On the
second day of the month, the temperature rose a little; the
wind was light and the sky hazy. On the 3d, Joe found
three seal-holes; but, owing to the intense cold, he was
unable to watch by them. The temperature was the same
as the day before ; but the wind, which was very strong
from the N. W., made the cold insupportable, even by the
Esquimaux. This weather continued through the 4th;
but, on the 5th, the wind moderated, while the tempera-
ture remained at the same point, -24°. On this day, two
bear-tracks were seen, but the animals unfortunately could
not De discovered.

Position Determined.

On the 6th, the day was varied by Mr. Meyer's tak-
ing the meridian altitudes of Polaris and of y Cassiopeise.
The approximate latitude (the declination being taken
from a star-chart) given by Polaris was 72° 03' 30" N.;
by y Cassiopeise, 72° 11' N.; the mean, 72° 07' 15" N.:
approximate longitude by y Cassiopeise (right ascension
taken from star-chart), 60° 40' 45" W. The firewood
being entirely used, the meals were now warmed neces-
sarily by the lamp made in imitation of the Esquimaux
lamp, as previously described.

^ From the 7th to the 13th inclusive, the weather was
every day, with one exception, clear with light winds and
calms ; but during all this time the thermometer was very
low, not rising above —25°, and descending on the 13th,
to —40°. During this excessive cold, when the mercury
froze, the distant land was the only thing discernible ;
there was no open water, and therefore no seals to be se-
cured. The rapid consumption of the provisions, notwith-
standing the short allowance on which the party had been
placed, was telling severely upon the strength, spirits, and
power of endurance of most of them. The situation was
every day becoming more anxious, but the rapidity of the
drift, as shown by Mr. Meyer's last observations, and the
supposed approach to the western coast of Greenland,
were hopeful, and were something of a set-off against the
surrounding perils. John Herron. tbo stAwnnl wo« en

637

1873.

January.

.i!l!f

538

The Sun Appears.

mUIX ™"'^ '^^^•^ *^«<^ he treated himself to an extra pipe of
tobacco, notwithstanding that his supply was getting very
short.

On the 14th, the cold moderated, and the thermome-
ter rose to 16° and 13° below zero; this diminution of
the cold was accompanied by an increase of wind and
drifting snow. The same weather continued through the
15th. The interesting event of that day was an encoun-
ter between the two remaining dogs and two bears, in
which the latter, as might be expected, got the better of
their opponents. The temperature fell again on the 16th
to -31°. But this was a happy day— Hans shot a seal,
which, besides the fresh food, supplied the means of creating
warmth for eight days, and but for which the party would
have been soon reduced to the necessity of living on three-
• fourths of a pound of dry cold provisions, a day. One or
two of the men had a slight touch of the scurvy.

On the 1 7th, the calm changed to a strong wind from
the ^. W., with thick and drifting snow; the thermome-
ter fell to -35°. On the next day, the weather was in
general the same; but, on the 19th, it cleared up, and the
great event occun-ed of the sun^s re-appearance after an
absence of 83 days. His return not only brought the
, cheerful light of day with all its good eflPects upon health
and spirits, but a better assurance of safety by the aid
which it gave to the hunters on whom the party depended

Seals Caught.

for the means of their subsistence. The sun would have
been seen the day before but for the interposition of huge
icebergs.

Another happy event was the killing of two seals,
one of which was secured by Joe and Hans, who were
obliged to go about six miles to the open water. Many
other seals were seen. The Esquimaux had previously
said, that, although they had often suffered before for the
want of food, they had never encountered so severe an
experience as that through which they were passing.

During the remainder of this month, the circumstances
of the party on the ice-floe were improved by the frequent
successes of Joe and Hans in taking seals ; they caught
one seal on the 23d, one on the 24th, and one on the 26th.
These were the most important events during this period
of eleven days The temperature was very low, the mean
being 35° below zero, and the extreme being at and below
the temperature of freezing mercury. Of the dogs, but
one remained. On the 27th, Mr. Meyer determined his
position in the same manner as before, and obtained the
latitude of 69° 32' N. and the longitude of 60° 03' W.

Poor little Tobias, one of Hans' younger children,
who had been sick for some time, was becoming worse ;
being an Esquimaux, he could eat seal-meat, but he
refused pemmican ; his condition excited compassion.

539

1873.

Jaunary.

540
tsra.

Fekraary

The Kydk on tlie Ice.

The first two days of February were dismal indeed
The wind blew with violence from the north and west the
snow^ drifted heavily, and the temperature varied from
—1 6° to —22°. The floe-party had nothing to eat but their
scanty allowance. The Esquimaux could find no water,
and. therefore, no seals, and the sufferings of the children
from hunger were painful to witness. The third and fourth
days were not much better, except that the northwest gale
abated, and the thermometer on the 4th, rose to —10°.
On the 5th, the weather again moderated. The wind
came from the southward and westward, and Hans
brought home one seai; he had shot two others, but lost
them in the young ice. This providential relief restored
m some measure the spirits of the party; one of them
observes in his journal that the seals seemed to come at
the moment of extreme necessity. This animal was a
very litttle one, but he furnished them the best meal
which they had known for many days. Captain Tyson
gives an account of the manner in which this seal was
secured. There was no water, but young ice only, through
which the seal had thrust his head, and thus afforded Joe
the opportunity of shooting at the animal which was at a
distance of sixty yards from the firm ice. Then Hans
got into the kyak, and Captain Tyson giving him a start
by pushing it on to the young ice, he worked his way by
sticking his paddle mto the ice, and by violent motions of

Narwhals Seen.

541

the body. The ice would have broken under the tread of isra.
a man, but it sustained the weight of a kyak with a man *'•'*'"""'''•
in it. In this way, he reached the seal, and having made
a line fast to its head, he returned to the shore, working
his way in the same manner. When he landed, he was
perspiring freely, the thermometer standing at —17°.

Mr. Meyer by an observation of the sun determined
the approximate latitude to be 08° 50'.

On the 6th, Joe and Hans renewed their hunt, but
in vain ; there was a heavy snow-drift, and the tempera-
ture rose to —5°. The 7th was a fair day, with a
moderate wind, and Hans, by good fortune, again shot a
seal. Narwhals were seen and fired at; one, large enough
to have furnished a month's supply of food, was killed by
Joe, but immediately sank. It appears that this was their
time for going north.

From the 8th to the 12th the wind was very fresh,
and accompanied by thick and drifting snow. Many
narwhals were now seen daily, and several were shot, but
none secured. On the 10th, Joe caught two seals.
Kruger, who had been ill with the diarrhea, was recover-
ing ; Mr. Meyer was taken with the same disease.

The day now lasted eight hours — from 8 a. m. to
4 p. m. The 13th was another. cold day, with the
wind blowing a gale from the N. W., accompanied, as
beforfi. bv snnw-(Ji*ift^ Tho no+iiroa wopf ««f }..,»>+: — t —

542

The West Coast in Sight.

Tj^lrj. '^^"'"^^ orapty-handed, but, on the next day, Hans
caught a seal ; and a fox was seen near the huts not
however, within range. The 15th was cold and stormy'
and the same may be said of the IGth. On the morning
of the 17th, Captain Tyson, with Joe and Hans, set out
on a hunt at sunrise. Hans had the good fortune to kill
a seal when it came up to its water-hole; it was soon
skinned and dressed, and, though small, was very wel-
come; threedovekies, weighing about four ounces each, were
also shot. On the 18th, a constant gale from the west, and
driftmg snow still contmued, so that there was little chance
for the hunters. On the 19th, the west coast was in sight.
It was a pleasant day, and Captain Tyson, with Joe and
Hans, again set off to hunt, Joe shooting the only seal
which was seen ; it was small, but each share of it, when
served out, was accompanied by the tenth of a pound of
bread. On the 20th, eleven dovekies were shot. On
this day. there remained only two bags of bread and three
cans of pemmican. The time was fast coming when Hans
and Joe would be the sole dependence for the means of
supporting life.

On the 2l8t, the thermometer rose above zero for the
first time since the beginning of the year. One seal and
two narwhals were seen, but none of them could be
secured. On this day, the second meal consisted of a
dovekie and a piece of blubber. The situation became

^;ia!SiiE^sa?i.'"--

Waning Strength.

ovory day more alarming. Captain Tyson mentions an
incident which displayed the loss of strength consequent
upon their privation and suffering. Ho shot a seal about
a quarter of a mile from the quarters. Several men who
helped to bring forward the kyak were overcome by the
exertion ; yet the kyak is so light that it can be easily
raised from the ground by one man in ordinary health.
Nindemann shot two dovekies; he fell through the ice in
securing them, and had to swim for it. About this time,
preparations were made for an attempt to reach the land,
which was finally abandoned. The daily rations wer3
reduced to seven ounces, so that the supplies might hold
out till April.

The 23d was stormy; the wind at the N. W., with
snow. The temperature was regarded as even warm ;
it was 26°.

On the 24th, it would have been impossible to move,
even if the purpose of reaching the land had not been
given up. The light snow which had fallen in the night
seriously obstructed traveling, and made it impossible to
drag the boat. The estimates of the distance from land
differed: some supposed it to be thirty miles off; others,
twenty. If the Esquimaux had been left to follow their
own counsels, they would have started for land as soon as
seen. The men appear to have been very grateful for
their invaluable services, and acknowledged that they

648
i8ra.

Febntary.

m4 4

544

Dovekica Killed.

1878.

owed to them, under God, their lives and good health.
Joe caught a small seal this day again, makmg the eighth
this month. The unusual brilliancy of the northern lights
18 mentioned in one of the journals.

From the 25th to the 28th inclusive, the condition
of the party was constantly growing worse. Some seal-
holes and seals were seen, but none of the animals were
taken. At one time the temperature went below zero,
but rose again with the sun.

The provisions were again reduced one-half^to a
few ounces a day-the smaUest quantity with which life
could be sustained. A bear-track was seen on the 28th,
but it was lost where the animal broke the ice and swam
across a crack. On the same day the eyes of the sufferers
were gladdened by the sight of thirty-seven dovekies,
brought in by the hunters. Two were given to each of
the men, and one apiece to the children ; everything was
eaten but the feathers; with these dovekies no bread was
served out.

The month of March opened with great severity. On
the morning of the 1st, the thern^oineier was 34° below
zero. Notwithstanding this, the spor^smeu went out and
shot sixty-six dovekies. This sounds a great deal better
than it really was, for it took twenty or thirty of those birds
to make a moderate meal. They are not like the seal,
calorific; but they saved the bread.

Ati Ookgook Caught.

"Petor (Johnson)", says Horron in his journal, "fa-
vors u8 with a sailor's yarn wlion wo lie down at night,
provided wo have had a meal of seal-meat; on other
nights, we are quiet enough." Joe wasted powder and
shot on some narwhals, failing, as usual, to kill them.

The thermometer still continued low, having gone
up to -31° on the 2d of the month; but the day was
marked by a very happy event. At 5 p. m., Joe shot a
large ookgook, measuring nine feet including the hind
flipper, the only one of the species seen that day. The help
of all the men was required to bring him home. Dragging
the animal to their quarters, and thanking God for his
mercy, made the occupation of that Sunday ; this valua-
ble accession to their stores caused every one to feel well
and happy. Hannah had only two small pieces of
blubber left for her lamp for two days, and Hans had
only enough for one day when this monster was taken,
which, it was estimated, would yield thirty gallons of
oil.

It began to blow in the evening, and the next Jay a
strong wind from the N. W. prevailed, with thick weather
and drifting snow; even the natives could not go out,
but, happily, there was no necessity for so doing, for they
were well supplied, and could rest many days without the
fear of starvation. It was very natural that, after such
long fasting, the men should indulge then* appetites freely,

545

1878.

nia*-!li*

540

1873

Blarcli.

Feasting.

too freely even for their health and comfort, especially as
they ate ookgook only, the br-ad and pemmican being
judiciously reserved. Those suffered most who ate the
liver of the animal, of the consequences of which they
were warned by Captain Tyson. Most of them were sick
for a week, and lost the skin of their faces,hands, and chests.
Since all this feasting was done inside the snow-houses, it
was not strange that the latter were smeared with blood.
So crazy were the appetites of the men that their hands
and faces were soon covered with blood, and the party are
described as looking more like carnivorous animals than
human beings. Among the different modes of preparing
the food, a favorite one was making a species of sausage-
meat. The mammary glands of the female seal, distended
with the milk, were very delicate eating. With the pos-
session of the ookgook, they now ventured again on a
second meal, which consisted of part of the forty-two
dovekies shot on the 2d.

On the 4th, the thermometer stood at sunrise at 01°.
Although it was clear, no land was seen to the westward ;
a few dovekies were caught. The next day brought a
gale from the N. W., with drifting snow, and thi°s did
not abate until the morning of 'he 7th. Great d'fficulty
was experienced in keeping warm and in making the
frozen meat sufficiently soft to be cut up for cooking.
This terrible gale, which seems to have been more severe

Alarming Noises.

than any hitherto encountered on the ice and which, as
before said, continued through the whole of the 6th, so
completely deprived the party of the power of moving
about as to give them even a deeper sense of the provi-
dential supply furnished by the ookgook, without which
they would have been stinted to a short allowance of
bread and pemmican, and that, cold.

On the morning of the 7th, the weather had improved,
and the sun shone brightly, although the snow was still
drifting under a strong breeze. The floe was surrounded
by insecure icebergs, and, daring the whole of the night,
the sounds proceeding from its cracking and workino-
were like those of artillery, preventing sleep. The ice
seemed likely at any moment to break into pieces. Joe
and Hans went out in search of open water and found one
small hole m which they shot two dovekies. Pleasant
weather came at last on the 8th ; yet no water or game
could be found, although searched for by the natives. On

the next day, the thermometer rose from —30° to 13°,

and, on the 9th, to —10° ; both of these two last days
were calm, and Joe had his usual good luck on the
Dth, in catching a seal.

On the night of the 10th, the cracking of the floe in
all directions was so alarming that the people remained
up and dressed, and kept themselves and all their neces-
saries of Hfo rnn/lv in nncn nf o on/1/1<->r. /li'^o,,*^^

547

1873.

March.

I'-
I

548

A Fearful Night

1873.

inarcli.

On the next day, it was ascertained that the pack was
breaking up. It was a fearful time ; it was impossible to
see anything on account of the snow-drift, but, from the
violent motion of the piece on which the party was float-
ing, it was known that the floe had broken.

The night of Tuesday, the 11th, was one of extreme
peril and apprehension. The creaking and breaking of
the ice, the roaring of the gale, and the swashing of ''the
water continued until 1 o'clock in the morning, when
the gale began to moderate. When daylight came, it was
distinctly seen that everything was broken up all around
them, and that they were on the best piece of ice, which
was in size about one hundred by seventy-five yards. A
dreadful night was passed in the momentary expectation
of this small piece being further diminished. Fortunately,
the place originally selected for the snow-houses, proved
to be the thickest and most solid part of the floe ; the
boat still remained uninjured. The wind, however,'now
moderated. The work of commotion and destruction had
lasted for sixty hours, during all of which time it was
impossible to see at a distance of ten yards; but, at
last, the wind calmed down, and pleasant weather
returned. Joe shot two seals, and Hans and Captain
Tyson each, one ; Joe also caught three dovekies, and the
cook two.

The gale returned on the 13th, and although the tem-

A Bear Pursued.

peraturo was warmer, no attemptwas made to hunt; it would
liave been rash to leave the piece of ice on which the huts
stood. Mr. Meyer, on the preceding day, gave for the de-
termination of latitude, 64° 32' N. which placed them oppo-
site Cumberland Gulf The diminished floe drifted along
quietly surrounded by the icebergs which had accompanied
it all winter. It is very striking that throughout all these
exciting and dangerous events no accidents occurred and
all kept well ; even Tobias, Hans' little boy, improved.

The night of the 13th was stormy; but, on the 14th,
the day was very fine, with a light south wind, and the
morning sun shining brightly. Joe killed an ookgook,
which was not quite so large as the first ; it was found to
be with young ; he also caught two more seals. The lat-
itude by Mr. Meyer's observation was 64° 19' N. ; the
temperature rose to 10° above zero.

Two days now passed without any incidents of inter-
est; seals and narwhals were seen, but none were cano-ht-
the thermometer varied from six to ten degrees below
zero at night, and rose from two to five degrees above
zero in the day-time: all the party continued well.

The quiet of the 17th was varied by an exciting pur-
suit of a bear, which lasted for two hours, when he sepa-
rated himself from his pursuers by swimming over a large
space of water. It was seen by the tracks, that the bears
during the night had been within twenty paces of the huts.

549

1873.

marcb.

1 I

550

1873.

raarch.

Bladder-Nose Seals,

The latitude at noon was 63° 47' N., which showed a drift
of 32 miles in three days.

From the 18th to the 20th inclusive, no game was
taken except a small seal shot by Hans on the 20th. Th3
wind blew steadily from the N. W., and it was very cold,
the thermometer falling to -18° and rising again to 18°.'
During this period, there were several displays of the
northern lights, two of which were quite remarkable.

On the 2 1st, the wind became light from the north; Joe
and Hans had a lucky day at sealing. The hole where
the seals were found was two miles off, and they traveled
to it over the newly-formed ice, carrying the kyak with
them ; Hans caught one seal, and Joe six. This was the
last day of winter.

Joe caught two seals on the 22d, which was a very
fine day, but on the next day a strong wind from the north
confined the party to their huts ; the thermometer de-
scended to 5" below zero. On the 2'4th, bear-tracks wero
discovered in the neighborhood of the huts, and they were
now frequently seen. One seal was shot on that day and
two on the next; and on the 26th, nine large bladder-nose
seals were killed, of which five sank ; of the four saved.
Joe shot three and Hans one. There was now meat
enough for eighteen or twenty days.

This success in collecting food raised the spirits of the
party very much. They knew they had gotten on the

A Visit From a Bear.

expected seal grounds, where an abundance could be
obtained, and of a larger species than those on which they
had been Uving.

A very agreeable surprise came upon them on the
evening of the 27th. Joe, when about getting ready for
his night's rest, heard a noise, which at first he thought
was made by the breaking-up of the ice ; he went oat to
ascertain what it was. In a very short time, he came
back looking pale, and saying, " There is a bear close to
my kyak." The kyak was within ten feet of the entrance
to the hut. Both Captain Tyson's and Joe's rifles were
outside, one lying close to the kyak and the other inside
of it ; but Joe had his pistol.

They crept out cautiously, and, when they got to the
entrance, could distinctly hear the bear eating ; there were
several seal-skins and a good deal of blubber lying around
in all directions, and the bear could be seen eating the
skins and blubber, which he had hauled ofl". Joe crawled
into the hut of the crew to give the alarm. Captain
Tyson crept stealthily toward his rifle, but, in tak-
ing it, aroused the attention of the bear ; the captain
pulled the trigger three times, but the gun did not go
ofi", and the bear, taking the alarm, came toward him,
when he retreated into his hut. Reloading his rifle,
and putting extra charges in his pocket, he again crept
out, and fired with such good aim, notwithstanding

551

1873.

niarcli.

H M

I L

652

TIw Bear Killed.

4^3. tho darkness of the night, that the ball entered the left
shoulder of the bear, passed through the heart, and came
out on the other side. It proved to be a large, fine animal,
of which every part except the liver was good ; the meat
tasted like pork. The animal caught was what is called
the sea-bear {Ursus maritimus); it is almost amphibious-
Its food consists principally of seals, captured either on the
ice or in the sea.

It may seem strange to the reader who has had
no experience in arctic travel that the guns should
have been left outside of tho igloos; it may be said,
therefore, by way of explanation, that the exhalations
and condensations inside, formed moisture which would
have ruined fire-arms unless they were cased; and there
were no cases.

On the night of the 28th, a heavy cale sprang up
from the N. W., and drove before it huge bergs, of
which there were at lea^t one hundred; the floe was
hemmed in by them. One struck it, and, after thumping
on It for a while, finally passed by, without inflicting
serious injury.

On the evening of the 30th, two seals were seen on a
piece of ice, and shot at from the floe. The boat bei„<.
launched and pulled out to the smaller piece, it was dist
covered that they were a large male bladder-nose seal, and
a female with her pup. She showed fight, but was soon

The Floe in Open Water.

killed, and, with hor pup, towed to the floe ; the huck
also was shot, hut got under the young ice. Hans, later
in the day, shot another young seal. When the young of
the seal is secured without shooting, it is the practice to
crush it to death with the foot, in order to save not only
the hlood but the milk in its stomach, which is regarded
by the Esquimaux as a delicacy. The bladder-noses fre-
quently offer resistance, but they are helpless against
bullets.

On the last day of this month, a seal and two pups
were killed by Joe, and one pup by Hans ; these were
caught on the drifting ice. The floe became gradually
smaller, and was sometimes separated from the pack,
leaving the open ocean on the eastern side. Its position
was assumed to be opposite Cape Farewell ; the latitude
was 59° 41' N.

At one time during the night of the 30th, the sea
was very heavy, and no ice could be seen as far as the
eye could reach. On the 31st, the ice closed around, but
leaving a great deal of open water. The drift for the five
last days appeared to have been at the rate of twenty-
three miles per day, the wind having been from the west.
The thermometer ranged from 9° below, to 20° above
zero.

The 31st was a day of great anxiety and peril. Al-
though the floe was constantly diminishing, the appear-

553

1878.

Marcb.

*„ •]!

■i

554

Great Peril.

nJHc^, ^"^'^ ^^ ^^""""y weather made it unsafe to venture in the
open boat. The party could only suffer and hope for the
best.

he
he

XXII

'ri

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tl

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sc
di
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re

CHAPTER XXII.

On the Ist of April, it was necessary to abandon the
floe, which Was now wasted to such an extent that it was
no longer safe ; at 8 a. m., therefore, the party took to
their boat. Finding her loaded too deep, they throw
overboard one hundred pounds of meat and nearly all of
their clothing; the most that could be carried was the
tent, a few skins for protection, and a little meat, with the
bread and the peramican. It should be remembered that
this boat was intended to carry six or eight men only,
and that at this time she had in her twelve men, two
women, and five children, with the tent and skins, and
some provisions. There was so little room that it was
difficult to handle the oars and yoke-ropes. Great pains
were taken by Captain Tyson to preserve Captain Hall's
writing-desk. After making fifteen or twenty miles to
the south and west in the pack, a landing was effected
at noon, and the tent was pitched, with the intention of
remaining all night. A young seal was caught and the

1873.

April.

r.n

"^58

The Part// on the Move.

Aprth' »^^™oon was spent in making canvas washboards for the
boat. The weather was remarkably fine, and continued
80 all night. But there was very little hlcep, partly on
account of the cold, partly on account of the breaking-up
of the ice ; the floe lost several pieces.

An early start was made at 5 a. m. of the 2d, the
weather being then very fine and calm. Two hours after-
ward, a breeze sprang up, increasing until it blow very
fresh from the southward and westward, the course on
which the boat was pulling. It was necessary again to
haul up and encamp, but several narrow escapes were made
before a piece of ice could bo found on which it was safe
to land. By this time the boat was fast making water ;
when emptied, a hole was found in her side and repaired.
A seal was caught, which furnished supper.

On the 3d, the early morning was spent in further
repairing the boat and fitting the canvas washboards. At
8.45 a. m., she was launched, and the party again started,
in a calm. At the end of three hours, a breeze sprang up
from the N. N. W., but the boat kept under way until half
past two ; being then beset by the ice which was impene-
trable, she was hauled up, and the party encamped for
. the night. At this time, seals were so easily caught that
no apprehension of suffering from want of food was enter-
tained.

Although the wind was from the northward and

A Dreadful Day,

559

westward, and, thoroforo, favorable for reaching the land, »8r3.
it was impossible to get under way on the 4th, until a ^'*'"*
quarter before 9 a. m. After a good run of two hours,
the party was again beset by the ice, and obliged to haul
up, having regained the pack. The piece on which they
landed was so heavy and appeared to be so compact that
they considered themselves out of immediate danger:
the struggle to reach it had been very severe and very
fatiguing.

On the 5th, the wind blew a gale from the westward,
and there was a fearful sea running. At 5 a. m., two pieces
broke from the floe, and it was necessary to haul every-
thing further back toward its center. Another piece, break-
ing off, carried away Joe's hut ; fortunately, the cracking
of the ice gave warning in time for the inmates not only
to escape, but to save some of their effects. The journals
describe this as a dreadful day, in which nothing could be
done to lessen the danger or discomforts, yet Joe speed-
ily built another hut. A watch was set for the night—a
night of continued and patient suffering.

On the 6th, the wind shifted to the N. W., still
blowing a severe gale; the party remained on the same
ice, from which indeed there was no escape, for the sea
was too rough to launch the boat. Joe again lost his
igloo by the opening of the ice, which split with a great
noise, cutting the hut in two. A piece of ice was left so

560

i8r».

April.

Separation.

small as to afford footing only. It was impossible to lie
down. The things were put into the boat aud all hands
stood by for a jump.

The weather and the sea remained the same through-
out the 7th. At 6 o'clock in the morning, the ice split
across the tent while the men were getting out a few ounces
of pemmican ; they saved themselves, but came near
losing their boat, and actually lost their breakfast. It was
impossible to catch a seal after the storm set in. There
was no blubber to feed the lamp, and, therefore, there was
no water to drink. The prospect was gloomy indeed.
Half of the men lay down in the tent to get a little rest,
while the remainder walked around it ; but for those who
attempted to rest the body there was no repose for the
mind. One after another would spring up from his place
and make a wild dash forward, as if to avoid some sudden
danger.

At midnight of the 8th, the ice broke between the
tent and the boat, which were so close that there was not
space to pass between them. Mr. Meyer, with the boat
and the kyak, was separated from the rest of the party.
The weather was the same as before— blowing, snowing,
and very cold; the ice was cracking and grinding with a
very heavy sea. Mr. Meyer cast the kyak adrift, in the
hope that it would reach the other part of the floe, and that
Joe or Hans might come in it to his assistance; but it

Mr. Meyer's Danger.

561

drifted away to leeward. The natives took their paddles 187a.
and ice-spears and went after it, springing from piece to '^'*'"'
piece, until, by propelling a small piece of Ice, they got
near enough to Mr. Meyer to catch a rope which he threw
them, and with which he dragged them toward him. In the
mean time, those who remained behind, watched Mr. Meyer
and the natives with the extremest anxiety, and could
just make out through the darkness that they had
reached him. Nothing more could be done durin^r
the night ; it was necessary to wait for daylight, which
happily came at 3 a. m. On remembering that it was
impossible for the three to manage the boat by themselves,
others determined to join them. In order to do so, they
were obliged to make the same perilous journey. This
they accomplished in safety, and brought the boat back,
after a long struggle, to the original floe ; the kvak also
was saved. Mr. Meyer and Jamka had fallen into the
water during the night, but luckily there were two or three
dry shirts for them. All of the men were more or less
wet; Mr. Meyer, having been very wet all night, came
near being frozen to death. He lost his breath for some
time; but Joe and Hans, laboring diligently, succeeded in
rousing him from his lethargy, and finally he was restored
to full consciousness by violent exercise. Shortly after-
ward he found that his toes were frozen.

The tent was now taken down and atrain nitchfid in

502

Washed Out.

Aprt?/ *^® ^^^^^^ ^^ *^® ^^^^^ floo, with the boat alongside ; Joe
built another hut near them. The breakfast that morning
consisted of a few morsels of pemmican and bread. A
watch was set to observe the movements of the ice ; the
rest of the party lay down in a state of extreme weari-
ness, to get some much-needed sleep.

The next twelve hours of the 9th, proved a season of
rest ; the sun shone out for a few moments, long enough
for Mr. Meyer to determine the latitude which was, ap-
proximately, 55° 51' N. The sea again rose high toward
evening, the ice became mo-e loose, and the water ap-
proached nearer, threatening every moment to wash the
people off. Finally, in the evening, they were washed
out of their tent and igloo. Although the boat could not
possibly have lived in such a sea, it was got ready, and the
women and children placed in it for safety. There was
not a dry place to stand on, nor a piece of fresh-water ice
to eat, the sea having swept over everything, and filled the
depressions where fresh-water ice was sometimes found.
At midnight, the ice had closed up, and the wind and sea
subsided.

The morning of the 10th was calm, cloudy, and
warm, although the sun had not appeared. This weather
continued through the 11th, bringing with it the encour-
agement of seeing a fox, some crows, and land-birds,
from which it was inferred that land was not distant. It

Starvation.

was fortunate that the weather was calm, for there were two
large bergs nearly on the top of the party, by which in
any motion of the ice they might have been crushed.
The light wind and calm continued throughout the 12th,
while the party still remained prisoners, suffering very
much from hunger. Seals were seen, but could not be
reached. The day was very fine, and the sun, shining for
the first time in several days, gave Mr. Meyer an oppor-
tunity of determining the latitude, 55° 35' N.

The ice opened at night, and closed again ; it was
also open for a few hours Sunday morning. The northern
lights had been remarkably brilliant. Mr. Meyer's ob-
servations for latitude gave 55° 23' N. Seals were seen,
but the prisoners were not able to approach them. On
the 14th, the pack remained closed ; iha men were ao-ain
tantalized by the sight of seals. The weather was fine,
and the sea, or rather the ice, was still. The latitude was
55° 13' N. The piece of ice was fast wearing away, and
the provisions were nearly exhausted. The future looked
very dark ; starvation stared them in the face.

The weather still continued calm on the 15th; the
condition of the ice was unchanged. The night before had
been very cold, and snow had fallen ; it was thought that
a change of weather was about to take place. But durino-
the day the sun shone brightly. It was still impossible to
move. The latitude was 54° 58' N. Mr. Mover's suffer-

563

1873.

April.

5G4

1873.

AprU.

The Wvokncss of the Men.

in^fi^s from hunger were no doubt aggravated by his terrible
exposure on the 8th; ho lost strength, and his appearance
indicated the severity of his trials.

On the IGth, the wind increased, but not enough to
create any swell. The heads of several of the men were
terribly swollen, but, according to Captain Tyson, not from
scurvy. The length of the night-watches was reduced to
an hour ; the men in their present weak condition conld
not keep up for a longer time. The demoralizing inllu-
cnce of the situation began to show itself in one or
more of the men while on watch stealing the pemmican—
one of them had been caught in the act on the 7th.

It was now the seventh day of their imprisonment
in the ice without change of condition or power of mo-
tion, while the scanty supply of provisions was rapidly
coming to an end. Small as was the allowance, it was
now necessary to reduco it still further. The men were
growing rapidly weaker and the liorriblo idea of having
to resort to the last means of subsistence entered their
minds.

The next day, the situation was unchanged in every
respect, except that the swelling of the heads had increased ;
individual weakness was more apparent.

The morning of Friday, the 18th~a day never to bo
forgotten by the shipwrecked sufferers— opened with a
light breeze from the north. At 10 o'clock Joe saw a

nivldiug the Seal.

small watcr-holo about half a niilo ofT. Takinjr lus iruii.
ho ventured to cross over on the loose ice. As soon as he
reached the hole, the sound of his rille was heard—ho
had killed a seal. He then shouted for his kyak, as the
water was rapidly making. An hour of intense anxiety
passed before the kyak could be got to him, but when,
after great trouble and risk, it arrived, a seal was secured
of suihcicnt size for three meals for the whole party. It
was eaten raw and oaten with thanksgiving, for it saved
them from starvation for some days at least. Carefully
dividing it into sixteen parts in which nothing but the
gall was rejected, one man turned his back and called the
others in succession, each one taking his share of meat,
blubber, and skin, when his name was pronounced. Then
a general contribution was made of blubber and rao-s
for a fire, with which soup was cooked, and eaten with
much relish.

The seal was not their only visitor. A crow, two
small birds, and a large flock of ducks, perhaps number-
ing a hundred and fifty, approached, but kept out of the
range of their guns. A still more grateful experience
was a sight of the land in plain view in a southwest
direction.

On the 19th, the circumstances had changed very little,
except that there was an increasing swell and a loosenin<r
of the pack. The weather was thick. No land was to

r)65

1873.

April.

566

Washed by Seas.

ipH?; ^^ ^^^"' ^"^ *^®^^ was no appearance of the sun. Toward
evening, the sky was threatening, the wind rose, and the
swell becanie more heavy. At 9 p. m., a sudden alarm
was given by the man on watch, and instantly a sea
struck the floe, and, washing over it, carried away every-
thing that was looa There was barely time to put the
women and children and some few things into the boat,
before a succession of seas followed at intervals of between
five and ten minutes. At last, there came a still larger
wave, which carried away the tent, the skins, and most of
the bed-clothinof.

The one object now was to save the boat on which
the lives of the party depended. To do this, it was neces-
sary for the men to stand on each side of the boat and
hold on with all their strength. The attempt was made
to secure it by the boat-warp and by a strong line of
strips of ookgook skin, which were fastened to projecting
points in the ice, but these frequently parted, and the
safety of the boat wholly depended on the exertions of the
men. Every fifteen or twenty minutes a sea came, which
lifted it, and carried the men with it, to the opposite edge
of the ice, where the sea lost its strength. The intervd
between the seas was passed in getting the boat back to
the weather edge of the floe-the edge on which the sea
struck first.

To add to the sufi-erings of the night, the water was

A Weary Vigil.

filled with blocks of ice, which, continually flying about,
struck the men while holding fast to the boat, inflicting
severe bruises on every part of the body. In this situation,
they stood from o'clock in the evening until 7 the next

667

morning.

The only words that were spoken were words of
encouragement to each other—* ' Hold on "— ' ' Bear down "—
"Put on ah your weight".

At 7 a. m. of the 20th, a small piece of ice, which
rode dry, came close to them, and they made up their
minds to launch the boat, and reach it or perish. The cook
fell overboard, but was saved. All landed in safety, wet,
weary, cold, and sleepy, but grateful for their preservation.

The first object then was to dry the clothes, which
could be done only to a limited extent, the sun not being
out and the atmosphere being damp. The men were
divided into two watches, and slept in the boat as well
as they could. The ice aroimd them was posh-ice,
through which the boat could not be forced ; it was neces-
sary to remain where they were. The fatigue and dan-
gers encountered on the preceding night could never have
been borne but for the three meals furnished by the last
seal shot by Joe. The latitude was now 53° 57' N. The
weather was very bad ; at first it snowed and was sleety,
after which it rained all night, and until 12 o'clock next day.

The dawn of the 22d found the men half-drowned,

1873.

April.

568

1873.

April.

Saved by a Bear.

cold, and witliout shelter. There was nothinrr to eat;
one of them chewed on a piece of tanned skin which had
been saved for clothing. Joe had been three times out on
the ice, but had seen nothing. The faithful and untiring
Esquimaux ventured out a fourth time, and, while
anxiously watching from the top of a hummock, he saw a
bear coming toward him. He hurried back for his gun ;
all hands were directed to lie down and remain perfectly
still. Joe and Hans went toward the animal, and waited
for him behind a hummock. It was a moment of intense
excitement. The bear came slowly on, and, when within
range of the rifles, two shots were fired, killing him in-
stantly. The men arose with a shout, rushed to the spot,
and, bending on a line, dragged him in triumph to the
camp. His blood was very acceptable, for they were suf-
fering with extreme thirst. The bear was further south
than the animal usually comes ; his stomach was empty
and he was quite thin, but his flesh was all the better for
this, since when he is fiit it is gross and very strong. After
all the previous escapes, but for the rifles of the Esqui-
maux in this extreme emergency, this story would not
have been written.

During the next two days, the weather was dismal ;
it rained hard, everybody was drenched, and it was im-
possible to move. Glimpses of the land were obtained
from time to time when the weather held up, and a prom-

Moving Toward the Land.

ising load of water at one time showed itself, which, how-
ever, 80on again closed. A large ilock of ducks was seen
on the morning of the 24th. A gale sprung up from the
N. B., which continued to the 25th. Under these trying
circumstances, the hear-meat kept them alive, every one,
especially Mr. Meyer, being strengthened and improved
by it ; but, though tender and good, it was not equal to
the seal-meat for generating heat.

At 5 a. m. of the 25th, a determination was formed
of attempting to get to the land in the boat, although it
was badly damaged, and there were no means of putting
it in repair. The piece of ice on which they were, had
wasted so much that it could not ride out another easterly
gale; it would certainly be broken up into pieces not
affording even a foothold.

Notwithstanding the gale, the fearful sea, and the
crippled and overloaded condition of the boat, eight hours
of almost fruitless labor were spent at the oars, when the
party hauled up on a floe, and made preparations to camp
for the night. The sky had been for some days entirely
overcast; neither the sun nor a star had been seen; yet
the men were very much encouraged by finding them-
selves on sealing-ground. They saw seals in the greatest
abundance, moving like porpoises in schools ; in the eve-
ning, Joe shot some which sank, but he finally secured
one ; on the morning of the 26th, Hans shot another.

509

1879.

April.

570

1§73.
April.

A Steamer Sighted.

In the morning, the weather was so fine that the party,
notwithstanding the compactness of the ice, was tempted
again to take to the boat, but at the end of two hours, it
was so beset that it was necessary to haul up on a small
piece of ice— the best that could be found. It had been
snowing during the day, but the weather again cleared up;
the boat was repaired, and some of the clothing was dried.
Hans shot another seal.

The 27th proved to bo a day of disappointment.
There was open water in sight, but it was inaccessible.
Mr. Meyer's observation of the preceding day had given
the latitude of 53° 30' N. During the night, a gale arose
from the west, and brought on a heavy sea which, wash-
mg over the floe, compelled the men again to stand by
the boat all night. But it was not nearly so bad as that
on the night of the 19th. The boat was launched at
daylight of the 28th, but, after some ineffectual struggles, it
was necessary to haul up again on the ice at 6 o'clock.
Here they had a few hours' sleep, until they were in dan-
ger of being crushed by some bergs which were coming
down upon them with fearful noises caused by their col-
lisions. The gale had set everything in motion, but, in
the midst of this chaotic confusion, Joe shot, out on the
ice, three young bladder-nose seals which, not being large,
were taken into the boat.

At 4.30 p. m., a steamer hove in sight, right ahead,

New Disappointment.

and, at one time, appeared to bo bearing down upon tho
boat. Tho American colors were hoisted, and the boat
pulled for her. She was recognized as a sealer steering
southwest, and apparently working through the ice. For
a few moments the hearts of the shipwrecked party were
thrilled with joy, but the steamer failed to see them, and,
night coming on, she soon diappeared. The boat was
once more hauled up on a piece of ice. The night was
calm and clear and the sea smooth. Fires were made on
the floe with tho blubber of seals, to attract the attention
of passing vessels. Tho party was divided into two
watches, of four hours each; but the hope of relief had
made them more wakeful than the fear of danger. Dur-
ing tho day, some westing had been made.

The morning of the 29th was pleasant and calm.
Every one was on the lookout for a steamer, except those
who were making up for their night's watch. At day-
light, a steamer was seen 8 miles oflf. The watch below
was called, the boat launched, and headed for the ship, but
after pulling two hours, it was so beset by the ice that it
could make no headway. The party landed on a small
piece of ice, hoisted their colors, mounted the highest point
of the floe, collected all the rifles and pistols, and fired them
together to attract attention.

After three rounds, the steamer fired three shots,
and, changing her course, headed toward the floe. The

671

1873.

April.

572

1S7S.

Apnu

Picked up by the Tigress.

party uttorod an involuntary shout, thou^rh too far off
to bo heard. Shortly after, the steamer again changed
her course, heading first south, then north, and then west.
The firing by the party was repeated several times, and
every possible effort was made to attract attention, but in
vain. Late in the afternoon, she steamed away to the S.
W., and the hope of relief was reluctantly abandoned. In
the evening, she was seen again, but further off. This
vessel was the Eagle, of Saint John's, Captain Jackmann,
an officer noted for his humanity ; he had received two
medals for saving life, and had he seen the party on the
lloe, he would have come to their assistance at any hazard.
While looking at the Eagle, another stranger hove in
sight, strengthening the hope of final relief.

Again early on the morning of the 30th when the
fog opened, a steamer was seen close to the floe ; the guns
were fired, the colors were set on the boat's mast,''and
loud shouts were uttered. Hans shoved off in his kyak,
of his own accord, to intercept her, if possible ; the morn-
ing was foggy, but the steamer's head soon turned toward
them, and in a few moments she was alongside of the floe.
The three cheers given by the shipwrecked people were
returned by a hundred men on deck and aloft. The vessel
proved to be the barkentine Tigress, sealer. Captain Bart-
lett, of Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Her small seal-
boats weo very soon in the water; but the shipwrecked

Effects of Return to Civilized Life.

party did not wait for them. Thoy throw everything out
of their own boat, launched her, and in a few moments
were on board the Tigress, whore they became objects of
extreme curiosity as well as of the most devoted attention.
"When the time during which thoy had been on the ico
was mentioned, they were regarded with astonishment,
and warmly congratulated upon their miraculous escape.
They were picked up in latitude 53° 35' N., off Grady
Harbor, Labrador.

573

1§78.

May.

The next day, May 1, Captain Bartlett had all his
boats out sealing ; Joe joined them, and was a happy as
well as an able assistant. From the evening of the 2d, to
the noon of the 4th, a storm of extreme severity raged
incessantly. The floe party had been rescued in good
time ; it could hardly have survived this gale. Even the
staunch and well-found Tigress, fitted especially for this
service, encountered such rough treatment from the ice as
excited the astonishment of the rescued seamen.

The return to civilized life and its food and comforts
was attended with the usual result?. Most of the men
suffered at first from swollen legs and feet, diarrhea, and
severe headache.

On the morning of the 2d, Captain De Lang, of the
sealer Walrus, came on board the Tigress, and was informed
of the rescue of the floe party and the circumstances attend-

•' !

I i

574

Arrival at St. John's.

May.

ing it. He expected to return to Newfoundland before
any other vessel of the fleet, and actually did so, furnish-
ing to Mr. Molloy, United States consul at St. John's, on
the 9th, the first information of the safety and condition
of the rescued Americans. This information was tele-
graphed by the consul the same day to the honorable
Secretary of State, the telegram containing the first news
also of the death of Captain Hall.

Captain Bartlett decided, on the 7th, to return home;
on the 8th, instead of going to St. John's, as was his
first intention, he put into Bay Roberts, in order to land
his boats and sealing-gear, preparatory to the ship being
hauled out at St. John's for repairs.

Mr. Molloy, United States consul, on the 9th, went
to Bay Roberts, and obtained from Captain Tyson a brief
statement of the incidents of the voyage of the Polaris,
the separation on the 15th of October, 1872, and the drift
of the floe party; all of which he communicated by tele-
graph, on that day, to the Secretary of State, adding that
the party were well provided for in Bay Roberts, and that
they would come to St. John's on the following Monday.
On Monday, the 12th, he informed the honorable Sec-
retary of the Navy, by telegram, of the arrival of the
Tigress at St. John's, and the landing of the party
picked up by her, and asked for instructions concerning
their disposal.

Iteturn in the Frolic,

The Secretary of the Navy sent a telegram to Mr.
Molloy, in which he instructed him in regard to the funds
for their care and reh'ef.

There being, at that time, no communication with
St. John's, in consequence of the coast being blockaded
by the ice and of the prevailing east winds, the Secretary
dispatched, on the 15th of May, the United States steamer
Frolic, Commander C. M. Schoonraaker, from New York,
to bring home the rescued party. Commander Schoon-
maker arrived at St. John's on the morning of the 22d.
He had encountered icebergs, before reaching Cape Race,
on the 21st, and on the following night passed more than
one hundred of them, besides three ice-floes. He was
unavoidably delayed at St. John's until the 27th, when he
received the rescued party from the care of Consul Molloy,
and sailed on the same day for the United States, arriving
at the Washington navy-yard on the 5th of June.

The Secretary of the Navy, in reporting to the Presi-
dent on the 17th of June the action of the Navy Depart-
ment "in the matter of the disaster to the United States
exploring expedition toward the north pole," says:—

"As it was obviously proper, in view of the prompt
and responsible action which might be required, that the
Government should, as soon as possible, be in possession
of the fullest and most reliable information upon all the
circumstances of the case, the Frolic was ordered to bring

575

1873.

may*

576

1873.

May,

The Floe Party at Washington.

*' directly to Washington all the persons having personal
knowledge on the subject."

On the arrival of the Frolic, the Secretary instituted
an examination of the party brought by her ; the manner
in which this examination was conducted, and its results,
will be hereafter given.

t/H !

nal

;ed
ler
ts,

OIIAPTKR XXTTT.

TIIW (lIlUIHUa OF THIO UNITED STATUS

HTIOAMlOim IHTSI.

.JUNIATA AND TIOUESS

OUIOW

Foil TIIIQ ItUSOUIC OF Til 10

rOLAlMS AND 111

Tho iiilormution roooivcd I'roin tlio lloo-pnrty concorn-
mg tho coudition and iho Hituaiion of tlio Polarin wliou
laHt scon by thoni, inducod tlio I)(^i)artniont to tako prompt
nioasuros for tho rescue of her oiliccrs and crow.

Anticipatin.,^ this mode of action by the United Staten
Govornnicnt, the owners of the Hoaling-vessol Tigress ini-
nicdiatcly offered her to tho United Htates for this special
service, on terms which were accepted by tho Depart-
ment, under the sanction of tho President. Tho ship was
brought to tho navy-yard, Brooklyn, where she underwent
such changes and repairs as were necessary to qualily lier
for this (hity, which embraced not only a distant cruise in
high latitudes, but the possibility of wintering in the polar
soas.

At tho same time, tho United Htates shii> .Juniata,

ntty.

^1%

680

1873.

June.

The Complement of the Juniata.

third rate, "was made ready to proceed to the coast of
Greenland, to facilitate the movements of the Tigress by
carrying coal and other supplies, for which the latter had
not sufficient capacity, and to prosecute the search herself,
as far as was prudent for a vessel not built or strengthened
for arctic navigation".

Commander D. L. Braine was selected for the com-
mand of the Juniata, and Commander James A. Greer for
the Tigress. The Tigress was well fitted to encounter all
the dangers of arctic navigation. The Juniata was not;
and the commander, of that vessel, therefore, was recom-
mended to incur no more than ordinary risk and dagger,
but to aid in every way the object of the Tigress.

The Juniata sailed from New York on the 24th of
June. Her officers were : —

Commander D. L. Braine, commanding;

Lieutenant-Commander E. C. Merriman ;

Lieutenants G. W. De Long,' G. E. Ide, E. P. Mc-
Clellan, and C. W. Chipp ;

Master F. E. Upton ;

Ensigns W. F. Bulkley, S. P. Comly, S. H. May,
J. D. Keeler ;

Midshipman J. J. Hunker ;

Surgeon T. C. Walton ;

Assistant Surgeon B. F. Rogers ;

Passed Assistant Paymaster T. S, Thompson ;

580

Muuf

p ■

7'^; '\jmh<^n.< nf of tl ,/v ,

third raU' "was iiia'lo rondv r' , .■ ' tl. unst (.i
(u-uciilond, to facilitate, .a. ; ./ ^,i,. .. . ' Tign-^^ by
c'irrying coal uad oiicr mipi.iies ,r .liJ^'i. the Intter had
not suflicieiii . ;|,ar' ^ .j .1 ,, u^ima the search liersolf,
as far as whs rr.,aen! tur iv^.^^jii,.! ^^f j^^iH; (,,- strengthened
for aiT'i. ua ign(«'on".

' '•' '• " ' Av. IJruine wa^ selccled lor the com-
Mand oi' !' -^ -uiiiuta, uud Commander James A. Greer for
ihe TigruMs. The Tigress was well fitted 10 encoimler all
the dangers of arctic navigation. The Juniata was not ;
and the comnv^nder, ..I thfit ves-^I. therefore, was recuia
"^eiMlMii I ..uu no more li^u. . rih.^rv rii4 and <langer,
but to urn ju ovciy *^ ^ 'uf ubjecl of (ht; Tiin-ess.

dune. Her oflicers were': —

(, ommander 1). L. Jiraine, commandinir;

Ivieutenant-Commander E. C. Herriiiian ;

Lieuti^nants G, W. De Long. <J. E. iae, E 1\ Mc-
Clellan, Mid C. W. Chipp,

Mast.r E. 'i Upton;

Euiijgiis W. F. Bulkloy, S. i'. (!<)ialy, S. H. May,
'\. \). Keeler ;

Midshipman J. J. llunkui ,

Surgeon : ( •. Walton :

Assistant hiirgeon B. V Koger? ;

Passed Assistjuit Paymaster r. S, Thonmsou •

The Juniata at the Danish Settlements.

Chief Engineer H. B. Nones ;

Passed Assistant Engineer J. J. Barry ;

Assistant Engineer H. E. Rhoades.

She entered the port of Sukkertoppen on the 17th of
July, and anchored at Holstenborg on the 18th. Hero
Commander Braine, by the courtesy of Governor F. Los-
sen, procured eighteen dogs, and one hundred and fifty
seal-skins for the clothing of the men and officers of the
Tigress. He sailed on the next day for Disco, from which
harbor he reported to the Secretary of the Navy, on the
29th, that he had landed there seventy tons of Cardiff
coal, carefully bagged a- I stored; a quantity of lumber;
and eighteen dogs : all of which, with twelve additional
dogs procured there, were intended for the Tigress.

Commander Braine found the stores left by the Con-
gress and the Polaris apparently in good order. The
Juniata sailed, on the 29th, for Upernavik, arriving
there on the 31st. Here the seal-skins were immediately
landed, and made up into clothing for the officers and crew
of the Tigress. This prompt action having been taken,
Commander Braine proceeded to carry out the instructions
of the Department by endeavoring to open communication
with the Polaris by means of the Esquimaux.

After consultation with Governor Eudolph, he unfor-
tunately found it impossible to induce the Esquimaux to
go north for this object. Learning, however, that naviga-

581

1878.

Jnljr.

c»

582

1878.

Auyvat.

The ''Little Juniata" Dispatched.
tion had been unusually open and free from (loo-ico this
year— in the language of the governor, "there had been
no winter"-and finding that he could obtain a competent
Esquimaux pilot, Commander Braine decided to send the
large steam-launch of his own vessel to the north; a serv-
ice for which she had been fitted by sheathing, and by
arming her bows with iron and guarding her propeller with
an iron frame. She was commanded by Lieut. G. W. Do
Long, who volunteered for this service, and she received
the name of the "Little Juniata". The task assigned to
her was to skirt the fast ice of the coast, collect all the
information possible, and return by the 15th of August,
which would be before the probable arrival of the Tigress
at Upernavik. The officers and men were furnished with
complete suits of fur clothing, and the launch was pro-
visioned for sixty days, and supplied with coal for seven-
teen days' full steaming. She sailed from Tessi-Ussak
August 3.

At Disco, Commander Braine learned that, early
in June, the two English steam-whale-ships the Eric,
Captain Walker, and the Arctic, Captain Adams, had
touched there, and had been informed of the rescue of
the floe-party and of the probable condition of the Polaris.
The captains of these ships had kindly promised to keep a
lookout for the latter on their northern passage. Com-
mander Braino's conclusion was that they would examine

Commander Oreer's Instructions,

the western shore of Baffin's Bay, and if the Little Juni-
ata now looked along the east coast, the Tigress might
venture to proceed on the direct route to Northumhorland
Island.

583

1873.

July.

When the Tigress was entirely ready for sea, Com-
mander Orcor received instructions from the Secretary of
the Navy, which directed him to proceed first to Saint
John's, Newfoundland, to fill up with coal; and thence to
Godhaven, Disco, where he could ascertain from the Dan-
ish authorities whether any information had been received
from the Polaris or her crew, and where he would prob-
ably find letters from the Juniata, giving intelligence of
her movements.

From Godhavn he was enjoined to proceed to North-
umberland Island by the way of Upernavik and Tessi-
Ussak, unless information received in the mean time,
concerning the Polaris and her officers and crew, should
render his further progress unnecessary. Commander
Greer was also instructed to rescue and brinir home,
first, the officers and crow ; secondly, the records, scien-
tific and nautical ; thirdly, the ship — named in the order
of their importance. The Tigress was to winter in a
high latitude, if necessary, and to resume the search in
the ensuing summer. She was to carry Captain Tyson as

584

The Complement of the Tigress.

1873. ice-master and pilot, and Lindqvist, Kruger, and Ninde-
mann, formerly seamen on the Polaris, with Esquimaux
Joe as hunter and sledge-driver; Hans and his family
were also to be taken on board, and landed at some port
in Greenland.

The Secretary of the Navy visited the Tigress at the
Brooklyn navy-yard, put her in commission, and made a
short address to the officers and crew. The ship left New
York on the afternoon of July 14.

Her officers were : —

Commander James A. Greer, commanding;

Lieutenant-Commander Henry 0. White, executive
officer ;

Lieutenant George F. Wilkins, navigator ;

Lieutenants Eobert M. Berry and U. S. Sebree ;

Acting Lieutenant George E. Tyson, ice-master ;

Acting Master E. J. Chipman, assistant ice-master ;

Engineers G. W. Melville and 'W. A. Mintzer ;

Assistant Paymaster G. E. Baughman ;

Acting Assistant Surgeon J. W. Elston.

Tne Tigresc arrived at Saint John's on the morning
of the 23d ; at Godhavn, August 6 ; and Upernavik,
where the Juniata was found, on the 10th. From this
port she sailed on the 11th, having on board a Danish
pilot, and anchored at Tessi-Ussak at 11.45 p. m. of the
sai^e day, Governor Jensen having boarded her outside

Polaris House Found.

and offered his services as pilot, which were accepted with
pleasure.

Having communicated with the Juniata's steam-
launch, and learned that no information concerning the
Polaris had been received, Commander Greer parted com-
pany with the launch and stood to the northward. At 10
a. m. of the 13th, he passed near enough to Cape York to
see signals, for which a bright lookout was kept at all
times. From Cape York north, he skirted the shores as
closely as possible, examining also North Star Bay.

On the 14th, he examined Netilik Harbor. Skirting
Northumberland Island, he satisfied himself that this was
not the place where the separation of the Polaris from the
ice-floe occurred, and continued on to Capes Parry and
Alexander, and examined Hartstene Bay. At 9 p. m. of
the same day, after passing Littleton and McGary Islands,
Commander Greer was convinced that he had arrived at
the place of which he was in search, and, standing well in
to the shore, lowered a boat.

He had found the spot occupied by the crew of the
Polaris the preceding winter. It was then in the posses-
sion of Esquimaux, from whom he learned the story of
Captain Budington's party. The chief of the Esquimaux
told Commander Greer that Captain Budington had given
him the vessel ; and that, some time after the departure
of the crew, the ice had broken up in a irale. and the

585

1873.

August.

58G

The Polaris Sunk.

1873.

August.

vessel was forced about a mile and a half toward the pas-
sage between Littleton Island and the mainland, where
she sank. Commander Greer saw the broken hawsers.
The chief said that he saw the ship go down, and very
much regretted her loss; he took Lieutenant-Commander
H. C. White to the spot, but it was then covered by two
small ice-bergs with a heavy floe attached, which had
grounded on the wreck.

The wooden house constructed by the crew of the
Polaris was still standing, with its bunks, mattresses, fur-
niture, galley, &c., ^s also was the rough carpenter's
bench ; while provisions, instruments, books, and stores of
various kinds were scattered in every direction. All the
manuscripts, including a mutilated log-book, and all the
other books not torn into pieces, together with some fire-
arms and broken instruments, the ship's bell, and some
medical stores, were taken on board the Tigress. The
provisions were of no value. No 'cairn, or place of con-
cealment, for records or papers was found.

At this time, the weather was quite threatening —
thick, squally, and snowing at times; an ice-pack ex-
tended across Smith's Sound northward as far as the eye
could reach.

At 2.15 a. m. of the 15th, Commander Greer stood
to the southward, keeping a lookout for the people; at
noon of the next day, he passed Cape York near enough

The Search of the Tigress.

to have seen signals. On the 19th, at 2.30 p. m., he com-
municated with Governor Jensen at Tessi-TJssak, hut
obtained no news; and at 9.30 p. m. he anchored at
Upernavik, where also nothing had been heard of the
Polaris.

At Upernavik, he remained four days, and then sailed
for Godhavn. He had come to the conclusion that the
crow of the Polaris had been picked up by a whaler, and
this opinion was confirmed when he learned that nine
whalers had been spoken, all of which expected to sight
Cape York.

In accordance with the instructions of the Depart-
ment, " to make thorough search for the crow," Com-
mander Greer, after refitting at Disco, crossed over to the
west side of Davis Straits, and, falling in with the pack-ice,
skirted it to the south and west, going into every lead
which indicated a passage. He tried to get into Exeter
Sound, but found the ice packed tight to the shore, and
finally anchored at Niantlik in Cumberland Sound.

His object here was to fall in with some of the
whaling-vessels which, on their return, follow the western
shore. Meeting with none, he sailed, on the 16th of Sep-
tember, for Ivigtuk, Greenland, where ho was detained for
some days by necessary repairs to his machinery.

On the 4th of October, he made another run to the
northward, without meeting the objects of his search ; on

687

1873.

Aagrust.

■«

588

The Complement of the "Little Juniata"

Au^nsiL *^^ ■^^*^^' ^® reached Saint John's; and, on the 10th of
November, anchored in New York.

The narrative now returns to the Juniata, Com-
mander Braine, which was left, on the 11th of August, at
Upernavik.

On the 12th, Commander Braine received the report
of the cruise of the steam-launch Little Juniata, the depart-
ure of which has been already mentioned.

Her officers, all of whom were volunteers, were: —
Lieutenant G. W. De Long, commanding ;
Lieutenant C. W. Chipp ;
Ensign S. H. May ;
Mr. Henry W. Dodge, ice-pilot.
Her crew were: —

Frank Hamilton, machinist ;
Richard Street, boatswain's mate ;
Martin T. Maher,
"William King,

At 11 p. m., August 2, the Little Juniata arrived at
Tessi-Ussak, where she left the dingy, from which 600
pounds of coal were landed, for future use. Next day, she
steamed northward, winding her way among the icebergs,
and keeping close in to the land, both for the sake of
smooth water and of safe anchorage in the event of a fog.

seamen.

i *^T

588

' V; Ci>mj)lci/tcJd of the ''Little Juhi^itn.'"

Ib'/a. tilt. I7ih, he renclicd ^> " Jolin's- 'mk' .n *]ic M-;-
-Xovcinuer, audi' "'I la NVnv You\.

i iTativo luvm U) tho Jnni.-ita, Ooiu--

maiider Braiiic, wliicli wns N-. . ',.. i M1» (.'" Anoosit, at
Upernavik.

On the 12th, CommaiKJ^T Braiiic recclvod the; report
of the cruise of ihe steam-launcb Little Juniuui, the depart-
ure of which hn« heeii filreadv incinioned.

Her oflicers. U'S i ; wiu'm ,.>, . uiiiuLeeK^, vxio; —
' ' '• W (Jo Long, coruiiiaudinu; ;

ijieun ■

Mr. Hem V W D.- ; -iNu.

Her erew x' ■ —

I'^rank Hauiillt)" • ■ hini'st;
EiehMfJ Street, hoatswain's mate;

Martin T. Mahcr. *
\>^iHinie j{m<- (

seamen.

Ai t J \> August 2, the Tittle .Tinn>u.i arrived at

TesHi- f ^^!?nV wIh-v; 8he left the din*? . which 600

P<^""'1^ ' !■ . , V,-xt (lay, she

6io-.nic(i 1).^ ,. . iia: icebergs,

and k.'opijig close in t<> ii ,,. i„i- the bake of

smooth wa*-er an<l ol sale niiehor;i^e in ih

'M jog.

o
) '

»>

■'^^J^

The Launch in Melville Bay.

At 10 p. m. of the 4th, Lieutenant Do Lonir fo'ind
himself shut up in the pack, which, as far as could bo seen,
consisted of solid ice from one to two feet thick, with large
hummocks and icebergs. The boat was kept under way
with full steam-pressure, to prevent her being frozen in,
and to get her to the westward into open water. The next
morning, clear spaces of open water were met with, and
a slight swell indicated an approach to the open sea, which
was gained at 10 a. m. The launch was headed N. W.
(true), for Cape York.

While the fog prevailed, the fire was allowed to die
out ; but, inaction becoming tiresome, sail was made, and
the launch stood to Ihe north and west, with a slight S.
E. wind; in the evening, the wind freshened.

On Friday, the 8th, Cape York was seen ; but be-
tween it and the boat there was a solid pack of ice, three
or four feet thick, in which an opening was looked for in
vain. In the afternoon of the same day, the wind had
increased to a gale, and made the situation of the launch
on the edge of the pack one of great danger. It was
necessary to carry sail, to keep the boat under control and
clear of the pack. Lieutenant De Long says, in his report,
that the sea-spray was thrown over the tops of icebergs
one hundred feet in height. He describes the scene as
one of great confusion ; broken pieces at the edge were
forced upon the solid part of the pack, and driven with

589

1878.

Aaffuat.

590

1A73.

The Launch in a Gale,

violence to a great distance; and this was continuous.
The launch was, at times, half-buried in the seas, and she
shipped so much water that everything was dehigcd. It
rained in torrents. This was one of those critical situa-
tions in which safety depends absolutely upon the mast,
the canvas, and the rigging. As long as those hold on,
the skill of the seaman can insure security from destruc-
tion; if they fail, all is lost ; and yet, at such moments of
extreme emergency, no additional means of strength can
be applied, either to the mast or canvas. Providentially,
everything held, and the boat was kept under control.
In this condition, the launch remained until 10 o'clock of
the 9th, during a period of thirty hours; finally the wind
lulled. An attempt was made to light a fire under the
boiler, but the matches and tinder were wet and useless,
and it was several hours before a friction-match, kept
near the skin, was sufficiently dried to be lighted. A
candle in the lantern was lit, but immediately blown out ;
it was necessary to repeat the process. The wood beino-
wet, a fire was started by pouring oil plentifully over cot-
ton-waste and junk.

This was the turning-point of the Little Juniata's
cruise. One-half of the fuel was expended, and what
remained was damaged. Lieutenant De Lonff, havino- come
up on the in-shore track, determined to return by the mid-
channel, or off-shore track, in order to have another chance

Coal Mines on the Wairjat.

of scoinrv 'lomothing of the Polaris or of her people. Tlio
^viuu hauling to the westward, the storm-swell subsided,
tho wc rthcr cleared up, and the ice was soon lost to si'^lit
aste.

The morning of Sunday, the 10th, was pleasant and
promising. In the course of the day, the Devil's Thumb
was seen at a distance of 60 miles. The weather, which
was variable, became again cloudy and squally, with snow,
hail, and rain. Monday was a pleasant day, and on Tues-
day, the 12th, the launch having communicated with
tho Tigress off the harbor of Tessi-Ussak, went in, took
on board tho GOO pounds of coal, and rejoined the Juni-
ata at Upernavik.

While Commander Braine was in Godhavn waiting
tho return of the Tigress, ho employed his leisure time in
looking for coal. He dispatched the Little Juniata to the
mines on the Waigat, on the north side of the island, 90
miles from the anchorage, to inspect the coal, and obtain,
if possible, a supply. The mines are a short distance from
tho beach, about 100 feet above the level of the sea, and
the coal is easily obtained by the usual means. It is de-
scribed by Commander Braine in the followinjr words: —

"The coal proved frail in its structure, not bearing
much handling, and was obtained in lumps. It was ex-
perimented with for fifteen hours' steaming in the Little
Juniata, using salt-water. It ignites easily, burns freely,

601

1873.

Anviiit.

592

Coal of the Waigai.

1873. "and forms very little clinker. The fine coal burns nearly
as well as the lump. A regular pressure of steam was
kept up, 20 pounds to the square inch, with the furnace-
doors open part of the time, and at no time was the sat-
uration above la. By weight, I judge it requires about
one-fourth more of this coal to be consumed in any given
time to produce a mechanical effect equal to the best
Welsh coal. This coal is bituminous in its nature. It
produces v&j little smoke, of a brownish color, and re-
quires but little labor in stoking. The best results, as
obtained, are from a ,thick and level fire.

"While in this locality, several veins were found
which indicated good coal, and large quantities of it ; so
easily was the coal mined that our men, nine in number,
would have removed and carried to the beach one hundred
tons in eight days with the tools which we used."

On the 31st of August, the Juniata sailed for Saint
John's, arriving there September' 10, from which port
Commander Braine informed the Department by telegraph
that Commander Greer had discovered the deserted camp
of the Polaris near Littleton Island, and that her officers
and crew were reported by the Esquimaux to have sailed
south early in June, in two boats built from the Po-
laris.

A telegraphic reply of the same day directed him to
continue the search for the Polaris. Commander Braine,

Return of the Juniata.

593

after filling up with coal, again left port on the 18th of »873.
September, and, at midnight of that date, when 65 miles
north of Saint John's, w^as overtaken by the British steamer
Hector, which vessel had been promptly and thoughtfully
chartered, by Consul Molloy, for this very purpose. Con-
sul Molloy had the pleasure of informing him of the safety
of the officers and crew of the Polaris. This information
had been telegraphed by Mr. Ueid, United States Vice-
Consul at Dundee. The Juniata immediately returned to
Saint John's. On the 19th of October, in obedience to
telegraphic orders, she left Saint John's for New York,
where she arrived on the 25th.

I i

XXIV.

I ^

CHAPTER XXIV.

EXAMINATION OP THE PARTY FROM THE POLARIS.

It has been Already said that the part of the
crew of the Polaris rescued from the ice-floe by the
British sealer Tigress, and numbering nineteen persons,
was brought from Saint John's to Washington by the
United States steamer Frolic, under orders of the Secre-
tary of the Navy, " for the purpose of obtaining the most
full and reliable information" concerning their own history,
the circumstances under which they left the Polaris, and
the condition of that vessel.

On their arrival, June 5, 1873, Hon. G. M. Robeson,
Secretary of the Navy, associated with himself Commo-
dore William Reynolds, the senior officer of the Navy
Department ; Prof. S. F. Baird, assistant secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution and member of the National Acad-
emy; and Capt. H. W. Howgate, of the Army Signal
Service, to constitute a Board of Inquiry^

1873.

June.

598

1878.

June.

Beport of the Board of Inquiry.

The result of this oxaraination is contained in tho
following report to tho President: —

"Washington, D. (I, June 16, 1873.
*^To the President:

" Tho undersigned having been present at and taken
part in the full and careful examination of Mr. George E.
Tyson, assistant navigator ; Frederick Meyer, meteorolo-
gist ; J. W. 0. Kruger, G. W. Linquist, Frederick Aun-
ting, Peter Johnson, Frederick Jamka, and William Nin-
demann, seamen ; John Herron, stetvard ; William Jack-
son, cook; and Joe, Hannah, and Hans, Esquimaux; —
all late of the steamer Polaris, and, with the exception of
tho wife of Hans and five children, comprising the party
which was separated from her on the ice in October last,
and picked up oflP the coast of Labrador on April 30th of
this year by the British sealing-steamer Tigress; — give the
following as the result of their investigation.

" The Polaris left Disco on the 17th of August, 1871,
where she parted company with the Congress, arriving at
Upernavik the next day.

"At this port she took on board some dogs, seal and
dog skins, and a small quantity of coal, and shipped Hans
Hendrick (or Christian), Esquimaux who had been with
Drs. Kane and Hayes, and the wife of Hans and three
children. It was expected that Jensen, who had also

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

"accompanied Dr. Hayes, would join tho Polaris at Tessi-
Ussak.

" Leaving Upernavik, the Polaris touched at Tessi-
Ussak, and there procured more dogs and a small quantity
of ready-made skin clothing ; but Jensen d<d not go with
the Expedition.

" Leaving Tcssi-Ussak on the 24th, she proceeded
northward under steam, passing through Smith's Sound and
Kennedy Channel, with very little delay or obstruction
from the ice.

" Near Cape Frazer, Captain Hall examined the west-
ern shore in a boat to look for a safe wintering place, but
was unsuccessful in finding one.

" Clearing Kennedy Channel in the Polaris, Captain
Hall found himself passing through a large sound in the
precise position of Kane's open polar sea, with a bay on
the Greenland side. In this bay, the ship subsequently
wintered, and it received from Captain Hall the name
of Polaris Bay. Its northern cape he called Cape Lup-
ton.

" Pressing on to the northward, and passing through
the sound, the ship entered another narrow channel, of
about twenty-five to thirty miles in width, with high land
on either side, and, on the 30th of August, attained the
highest northern latitude reached by the Expedition, in
latitude declared by Captain Hall to be 82° 29' N., but

599

1878.

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600

1873.

June.

Beport of the Board of Inquiry.

"afterward found, by the careful cdlculation of Mr. Meyer,
to be 82" 16' N.

"At this, her highest point, the Polaris was still in tho
new strait, or channel which she had discovered, and which
Captain Hall named 'Robeson Strait', after the present
Secretary of the Navy.

"Here the ship was met by heavy floating ice, extend-
ing entirely across the Strait, and barring her further
progress northward.

"After making unsuccessful efforts to find a way
through the ice, Captain Hall, in a boat, examined a small
harbor on the eastern side of the straits, for winter-quar-
ters. This being found unsuitable for the purpose, was
named 'Repulse Harbor'. After incurring imminent
risk, the ship became fairly beset in these straits, and
drifted with the ice to the southward, out of them, to the
latitude of 81° 30' N.; when, the pack opening, on the 4th
of September she steamed to the eastward, and found her
winter-quarters in a small sheltered cove, or bend of the
coast, protected by a stranded iceberg on the east side of
Polaris Bay, in latitude 81° 38' N., longitude 61° 44' W.
To this covo Captain Hall gave the name of 'Thank-God
Harbor', calling the iceberg 'Providence Berg'.

"At midnight on the 4th of September, 1871, Captain
Hall landed, with a boat, on the east shore of Polaris Bay,
and, in the name of God and of the President of the United

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" States, raised the American flag on the land he had dis-
covered.

"On one occasion, while heset in Roheson Strait, the
Polaris seemed to be in such danger of being crushed, that
provisions were placed upon the ice, and measures taken
to be in readiness for leaving her; but she happily escaped
Without injury.

" Immediately after securing his ship in winter-quar-
ters. Captain Hall made preparations for a sledge-journey
northward ; and other work was commenced by landing and
setting up the observatory, getting the scientific observa-
tions under way, surveying tbe harbor, clearing up the
ship, and making snug for the winter.

" On the 10th of October, Captam Hall left the Polaris,
accompanied by Mr. Chester, first mate, and Esquimaux
Joe and Hans, with two sledges and fourteen dogs. Set-
ting out on this expedition, the first step taken by Captain
Hall fell upon land more northern than white man's foot
had ever before touched. In the progress of the journey —
unhappily the last that Captain Hall was to make toward
the Pole — he discovered, as appears by his dispatch, a
river, a lake, and a large inlet. The latter, in latitude
81° 57' N., he named 'Newman's Bay', calling its north-
ern point 'Cape Brevoort', and the southern one 'Sumner
Headland '.

"At Cape Erevoort, in latitude 82° 2' N., longitude

601

1873.

June.

602

1873.

Jane.

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" or 20' W., he rested, making there his sixth snow-
encampment, and on October 20th wrote his last dispatch
to the Secretary of the Navy, the original draft of which
was found, in his own handwriting, in his writing-desk,
on its examination in Washington after it was delivered to
the Secretary of the Navy by Esquimaux Joe, who had
kept the desk in his custody from the time it was picked
up on the ice, after the separation of the rescued party
from the ship. '

"A copy of this dispatch, so singularly preserved, ac-
companies this reports* Captain Hall himself deposited a
transcript of it in a cairn on the side of the mountain at
Cape Brevoort.

"Captain Hall, it appears, had hoped, when he left the
Polaris on this journey, to advance northward at least a
hundred miles; but, after having gone about fifty, he was
compelled, by the condition of the shore and of the ice,
and by the state of the climate, to return and await the
approach of spring for another attempt.

" He reached the ship on the 24th of October, appar-
ently in his usual fine health, but was attacked the same
day with sickness of the stomach and vomiting; and, taking
to his bed, the next day was found to be seriously ill. His
most marked symptoms seemed from the evidence to
have been such as indicated congestion of the brain, ac-

• See page 163 of this Narrative.

f^l.

^^1!

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" companicd by delirium and partial paralysis of ono side.
The witnesses all state that his attack was called 'apo-
plexy', and some of them speak of their own knowledge
of his paralysis and delirium. Ho recovered, however,
after some days, sufficiently to leave his bed, to move
about his cabin a little, and to attempt to attend to business,
but soon had a relapse, became again delirious, and died
on the 8th of November, 1871. Three days afterward he
was buried on the shore.

" From personal examination of all the witnesses, and
from their testimony as given, wo reach the unanimous
couolusion that the death of Captain Hall resulted natur-
ally from disease, without fault on the part of any one.
During his illness, he was under the medical care of Dr.
Bcssols; and as none of the persons now here are capable
of giving a more particular account of the nature and
symptoms of this fatal sickness, the return of the Polaris
must be awaited for precise information. All the persons
examined testify to the uniform kindness and care of Cap-
tain Hall, and to the good order and efficient condition of
the Polaris while under his command.

" On the death of Captain Hall, Mr. Budington suc-
ceeded to the command of the Polaris, as had been pro-
vided for in the Instructions for the voyage issued by the
Secretary of the Navy.

" The winter was passed as is usual in the Arctic

603

1878.

Jane.

604

1873.

June.

Beport of the Board of Inquiry.

** regions, but without any suffering from the cold, from
disease, or from the want of proper provisions. The
scientific observations were diligently kept up. Polaris
and Newman's Bays were surveyed, and the coast-line to
the southward of Polaris Bay was examined for over sev-
enty miles. The crew were variously employed, and the
Esquimaux hunted whenever opportunity permitted.

"About the latter part of November, in a heavy gale
from th« northeast, the Polaris dragged her anchors, but
brought up against the large iceberg before mentioned,
which was aground in the bay. She was finally made
fast to it, and so remained till the following summer.

" During the winter, she was forced by the pressure of
other ice sweeping down against her, upon the foot of
Providence Berg; and being subsequently carried higher
upon it by the rising of the tide and renewed pressure
from the ice, she thus remained until June, 1872. Her
stem -piece, resting unsas'' • during the whole of the stormy
winter on this ice-bed, was cracked, and some of her bow-
planks split, causing her to leak after she again got afloat.
She seems to have leaked somewhat freely at first, and
the steam-pumps were worked to clear her out ; but sub-
sequently the deck-pumps, used about six minutes per
hour, were found sufficient to keep her clear.

" Early in June, before the Polaris was released from
the ice, Captain Budington dispatched Mr. Chester and

Heport of the Board of Inquiry.

" Mr. Tyson, with two boats, to eyideavor to get as far north
as practicable. This party lost one boat, which was
crushed in the ice, almost at the commencement of their
journey; the loss was, however, supplied from the Polaris
by the canvas boat, and, with much difficulty and delay,
they got as far north as Newman's Bay. They there
waited the possible opening of the ice until the middle of
July, when written orders from Captain Budington directed
their return to the ship. They were unable to transport the
boats, and, leaving them on the shore, started on foot, and
arrived on board after an absence of about six weeks.

"While they were away, and some time in June, the
Polaris had broken out of her winter-quarters, and had
made several attempts to proceed northward to pick up the
party with the boats; but the ice was found to be impassa-
ble, and Captain Budington, on receiving the party on
board, determined to make the best of his way southward
to the United States as soon as the ice would permit.
They started southward August 12th, 1872, and slowly
made their way along the wester.: shore until the next
day, when the ship, having got further in mid-channel,
was badly beset by the ice in latitude about 80° 40' N.,
and was in danger of wreck for some hours, when she was
freed again.

" Early on the morning of the 12th, the day of start-
ing southward, the family of Hans Christian was increased

605

1873.
Jane.

606

1878.

June.

Beport of the Board of Inquiry.

"by the birth of a son, who was christened Charles Polaris,
and who made one of the party afterwa'-d left on the ice-
floe.

"On the 16th of August, the ship was made fast to a
large floe of ice in the latitude of 80° 2' N., and longi-
tude about 68° W., and while stiU fast to this floe drifted
south through Smith's Sound nearly to Northumberland
Island.

" In pursuance of the usual orders under similar cir-
cumstances, a quantity of provisions and some fuel had
been placed on the deck of the steamer, in readmess to be
removed to the ice should the safety of the ship become
endangered ; and it was ordered and understood that, if a
crisis should be imminent, not only these stores, but cloth-
ing, papers, records, instruments, guns, ammunition, &c.,
were also to be put upon the floe, in order to preserve the
lives of the party and the results of the expedition, should
it become necessary to abandon the ship and to take refuge
on the ice. A canvas hut had also been erected upon the
floe for shelter should the ship be lost.

"On the night of the 15th of October, 1872, in about
latitude 77° 35' N., during a violent gale of wind and
snow, the need for such preparations became apparent, as
the ship was suddenly beset by a tremendous pressure of
ice, which was driven against her from the southward, and
forced under her, pressing her up out of the water, and,

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" by successive and violent shocks, finally throwing her
over on her beam-ends.

"Captain Budington directed the provisions, stores,
and materials in readiness, as before described, to be thrown
overboard on the ice, and ordered half the crew upon the
ice to carry them upon a thicker part of the hummocks,
where they would be comparatively safe. He also sent
all the Esquimaux, with their kyaks, out of the ship, and
lowered the two remaining boats upon the floe. While so
engaged, in the darkness of an Arctic night, in the midst
of a fierce gale and driving snow-storm, the hawsers of the
Polaris failed to hold her, and she broke adrift from the
floe, and in a few minutes was out of sight of the party
who were at that moment busily at work on the ice. It
is the uniform opinion of the witnesses, and our unani-
mous conclusion from their testimony and from the circum-
stances detailed, that this separation of the ship from the
men, women, and children upon the ice-floe, was purely
accidental.

"After losing sight of the ship, some of the men and
a large part of the provisions were found to be afloat on
a separate piece of ice. The men were rescued by means
of the boats, which, fortunately, had been saved on the
ice, and the party thus collected on the main floe passed
the night as well as they could. The next day they made
several attempts to reach the land with the boats, but

607

1878.

Jane.

m
M

608

June.

Eeport of the Board of Inquiry.

"failed, notwithstanding their most persistent efforts, owing
to the obstruction of the ice and the violence of the wind.
While thus striving to get on shore, but at what particular
time of the day is not exactly ascertained, the Polaris came
in sight to the northward, apparently coming toward the
floe, under steam and sails. An India-rubber blanket
was hoisted on an oar, and displayed from the top of a
hummock; the colors were set, and other signals were
made to attract the attention of the Polaris; and as she
approached so near to them that they plainly saw her
down to her rail, and could distinguish her escape-pipe,
and kept on toward them until they supposed her to be not
more than four miles off, they felt sure she could force her
way through the ice to their position; and that in a little
while they would be again on board. In this they were
disappointed; the Polaris altered her course and disap-
peared behind the shore. Some time afterward, as the
floe drifted away, she was again seen by some of the men
under the land, with her sails furled, and apparently at
anchor, or made fast to the shore or the ice.

" lu is most likely that the party on the ice was seen
from the Polaris. The hut erected on the floe, the ship's
boats, the colors, the elevated signal-blanket, and the
group of nineteen persons standing in relief against a white
background, could scarcely have remained unnoticed.

" It was natural that, under the circumstances, the

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" party on the ice should have felt deeply disappointed at
the failure of the ship to come to their relief, and should, at
the time, have ascribed it to overcaution, if not indifference,
rather than inability on the part of her responsible com-
mander; neither is it unnatural that this feeling, fostered
during the weary watches of their long winter upon the
ice, should still remain to affect in a greater or less degree
their present judgment on the subject; but it must not be
forgotten that they, like ourselves, were and are without
full information of the actual condition of the Polaris at
the time spoken of, and cannot know how far the real
dangers of their position were understood and appreciated
by those on board of her. Such information and knowl-
edge are absolutely necessary to a correct judgment, and
must not be assumed as the foundation of censure against
persons acting under circumstances so trying and uncertain,
who, by reason of their enforced absence, have no oppor-
tunity for explanation. Considering the subject dispas-
sionately, and remembering the Polaris had been so roughly
handled by the ice the night before, that both captain and
crew thought she would be lost, and attempted the removal
of her provisions and materials to the floe ; that when she
broke adrift and was swept off by the gale, her steam-
pipes, valvos, and connections were frozen soHd, and that
she was for hours without steam, unmanageable amid the
floating ice ; that she was still leaking from her broken

600

1879.

Mmmm*

010

1873.

June.

Report of the Board of Inquiry,

"stem, and liad probably recoivod other injuries after sho
wont adrift ; and that she was left without a single boat
of any kind, it seems most likely that her actual condition
was such as to impose upon her commander the duty of
getting her, with the lives and property which remained
under his charge, at once into a position of safety under
the shelter of Northumberland Island,* where sho was
last seen by the party on the floe. If such were the state
of the caso, the first duty of Captain Budington under such
circumstances was to look to his vc^^el, particularly as he
^.robably believed t^at the party on the ice could, by the
aid of the two boats, the kyaks, and the scow in their pos-
session, find their way back to the Polaris quite as easily
as he could force his way to them.

" But whatever might have been his opinion or theirs,
the elements quickly determined the question. Shortly
after the Polaris had been sighted for the second time, a
violent gale from the northeast * sprung up, the weather
became thick, the ship and the land were lost sight of, and
the ice-floe drifted away to the southward, with these
nineteen persons still upon it. Ii\ view of the circum-
stances detailed, it is therefore our unanimous judgment
that this final separation from the ship was also accidental.
"From October 15th, 1872, until April 30th, 1873,
when they were picked up in latitude about 59°t north, these

• Subsequently ascertained to have been Littleton Island,
t Subsequently ascertained to have been 53° SO* N.

Bcport of the Board of Tnquh //.

"iiinoteon men, women, undcbUdron reraainod througli the
whole of the dark and dreary winter upon the ioe. In
their first endeavors to reach the land, they occupied ^or a
time diflferent pieces of floating ice, but forced finally to
abandon all hope in this direction, they rested at last upon
the fioe upon which the Polaris bad made fast August intb,
1872, in latitude 80' 2' N., and from which she broke
adrift on the night of October 15th, following.

•'The original extent of 'ms floe thty estimated at
about five miles in circumfc^ ice. Snow-huts were built
by the Esquimaux, in which they lived and kept their pro-
visions. Of these they had .mv ed ,1 fair supply, which they
apportioned and divided by means of weights made from
shot, with rude scales devised by Mr. Meyer. Occasion-
ally during the winter the Esquimaux shot a seal, and once
they killed a bear, and thus renewed their supply of meat.

"On the 1st of April, finding their icy quarters much
reduced by the breaking-up of the floe, and that the cur-
rent was then setting them to the southeast and out to sea,
they launched their boat into open water, and pulled
toward the west, in oider, if possible, to gain the coast.
At times, meeting ice too closely packed to get through,
they were compelled to haul the boat upon it, launching
her again as soon as a lead opened to the westward or
southward. In this way they passed a month of weary
and desperate endeavor.

61!

IH73.

June.

612

1873.
June.

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

"Toward tho close of April, thoir provisions wore
almost exhausted, and they wore one day absolutely reduced
to less than a biscuit apiece and a mouthful of pemmican,
when a bear, scenting them on the ice, approached them
and was shot, and they were thus rescued from starvation.

"Revived by this good fortune, and strengthened by
their now supply of fresh meat, they struggled on till tho
last day of April, 1873, when they were rescued by the
Tigress. At this time, they had tho coast of Labrador in
sight, distant about forty miles, and were hoping to reach
it before their provisions were exhausted.

"The circumstances of this most extraordinary voyage
are given at length by the witnesses, and are particularly
detailed in the diaries that some of the rescued party made,
day by day, upon the ice, and which are copied in the
testimony.

"After their rescue, although enfeebled by scanty diet
and long exposure, and mentally depressed by their iso-
lated and unhappy situation, so fearfully prolonged and of
such uncertain issue, the general health of these hardy
voyagers remained good, and, when their trials and anxie-
ties were ended, they soon regained their usual strength.

"At the time of their separation from tho Polaris,
every one belonging to the expedition was in good health.
Nineteen Vverc upon the ice-lloe, and they believed that
all the rest were safe and on board the ship. Tho Polaris

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

"had not then repaired her broken stem, and still leaked
somewhat, but was easily freed by the deck-pumps. She
had plenty of provisions, but not much coal— probably
about enough to last through the winter. She was last
seen, apparently at anchor, under Northumberland Island,*
where it is most likely she remained for winter-quarters.
Dr. Hayes found Esquimaux residing on that isk ' and
the Esquimaux settlement at Netlik is close by. Com-
munication with these people would be easily opened and
maintained, and no apprehension for the Polaris, or, in the
absence of accident or sickness, for those on board, is en-
tertained by any of the rescued persons.

"As to the question whether the ship can make her
way to the Danish settlements at Upernavik or Disco,
without steam, if she gets free from the ice this season,
supposing her to be in as good condition as when the res-
cued party was last on board, the witnesses differ in judg-
ment; but the safer, if not the better opinion is that sho
will need assistance to bring her completely and safely out.
Northumberland Island is in latitude 77° 35' N. A well-
found ship, with average good fortune, would bo able to
reach that island in the summer, and to return in the
autumn. It is possible that the Polaris may be able to
return without assistance ; but, as she remains within the

613

1873.

Jnne*

• Subsequently showu to have been Littleton Island— see page 685
of tbiH Nsirrativc.

It it

614

ill

1873.

Jaue.

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

"Arctic circle, not sound in her bull, with little fuel, and
with many precious lives on hoard, and with the records
and collections of her cruise in their possession, wo are
unanimousl}^ of the opinion tliat this possibility should not
be assumed, and that a suitable vessel should, as soon as
possible, be procured and sent in search of her, to render
her return as certain and speedy as may be. While a
suitable ship, constructed and fitted for voyages among the
ice, is getting ready, we believe it would be well to dis-
patch such naval vessel as may be available, to carry for-
ward proper supplies of coal and provisions for the relief
of the Expedition, to inform the authorities of Greenland of
the condition of affairs, to gather all possible information
from them and from the Esquimaux of the coast, and, if
possible, by means of the latter, to send some intimations of
speedy relief to the officers and crew of the ice-bound ship.
"From the testimony, it appears that every possible
opportunity was embraced by the members of the scien-
tific corps of the expedition to carry out the instructions
given ; the only direction in which there seems to have
been a partial failure being in reference to the use of the
photographic apparatus and the dredge. This, however,
was due to the absence of suitable opportunities, or to
some insurmountable impediment at the time. While the
records of the astronomical, meteorological, magnetic,
tidal, and other physical departments of the exploration

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

"appear to have been extremely full, and the observa-
tions in each appear to have been conducted according to
approved methods, the collections of natural history are
shown to have been not less extensive, the store-rooms of
the Polaris being filled with skins and skeletons of musk-
oxen, bears, and other mammals ; different specimens of
birds and their eggs; numerous marine invertebrata ;
plants, both recent and fossil; minerals, &c. Not the least
interesting of these collections are specimens of driftwood
picked up on or near the shores of Newman's and Polaris
Bays, among which Mr. Meyer thought he recognized dis-
tinctly the walnut, the ash, and the pine. Among the
numerous facts that appear to be shown by the testimony
elicited on the examination, we may mention, as one of
much interest, that the deviation of the needle amounted
to 96°, being less than at Port Foulke and Rensselaer
Harbor, as given by Dr. Kane and Dr. Hayes. Auroras
were frequent, but by no means brilliant ; generally quite
light, and consisting sometimes of one arch, and sometimes
of several. Streamers were quite rare. Only in one in-
stance (in February, 1872) did the aurora appear of a dis-
tinct rosy red. This was foreboded in the morning, from
8 to 10 o'clock, by a very decided disturbance of the mag-
netic needle. Shooting-stars were so constantly seen tbat,
although no special shower was observed, it was scarcely
possible ever to look at the star-lit sky without noticino-

615

1873.

Jane.

616

1873,

Report of the Board of Inquiry.

" them in one direction or another. The rise and fall of the
tides were carefully observed, the average being about five
and a half feet. The greatest depth of water noticed was
about one hundred fathoms. The existence of a constant
current southward was noted by the expedition, its rapidity
varying with the season and locality. The winter tem-
perature was found to be much milder than was expected,
the minimum being 48° below zero in January, although
March proved to be the coldest month.

"The prevailing winds were from the northeast,
although there werb occasionally violent tempests from
the southwest. Light winds were noticed, however, from
all points of the compass. Kain was occasionally ob-
served—only on the land, however— the precipitation
presenting itself over the ice in the form of snow. Dur-
ing the summer, the entire extent of lowlands and eleva-
tions remains bare of both snow and ice, excepting patches
here and there in the shade of the rocks. The soil, during
this period, was covered with a more or less dense vege-
tation of moss, with which several Arctic plants were
interspersed— some of them of considerable beauty, though
entirely without scent— and many small willows, scarcely
reaching the dignity of shrubs. The rocks noticed were
of a schistose or slaty nature, and, in some instances, con-
tained fossil plants, specimens of which were collected.
Distinct evidence of former glaciers were seen in localities

Iteport of the Board of Inquiry.

"now bare of ice, these indications consisting in the occur-
rence of terminal and lateral moraines.

"Animal life was found to abound, musk-oxen being
nhot at intervals throughout the winter, their food consist-
ing of the moss and other vegetation obtained during this
season by scraping off the snow with their hoofs. Wolves,
also bears, foxes, lemmings, and other mammals, were
repeatedly observed. Geese, ducks, and other water-
fowls, including plover and other wading-birds, abounded
during the summer, although the species of land-birds
were comparatively few, including, however, as might
have been expected, large numbers of ptarmigans, or snow-
partridges No mention is made by the rescued party of
the occurrence of hawks and owls. No fish were seen,
although the net and line were frequently called into play
in the attempt to obtain them. The waters, however,
were found filled, to an extraordinary degree, with marine
invertebrata, including jelly-fish and shrimps. It was be-
lieved by the party that the seals depend upon the latter
for their principal subsistence, the seals themselves being
very abundant. Numerous insects were observed, espe-
cially several species of butterflies, specimens of which
were collected; also, flies and bees, and insects of like
character.

" The geographical results of the expedition, so far as

theV can nowho nsporfm'nprj frrwtv. ^V,n. fQoJ-;^ c Tlf

617

1878.

Jane.

inii

618

1873.

June.

Report of the Board of Inquiry,

"Tyson, Meyer, and their comrades, may be summed up
briefly as follows :

" The open polar sea laid down by Kane and Hayes
is found to be in reality a sound of considerable extent,
formed by the somewhat abrupt expansion of Kennedy's
Channel to the northward, and broken by Lady Franklin's
Bay on the west, and on the east by a large inlet, or fiord,
twenty-two miles wide at the opening, and certainly ex-
tending far inland to the southeast. Its length was not
ascertained, and Mr. Meyer thinks that it may be, in fact,
a strait extending till it communicates with the Francis
Joseph Sound of the Germania and Hansa expedition, and
with it defining the northern limits of Greenland. This
inlet was called the Southern Fiord. North of it, on the
same side, is the indentation of the shore called Polaris
Bay by Captain Hall, where the Polaris wintered in lati-
tude 81° 38' north. The northern point of this bay was
named Cape Lupton. Its southern point is yet without
a name.

"From Cape Lupton, the land trends to the northeast,
and forms the eastern shore of a new channel from twenty-
five to thirty miles wide, opening out of the sound above
mentioned, to which Captain Hall, as has already been
stated, gave the name of Robeson Strait. The western
shore of these straits, north of Grinnell Land, is also
nameless. Northeast of Cape Lupton, in latitudt 81° 57',

H^ort of the Board of Inquiry.

" is a deep inlet, which Captain Hall called Nowman^s Bay,
naming its northern point Cape Brovoort, and its southern
bluff Sumner Headland. From Cape Brevoort, the north-
east trend of the land continues to Repulse Harbor, in lati-
tude 82° 9' N.— the highest northern position reached by
land during this expedition.

" From an elevation of 1,700 feet at Repulse Harbor,
on the east coast of Robeson Strait, the land continues
northeast to the end of those straits, and thence east and
southeast till lost in tiie distance, its vanishing point bear-
ing south of east from the place of observation.

" No other land was visible to the northeast, but land
was seen on the west coast, extending northward as far as
the eye could reach, and apparently terminating in a head-
land and near latitude 84° N.

" Mr. Meyer also states that directly to the north he
observed, on a bright day, from the elevation mentioned,
a line of light apparently circular in form, which was
thought by other observers to be land, but which he sup-
posed to indicate open water.

"Besides ascertaining accurately the condition and
extent of what was before supposed to be an open polar
sea ; discovering the southern fiord to the southeast, and
Robeson Strait to the north, with another wide expanse
of water beyond it ; extending, by examination and sur-
vey, the coast-line on the east nn to ljifi*f.n/lr> 8*?° 0' "N"

619

1873.

June.

-.1

620

187S.

Jnne.

li ''{i!

I i

Beport of the Board of Inquiry.

" and by observation somewhat farther ; prolonging the
west coast to the northward ; reaching with the Polaris,
under steam, the high latitude of 82° 16' N.— a point far be-
yond the limits of all previous navigation toward the pole ;
errors in the shore-line of the west coast as laid down by
Dr. Hayes, and also errors in the shore-line of Greenland
as laid down by Dr. Kane, wore observed and corrected.

"Of course, the full scientific results of the Polaris
expedition cannot be known until that vessel shall have
been found and brought back with the treasures she has
gathered, and the refcords and details of her Arctic Explo-
rations. But enough is told by the witnesses whom we
have examined to excite expectation and encourage the
hope of large and valuable additions to the domain of
human knowledge.

"GEO. M. ROBESON,

^'Secretary of the Navy.
"SPENCER F. BAIRD,
"Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

"WM. REYNOLDS,
''Commodore, United States Navy.
"H. W. HOWGATE,
"Acting Signal-Officer, United States Army:'

On the 11th of October, 1873, Captain S. 0. Buding-
ton; the First Mate, Chester; Second Mate, Morton; Dr.

Examination of the Budington Party.

Bessels; First Enrrineer, Schumann; Second Engineer,
Odell; Carpenter, Coffin; Fireman, Campbell; and Seamen,
Siemens, Hobby, and Hayes underwent an examination
similar to the previous one of June 5th, 1873: and, finally,
on the 24th of December, Mr. R. W. D. Bryan, astrono-
mer of the expedition ; J. B. Mauch, captain's clerk ;
and J. W. Booth, machinist of the Polaris, were examined
in Hke manner.

The information acquired on these subsequent exami-
nations did not, in any manner, qualify or change the
report of the Secretary, of June 16th.»

•All of tbese examinations will be found in full in the Report of
the Secretary of the Navy for the year 1873.

621

1878.

Inne.

r7^

!■ II

CHAPTER XXV.

THE AWARD OF THE GOLD MEDAL.*

In closing this narrative of an expedition due entirely
to the genius and perseverance of Hall, it is very grateful
to be able to show that his character and services, and the
results of his expedition, have received distinguished rec-
ognition abroad.

At the general session, April 21, 1875, of the Geo-
graphical Society of Paris— the oldest of geographical soci-
eties — the following report was presented by M. V. A.
Malto Brun.

•All electrotype of this medal, with electrotypes of those awarded
by the Geograpl :cal Society of Paris to Kane and Hayes, struck at the
mint of France, formed a part of the Arctic collection placed by the
Naval Observatory in the Government Building at the International
Exhibition of 1876.

?»

626 The Eoquette Medal.

''Beport on the competition for the annual prize, made to
the Geographical Society of Paris, in the nam of a
commission consisting of MM. Delesse, V. de St.-Mar-
tin, E. Cortamhert, C. Maunoir, Grandidicr, Duvey-
rier; and V. A. Malte Brun, vice-president of the
central commission, reporting.

"We had this year to award the biennial prize de-
voted to arctic explorations, which M. Alexandre de la
Roquette instituted in honor of his lamented father, one of
our founders, whoj for forty-six years, was so devoted to
its interests.

•'The Prize Commission has before it several enter-
prises, which have had for their object either Smith's
Sound, Eastern Greenland, Spitzbergen, or Nova Zembla.
All of these deserve the tribute of our praise; but, espe-
cially that of the Polaris, the ship in which the American,
Francis Hall, passed beyond Smith's Sound and Kennedy
Channel, as far as 82° 16'— that is to say, the nearest to
the pole that any vessel has reached under sail — has par-
ticularly commanded the unanimous vote of the Commis-
sion.

"Besides, Captain Hall was a veteran in arctic expe-
ditions. In the year 1850, while carrying on the business
of an engraver at Cincinnati, Ohio, he was seized with the
desire to take part in the expeditions sent out in search of

The Roquette Medal.

" Franklin, which were then so popular. Laying aside his
graving-tools, he devoted all his leisure hours to the study
of the polar regions of America. At first, he designed to
take part in the memorable expedition of McClintock, in a
vessel equipped by himself; but he was too late for this.
On the return of the English navigator, he still thought
that the whole story of the fate of the seamen of Frank-
lin's expedition had not been told; and, to solve the mys-
tery, he resolved to organize a new expedition, and
succeeded in interesting in his enterprise several distin-
guished gentlemen, among whom was Mr. Henry Grinnell,
the well-known philanthropist; he left New London, in
1860, in the whale-ship George Henry.

"The loss of his own boat prevented him from com-
pleting the proposed journey westward ; but he found very
interesting traces of Frobisher's expedition, which, three
centuries before, visited that region by order of Quoen
Elizabeth; and he satisfied himself, among other geo-
graphical determinations, that what on our charts had been
marked as Frobisher's Straits is a long, open bay, without
any communication with the inland sea, or bay of Hudson.

"On his return to the United States, in 1862, he
published the results of his researches, in a work which
met with great success— his 'Life with the Esquimnnx';
but, being seized with a kind of homesickness for a couiitry
which otherwise could have no attractions for one uccus-

627

628 The Boquefte Medal

"tomed to the comforts of city life, in 1864, he returned to
the polar regions with his faithful companions, the two
Esquimaux Joe and Hannah. For five successive years,
he explored the northern shores of Hudson's Bay, living
among the Esquimaux, and sharing their raw meat and seal-
oil. He made himself thoroughly acquainted with their
language, customs, and traditions, and was thus admirably
prepared, on his return to his country in 1869, for his great
expedition to the pole— the final object of all his efforts.

"He busied himself very promptly in organizing it,
and, although friends would have turned him aside from
this perilous enterprise, he appealed to Congress to obtain
the assistance of the American Government, and, while
awaiting its action, sustained himself and his Esquimaux
friends by lectures upon his preceding voyages.

"The action of Congress was delayed by political
causes; he met with more than one disappointment in
the course of his appeals. He tells us that, at this time,
he took new courage in the careful study of the life of
Columbus, the example of the illustrious navigator more
than once strengthening his persevering resolution.

"Finally, he obtained the use of a vessel which had
been laid up since the w^ar of the secession, a tug of 400
tons, which he managed to have fitted up suitably for the
rough navigation in the ice; he christened her by the sig-
nificant name, Polaris.

The Roquette Medal

"I will not go over with you the fearful trials of the
perilous voyage, or speak of the extreme point which
the Polaris reached ; of the death of Hall; of his second
in command; of the drifting away of one part of the crew
on the floe, while the other part were forced to abandon
the ship, and only reached their country at the cost of a
thousand dangers. Our secretary-general has given an
account of these sad details to you in the annual reports,
which we all so justly appreciate.

"I will but run over the scientific results of the expedi-
tion, which are considerable. More than 700 miles of coast-
line have been discovered and reconnoitered. It is now
proved that Kennedy Channel extends beyond Cape Con-
stitution—the highest point reached by Kane in 1854. On
the right, another strait, Robeson Chanel, opens, having a
very perceptible current from east to west. From the sum-
mit of an elevation near where the party wintered, the land
was seen extending north to the 84th degree. The tem-
perature was sensibly less severe than it was at a point
several degrees further south; and animal life showed itself
by the presence of numerous herds of the musk-ox, with
many hares and other animals.

"Dr. Bessels, the chief of the scientific corps to
which the largest part of these acquisitions is to be cred-
ited, at the beginning of his winter residence, 1871-72,
established, in the bay named from the ship, an observa-

629

630 The Roquette Medal

"tory on an elevation 12 metres above the level of the
sea. He then made a number of astronomical obser-
vations to determine its position, besides magnetic, me-
teorological, geological, botanical, and zoological inves-
tijorations. He also observed with the pendulum for
gravity.

" The flora and fauna of Hall Land — the name given
to the prolongation of Grinnell Land and Washington
Land toward the north— are quite rich. Eight species of
mammals, twenty-three of birds, fifteen of insects, and
seventeen of plants were found. The enumeration of
these will be found in the letter addressed by Dr.
Bessels to our secretary-general, dated July 19, 1874,
and published in the society's bulletin of March, 1875.

" In consideroiion of these results, your Prize Com-
mission has judged it their duty to award to Francis Hall,
the promoter and chief of the Polaris expedition, that which
is otherwise due him for his previous labors, the Gold
Medal of the Koquette Foundation.

" But Francis Hall, hke his fellow-countryman, Kane
seventeen years before him, has fallen a victim to his suf-
ferings, and it is on a tomb that we must oiico more deposit
a crown. 11 we are denied the gratification of giving to
Francis Hall the medal which we have awarded him, we
will have at least the consolation of transmitting it to his
family. It will bear witness across the seas that death

The Roquette Medal.

"itself cannot prevent the just tribute of your grat'tuae xcr
services rendered to geo<rraphical science.

" The Prize Commission awards this year the Gold
Medal of the Roquette Foundation to the Arctic Explorer,
Francis Hall, a medal which will be sent to the family of
the unfortunate explorer."

631

I Francis HALL \ ' 'w /■ ■'' J

EXPLORATION^ \\^ H(
DU POLARIS . " .^'

AU HDRD DU I^i'Y- £?/

Y SMITH SOUND y r V'^/^J

APPENDIX.

INSTRUCTIONS

OP TIIK

NATIONAL ACADEMY

SCIENCES.

I'i

INSTRUCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY.

Washington, D. C, Jwwe 9, 1871.

SlH : In accordance with the law oi' Congress authorizing the Expedi- Lot tor from
tion for explorations within the Arctic circle, the scientific operations ^''"^" ^^*"*^y-
are to be prescribed by the National Academy ; and in behalf of this
society I respectfully submit the following remarks and suggestions:

The appropriation for this Expedition was granted by Congress prin-
cipally on account of the representations of Captain Hall and his friends
as to the possibility of improving our knowledge of the geography of
the regions beyond the eightieth degree of north latitude, and more
especially of reaching the Pole. Probably on this account and that of
the experience which Captain Hall had acquired by seven years' resi-
dence in the Arctic regions, he was appointed by the President as com-
mander of the Expedition.

In order that Captain Hall might have full opportunity to arrange
his plans, and that no impediments should be put in the way of their
execution, it was proper that he should have the organization of the
Expedition and the selection of his assistants. These privileges having
been granted him. Captain Hall early appointed as the sailing- master
of the expedition his friend and former fellow-voyager in the Arctic
zone, Captain Budington, who has spent twenty five years amid Polar
ice; and for the subordinate positions, persons selected especially for
their experience of life in the same regions.

It is evident from the foregoing statement that the Expedition, except
in its relations to geographical discovery, is not of a scientific charac-
ter, and to connect with it a full corps of scientific observers, whose
duty it should be to make minute investigations relative to the physics
of the globe, and to afford them such facilities with regard to time and
position as would bo necessary to the full success of the object of their
organization, would materially interfere with the views entertained by
Captain Hall, and the purpose for which the appropriation was evi-
dently intended by Congress.

Although the special objects and peculiar organiz.ition of this Expedi.
tion are ' )t primarily of a scientific character, yet many phenomena
may be ». .erved and specimens of natural history be incidentally col-

638

Instructions of the National Academy.

Prif Henry '''^*'''' l""'^'^"'"'-'^ '''""'"g tl'«^ 1«>"K winter periods in which the vcsHel

luuHt um'SBiirily rciniiin Htationary ; und therefore, in order thiit the
opportunity of obtiiininK hucIi re8ultH might not be h)8t, u committee of
the Nutiouul Academy of HcienceH wiih appointed to prepure ii seiien of
inHtnictionH on the diflerent branches of physics und natural history,
and to render ussistunce in procuring the scientitic outht.

Great ditUculty was met with in obtaining men of the proper sciep-
tiflc acquirements to embarlc in an enterprise which must necessarily be
attended with mucti privation, and in which, in a measure, science must
be subordinate. This difficulty was, however, happily obviated by the
ofler of an accomplished physicist and naturalist, Dr. E. Bessels, of
Heidelberg, to take charge of the scientiflo operations, with such assist-
auce as could be aflorded him by two or three intelligent young men
that might be trained for the service. Dr. Bessels was the scientitio
director of the German expedition to 8,)itzbergen and Kova Zembla, in
1869, during which he made, for the first time, a most interesting series
of observations on the .lepths and currents of the adjacent seas. From
his Character, acquirements, and enthusiasm in the cause of science, he
18 admirably well qualified for the arduous and laborious office for which
he IS a volunteer. The most important of the assistants was one to bo
intrusted, under Dr. Bessels, with the astronomical ar.d magnetic ob-
servations, and such a one has been found in the person of Mr. Bryau,
a graduate at Lafayette College, at Eastou, Pennsylvania, who, under
the direction of Professor Hilgard, has received from Mr. Schott and
Mr. Keith, of the Coast Survey, practical instructions in the use of the
instruments.

The Academy would therefore earnestly recommeud, as an essential
condition of the success of the objects iu which it is interested, that
Dr. Bessels be appointed as sole director of the scientific operations
of the Expedition, and that Captain Hall be instructed to affi)rd him
such facilities and assistance as may be necessary for the special objects
under his charge, and which are not incompatible with the prominent
idea of the original enterprise.

As to the route to be pursued with the greatest probability of reach-
lug the Pole, either to the east or west of Greenland, the Academy for-
bears to make any suggestions. Captain Hall having definitely concluded
that the route through Baffin's Bay, the one with which he is most famil-
lar, is that to be adopted. One point, however, should be specially
urged upon Captain Hall, namely, the determination with the utmost
scientific precision possible of all his geographical positions, and espe-
cially of the ultimate northern limit which he attains. The evidence of
the genuineness of every determination of this kind should be made
apparent beyond all question.

Instructions of the National Academy.

689

On tlio roturu of thoExpeditiou, the collections wlilcli nmy be made L«»tfccr from
lu natural hiHtory, &c., will, in accordancjo with a law of CoHKn-SH, be *''^"'- ^*^^^'
depoHited in the National MuHcuin, under the care of the Sniithsonian
InHtitutlon } and we would MuggeHt that the Bcientiflc records be dis-
cussed and prepared for publication by Dr. Bessols, with such assistance
as ho may require, under the direction of the National Aciademy. The
importance of refusing to .;llow journals to be kept exclusively for pri-
vate use, or collections to be made other than those behwiging to the ex-
pedition, is too obvious to need special suggestion.

In atting out the Expedition, the Smithsonian Institution has afforded
all the facilities In its power In procuring the necessary apparatus, and
in furnishing the outfit for making collections in the various departments
of natural history. The Coast Survey, under the direction of Professor
Peirce, has contributed astronomical and magnetlcal instruments. The
Hydrographic Office, under Captain VVymau, has furnished a transit
Instrument, sextants, chronometers, charts, books, &c. The Signal
Corps, under General Myer, has supplied anemometers, thermometers,
aneroid and mercurial barometers, besides detailing a sergeant to assist
in the meteorological observations. The members of the committee of
the Academy, especially Professors Baird and Hilgard, have, in discuss-
ing with Dr. Bessels the several points of scientitic investigation, and
In assisting to train his observers, rendered Important service.

The liberal manner in which the Navy Department, under your direc-
tion, has provided a vessel and especially fitted it out for t h« purpose
with a bountiful supply of provisions, fuel, and all other requisites for
the success of the Expedition, as well as the health and com fort of its
members, will, we doubt not, meet the approbation of Congress, and be
highly appreciated by all persons interested in Arctic explorations.

From the foregoing statement it must bo evident that the provisions
for exploration and scientific research in this case are as ample as those
which have ever been made for any other Arctic expedition, and should
the results not be commensurate with the anticipations in regard to
them, the fact cannot be attributed to a want of interest in the enter-
prise or to inadequacy of the means which have been afforded.

We have, however, full confidence, not only in the ability of Captain
Hall and his naval associates, to make important additions to the knowl-
edge of the geography of the Polar region, but also in his interest in
science and his determination to do all in his power to assist and facili-
tate the scientific operations.

Appended to this letter is the series of instructions prepared by the
Committee of the Academy, viz : The Instructions on astronomy, by
Professor Newcomb ; on magnetism, tides, &c., by Professor J. E. Hil-
gard ; on meteorology, by Professor Henry ; on natural history, by Pro-

640

Instructions of the National Academy.

Prif SSir ^^ ^^'"^^ ®' ^- ^^^'^•l ; 0° geology, by Professor Meek ; and on glaciers, by
Professor Agassiz.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH HENEY,
President of the National Academy of Sciences.
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson,

Secretary of the Navy.

# k

Instructions.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS IN REGARD TO THE MODE OF KEEPING

RECORDS.

Record of otservations.— It is of the first importance that in all instru-
mental observations the fullest record be made, and that the original
notes be preserved carefully.

Iii all cases the actual instrumental readings must be recorded, and
if any corrections are to be applied, the reason for these corrections
must also be recorded. For instance, it is not sufficient to state the
index error of a sextant; the manner of ascertaining it and the read-
ings taken for the purpose must be recorded.

The log book sL. uld contain a continuous narrative of all that is done
by the Expedition, and of all incidents which occur on shipboard, and a
similar journal should be kept by each sledge-party. The actual obser-
vations for determining time, latitude, the sun's bearing, and all notes
having reference to mapping the shore, soundings, temperature, &c.,
should be entered in the log book or jpurnal in the regular order of
occurrence. When scientific observations are more fully recorded in
the note-books of the scientific observer than can be conveniently tran-
scribed into the logbook, the fact of the observation and reference to
the note-book should be entered.

The evidence of the genuineness of the observations brought back
should be of the most irrefragable character. No erasures whatever
\yith rubber or knife should be made. When an entry requires correc-
tion, the figures or words should bo merely crossed by a line and the
correct figures written above [J. E. H.]

ASTRONOMY.

Astronomical observations — One of the chronometers, the least valua-
ble if there is any difierence, should be selected as the standard by
which all observations are to be made, as for as practicable. The other

Instructions of the National Academy.

641

tZZZl ft'"'' '" "?' '''"P'"'^ "^^'^ ^'^^^ «^^^^ ^"y ^* *he time of Instructions by
wirmiug, and the comparisons entered in the astronomical note-book ^'^"^- Newcomb.

When practicable, the altitude or zenith distance of the sun should
be taken tour times a day-morning and evening for time; noon and
njidnigh for latitude. The chronometer or watch times of the Lt'tude
observations, as well as of the time observations, should alway be

tTefL all t^detr'"" fT'^ ^^^^^« »^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^-«*'b-
times m an, to detect any mistake.

takTnlbont t^? '' 7^!^'^' *^^^« «»«««"r«« of her altitude should be
taken about the time of her passage over each cardinal point of true
bearing, and the chronometer time of each altitude should bTrecorded
As the Greenwich time deduced from the chronometers will be nutte
unreliable after the first six months, it will be necessary o hive recou e
to lunar distances. These should be measured from the sun, in prefer
ence to a star, whenever it is practicable to do so

If a sextant is used in observation, a measure of the semi-diameter of
the sun or moon should be taken every day or two for index eJrT

The observations are by no means to be pretermitted when lying in
por , because they will help to correct the position of the port! ^

The observations should, if convenient, be taken so near the standard

chronometer that the observer can signal the momeut of observatLu to

an assistant at the chronometer, who is to note the time. If this ifnot

ound convenient, and a comparing-watch is used, the watch t me and

fulV3rdeT '' ''' "'*'' "^^"^ *'^ ^'^«"«"^^*«^ ^^^^'' ^>ot^Z:^t

in^fUntT""?"' ™'*^' ""^ ^^"^ '""^^ P"^*^ «^«»'d ^« «» written down
\ .i continuous series of notebooks, from which they mav be
copied in he log. Particular care should be Exercised in always record
ing the puce, date, and limb of sun or moon observed, and any otht
tTonr^r'""^ '' ''' "'""'''' understanding of the observl
wii?hlTf "' "' «'*«'^'-f «»-^«^«-The astronomical transit instrument
r. hr b 1 "^ '" ^ '"'*'^^" observatory. A meridian mark should be
established as soon as practicable, and the instrument kept with con
stant care m the vertical plane passing through the mark, in order that
a 1 observations may be brought to bear on determining 'the devalu
ot that plane from the meridian of the place. The transits of drcum
polar stars on both sides of the pole, and those of stars near he equS
should be frequently observed. equator,

Moon culminations, including the transits of both first and second
limbs, should be observed for the determination of longitude independ
en ly of the rates of the chronometers. Twelve transit! of each limb's
a desirable number to obtain-more, if practicable. H anv occniutinn!
ot bngnt stars by the moon are visible, they should be likewise observed';
41

642

InBtrnotions by
Prof. Hilgard.

Instructions of the National Academe/.

Tho observations for latitude will be made with the sextant and arti-
ficial horizon, upon stars both north and south of the zenith.

All the chronometers of the Expedition should be compared daily, as
nearly as practicable about the same time.

Whenever a party leaves the permanent station for an exploration,
and immediately upon its return, its chronometer should be compared
with the standard chronometer of the station.

Observations during sledge or boat journeys.— The instruments to bo
talien are the small Casella theodolite, or a pocket sextant and artificial
horizon, one or more chronometers, and a prismatic compass, for taking
magnetic bearings of the sun. In very high latitudes the time of the
sun's meridian altitude is not readily determined ; it will be advisable,
therefore, to take altitudes when the sun is near the meridian, as indi-
cated by the compass, with regard to the variations of the compass, as
derived from an isogonic chart. The time when the observation is
taken will, of course, be noted by the chronometer. Altitudes should
be taken in this way, 1 th to the south and north of the zenith ; they
will enable the traveler to obtain his latitude at once very nearly, with-
out the more laborious computation of the time.

The observations for time should be taken as nearly as may be when
the sun is at right angles to the meridian, to the east and west, the com-
pass being again used to ascertain the proper direction. This method
of proceeding will call for observations of altitude at or near the four
cardinal points, or nearly six hours apart in time.

When the party changes its place in the interval between their
observations, it is necessary to have some estimate of the distance and
direction traveled. The ultimate mapping of the route will mainly
depend upon the astronomical observations, but no pains should be
spared to make a record every hour of £he estimated distance traveled—
by log, if afloat— of the direction of the route, by compass, and of bear-
ings of distant objects, such as peaks, or marked headlands, by which
the route may be plotted.

In case of a few days' halt being made when a very high latitude has
been reached, or at any time during the summer's explorations, a special
object of care should be to ascertain the actual rate of the chronometers
with the party. To this end, a well-defined, fixed object, in any direc-
tion, should be selected as a mark, the theodolite pointed on it, and the
transit of the sun over its vertical observed on every day during the
sojourn at the place. If the party be only provided with a sextant, then
the same angular distances of the sun from a fixed object should be
observed on successive days, the angles being chosen so as to be be-
tween 30° and 45°. For instance, set the sextant successively to 40°,

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643

to 40O 20', 40O 40/ &c., and note the time when the sun's limb comes in Instmotions by

contact with the object. The same distances will be found after twenty- ^™*"- "*^8ard.

four hours, with a correction for change in the sun's declin.ition. The

suns altitude should be observed before and after these observations,

and ite magnetic bearing should be noted, as well as that of the mark.

The alt.tude of the mark should also be observed, if practicable, either

with the sextant or clinometer, but this is not essential.-fj. B. H.]

MAGNETISM.

On the voyage and sledge-journey, at all times when traveling, the
decUmUon or variation of the compass should be obtained by observing
the magnetic bearing of the sun, at least once every day on which the
sun 18 visible. On shipboard or in boats the azimuth compass is to be
used ; on land the small theodolite will be found preferable

When afloat, no valuable observations of the magnetic dip and intea-
sity are practicable. On the sledge-journey the dip-circle may be car-
ried, and when halts are made longer than necessary to determine the
place by astronomical observations, the dip and relative intensitu, accord-
ing to Lloyd's method, should be ascertained.

At winter-quarters, in addition to the above-mentioned observations,
those of absolute horizontal intensity should be made with the theodolite
magnetometer, including the determination of moment of inertia Also
with the same instrument the absolute declination should be deter-
mined.

The least that the observer should be satisfied with Is the complete
determination of the three magnetic elements, namely, declination, dip,
and horizontal intensity. At one period, say within one week, three
determinations of each should be made.

It is advisable that the same observations be repeated on three suc-
cessive days of each month during the stay at one place ; and that on
three days of each month, as the Ist, 11th, and 2l8t, or any other days,
the variation of the declination-magnet be read every half hour during
the twenty.four hours ; also that the magnetometer, or at least a theo-
dolite with compass, remain mounted at all times, that the variation of
the need'o may be observed as often as practicable, and especially when
unusual displays of aurora borealis take place.

In all cases the time, which forms an essential part of the record,
should be carefully noted.

Not long before starting on a sledge-journey from a winter station,
and soon after returning, the observations with the loaded dipping-
needles for relative intensity should be repeated, in order to have a
trustworthy comparison for the observations which have l)eeu made on
the journey.

644

Instruotions by
Prof. Hilgard.

Instructions of the National Academy.

FORCE OF GRAVITY.

As the long winter affords ample leisure, pendulum experiments may
bo made to determine the force of gravity, in comparison with that at
Washington, where observations have been made with the Hayes pendu-
lum lent to the expedition. The record of the Washington observations,
a copy of which is furnished, will serve as a guide in making the obser-
vations. Special care should be taken while they are in progress, to
determine the rate of the chronometer with great precision, by obser-
vations of numerous stars with the astronomical transit instrument, the
pointing of which on a fixed mark should be frequently verified.

OCEAN PHYSIOS.

2>ep«A«.— Soundings should be taken frequently when in moderate
depths, at least sufficiently often to give some indication of the general
depth of the strait or sound in which the vessel is afloat at the time.
If an open sea be reached, it should be considered of the greatest im-
portance to get some measure of its depth, and since no bulky sounding-
apparatus can be carried across the ice-barrier, the boat-party should
be provided with 1,000 fathoms of small twine, marked in lengths of 10
fathoms. Stones, taken on board when the boat is launched, may servo
as weights.

Bottom should be brought up whenever practicable, and specimens
preserved. Circumstances of time iind opportunity must determine
whether a dredge can be used, or merely a specimen-cup.

Temperature of the sea should be observed with the "Miller protected
bulb-thermometer" made by Oaselln, near the surface, about two fath-
oms below the surface, and near the- bottom. When time permits,
observations at an intermediate depth should be taken. These observa-
tions have a particular bearing on the general circulation of the ocean,
and are of great importance.

TttZcs.— Observations of high and low water, as to time and height,
should be made continuously at winter-quarters. The method adopted
by Dr. Hayes is recommended. It consists of a graduated staff, an-
chored lo the bottom, directly under the " ice- hole," by a mushroom-
anchor, or heavy stone and a chain, which is kept stretched by a coun-
terweight attached to a rope that passes over a pulley rigged overhead.
The readings are taken by the height of the water in the <' ice-hole."
In the course of a few days' careful observations, the periods of high
and low water will become sufficiently well known to predict the turns
approximating from day to day, and subsequently observations taken
every five minutes for half an hour, about the anticipated turn, will

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645

safflcc, provided they be continued until the turn of tide has become Instructions by
well marked. Prof. Hilgard.

Tidal observations taken at other points, when a halt is made for
some time, even if continued not longer than a week, will be of special
value, as affording an indication as to the direction in which the tide
wave 18 progressing, and inferentially as to the proximity of an open
sea. If, as the Expedition proceeds, the tide is found to be later, the
indication is that the open sea is far distant, if indeed the channel be
not closed. But if the tide occurs earlier, as the ship advances, the
probability is strongly in favor of the near approach to an open, deep
sea, communicating directly with the Atlantic Ocean.

In making such a comparison, attention must be paid to the semi-
monthly inequality in the time of high water, which may be approxi-
mately taken from the observations at winter-quarters. Observations
made at the same age of the moon, in different places, may be directly
compared.

When the water is open, the tide may be observed by means of a
graduated pole stuck into the bottom ; or, if that cannot be conveniently
done, by means of a marked line anchored to the bottom and floated
by a light buoy, the observation being taken by hauling up the line taut
over the anchor.

Currents.— It is extremely desirable to obtain some idea of the cur-
rents in the open Polar sea if such is found. No special observations
can be indicated, however, except those of the drift of icebergs, if any
should bo seen.

Densitij.~ThQ density of the sea-water should be frequently observed
with delicate hydrometers, giving direct indications to the fourth deci-
mal. Whenever practicable, water should be brought up from differ-
ent depths, and its density tested. The specimens should be preserved
in carefully-sealed bottles, with a view to the subsequent determination
of their mineral contents.— [J. E. H.j

METEOROLOGY.

The Expedition is well supplied with meteorological instruments, all
the standards, with the exception of the mercurial barometers, manufact-
ured by Casella, and compared with the standards of the Kew Ob-
servatory under the direction of Professor Balfour Stewart. Dr. Bessels
is so iamiliar with the use of instruments, and so well acquainted with
the principles of meteorology, that minute instructions are unnecessary.
We shall therefore merely call attention, by way of remembrance, to the
several points worthy of special notice.

TempcratMre.—l^\\Q registers of the temperature, as well as of the ba-
rometer, direction of the wind, and moisture of the atmosphere, should,

646

Instructions of the National Academy.

Prof*Hen?""^^^ in all cases in which it is possible, be made hourly, and when that cannot
be done, they should be made at intervals of two, three, four, or six
hours. The temperature of the water of the ocean, as well as of the
air, should be taken during the sailing of the vessel.

The minimum temperature of the ice, while in winter-quarters, should
be noted from time to time, perhaps at different depths ; also that of the
water be^?"t]|».

The t .-jn ituro of the black bulb thermometer in vacuo exposed to
the sun, aju Aim that of the black-bulb free to the air, should be fre-
quently observed while the sun is on the meridian, and at given altitudes
in the forenoon and afternoon, and these observations compared with
those of the ordinary thermometer in the shade.

Experiments should also be made with a thermometer in the focus of
the silvered mirror, the face of which is directed to the sky. For this
purpose the ordinary black-bulb thermometer may be used as well as
the naked-bulb thermometer. The thermometer thus placed will gen-
erally indicate a lower temperature than one freely exposed to radiation
from the ground and terrestrial objects, and in case of isolate d clouds
will probably serve to indicate those which are colder and perhaps
Higher.

Comparison may also be made between the temperature at different
distances above the earth by suspending thermometers on a spar at
different heights.

The temperature of deep soundings should be taken with the ther-
mometer with a guard, to obviate the pressure of the water. As the
tendency, on account of the revolution of the earth, is constantly to
deflect all currents to the right hand of the observer looking down stream,
the variations in temperature in connection with this fact may serve to
assist in indicating the existence, source, and direction of currents.

The depth of frost should be ascertained, and also, if possible, the
point of invariable temperature. For this purpose, augers and drills
with long stems for boring deeply should be provided.

Pressure of air. — A series of comparative observations should be made
of the indications of the mercurial and aneroid barometers. The latter
will be affected by the variation of gravity as well as of temperature,
while the former will require a correction due only to heat and capil-
larity.

As it is known that the normal height of the barometer varies in dif-
ferent latitudes, accurate observations in the Arctic regions, with this
instrument, are very desirable, especially in connection with observa-
tions on the moisture of the atmosphere, since to the small quantity of
this in northern latitudes the low barometer which is observed there
has been attributed. I think, however, it will be found that the true

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647

the

cause is in the rotation of the earth on its axis, which, if suflSciently Instrnotionsby
rapid, would prqject all the air from the Pole. ^^^^' Henry.

In the latitude of about 60, there is a belt around the earth in which
the barometer stands unusually high, and in which violent fluctuations
occur. This will probably be exhibited in the projection of the curve
representing the normal height of the barometrical column in different
latitudes.

Moisture.— T\i& two instruments for determining the moisture in the
air are the wet and dry bulb thermometer and the dew-point instrument,
as improved by Regnault. But to determine the exact quantity in the
atmosphere in the Arctic regions will require the use of an aspirator, by
which a given quantity of air can be passed through an absorbing sub-
stance, such as chloride of calcium, and the increase of weight accurately
ascertained. It may, however, be readily shown that the amount is
very small in still air.

A wind from a more southern latitude will increase the moisture, and
may give rise to fogs. Sometimes, from openings iu the ice, vapor may
be exhaled from water of a higher temperature than the air, and be im-
mediately precipitated into fog.

The inconvenience which is felt from the moisture which exhales with
the breath in the hold of the vessel may, perhaps, be obviated by adopt-
ing the ingenious expedient of one of the Arctic voyagers, viz, by mak-
ing a number of holes through the deck and inverting over them a large
metallic vessel like a pot. The exterior of this vessel, being exposed to
the low temperature of the air without, would condense the moisture
from within on its interior surface, and thus serve, on the principle of
the diffusion of vapor, to desiccate the air below.

The variation of moisture in the atmosphere performs a very impor-
tant part in all meteorological changes. Its effects, however, are prob-
ably less marked iu the Arctic regions than in more southern latitudes.
The first effect of the introduction into the atmosphere of moisture is to
expand the air and to diminish its weight; but after an equilibrium has
taken place, it exists, as it were, as an independent atmosphere, and
thus increases the pressure. These opposite effects render the phenom-
ena exceedingly comphx.

Winds. — As to these, the following observations are to be regularly
and carefully registered, namely : The average velocity as indicated by
Eobinson's anemometer; the hour at which any remarkable change
takes place in their direction ; the course of their veering; the existence
at the same time of currents in different directions, as indicated by the
clouds ; the time of beginning and ending of hot or cold winds, and the
direction from which they come. Observations on the force and direc-
tion of the wind are very important. The form of the wind-vane should

648

rqi.iiai'

Instructions of the National Academy.

iii<

P.ifHeu'^""'''^ ^« ^^^^ «f ^hicb the feather part connists of two pianos, forming be-
tween them an angle of about lOo. The sensibility of this instrument,
provided its weight be not too much increased, is in proportion to the
surface of the feather planes. Great care must be taken to enter the
direction of the wind from the true meridian, whenever this can be ob-
tamed, and in all cases to indicate whether the entries refer to the true
or magnetic north. Much uncertainty has arisen on accoun I, of the neg-
lect of this precaution.

In accordance with the results obtained by Professor Ooffln, in his
work on the resultant direction of the wind, there are, in the northern
hemisphere, three systems roughly corresponding with the diflfereut
zones, viz, the Tropical, in which the resultant motion is toward the
west, the Temperate, toward the east, and the Arctic, in which it is again
toward the west.

In the discussion of all the observations, the variation of the tempera-
ture and the moisture will appear, in their connection with the direction
of the wind. Hence the importance of simultaneous observations on
these elements, and also on the atmospheric pressure.

Precipitation.— ThG Expedition will be furnished with a number of rain-
gauges, the contents of which should be measured after each shower.
By inverting and pressing them downward into the snow, and subse-
quently ascertaining, by melting in the same vessel, the amount of water
produced, they will serve to give the precipitation of water in the form
of snow. The depth of snow can be measured by an ordinary measur-
ing-rod. Much diflBculty, however, is sometimes experienced in obtain-
ing the depth of snow, on account of its drifting, and it is sometimes
not easy to distinguish whether snow is actually falling or merely being
driven by the wind.

The character of the snow should be noted, whether it is in small
rounded masses, or in regular crystals j also the conditions under which
these different forms are produced.

The form and weight of hailstones should be noted, whether consist-
ing of alternate strata, the number of which is important, of flocculent
snow, or solid ice, or agglutinations of angular crystals, whether of a
spherical form, or that of an oblate spheroid.

The color of the snow shonld be observed in order to detect any or-
ganisms which it may contain, and also any sediment which may remain
after evaporation, whether of earthy or vegetable matter.

OZottda.— The character of the clouds should be described, and the
direction of motion of the lower and the higher ones registered, at the
times prescribed for the other observations. Since the Expedition is
well supplied with photographic apparatus, frequent views of the clouds
and of the general aspect of the sky shoukl be taken.

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649

^ttrora—Every" phase of tbo aurora borealis will of course be re- Instrnotlonsby
corded ; also the exact time of first appearance of the meteor, when it ^"'" ^""'^
assumes the form of an arch or a corona, ai. \ when any important
change in its general aspect takes place. The magnetic bearing of the
crown of the arch, and its altitude at a given time, should be taken ;
also, if it moves to the south of the observer, the time when it passes
tbo zenith should be noted. The time and position of a corona are very
important. Two distinct arches have sometimes been seen co existing—
one in the east and the other in the west. In such an exhibition, the
position of the crown of each arch should be determined. Drawings of
the aurora, with colored crayons, are very desirable. In lower latitudes
a dark segment is usually observed beneath the arch, the occurrence of
which, and the degree of darkness, should be registered. It also some-
times happens that a sudden precipitation of moisture in the form of
a haziness i.^ observed to cover the face of the sky during the shooting
of the beams of the aurora. Any appearance of this kind is worthy of
attention.

Wave-motions are sometimes observed, and it would be interesting to
note whether these are from east to west or in the contrary direction,
and whether they have any relation to the direction of the wind at the
time. The colors of the beams and the order of their changes may be
important in forming a theory of the cause of the phenomena. Any
similarity of appearance to the phenomena exhibited in Geissler's tubes
should be noted, especially whether there is anything like stratifica-
tion.

The aurora should be frequently examined by the spectroscope, and
the bright lines which may be seen, carefully compared with oueof Kir-
choti's maps of the solar spectrum.

To settle the question as to the fluorescence of the aurora and us con-
sequent connection with the electric discharge, a cone of light reflected
from the silver-plated mirror should be thrown on a piece of white paper,
on which characters have been traced with a brush dipped in sulphate
of quinine. By thus condensing the light on the paper, any fluorescence
which the ray may contain will be indicated by the appearance of the
previously invisible characters in a green color.

Careful observations should be made to ascertain whether the aurora
ever appears over an expanse of thick ice, or only over land or open
water, ice being a nonconductor of electricity.

The question whether the aurora is ever accompanied with a noise
has often been agitated, but not yet apparently definitely settled. Atten-
tion should be given to this point, and perhaps the result may be ren-
dered more definite by the use of two ear-trumpets, one applied to each
ear.

650

Instructions of the National Academy.

^%S3^

Prof*Henrf °" ''^ According to Hunsteen, the aurora consists of luminous beams, par-
allel to the dipping needle, which at the time of the formation of the
coroca are shooting up on all sides of the observer, and also the lower
portions of these beams are generally invisible. It is, therefore, inter-
esting to observe whether the auroral beams are ever interposed between
the observer and a distant mountain or cloud, especially when looking
either to the east or west.

The efiFect of the aurora on the magnetism of the earth will be ob-
served by abnormal motion of the magnetic instruments for observing
the declination, inclination, and intensity. This effect, however, may
be more strikingly exhibited by means of a galvanometer, inserted
near one end of a long insulated wire extended in a straight line, the
two extremities of which are connected with plates of metal plunged in
the water, it may be through holes in the ice, or immediately connected
with the ground.

To ascertain whether the iffect on the needle is due to an electrical
current in the earth, or to an inductive action from without, perhaps the
following variation of the preceding arrangement would serve to give
some indication. Instead of terminating the wire in a plate of metal,
plunged in the water, let each end be terminated in a large metallic
insulated surface, such, for example, as a large wooden disk, rounded at
the edges and covered with tin-foil. If the action be purely inductive,
the needle of the galvanometer inserted, say, near one end of the wire,
would probably indicate a momentary current in one direction, and
another in the opposite, at the moment of the cessation of the action.
For the purpose of carrying out this investigation, the Smithsonian
Institution nas furnished the Expedition with two reels of covered wire,
each a mile in length, one of which is to be stretched in the direction,
perhaps, of the magnetic meridian, and the other at right angles to it.
It would be well, however, to observe the effect with the wires in 'vari-
ous directions, or united in one continuous length.

Electricity. — From the small amount of moisture in the atmosphere,
and the consequent insulating capacity of the latter, all disturbances
of the electrical equilibrium will bo seen in the frequent production of
light and sparks on the friction and agitation of all partially non-con-
ducting substances. Any unusual occurrences of this kind, such as
electrical discharges from pointed rods, from the end of spars, or from
the fingers of the observer, should be recorded.

A regular series of observations should be made on the character and
intensity of the electricity of the atmosphere by means of an electrome-
ter, furnished with a polished, insulated, metallic ball, several inches in
diameter, and two piles of Deluc to indicate the character of the elec-
tricity, whether + or — ; and also supplied with a scale to measure, by

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651

the (livorgcucy of a needle, the rlogreo of intensity. This instrument Instrnctlons by

can be nsed either to indicate the electricity of the air by induction or ^"'' °'"""''

by conduction. In the first case it is only necessary to elevate it above

u normal plane by means of a flight of steps, say eight or ten feet, to

touch the ball at this elevation and again to restore it to its first position,

when it will be found charged with electricity of the same character as

that of the air. Or the ball may bo brought in contact with the lower

end of an insulated metallic wire, to the upper end of which is attached

a lighted piece of twisted paper which had been dried after previous

saturation iu a solution of nitrate of lead.

Thunder-storms are rare in the Arctic regions, although they some-
times occur; and in this case it is important to observe the point in the
horizon in which the storm-cloud arises; also the direction of the wind
during the passage of the storm over the place of the observer; and
also the character of the lightning— whether zig zag, ramified, or direct;
also its direction— whether from cloud to cloud, or from a cloud to the
earth.

Optical phenomena.— Mirage should always be noted, as it serves to
indicate the position of strata of greater or less density, which may bo
produced by open water, as In the case of lateral mirage, or by a current
of wind or warmer air along the surface.

The polarization of the light of the sky can be observed by means of
a polariscope, consisting of ^ plate of tourmaline with a slice of Iceland
spar, or a crystal of nitre cut at right angles to its optical axis, on the
side farthest from the eye. With this simple instrument the fact of
polarization is readily detected, as well as the plane in which it is ex-
hibited.

Oalos, parhelia, coronte, luminous arches, and glories should all be
noted, both as to time of appearance and any peculiarity of condition of
the atmosphere. Some of these phenomena hav»> been seen on the surface
of the ice by the reflection of the sun's beams, irom a surface on which
crystals had been formed by the freezing of a fog simultaneously with
a similar appearance in the sky, the former being a continuation, as it
were, and not a reflection of the latter.

In the latitude of Washington, immediately after the sun ha^ sank
below the western horizon, there frequently appear faint paralk.l bands
of colors just above the eastern horizon, which may very poanbly be
due to the dispersion of the light by the convex form of the atmosphere,
and also, at some times, slightly-colored beams crossing the heavens
like meridians, and converging to a point in the eastern horizon. Any
appearance of this kind should be carefully noted and described.

ilfe/eor«.— Shooting stars and meteors cf all kinds should be observed
witli the spectroscope. The direction and length of their motion should

652

Instructions of the National Academy.

Profl^Henry "" ^ ^"^ i'""'"^ "" «*•""■•""?«. "'"^ HP«ciftI attontlon given at the Htatod noriods
n AuguHt uiHl Novembor. A reinai kal.le dlHturbimco of the aurora
liuH been seen during the puHsage of a meteor through its beams. Any
phenomenon of this kind should be minutely descrilMuI.

0«one.-The Exi.edition is furnished with a quantity of ozone tost-
paper, obsewations with which can only be rendered comparable by
projecting against the sensitized paper a given quantity of atmospheric
nir. For this purpose an aspirator should be used, which may be made
by fastening together two small casks, one of which is flUed with water
with their axes parallel, by means of a i)iece of plank nailed across the
heads, through the middle of which is passed an iron axis, on which
the two casks may be made to revolve, and the full cask may readily
be placed above the empty, so that its contents may gradually <lescend
into the latter. During the running of the water from the upper cask,
an equal quantity of air is drawu through a small adjutage into a closed
vessel and made to impinge upon the test-paper. The vessel containing
the test-paper should bo united with the aspirator by means of an India-
rubber tube.

Miscellaneous.— ThG conduction of sound during still weather, through
the air over the ice, through the ice itself, r.nd through the water, may
bo studied.

Evaporation of snow, ice, and water may be measured by a balance,
of which the pan is of a given dimension.

Experiments on the resistance of water to freezing in a confined
space at a low temi)erature may be made with small bombshells closed
with screw-plugs of iron. The fact of the liquidity of the water at a
very low temperature may be determined by the percussion of a small
iron bullet, or by simply inverting the shell, when the ball, if the liquid
remains unfrozen, will be found at the lowest point. Ifi might be better
however, to employ vessels of wrought. iron especially prepared for the
purpose, since the porosity of cast iron is such that the water will be
forced through the pores, e. g., the lower end of a gun barrel, which,
from the smallness of its diameter, will sustain an immense pressure,
and through which the percussion of the inclosed bullet may be more
readily heard. Water, in a thiu metallic vessel, exposed on all sides to
the cold, sometimes gives rise to hollow crystals of a remarkable shape
and size, projecting above the level surface of the water, and exhibits
phenomena worthy of study.

Experiments may be made on regelation, the plasticity of ice, the
consolidation of snow into ice, the expansion of ice, its conducting
power lor heat, and the various forms of its crystallization. The eflect
of intense cold should be studied on potassium, sodium, and other sub-
stances, especially in relation to their oxidation.

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653

mins rnn?*'''H''"' M^ '""^l""'' "'•""'^ ^" "^'''«''^*'''' particularly aH a lu.tructioa. by
meftim o correcting th« Kni.Iuatior, of thennoineters »t low tmnpera- *'«"■• »•"«••
urcH. I», n.HiHttt,K.e to freezing of minute dropn of mercury, an has
been stated, hUouUI bo te«ted. Pacts lony obnerved, wl.on studied un-

relunllT.' H j'"""' ''"'"''^ '''' ''"" '' '''^"^ "«^ ""^ interesting

NATUHAL HISTORY.

Objects Of natural history of all kinds should l.o collected, and in as
arge numbers as possible. For this purpose all on boani the vessel
bo h officers and sailors, should bo required to collect, upon every lavor-
able oppor unity, and to deliver the specimens obtained to those ap.
pointed to have charge of them. *

Zoology.-The terrestrial mammalsof Greenland are pretty well known
but It .8 still desirable that a series, as complete as possible, of the skins
should be preserved, great care being taken to always indicate, upon the
label to bo attached, the sex and probable age, as well as the locality
and date of capture. The skeleton, and, when it is not possible to get
this complete, any detached bones, particularly the skull and attached
cervical vertebrce, are very desirable. Interesting soft parts, especially
the brain, and also embryos, are very important. If it should be consid-
ored necessary to record measurements, they should be taken from
specimens recently killed.

Of walruses and seals, there should be collected as many skeletons as
possible, of old and young individuals; also skins, especially of the
seals. Notes should be made regarding the habits in general, food
period of copulation, duration of gestation and time of migration it
being desirable to find out whether their migrations are periodical. '

Of the Cetacm, when these are too large to be taken on board the
vessel, the skull and cervical vertebrao, the bones of the extremities and
penis, and whatever else may bo deemed worthy of preservation, should
be secured. All the animals should be examined for ecto- and ento-par-
asites, and the means by which they become afiQxed to the animals noted.

Collect carefully the species of Myodea {lemmings), Arctomys, and Ar-
vtcola, so as to determine the variations with locality and season. Tho
relationship of two kinds of foxes, the blue and white, should be studied
to determine their specific or other relationship. Any brown bears
should bo carefully collected, both skin and skeleton, to determine
whether identical or not with the Old World Ursus arctus.

Reference has already been made to the seals and cetaceans ; of these
the Phoca cristata, the white whale (Beluga), and the Monodon are par-
ticularly desired.

What has been said in regard to the mammals will apply equally well
to the birds, skins and skeletons being equally desirable, It is especially

654

Instructions of the National Academy.

rof^BaSd""*^^ important that the fresh colors of the bill, cere, gums, eyes, and feet, or

caruncles, or bare skin, if there be any, should be noted, as the colors
of these parts all change after the preparation of a specimen.

Of birds, the smaller land species are of the greatest interest, and
complete series of them should be gathered. The northern range of the
insectivorous species should be especially inquired into. The Arctic fal-
cons should be collected in all their varieties, to ascertain whether there
are two forms, a brown and a white, distinct through life, or whether
one changes with age into the other.

Inquiry should be directed to the occurrence of Berniola leucopsis, An-
ser cinereus, or other large gray geese, and the Camptolwmus Ldbra-
dora, and a large number of specimens, of the latter especially, should be
obtained. Indeed the geese and ducks generally should form subjects of
special examination. Among the Laridw the most important species is
the Lartis rossii or Bhodostethia rosea, scarcely known in collections. A
large number of skins and eggs will be a valuable acquisition. Larus
eburnens is also worthy of being collected. The Alcidw should be care-
fully examined for any new forms, and inquiries directed in regard to
the Alca impennis.

Of all birds' eggs an ample store should be gathered ; and the skele-
tons of the Arctic Eaptores and the Natatores generally.

It will be a matter of much importance to ascertain what is the ex-
treme northern range of the continental species of birds, and whether,
in the highest latitudes, the European forms known to occur in Green-
laud cross Baffin's Bay.

Eggs and nests of birds, in as large numbers as possible, should be
procured, great care being taken, however, in all cases to identify them
by the parents which may be shot, and some portion, if not all of them,
preserved, if not recognized by the collector. All the eggs of one set
should bo marked with the same number, that they may not be sepa-
rated J the parent bird, if collected, likewise receiving the same number.
It should also be stated, if known, how long the eggs have been set upon,
as incubation influences very much their color ; the situation of the nest
also is very important. Notes on the manner of nesting, localities
selected, and other peculiarities of breeding, should be carefully kept;
whether they are polygamous, whether there are struggles between the
males, and the manner in which the old birds feed their young ; and
whether these remain helpless in the nest for a given time, or whether
they accompany the parents from birth. A journal of the arrival and
departure of the migratory species should also bo kept, to find out
whether those which leave latest return earliest, and vice versa.
Of flshea that are obtained, the best specimens should be photographed,

Instructions of the National Acad&iuy.

655

the fresh colors noted, and then they should be preserved in alcohol or inetrnotions by
carbolic acid. Prof. Baird.

Among the fishes the Salmonidw, Cottidce, Oadidee, and Clupeidce will
be of most interest, and good series should be secured.

The terrestrial inferior animals should be all collected, each class in
its appropriate way.

Try to get larvae of insects, and observe their life, whether they are
well adapted to their surroundings ; for in proportion to the insects are
the number of insectivorous animals, and for that reason the straggle
for life would be more energetic, and, therefore, only those insects which
are best adapted to the conditions will survive.

Inferior marine animals are usually collected by two methods, viz, with
a pelagic net and by a dredge. Both these methods should be employed
whenever practicable. Especial attention should be paid to the larvae
of which sketches should be made. The results of the dredging should
be noted in blanks printed for this purpose, the specimens to be pre-
served as their constitution requires. MuUer's liquor, glycerine, solution
of alcohol and sugar, &c.

It would be of peculiar interest to study the several deep regions,
admitted by Forbes and others, to ascertain if in the Ajctic regions the
intensity of color increases with the depth, as has been stated to be the
case with red and violet, which, if true, would be just the contrary to
what is observed in the temperate and tropical regions.

Of shells two sets should be preserved, one dry and the other loith the
animal, in alcohol ; the dry shell is necessary from the fact that the al-
cohol, by the acetic acid produced, is apt to destroy the color.

It is particularly important to get as full a series as possible of the
members of the smaller families, with a view to the preparation of
monographs.

There should be paid as much attention as possible to the fauna of
fresh-water lakes to ascertain whether they contain marine forms, as has
been found to be the case with some of those in North America, Scan-
dinavia, Italy, and other countries. From this, important conclusions
regarding the rising of the coast may be arrived at.

iL^'?fa«y.— Plants are to be collected in two ways. Of each species
some specimens should be put in alcohol to serve for studying the anat-
jmy ; the others to be dried between sheets of blotting-paper. The
locality of each specimen should be noted, also its situation, the char-
acter of the soil and height above the sea, the season, and whether
there is heliotropismtia, &c., &c. In the general notes there should be
remarks on the horizontal and vertical distribution.— [S. F. B.]

GEOLOGY.

The most important point in the collection of geological specimens,
whether they eonaist of rocks, miucrals, or fossils, is, that on breaking

656

Instructions of the National Academy,

ProfSkT''^^'" ^'•^S'"^ them from the matrix or bed, each individual specimen

should be carefully wrapped separately iu pliable but strong paper,

with a label designating the exact locality from which it was obtained!

If two or more beds of rock (sandstone, limestone, clay, marl, or other

material) occur at the locality from which specimens are taken, the

label should also have a number on it corresponding to the parucular

bed in which it was found, as designated in a section made on the spot

iu a note-book. This should be done in order that the specimens from

each bed may be separated from those found in others, whether the

beds are separable by differences of composition or by differences in the

groups of fossils found in each ; and it is, moreover, often important

that this care should be observed, even when one or more of the beds

are of inconsiderable thickness, if such beds are characterized by pecu-

liar fossils. For in such cases it often happens that what may be a

mere seam at one place may represent an important formation at

another.

Specimens taken directly from rocks in place are, of course, usually

more instructive than those found loose j but it often happens that

much better specimens of fossils can be found already weathered out,

and lying detached about an outcrop of hard rock, than can be broken

from it. These can generally be referred to their place in the section

noted at the locality, by adhering portions of the matrix, or from finding

more or less perfect examples of the same species in the beds in place;

but it is usually the better plan to note on the labels of such specimens

that they were found loose, especially if there are any evidences that

they may have been transported from some other iocalitv bv drift
agencies. ^ ^

All exposures of rocks, and especially those of limestone, should be
carefully examined for fossils, for it often happens that hard limestones
and other rocks that show no traces of .organic remains on the natural
surfaces (covered, as they often are, with lichens and mosses), will be
found to contain fossils when broken into. In cases where fossils are
found to exist in a hard rock, if time and other circumstances permit,
it is desirable that it should be vigorously broken with a heavy hammer
provided for that purpose, and as many specimens of the fossils as
possible (or as the means of transportation will permit) should be col-
lected.

Fossils from rocks of all ages will, of course, bo interesting and instruct-
ive, but it is particularly desirable that organic remains found in the
later tertiary and quarternary formations of these high northern lati-
tudes, if any such exist there, should be collected. These, whether of
animals or plants, would throw much light on the question respecting

Instructions of the National Academy.

657

tbo climatic conditions of the Polar regions at or just preceding the Instructions by
advent of man. -j f & p^.^^. ^^^ i

Specimens illustrating the lithological character of all the rocks ob-
served in each district explored should also be collected, as well as of
the organic remains found in fossiliferous bedsj also, of all kinds of
minerals. Those of rocks and amorphous minerals should bo trimmed
to as nearly the same size and form as can conveniently bo done-say
3 by 4 inches wide and long and IJ inches in thickness. Crystalline
in.nerals ought, of course, to be broken from the matrix, rather with
the view of preserving the crystals, as far as possible, than with regard
to the size or form of the hand specimens; and the same remark applies
equally to fossils.

On an overland journey the circumstances may not always be such
as to allow the necessary time to wrap carefully and label specimens on
the spot where they were collected ; but in such cases numbers, or some
other marks, should be scratched with the point of a knife, or other
hard-pointed instrument, on each, by means of which the specimens
collected at diflFereut times and places during the march can be cor-
rectly separated, labeled, and wrapped when the party stops for rest.

All specimens should be packed tightly in boxes as soon as enough
have been collected to fill a box, and a label should be attached to each
box indicating the particular district of country in which the collections
were obtained. For this purpose, empty provision-boxes or packages
can generally bo used.

lu examining sections or exposures of rocks along a shore or else-
where, it is a good plan to make a rough sketch in a notebook, thus:

Section 1.

19 feot.

Clay.

8 feet

ShiUe.

7 feet.

Clay.

SandstoDO.

19 fleet

Limestone.

10 feet.

Then, on the same or following pages, more particular descriptions of
the nature and composition of the several beds should be written, refer-
ring to each by its number. Sections of this kind should be numbered
1, 2, 3, and so on, in the order in which they were observed, and the
specimens from each bed ought also to bo numbered on its label, so as
to correspond. That is, specimens from the lowest bed of the first sec-

658

Instructions of the Natio7ial Academy.

p^l'jsteuctionsby tion should be, for instance, marked thus: "Section No. 1, bed No. 1,"
and so on. The name of the locality, however, should also, as already
suggested, bo written on the labels as a provision against the possible
loss of note-books.

It generally hapr,ens that an outcrop will show only a part of the
beds of which it ic composed, thus :

TTneTposud.

^\^ 10 feet

8foet

Limostoue.

7 feet.

tJoexposed spaco.

Limeatone.

Ufeet

Soudstoue.

15 feet.

In such a case the facts should be noted exactly as seen, without any
attempt to guess at the nature of the material that may fill the unex-
posed spaces ; but generally, by comparing different sections of this
kind taken in the same region, the entin structure of a district may be
made out.

The dip and strike of strata should also be carefully observed and
noted, as well as the occurrence of dikes or other outbursts of igneous
rocks, and the effecta of the latter on the contiguous strata.

All evidences of the elevation or sinking of coasts should likewise be
carefully observed and noted.

Especial attention should be given to glacial phenomena of every kind,
such as the formation, size, movements, &c., of existing glaciers, their
abrading and other effects upon the subjacent rocks, their formation of
moraines, &c. ; also, the formation, extent, and movements of icebergs,
and their power of transporting masses of rock, &c.

At Cape Fraser, between latitude 80° north and longitude 70° west.
Dr. Hayes found some upper silurian fossils in a hard gray limestone.
This rock doubtless has a rather wide extension in the country referred
to, as other explorers have brought silurian fossils from several localities
further southward and westward in this distant northern region. Should
the party visit the locality from which Dr. Hayes collected his specimens,
it is desirable that as complete a collection as possible should be ob-
tained, as moat of those found by Dr. Hayes were lost.

For making geological observations and collecting geological speci-
mens, very lew instruments are required. For determining the eleva-
tions of mountains and the general altitude of the country, a barometer
is sulBcieutly accurate. For local elevations of less extent, a pocket-

Instructions of the National Academy.

659

the

level (Locke's) should be provided. Tape-lines are also useful for meas- Inetraotioas by
unug vertical outcrops and other purposes ; and a good pocket-compass ^'°*'' ^saseiz.
is indispensable. The latter should have a clinometer attached.

A good supply of well-tempered cast steel hammers should also be
provided. They should be of various sizes and forms, and ought to be
made with large enough eyes to receive stout handles, of which a good
number, made of well-seasoned hickory, should be prepared. Chisels of
different sizes should also be prepared of well- tempered steel.

A pouch of leather or stout canvas, with a strap to pass over the
shoulder, will be found useful to carry specimens for short distances.—
(F. B. M.J

GLACIERS.

The progress of our knowledge of glaciers has disclosed two sides of
the subject entirely disconnected with one another, and requiring dif-
ferent means of investigation. The study of the structure of glaciers as
they exist now, and the phenomena connected with their formation,
maintenance, and movement, constitute now an extensive chapter in
the physics of the globe. On the other hand, it has been ascertained
that glaciers hjvd a much wider range during an earlier, but neverthe-
less comparatively recent geological period, and have produced during
that period phenomena which, for a long time, were ascribed to other
agencies.

In any investigation of glaciers nowadays, the student should keep
in mind distinctly these two sides of the subject. He ought also to
remember at the outset what is now no longer a mooted point, that
at different times during the glacial period, tlie accumulations of ice
covering larger or smaller areas of the earth's surface have had an ever-
varying extension, and that whatever facts are observed, their value
will be increased in proportion as the chronological element is kept in
view.

From the physical point of view, the Arctic expedition under the com-
mand of Captain Hall may render science great service should Dr.
Bessels have an opportunity of comparing the present accumulations of
ice in the Arctic regions with what is known of the glaciers of the Alps
and other mountainous regions. In the Alps, the glaciers are fed from
troughs in the higher regions, in which snow accumulates daring the
whole year, but more largely during winter, and by a succession of
changes is gradually transformed into harder and harder ice, moving
down to lower regions where glaciers never could have been formed.
The snow-like accumulations of the upper regions are the materials
out of which the compact transparent brittle ice of the lower glaciers is
made. Whatever snow falls upon the glaciers in their lower range
during winter melts away during summer, and the glacier is chietiy led

660

Instructions of the National Academy.

M''. i

p/offSr '^ from above and wastes away below. The water arising from the melt-
mg of the snow at the surface contributes only indirectly to the internal

fr?'nown f ?,' ^!'f ''• , ^* ^'"'^ ^' superfluous here to rehearse what
IS known of the internal structure of glaciers and of their movement;
It may be lound m any treatise on glaciers. Nor would it be of au^
ayml to discuss the value of conflicting views concerning their motion.

S?f 7 l"!^^ ^^^*.*° '^'''^'" '^P^°'"' '"^y ^^^ greatly to our knowl-
edge by stating distinctly to what extent the winter snow, falling upon
the surface of the great glacial fields of the Arctic, melts away during
summer and leaves bare an old icy surface covered with fragments of
rock sand, dust, &c. Such an inquiry will teach us in what way the
great masses of ice which pour into the Arctic Ocean are formed, and
how the supply that empties annually into the Atlantic is replenished.
If the winter snows do not melt entirely in the lower part of the Arctic
glaciers during summer, these glaciers must exhibit a much more
regular stratification than the Alpine glaciers, and the successive falls

fn^r.^.r^ '^ *^."" ^'^ ^°^^'"*'^ "^^'^ distinctly by layers of sand
and dust than in those of the Alps by the dirt-bancls. Observations
concerning the amount of waste of the glaciers by evaporation or
meltmg,orwhat I have called ablation of the surface during a given
ime m different parts of the year, would also be of great interest as
bearing upon the hygrometric condition of the atmosphere. A pole
sunk sufficiently deep into the ice to withstand the effects of the wind
could oe used as a meter. But it ought to be sunk so deep that it will
serve for a period of many months and rise high enough not to be buried
by a snowstorm. It should also be ascertained, if possible, whether
water oozes from below the glacier, or, in other words, whether the gla-
cier IS frozen to the ground or separated from it by a sheet of water.
If practicable, a line of poles should be set out with reference to a rocky
peak or any bare surface of rock, in order to determine the motion of
the ice. It IS a matter of deep interest with reference to questions con-
nected with the former greater extension of glaciers, to know in what
manner flat sheets of ice move on even ground, exhibiting no marked
s ope. It may be possible to ascertain, after a certain time, by the
change of position of poles sunk in the ice, whether the motion follows
the inequalities of the surface or is determined by the lay of the land
and the exposure of the ice to the atmospheric agents, heat, moisture,
wind, &c. It would be of great interest to ascertain whether there is
any motion during the winter season, or whether motion takes place
only during the period when water may trickle through the ice The
polished surfaces in the immediate vicinity of glacier ice exhibit such
legible signs of the direction in which the ice moves, that wherever
ledges of rocks are exposed, the scratches and furrows upon their sur-

Instructions of the National Academy.

661

Iri^i? . f \ t"'f ''^'*'' ""^ "" P'*^^'^^^^ 5 ^"t »^«fo^« taking thia Inetmotlone by
as evidence, it should, if possible, be ascertained that such surfaces actu- ^™^- ^«"«i^-
ally belong to the area over which the adjoining ice moves during its
expansion, leaving them bare in its retreat.

The geological agency of glaciers will no doubt receive additional
evidence from a careful examination of this point in the Arctic regions.
Amoving sheet of ice, stretching over a rocky surface, leaves such
unmistakable madcs of its passage that rocky surfaces which have once
been gla^ated, i I may thus express the peculiar action of ice upon
rocks, viz, the planing, polishing, scratching, grooving, and furrowing
of their surfaces, can never be mistaken for anything else, and may
everywhere be recognized by a practiced eye. These marks, in con-
nection with transported loose materials, drift, and bowlders, aie uumis-
takable evidence of the great extension which glaciers once had. But
here it is important to discriminate between two sets of facts, which
have generally been confounded. In the proximity of existing glaciers,
these marks and these materials have a direct relation to the present
sheet o ice near by. It is plain, for instance, that the polished surfaces
about the Grimsel, and the loose materials lying between the glacier of
the Aar and the Hospice, are the work of the glacier of the Aar when
It extended beyond its present limits, and ^tep by step its greater
extension may be traced down to Meyringen, and in connection with
other glaciers from other valleys of the Bernese Oberland, it may be
tracked as far as Thuu or Berne, when the relation to the Alps becomes
complicated with features indicating that the whole valley of Switzer-
land, between the Alps and the Jura, was once occupied by ice. On the
other hand, there are evident signs of the former presence of local
glaciers in the Jura, as, for instance, on the Dent de Vaulion, which
mark a later era in the history of glaciation in Switzerland. Now the
traces of the former existence of extensive sheets of ice over the conti-
neut of North America are everywhere most plainly seen, but no one
has yet undertaken to determine in what relation these glaciated sur-
laces of past ages stand to the ice-fields of the present day in the
Arctics. The scientific men connected with Captain Hall's expedition
would render science an important service if they could notice the trend
and bearing of all the glacial scratches they may observe upon denudated
surfaces wherever they land. It would be advisable for them, if possible,
to break off fragments of such glaciated rocks and mark with an arrow
their bearing. It would be equally important to notice how far the
loose materials, pebbles, bowlders, &c., differ in their mineralogical char-
acter from the surface on which they rest, and to what extent they are
themselves polished, rounded, scratched, or furrowed, and also what is
the nature of the clay or sand which holds them together. It would be

662

Instructions of the National Academy.

pTOf'^S***^ particularly interesting to learn how far there are angular bowlders
gaw z. among these loose materials, and what is their position with refereuco
to the compacted drift made up of rounded, polished, and stratched
pebbles and bowlders. Should an opportunity occur of tracing the
loose materials of any locality to some rock in aitu, at a greater or less
distance, and the nature of the materials should leave no doubt of their
identify, this would afford an invaluable indication of the direction in
which the loose materials have traveled. Any indication relating to
the differences of level among such materials would add to the value of
the observation. I have purposely avoided all theoretical considerations,
and only call attention to the facts which it is most important to ascer-
tain, in order to have a statement as unbiased as possible.— [L. A.j

Note.— Those InstruotioDS of the National Academy of Sciences, as here given, are
to be foaud in the Secretary of the Navy's Beport for 1871.

II.

CORRESPONDENCE

BKTWEKN THE

BRITISH ADMIRALTY

AND THK

UNITED STATES NAVY DEPARTMENT

IN RELATION TO THE

STORES LEFT BY THE POLARIS EXPEDITION ON THE WEST
COAST OF GREENLAND.

Jii

11.

CORRESPONDENCE.

SEOUETABY OP ADMIEALTY TO UNDER SEOBETAEY OP STATE POB

FOBBiaN APPAIB8.

o _ ADMIEALTY, 4th Decmler, 1874. Letters.

BIB : I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ..f^' "^ ^"''•
to request that you will move the Earl of Derby to cause inquiries to bo Under 8eo. ot
made of the Government of the United States whether any of the stores ^*''**'
or provisions sent out for the relief of the "Polaris" Expedition are still
in the dep6t on the west coast of Greenland, and, if so, whether the
Polar expedition of 1876 may consider them available for use on civinK
proper receipts. *

In the event of the stores at the depdt being placed at the disposal of
the expedition, my Lords request that they may be furnished with a list
ot all such stores, provisions, &c.

I am, &c.,

„^ ^ (Signed) ROBERT DALL.

The Undee Seceetaey of State, &c., &c., &c.

Foreign Office.

MB. LISTEE TO SECEETAEY OP THE ADMIEALTY.

Foreign Office, 9th February, 1876.
Sie: With reference to your letter of the 4th of December, I am di-
rected by the Earl of Derby to transmit to you, to be laid before the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a despatch from Sir
Edward Thornton, forwarding the reply of the Uuited States Government
to the application which he was instructed to make to them in regard
to the stores of the "Polaris" Expedition, and I am to request you to
move their Lordships to inform Lord Derby whether they would wish Sir
Edward Thornton to be instructed to convey the thanks of Her Majesty's
Government to the United States Government for the liberal way in
which they have placed the stores in question at the disposal of the
Arctic expedition about to be despatched from this country.

I am, &c.,

(Signed) T. V. LISTER.
The Seoee'jaey, Admiralty.

660

Correspondence.

Letters.
British minis-
♦«r.
Beo. of State.

i.|it

Washinoton, 2Iith January, 1875.

My Lobd : In compliance with the iuHtruotiou contained in your Lord-
ship's despatch. No. 304, of 12th ultimo, I addressed a note to Mr. Fish,
inquiring whether the stores sent to Greenland by the United States
Government for the relief of the "Polaris" Expedition could be made
available for the use of the Arctic Expedition about to bo despatched
by Her Majesty's Government.

I have now the honour to transmit copies of Mr. Fish's reply, and of
its enclosures, from which your Lordship will perceive that the United
States Government is willing to place at the disposal of that expedition
all or any of the above-mentioned stores which can be found.

I have requested Mr. Fish to offer iny thanks to the United States
Secretary of the Navy for the readiness with which ho has complied
with the request of Her Mf\Je8ty's Government, and for the good wishes
for the success of the British Expedition which he conveys on behalf of
the Navy Department.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) EDWARD THORNTON.

The Eabl of Derbt. &o., &c.

Department op State,

Washington, January 23, 1875.
Sib: I hrd the honor to inform you in my note of the 29th ultimo
that I had referred to the Secretary of the N.ivy a copy of your note of
the 2Gth ultimo, in which, under instructions from the Earl of Derby,
you made inquiries concerning the condition and location of stores or
provisions sent to Greenland by this Government for the relief of the
"Polaris" Expedition, and whether the Polar expedition to be despatched
by Her Majesty's Government in 1875 may consider them available for
use, and requesting, in that event, to bo furnished with a list of all such
stores and provisions.

I have the honor to inclose, in reply to your inquiries, and in compli-
ance with your request, a copy of a letter of the 19th instant, and of its
accompanimenta, from the Secretary of the Navy on the subject.
Accept, &c.,

(Signed) HAMILTON FISH.
The Right Honorable Sir E. Thornton, K. O. B., &c.

i^'. I fl

Correspondence.

667

Navy Department,

^iT, . r !.„„« *i X. Wanhinston, January 19, 1875.

cation o Z\m T"' ° "?'*''''^'«''«« "'« r««»''t>t of your cinuimni.
cation of l.e 20th DecemlHr last, and the copy of the note of the 2Gth

c n?i:;T rIZ*o ' """^ •^' Minister, making certain inquiricH col
Sir n ' P^'^'^'^'O"* ^vhich were sent out by the United

Sirtorrrff'"'*" '''''' "*■ "•« "^"'«"«" ^'^-'-^^^ition. ig

luno to state that it .8 not praciticable to furnish an yxact, inventory of

ariuu'idLj "'^ " r*^^'^" ^^•^^•^•"«" - ^^« west IS Sf
land, but I inclose such information as is in the Dossessioi. of fhi« n^nuVl

."ont, with an approximate list of articles eaC>^7^:^^^^^
<leposited, and a description of the localities in which t :; " „" ft ''

All or any of these stores are at the service of thn Pni„r Wv , .
to be dispatched in 1875byHerMajestyrGove ^e t^^jn^^^^^^^^^^
ot their use the Department will accept such inveutoVy and a Z^^^^^^
n^ent as may be made by the order of the commander of^the exS^^^^^
If the penduum should be recovered at Life-Boat Cove, the Denartme'^
hopes that It may be practicable to use it in connection withsSrlbse
vations as may be ma.le by the British Expedition with its own instru

to'r.; i . '" '"'T: "' *'" ^^P"^'^*°"' '"^^ Department w II be grScd
to receive the pendulum, and also any other instruments, and such anns
mplemetits, and books as may have been recovered. The Derrtment
takes this occasion to express its most cordial wishes for the success of

I am. &c.,
(Signed) GEO. M. ROBESON.
The Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of the Navy.

Secretary of State.

Letter.

8«o. ».
Nbvj.

t the

United States Naval Observatory,
H^„ . T. . . Washington, 1). G., January 9, 1875.

SIR. In answer to your inquiries concerning the stores and provisions
1 posited on the west coast of Greenland by the -Polaris" ExpedZ
I have the honor to submit the followi -g report • P«i»"on,

at Thank-God Harbor, and the third near Life-Boat Cove

Two crews left their boats, one a whale-boat twenty-four feet lonjr
a.d the other the "Heggleman," canvas boat, on Cape Sumner, at th'e
Bouthern entrance of Newman's Bay, in latitude Sio 51' N., and traveled
on foot over the land to the ship. No list was made of the articles se-

668

Correspondence.

I^w'v. o ^"''^^ ^'*^ *^® boats.* The following is a complete Ust of what each

R. W. D. Bryan. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^j^^ ^j^.^ .

Provisions, die, for whale-boat.

135 pounds pemmican.

192 pounds preserved meats.

23 pounds tripe.

76 pounds Polar cake.

24 pounds ham.

31 pounds molasses.
200 pounds bread.
30 pounds chocolate.
22 pounds coflfee.
50 pounds oatmeal.
36 pounds sugar.
20 pounds cheese.
1 saw.
3 files.

6 sheath-knives.
Lead, canvas, and tacks for
boat-mending.
1 dozen spare goggles.
1 spare oar.
6 pans, spoons, and pots.

1 small copper stove.

2 stove-kettles.

2 spare roullaum (?).
6 Sharps' rifles.

1 shot-gun.
2,500 fathoms of sounding-line.
1 patent log.
1 bag of shot.

3 pounds of powder.

(Navy

12 cans of milk.
100 boxes of sardines.
400 cartridges (Sharps' rifle)
100 cartridges, center-fire
pistol).

1 grapnel.

2 whale-irons.
2 lances.

25 fathoms spare lance- warp.
1 spare set of rudder-pindles (!),
6 sleepiag-bags.
1 tent.

1 boat-cover.

2 rubber blankets.

1 box chronometer.

2 artificial horizons.
1 thermometer-case.
1 sextant-staud.

1 boat-sled.
1 fog-horn.

1 ball spun-yarn.
6 briar pipes.

4 jack-knives.

6 copper cylinders (for deposits)

2 telescopes.

1 pair of field-glaeses.
1 apparatus for sounding.

Alcohol for specimens.

Blotting-paper for plants.

134 pounds bread.
90 pounds pemmican.
18 pounds coff'ee.
20 pounds oatmeal.

2 cases preserved meats.

2 gallons molasses.

Provisions, &c., for ^^ Eegglenmn^ boat.

6 pans, spoons, and pots,
8 briar pipes.
sheath-knives.
5 rubber blankets.
5 spare goggles.

* A few cases of preserved meat and n little bread, about .nOO cartridges, one sbot-
Kun, two rifles, one box chrononieter,t two sextants.

»Thi8 chronometer, nmdo fay f. S. and J. D. NegnR, of Ni^w To.lc, nftfir nn nxiioHureof four wtntern,
wiw, iu 1816, taken on board Her Majesty's stt-amBhip Uiscovery ; in n letter dated Uccouiber 14lb,
1876, addre88e<l to the Secretary of the A<lniiralty, and communicated to the Navy Departmon., Cap-
tiis! Tfr.ri K sr.ya »!„-,» f ha rhrr-noniviei "\i:\a kupt cicdicnt timo sinco its reouveiy/'-lIaicU 30, 1677.

t each

(Navy

38 (!).

jsits)

le sbot,-

■ winter*,
ber 141b,
lou., Cap-
), 1877.

2
2

1
1

Correspondence.

o barrels nlpar i^^^ir - j "!»»..

dozen short socks.
dozen blue flannel undershirts,
dozen woolen mittens,
dozen woolen comforters,
dozen Eussian caps.
J dozen tarpaulin hats.

2 dozen white linen frocks.

3 halfboxesNavychewingtobacco.

1 box Danish tobacco.

2 boxcE ralt-water soap.
J box Navy shaving soap.

3 pounds black linen thread.
3 pounds white linen thread.
H pounds black sewing-silk.
IJ pounds papers needles.
5 pounds woolen yarn.

case clay pipes.

dozen briar pipes.

dozen assorted knives.

dozen tin pots.

dozen assorted tin pans.

bolts No. 1 cotton canvas,
bolt Ravens duck.

section main-deck awning,
sewing and roping palms,
pounds flax sewing-twine,
pounds cotton,
pounds beeswax,
assorted sail-needles.

669

Letter.

R. W. D. Bryan.

3 barrels clear pork.
26 barrels Graham bread.
1 barrel molasses.
1 barrel vinegar,
i barrel brown sugar.
1 barrel lime-juice.
1 barrel pea- beans.
1 barrel southern wheat.*

1 barrel ice.

2 tierces hams.
4^ cases pemmican (1,500 lbs).

12 cases preserved meat,
chest black tea.
bag coffee (100 pounds),
cases wheaten grits,
case alcohol (10 gallons),
case brandy (1 dozen),
cases whisky,
cases oil clothing,
case men's stoga boots.
i case men's kip shoes.
J case leather gaiters.

1 case pea coats.

2 dozen blue flannel overshirts.
J dozen drawers.

dozen gray heavy undershirts,
dozen gray drawers,
dozen black silk handkerchiefs,
dozen blue Navy trousers,
dozen long woolen stockings,

1
1
2
1
1
4
2
1

1
1
2
1

1
3
3
1
1
2
1
1
4
3
3
2
60

Ordnance stores.

4 short guns, with appurfce- MOO cartridges (Remington rifle)
_^^^^ -Plete. 1,000 eartridSs ^(ball ^ btt

ii'l

G70

Letter.

B. W. D. Bryan.

Correspondence.

100
6

cartridges (Navy pistols),
shovels.

pickaxes and hoe combined
dozen assorted flSes.

clay-hammers.

broad ax.

wood-axes.

feet lumber.

1 barrel jar.

4 gross assorted flshiug-hooks
6 cod-liues (60 fathoms each).
3 coils halibut-line.

4 llemington rifles.
6 Navy pistols.
1 dozen leather belts.
J dozen frogs.
J dozen cartridge-boxes,
i dozen caps.
10 bags shot (250 pounds).
20 pounds musket-powder.
50 pounds bar-lead.
^ dozen powder-flasks.
J dozen shot-belts.
10,000 gun-caps.
10,000 cartridges (Sharps' rifle).

The observatory at Thank-God Harbor was left standing, filled with
such articles as would be affected by the weather, and covered with a sail.
About 100 feet to the uorth of the observatory the remainder of the
stores were deposited in a pile on the ground.
Near Life-Boat Cove the following articles were placed in a cache :
The pendulum.

The transit-instrument without its glasses.
Three box chronometers.

Two or three trunks containing the arctic library of the late Oai)t.
0. F. Hall.
The house where the second winter was passed by a portion of the
" Polaris" crew is in latitude 78° 23 J' N., longitude 73° 21' W.

The deposit is about E.SE. from the house, and distant about one-
quarter of a mile.

The Esquimaux know where it is, and if they have not disturbed it
would readily lead one to i^.

Aided by the records ot the expe'ditiou and my own recollection, J
have endeavored to answer your inquiries.
I have, &c.,

(Signed) K. W. D. BKYAN,
Astronomer to the late United States North Polar Expedition.
Rear- Admiral William Reynolds,

Chief Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting^

Navy Department, Washington, 1). O.

.dUNBi

Cwrespondence.

8MITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,

o,„ _ ^^ ^ ^'<^^i^9ton,D.O., January 13, m5.

lead cootaiued iu „er <„cUer, the daC »„ be'^.^tparj '""'

1 spirit boat-compass.
I patent log.

1 box chronometer.

2 sextants.

frir'dts ;c;r:;™;r i"ir„rr '■'"'•'''7

in the ia,„,e,,iate vicinity of ™r <1M ^taLr qlZf tL7r,f
Stores coalU not be ««oW property, a» the beach c Sof Si onlv'
wh cU could not be penetrated to a greater depth thao ab,,,, fw„ J'^J
owing U> the frozen condition of the anbaoil qT i . "° *""

bnilding „a carefnlly oUd' Z^t:^LT, :'S^. Zl^^^^^'t
our determinations of force of gravity ^

671

Letter.
E. Besaela,

672

Correspondence.

1. A simultaneous comimdsou of this instruinont with that whicti

Lottors.

Sec. *'^*^ Adml- will be employed by them v/ouUl greatly euhauco the value of their own
^^7- as well as of our observations.

2. They would then bo able to compare, probably at one point, two
pendulums that have both been used extensively in different latitiulos.

I am, &(!.,

(Signed) EMIL BESSELS,
Chief of the Svienlijic Department of Late Aroiio Expedition.
Admiral William Ukynolds.

SEOllBTAUY OP ADMIUALTY TO ITNDKU SKOUETAttY 01<' STATE, I'OIl-

EIGN OITIOE.

Admiralty, February 18, 1875-
Sib : With refei-enco to your letter of the 9th instant, forwarding the
reply of the United States Government to the application made to them
in regard to the stores of the " Polaris Expedition," dci)08ited on the
west coast of Oreeuldud, I am commanded by ray Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty to request that you will move the Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs to instruct Iler Majesty's minister at Washington to
convey the thanks of Her Majesty's Government to that of the United
States for the liberal manner in which they have placed the stores in
question at the disposal of the Arctic Expedition, and for their good
wishes for the success of the undertaking.

I am, &c.,

(Signed) ROBERT HALL.
The Undeb Seobetaby of State, &c.,

Foreign Office.

IW."Jli.JP MtVUii ni»mi

III.

JOURNALS

Mr. E C. CHESTER and CAPTAIIV GEO. E. TYSON

WHII.K

ON BOAT-JOURNEYS, JUNE-JULY, 1872.

ill

^•I'fl'^fMEIffW.

^ ^ J^ Ac«k^lWtji&W!X~

III.

JOURNALS OF BOAT-JOURNEYS.

MB. CHESTER'S JOUENAL [CONDENSED BT E. W. D. BEYAN.|

June 13.-At 11.40 a. m. start from Cape Lnpton. After two stoDS

June 14.-Ice opened at 2.20 p. m., when the start was made At
T?;r"'32o'6t"'"''' ''''' «^"^«*^*°P"" "P «° ^ P-ce of drifting it

June 15 -At 6.40 a. m. left the old floe and worked our way out
through the small ice into the open water. During our stay on tife oW
floe we were drifted 4J miles to the south, but we af e now n dear water
Though we have a fresh head-wind we make very good headway wfth
our canvas boat. In pulling up along the land saw large quantises of
dovekies sportmg m the water, a few eider-ducks, sevfral ivory ^ulls
and a few «eals. At 8 p. m. landed on the ice-floe at the mo«?h oJ
Newman's Bay. The distance pulled during the day, 23 miles

June 16.-Not a particle of open water to be seen. Mr. Mever
taking bearings and sketching the land. Our boat-camp is about 3
miles to the N. and W. of Cape Sumner.

J«nel7.-SW.wind driving pack north. Channel still blocked ud
with ice. Latitude observed, 81° 65' 45" N Ther 35o f

June 18 and 19.-SW. wind ; ice moving north, at' times at the rate of
two miles per hour. Ther., 320.6 P. to 36° F

J««.20 ««d 21._Fresh breeze from the north. Ice moving south one
and a half to two miles per hour.

J»ne 22._Open water abreast of camp and toward the south ; ice ^o
thenorth. The furthest point of land seen on west side of the channel
bears N. J W . true fium our boat-camp, and is from 50 to CO miles distant
In a direction one point clear of that cape, from our camp, something
has the appearance of land and pronounced so by all hands, but it is a
long distance off. Ther., 30o.3 F.

J«nc 23.-At 7 a. m. launched boat and pulled up about two and a
half miles to the NE., along the edge of the floe. Meeting the pack
coming down rapidly and grinding along on the edge of the floe, we were

1879.

676

Journals of Boat-Journeijs.

it,

l§7a. obliged to fleet back h littk',uiia soon Imiricd our boat and tbingH out
ou tlio Hoc again. Two of tho boat's crew, Siemens and Krugcr, went
to tbc laud, nortb sido of tbc bay, near Cape Brcvoort, to look for musk-
ox. They returned to the camp at 9.30 p. nj. ; saw no game ; ascended
one of tbe mountains bordering the straits; bad a good view to the
nortb, and could see no open water in that direction. Ther., 320.8 F.
to 30O.8 F.

</Mne24.— The keen wind makes it rather cold ; our tent is constructed
from the Hegglemann boat turned up on tho side, with rubber blankets
stretched in front. It makes us quite a shelter. We have no fuel for
cooking-purposes. This evening tho boys got up a little hot coffee by
the burning up of an old pair of condemned boots. Ther., 30^.2 F. to
310.8 F.

June 25 and 26. — Wind north; ice moving south.

t^Mwe 27.— Siemens and Kruger volunteered to go overland to the
ship to bring up a supply of bread. We have been detained here so
long that I am afraid when wo do have a chance to proceed that we
shall be short of bread. We have sufficient meat to last us till the llrst
of September. '

Jnne 28.— At 2 a. m. the pack, which is driving down the channel
rapidly, began to grind pretty hard on the edge of the floe, breaking
and piling up the ice in all manner of shapes, and causing us to fleet
back on the old floe with our boat and provisions some two or three
hundred yards.

June 29.— Wind N. ; pack moving south. i».t 6 p. m. shut down
thick fog.

June 30, 2,30 a. m — Hans arrived with a note from Captain Buding-
ton. At 3 p. m. Mr. Meyer left the camp to go to the land ou the
north side of Newman's Bay to Mirvey.

Juhj 1.— Breeze from N. ; ice moving S. Mr. Meyer returned from
his trip to the land at 6 p. m. (He had traveled as far north as the
shore of liepulse Harbor, and observed a midnight altitude of the sun,
which gave the latitude of 82° V N.)

July 2,— Mr. Meyer is a little .>-now-bliud to-day from his walk yester-
day over he ice without wearing glasses.

Jxihj 3.— The character of the ice has been about one thing ever since
we have been here— small ice jammed up into innumerable hummocks
and assuming all manner of shapes and forms. Occasionally an old
flat floe seen among it as it moves down the channel.

July 4. — At 5 a. m., Siemens and Kruger arrived at tho camp from
the ship. They had been 39 hours ou the trip up. Part of the way
they draggeil the articles that they brought on a small sled, but it
broke down and they were obliged to abandon it, and the rest of the

Journals of Boat-Journeys.

HZiKlers.^''"'' ""'* "" ''^^"" '""*" "'"*''"' ^^^« '^"'"ebt on their
timrs^^ ^-^'"*J "o^-"' 5 i«« moving south ; a few lanes of water at

July 8.-Ligbt rain and snow; fog. The wet weather confines us under
ou,. can vas boat all this day. I am waiting in hopes that the i^e m gl
soon open ,n the channel, either to let us to the ship with the boa or
across the channel. If we could be fortunate enough to cro tt dn li
lam confident we could reach a high latitude overland, but I am aS

back to the ship without having accomplished anything, and if the ves

:;^=;it:::s::rir " '^'^"•"" "-or,pu^ouias soo^:^

ofihe ff!r;^" '•''" '"'^'"'""" ^^^ '"^"^^ ^''^'''' *" '^'''^^ "P *■«■«•" the edge

tl boat; a<lvanced about two miles; the pack closing in, landed on

the floe again; now waiting for a chance to get to the ship ultb the

July n-Oalms and clear weather ; noopen water; ice moving south
July 2._L,ght wind, 8 W. ; pack moved N. for a few hours.
Julyn y^.na SW.; ice moving N. Poor prospects for getting

the land near Cape Sumner, south shore of Newman's Bay. As we ad-
vanced toward the shore the wind blew in heavy squalls off the Ld.

on the ice, and travel in with our clothing, all hands becoming wet
through, going through deep pools of water.

T^^X^Zt^ \''' T Y'^'^f ""' *''" '''^'■"- ^««° 80t into the tent near
Tyso. s boat and put dry clothing on ; heavy squalls blowingdown the
mountains. A short time after we landed the boat was picktd up by a
heavy squall of wind, was carried a short distance, and a hole was stove
...her. Our tent blew down, and we were unabl'e to erect it aglii;
hen we had to fleet to the boat, putting in ail the heavy goods to ho d
her down and getting into her ourselves secured a shelter. The gale
continued to blow, with unabated fury, all through the day, with occa
8.onal ram-squalls. In the evening, unable to stop in th; boat any
lo..ger ashed her down with ropes and stones, took^,ur tent up near a
bluff, where we found a lee, and erected it.
July 15.— Gale SW., with rain.

J«;2/ IC.-Light winds N.; cloudy weather; 8 a. m., Iresh breeze
SW. A narrow band of water between the shore and ice prevents us
from reaching our boat and getting her on shore. At 11.30 a. m. two
of my boat's crew, Jamka and Kruger, started for the ship over the

(577

lfiT9.

678

Journals of Boat-Journeys.

isra. laud. At 3 i>. III. Mr. Meyer followed them, myself and IJoniianu Sie-
mens stopping here for the purpose of drying up tlio wet clothing, and
01 jotting our boat ashore, which wo shall do the flrst opiiortunity.

July 17 — Light winds, with snow. In the afternoon managed to get
out to our boat, on the Ice, and at 7 p. m. hud our boat secured ashore.
Picked up several pieces of driftwood on the beach, some pieces 18 or
30 inches in leugih, and from 1 to 4 in diameter ; oue piece still retained
the bark on it.

Jm^^ ] 8.— Breeze SW.; rain.

c/u/.V 10. I.ijht winds and calm; snow. Lutitado, from midnight
meridian altitude of sun, 81^ 51' 23" N.

July 20. — Light winds and rain.

Jm/2/ -!•— Fresh breeze 8VV.; clear. We have been drying clothing
on the rocks. Hermann Siemens brought up an armful of drift-wood
from the beach, the largest piece about 4J inches in diameter and about
18 inches long.

July 22.— Packed up the goods snug in the tent. Placed a quantity
of stones on the canvas around the tent to prevent its blowing down.
At 3 p. m., with a spaall bag of clothing and our box-chronometer,
started overland to the ship. After reaching the top of the mountains,
that we had to cross, the only open water that could be seen in the
channel was a narrow strip near the north cape, on the west side of the
channel. At midnight we were walking down the plain near the ship.

CAPTAIN TYSOU'S JOURNAL [CONDENSED BY E. W. D. BUYAN].

June 10.— At 2.40 p. m., we left Cape Lnptou withthe boat. Strong
breeze from the southwest. Arrived at Newman's Bay at 10 p. m. The
ice was closing very fast. We hauled the boat on the ice and encamped.
It is very dangerous navigation, and in a distance of twenty miles 1
have not found one spot fit to haul a^boat on. 10.30 p. m., no water,
the ice having closed again.

June 11.— Blowing strong from southwest, thick and foggy, and no
water visible.

June 12.— The storm continues ; ice setting to the north very fast.
Noon, very little wiudj the ice close and compact, very rough and
huramocky. Thermometer, 34° F.

June 13.— Light wind from southwest; the ice setting south at the
rate of one mile per hour. I cannot do anything toward getting ahead
until a change of wind or perhaps a calm.

June 14. — Light variable winds, fog and light rains; ice moving south.
Saw three burgomeister-gulls, brent geese, and a few dcvekies.

June 15.— Cold, cloudy, foggy. Ther., 30° F. 2 j). m., there is con-
siderable water now along the mouth of Newman's Bay, but before I

Journals of Boat-Journeys.

G79

start with a loaded boat I must see bow far it extends. So, taking the
boat without its load, I pull north about two and a half miles toward
the north cape of the bay, and there finding the ice hard upon the
shore, I returned to the camp. I should like very much to ge( to the
land, where the men would be more comfortable, for, encamping on the
ice, we have wet feet and wet clothes continually. Mr. Chester, with
the canvas boat, arrived at 8.10 p. m.

June lO.-Light breeze from the west. Ice drifting south; no chance
to^get ahead. Saw several eider-ducks and ivory und burgomeister

June 17.-Blowing strong southwest. Ice setting north; very close
and compact. Nothing but hummocks, so that you cannot get a boat
on and drift with it; ther., 33° F. ^ *.

June 1^21.- Very stormy ; ice close, moving north or south, as acted
upon by the wind ; at times rain and sleet. Ther., 26o 8 to 33© p

June 22._Ther., 30O.4 F. There is considerable water abreast of New-
man's Bay and along the shore to the southward, but to the north the
ice IS close and compact, drifting south until it meets the current com-
ing out of Newman's Bay; it then turns to the westward, leaving quite
a space of water.

June 23.-Morning fine and pleasant. Considerable water abreast of
Newman's Bay. Started with the boats in hopes of reaching Cape Bre-
voort, got two and a half miles, found the ice hard upon the shore and '
coming south very fast.

June 24.— Blowing strong from the northeast. Snow-squnlls. Ice set-
ting south al I day. It looks dark and watery to the north and northeast
Barometer rising, 29.67 ; ther., 30° F.

June 25.— Could I get my boat on shore, I should take the land and
travel along the coast as far as I could; but I cannot get there. The
floe abreast of Newman's Bay extends as far as you can see along the
land to the north, and is about one mile from it in the narrowest part
It 18 piled high with hummocks. In fact, there is scarcely a place to
haul the boat either on land or ice, and, if I save it, I shall consider
myself fortunate. I cannot land on the south side, because there the
land IS perpendicular. I want to get on the north side, for then I can
take the ravines and travel along just inside the coast, and at least get
to 830 N., or thereabout.

Jttne26.-Strong breeze from the northeast; foggy; ice drifting south.
No chance to get ahead. Saw a flock of eider-ducks, male and female.
Bar., 29.84 ; ther., 3UO F.

June 27._Ther., 270.3 P.; bar., 29.64. There is quite a body of open
wiiter abreast of the camp, and to the north, it looks dark and heavy.
There is quite a sea running, and I have moved my camp further in on

1§T»

G80

Journals of Boat- Journeys.

ISTJI. a lurRO, \mixy piece of ice. It Ih quito thick, ihmI I cminofc hpo boyond
tliree or four miloH. A larjto body of ice biiH psiHwul uh cliirinj; tb« last
seven (lays, drifting at the rate of from one to three miles per hour.

June 2H.— Still blowing utrong from the northeaHt. Tliis morning, at
2 a. ni., we were ntartled at hearing tlio ice cruHhing. Springing from
our tent, we discovered that our old encamping place had been d«>-
stroyed by a birge floe. The lloe kept crushing in until it api)roached
within 40 yards of our present encampment. There it first stopped in
its destructive progress, and then Anally started on its journey south.
It apparently extends entirely across thr stroiis, and as far north as
you can see. I should think it comes fiom the head of the bay, for a
bay we will surely Hnd it, should we be fortunati* enough to get a few
degrees further north. It was fortunate I removed the tent further back
yesterday morning. Had I been in the old place, vro should have lost
everything, and probably our lives, as the ice came in so quickly as to
give us no chance to escape. I have now a watch set, who will give
warning when these large Hoes are approaching. 4 p. m., ther., 30°
F. ; bar., L'9.74.

June 29.— Light breeze from the north. Ther., 30° F. ; bar., 29.73. I
have removed my camp further in on a large piece of floeice, where my
former (first?) camj) was pitched. The ice was not very strong, and these
large lloes come drifting down with wind and tide, crushing everything
in their way but the land, and on that they leave their marks.

June 30.— At 2 a. m. we were surprised by a visit from Hans. Cai)tain
Budington writes to Mr. Chester to return as soon as possible with both
boats, as the ship is in a condition that requires our aid. Wo cannot
get down as yet, but will go as soon as possible. Hans starts at 2 p. m.
on his return to the vessel, accompanied by Dr. Bessels. Midnight*
ther., 320.5F.; bar., 29.82.

Jtdy 1.— Stiong breeze from the north. Ice setting south. No chance
to get either to the north or to the vessel. Ther., 32° F.; bar., 29.7.'>.

JtiUj 2.— Strong breeze from the north. Ice setting south. Ther.,
30O.7 F.; bar., 29.55. Midnight, ice setting north, against a strong
northeast wind.

July 3.— Wind from the north ; thick fog. Bar,, 29.52.; ther., 320.5 F.
The ice close and eampact, with no movement. It is impossible to get
to the ship or to the land. A good deal of the ice consists of large,
heavy, hummocky, and very rough floes, showing the signs of great
pressure while the ice was forming and yet young. 7 p. m., ther., 340
F.; barometer has been as low as 29.45, but is now rapidly rising. The
laud is almost entirely bare of snow, showing that it is much warmer
there than we experience here on the floe.

July 4.— Blowing strong from the north. Ice setting sonth. There
is no open water. Kruger and Siemens arrived from ship with provis

Journals of Boat-Journeys.

081

^HH n,ul a letter for Mr. Chestor, but nono f„r myself. The contents of
Mr Chester's letter I do not Know, but Kruger gives mo all the infor-
nation I desire. Captain Budington wants us to return iinmediatelv,
but wo cannot get there at present on account of the Ice, which keetm
us completely blocked up. I shall return as soon as I possibly can. I

Zl^.T.^V^T 'I"''"'' '''•"' ^ '"•'P"'^''' "'" ""* ^^^"••" <« the boats.
There is a thick fog hanging ov<,r the land. Barometer at noon, 20.30,

■o n /nf" f t"lt .' "• '"•' '•"'' **'"* '"««>•' ^^'^'' ^ strong b,ve.e
om N.NL. Under the fog to the north it looks white, showi-s luat
tht^e are largo quantities of ice in that direction. T.cr., 32o F

J«/y5.--I started this morning to haul my boat in to the land with
the help 01 Mr. Chester's crew, and after a tedious haul of eight hours
reached the land with her. Got back to my tent at midnight

Aif.?'~.®*"'r'*^/^ V'- "• ""'^^ **^"^' «'«*>^^"»' «"d sleeping.gear.
About the time I started a thick fog came on, the wind being northerly
There was, on some places of tho floe, so much water that it was fre-
quently impossible to clear it during the fog; concluded therefore to
encamp. At noon we again took up our work, and reached the land
(near Cape Sumner) at (i p. m. For two days now wo have had no dry
clothing on, but this evening wo change our clothing and turn into our
blankets tired men. After a good rest, I intend to start for the ship.
I have been here almost a month, and there is no change in the pros-
pect Captain Budington is calling for help, and, as I cannot get to
him by water, I must go by land. At midnight, one of the men, Hobby,
left for the vessel. ' ^^

Jxily 7.— Left for tho vessel at about 3 p. iii.

1ST».

-. :>'

•'

I^.

JOURNALS

USED IN TIIK*

PREPARATION OF THE NARRATIVE OF THE POLARIS EXPEDITION,

IV.

JOURNALS AND LOG.

The fonowing journals were furnished by the Navy Department:
^apt. o. h. Hall's journals during bis first expedition, l&.<30-'6li to-
gether with all the observations, surveys, and sketches mad. by him •
during Ins second expedition, 18()4-'69-never published»-the co,.u)lete

uZt iw uu^^ T""' I^^r ^'"'^"^ '^" Esquimaux : a copy of the notes
kept by Hall while on his last sledge-jouruey, from Oct ,ber 10, 1871 to
October 24, 1871-tho property of Mr. H. C. Chester
The log-book of the Polaris, written by Mr. H. 0. Chester, and con-

T^T?-^ V^T'^^ ^''^^«"t iuterruption from June 10, 1871, to June
Jd, 187J, with a few entries at subsequent dates.

(Captain Budington's journal, written by J. B. Mauch, under the su-
pervision ot Capt. S. O. Budington; from October 10, 1871, to June 26,

11. W. D. Bryan's journal, in two books: Ist. From r-tober 15, 1872
to June 2.3, 1873. 2d. From Juno 3, 1873, to November 15, 1873, with
subsequent entries up to Ft -j aary 27, 1874.

nrrofi'^7?*'''T?.-^^T'^'' *'" ""^"'^ ^■''°'° -^"^y 27, 1871, to Febru-
fo^l8?i l>"l^''«l^«d »» the Hon. Secretary of thr Navy's report

,ot^' ^^""«^'« J«»''»«'» i" two books, from June 29, 1871, to May 29

8 IHtT? ?f ^"?^'' ?l" •^"""•'^''y 2^ ' ^^'2, to June 7, 1872 ; from Jui;
8, 872, to July 29, 1872 ; from August 29, 1872, to October 14, 1872

Uermann Siomen's journal in two books, 1st. ^'. om Jn-ie 29 1871 to
October 12 1872_published in the Hon. Secretary of the Navj^
report for 1873. 2d. From October 12, 1372. to >ane 25, 1873-in Ger
man ; — translated and used.

Ueiiry Hobby's journal—in German.

-By !. Ue^oluliou iutroducd into tbo Uuited States Senate February C, 1877, by Hon
A. A. hurgent, tbe Secretary of tbe Navy was call .1 - .- „ to furnisb thro , Jl tleZ
pennon .,nt of tbe Naval O.., .vatory, a Narra, ve of tbis ^.0^';^;^' 'ca -"

lailing boaltb of Adm.ral Davis, Suiwiintemlent, Prof. J E Nourse IT S V «,„.
cl.rected to take cbarge of tb. preparation of this Narrltive. ' ^^ ""^

List of journals.

686

List of JonrDulB.

Journals and Log.

Captain Tyson's journal, in six books, from October 15, 1872, to May
16, 1873. These books were furnished by Capt. G. E. Tyson for the Arctic
exhibit at the International Exhibition in Philadelphia, and were merely
referred to in the preparation of this Narrative.

Frederick Meyer's journal, from October 16, 1872, to April 30, 1873—
original not furnished— published in the Hon. Secretary of the Navy's
report for 1873.

John Herron's journal, from October 15, 1872, to May 11, 1873; pub-
lished in the Hon. Secretary of the Navy's report lor 1873.

■Ill

5 Iff

May
•ctio
rely

rs—

vy's

)ub-

IN^DEX

IN^DEX.

Adams, Captain William, 516.

Admiralty Iiilot, .19.

Aga««iz, Professor L, iustroctions by, 659 to 662.

Allen, Captain William, 518.

Allyn, Elder, 47.

American Bible Society, 62.

Aiiowaylok, 426.488,490.
Appropriation for Arctic Expedition, 27
Arctic", receives 11 Polaris men, 516; arrives at
at Dundee, 517.

^"""mS''""' '•^^•''"=''^°»'^02; killed, 492, 494,

Auroras, 48, 2.30,240, 257, 858,280,281,282,290 297
298, 299, 300, 453. 459, 533, 535, 544, ^ ' '

Awash Island, Polaris passes, 71.

Baird, Professors. P.. a member of the Board of In-
•piiry, 597; instrnctions bv,653 to 655

Barnes Surgeon-General J. k, u. 8. A.,' medical
certificate of, 18.1.

Bartlett, Captain, rescues the ice-floe party, 572.

"^"tt!Trr"^-'^-'^-«-^>-^^-'certifi.

Bears, encounter with dogs, 538; pnrsned, 549; a
vm.t fron., 551 ; traces of, seen, 348, 349. 4^

Bussds, Dr. Eaul, scientific openuions intrusted
f„l 'w^ ™ «P«^>men8 at Fiskernaes, 49;
akos ph«o«rapb«. 58; keeps watch. a5; ;pin:
ion of as to cours-v 92; collects tpecimons, 115;
attends Hall i.h: ickne«s,173; qualiflca«o«.
jlO, assists ,n meteoroloRica' work. 219; co».

TTlTl' ?"'*"" B-'-gt.n,227;'anx.
etr foi, 2.53; lost in a storm, 256; plan of oiv

erations, .105 to 3H ; photographs the ship, 324
starts on journey toward the south, 332- re-
turns, MV; starts on sledge-journey north,'478-

VoTi^'^i «;«rts again, 481; visits Foulke
I- lord, 492; letter of, 671 to 672.

Birds seen, 80, 372, 420, 506, 565; land, seen, 562

Blackwood Point, Budington party land on, 505.
Board of Inquiry, report of, 598 to 620
Boats (Budington's party), finished, 492; under
weigh, 500; beset, 503; pass Cape York, sS

United States, 514.
Boatswain, killed, 378, 388. 403.
Bourns, Jonathan, Jr., gives Hall a free passage to

the United States, -^01.
Braine, Commander D. L., U. 8. N., commands the

Juniata, 580 ; describes the coal on the Waigat,

Brevoort,Mr. J. Carson, authority for what relates to
Hall personally, 25 ; estimate of Hall 41

Brooklyn, N. Y., Hall lectures in, 21.

Brother John's Glacier, visited, 492.

Bryan, Rev. E. D., .57.

Bryan. R. W. D.. astronomer of the Expedition, 37 •
appointed chaplain, 62; keeps watch , 85 ; sur-
veying, m 124, 186, 134; unconscious, 130;
qualifications, 210; banks up the ol servatory
218: observes moon-culmination8,27&; starts on
jonraey to the south, .1.12; collects fossils, 372-
makes meteorological observations, 374 • his
records placed on the ice, 4.10; visits Rensselaer
Harbor, 487 to 491; visits Port Foulko, 493 to
495; arrives in New York, 519; letter of, 667 to

Budington, Captain James, .57

Budington, Captain S. O., to receive special %-ritten
directions from Hall, .«; sailing and ice mas-
^1 of the Expedition, 37; advice of, to seek u
harbor, 91; opinion of, as to course, 93; qnali-
flcations, 211; the command devolves upon,
227; consultation with Dr. Bessels. ib ; discon-
t.nne« daily prayers, 238; makes preparations
for sledge-journoy, 255; stateii.ent of the ex-

690

Index.

Bi-dinRton, Captain S. O.— Continued.

posureof the Polaris, 65 to 68; replies to Dr.
Bessels' plau of operations, 314; prepares for
the boat-journoys, 337; nccoiint of sledge-jour-
ney from, journal, 340 to 351 ; deposits a -eoord
at Newman's Day, 357 ; determines to push
North, 38!2, 386; decides to start South, 401;
maintains discipline, 460; the boat-crew of,
495 ; party arrive in Washington, 517 ; exam-
ined, 620.

Burgomaster gulls, seen, 378,486. (See Gulls)

Cairn Point, the Polaris abreast of, 75 ; two miles

distant, 426.
Calcutta, Dundee jute-trado with, 40.
Cape Alexander, Polaris opposite, 75.
Brevoort, named, 160.
Constitution, Polaris passing, 408.
Dudley Digges, Polaris abreast of, 71.
Frazer, Polaris passes, 79.
Hawks, on the port-b earn, 76.
Joseph Henry, coast bketohcd as far as, 3^57.
Lawrence, Polaris passes, 79.
Lieber, recognized, 81 ; appears near the ves-
sel, 261 ; seen during the Polar night, 258;
the Polaris near, 38^).
Lupton, named, 109; appears near the vessel,
261 ; much open water seen from, 288; Po-
laris rounding, 383.
McClintock, Polaris passes, 79.
Norton Shaw, Polaris passes, 79.
Parry, Polaris off, 74.

Sumner, pack near, found impenetrable, 383.
Union, seen from Cape Lupton, 117.
York, sighted, 70; Polaris north of, 71; the
Little Juniata in the pack near, .')89.
Carey Islands, ice-floe party below, .530.
Caterpillars, 328.

Chester, H. C, first mate of the Polaris, 37 ; dis-
patched for Mr. K. Smith, 54 ; brings Hans and
family from Proven, .59; opinion of, as to course,
92 ; looking for a harbor, 98 ; conducts a hunt-
ing-party, 131 ; mountains named after, 133 ;
accompanies Hall on sledge-journey, 147 ; visits
Cape Brevoo.'t, 156; qualifications, 212; his
estimate of the crow, 213 ; visits the open wa-
ter, 289 ; to command one of the boats, 337 ;
reports open water, 374 ; starts with crew to
Cape Lupton, 375 ; loses boat and returns, ib.;
account of journey, 376; prepares the canvas
boat, 377 ; starts from ship, 378 ; sends to Cap-
tain Budington for provisions, 384 ; a letter and i

Chester, H. C. — Continued.

supplies sent to, 387; arrives from Newman's
Bay, 394 ; adds inscription on Hall's grave, 395 ;
looks for floe-party, 442 ; builds boats, 472 ; the
baatrcrew of, 495; Journal of, while on boat-
journey, 675 to 678.

Chiistmas, its celebration, 262 to 265 ; the floe-party
celebrate, 535.

Cincinnati, Ohio, Hall lectures in, 31.

Cist, Mr. J. C, 17.

Coal, purchased at Upernavik, 62; used during Oc-
tober, 222; November, 248; December, 269;
January, 291; February, 316; March, 333;
quantity of, much reduced, 270; exhausted,
468; found on the Waigat, 591.

CofiSn, N. J., makes a wagon, 134 ; his ability, 213 ;
finishes the sleds, 285,295,

Colfax, Hon. Schuyler, secures Arctic amendment
by his casting vote, 27.

Collinson, Rear-Admiral C. B., list of Frobisher's
relics in " Three Voyages of M. Frobisher," ed-
ited by, 193.

" Congress," U. 8. S., at Godhavn, 55.

Conical Rook, Budington party encamps on, 507.

Cooper, Captain, kind treatment from, 518.

Cox, Judge Joseph, letter from, respecting Hall's
health, 179.

Crew, employments of, during Hall's sickness, 217 ;
health of, 283.

Crows, seen, 562, 565.

Cruw's-nest, secured in its place, 54.

Cumberland Sound, value of whale-fishery in, 40.

Cylinders, to be thrown overboard, 35; thrown over-
board, 80, 82, 90, 352, 381, 394 ; put in Hall's
grave, 386.

Cyrus Field's Bay, Hall winters in, on first Expedi-
tion, 191.

Dalrymple Island, Budington party lauds on, 505.

Daly, Judge C. P., introduces Hall to the American
Geographical Society, 38 ; Hall's lotter to, 39,
201 to 209.

Davenport, Captain H. K., U. S. N., commands the
Congress, 55 ; presents to Inspector Smith let-
ters from the Secretary of tiie Navy, ib.; ad-
dresses the crew of the Polaris, 57.

Deer, none found at Holsteinborg, as expected, 52 ;
tn ces seen, 378, 449, 453, 477 ; seen, 453, 454, 456,
487; killed, 478.

De Lang, Captain, visits the ice-floe party on the
Tigress, 573.

Index.

Do Lo„K, Lioutcnant 0. W.. U. 8. N., commands the
Llttlo Jiinintft, C82.

Dog«, purchaHcl at Saint John's, 48 ; at Upernavik,
02 ; at King-itoko, C4 ; troublesomo, 123; num-
ber and condition, 221 ; foedinK, 231 ; food, 2(il ;
in good condition for 8ledg«.J„urnoyB, 328; fits,

Dovekies, seen, 314, 360. 372. 420; killed. 381, 382
388.390. 391,394,395,390,402,420, 402,542 543
644.546,547,548. '

Ducks, seen, 372, 379. 503, 565, 569 ; killed. 388. 394
Dundee, Budington party arrive at, 517, 518.

" Ragle," sighted by the ice-floe party, 572
Ebierbiug, present at Hall's lecture, 26. (See under

Joe)
Eider ducks, seen, 370. 420. 421, 423 ; killed. 377.
Elberg Governor of Holsteinborg, an old friend of

Hall's, 52.

Elberg. Governor of Upernavik, visits the Polaris,
61; accompanies Hall to Tessi-Ussak, 63 ; re-
ceives Hall's last dispatches, 66.

" Eric," receives three of the Budington party 518 ■
arrives with them at Dundee, ih. ' '

Esquimaux, of Fiskernaes, described, 49; divine
service of the, 54; photographs of, taken, 63;
remains of summer tents of, discovered 112 •
first sight of Etah, 445; 102, visited Polaris
House, 483; funeral ceremonies, 484; divorce.
to, '

Etah, the settlement of, 455.

C91

Pish, Hon. Hamilton, letter of, 666.

Fiskernaes, the Polaris leaves, 50.

Fitz Clarence Rock, Polaris passes, 74 ; Budii.gtou's
boats near, 505.

Flies, 359, 368.

Fogs. 48, Wi. 66. 69, 70, 80, 82, 83, 89, 106. 267, 271, 301
320, 332, 340, 345. 388, 407, 415, 423, 445, 509 530,'
545,565,586,589. '

Foster, Dr., conducts divine service on the Polaris
4«. '

Foxes, trace. of, 149, 349; seen, 138, 444, 445. 453, 503
542, 562 ; killed, 327, 450, 4r.2, 453, 454, 456, 457,'
458, 460. 468. 470, 472, 533, 535 ; eaten, 450. '

IraDklin Islaid, Polaris passes, 408.

Franklin, Sir John, Hall's mission relative to, 20;
Ha I ranked with, 21 ; Hall's eflforts to rescue
and their results, 191 to 209

"Froli,," U. S. 8., brings the ice-floe party from
Samt John's to Washington, 575,

Gales, 117, 12.'>, 128, 131, 135. 148. 150. 229, 232 «o 2;J9

Z^, t^*^' ^^^' ^^''' ''"^' ^^- '^h2m.'ZH7,200',
291.302, 303. 311, 31!-,. 319. 320.321.351.355 359
380.387. 389.401. 410, 426. 427 to 44i:4.'-,3 «4
457. 469, 470. 472. 473. 477. 480. 482. 486. 496. .',01,'
507,508.518. 523. 526. !-,27, 535. 638. 540 to 543
54o, 540. .'J48. 550. 5.''.2. S-W. 569. 670, 589.
Gale Point, Polaris due west of, 426.
Geese, seen, 379, 395, 503 ; killed, 394, m.
Geographical Society of Paris awards the Roquetto

Prize to Hall. 625.
Godhavn the Polaris at, 53; the Juniata at, 681;
the Tigress at, 584. '

Goslings, caught, 394, 403.

Grant, President U. 8., at Hall's lecture, 26; com-
missions Hall,28; inspects the Polaris, 29; crew
of the boat named after, 337.
Greenwood, Mr. Miles, assists Hall in his first Ex-
pedition, 191.

Greer, Commander J. A., U. 8. N., commands the

Tigress, 584.
Grinnell, Mr. Henry. Hall's letter to, 20 ; authority

for what relates to Hall personally, 25 ; assists

Hall in his first Expedition, 191.
Grinnell Land, sun bidden by 77

^""rj.r"^:,,^'^,''' ^^' '^^' '^' ='^2' ^'^' =^73. 381, 491,
503 ; killed, 120, 388, 391, 392, 394.

Hakluyt Island, Polaris oflf, 74 ; Budington party
on, 500. o X J

Hall, Captain Charles Francis, originates the Ex-
pedition, 17 ; extracts from journal of, showing
purpose of reaching the Polo. 18; ranked with
other Arctic heroes, 21; Arctic training, t6.; ar-
rives in Washington, 25; impressed by the
sympathy of The President. i6.; lectures in Lin-
coin Hall. 26 ; his commission, 28 ; instructions '
from Secretary of the Navy, 30 to 30 ; details bis
pans before the American Geographical Soci-
ety, 37; letters to Messrs. Grinnell and Bre-
voort, presenting his threefold object, 38;
speaks of new whaling-grounds, 40; original
plan, 42; partial change, i6. ; sends dispatch to
Secretary of tho Navy by Swedish vessel, 52;
awaits the transport at Holsteinborg, 52;
leaves Holsteiuborg-reaches Godhavn, 53; at-
tends Divine Service. 54; offen, of assistance
from the Danish authorities. .55 ; oudeav. rs to
secure the services of Hans and Governor Jen-
sen. 56; satisfied with his outfit, 57; places dia-
patches in Governor Rudolph's hands. 03 ; lands
at KiDg-itoke,i6. ; takes leave of the civilized

692

Index.

Unll, Cni>tain Charles Franci.H — Continued.

world, 05; Bonds Iiib last dispatohoa, 66 ; sonndw
the ontraiico to a bay near Cape Frazer, 79 ; do-
terniiiies latitude of highcHt point reaobod by
the PolariH, 85 j explores a small bay, 89 and
90 ; calls a council, 92 ; decision as to course,
94; orflors each man to be ready to leave the
vessel, 97 ; looks for a harbor, 98 ; takes i)08-
Mossion of the land, 104; decides to winter, 105;
seeks a more suitable liiirbor, 113 ; names Po-
laris Bay, 119; names the harbor, ib. ; observes
for longitndo, ih. ; the accuracy of, estimate of
distances, 126; receives letter from seamen, 132;
promises to redress their grievances, ib. ; object
in sending out bunting-party, 133 ; anxious to
make sledgo-journey, 134 ; prepares for it, 135 ;
prescribes ship-routine, 136; condemns |)ro-
fanity, 137; instrnctions to Budington, 141 to
147; starts on sledge-journey, 147; returns, 149;
last sight of the sun, 151 ; extracts from
journal, 152, 153, 160 to 162, 167, 168 ; encamps
in sight of a bay, 153 ; reads prayers, 154 ; visits
Capo Brevoort, 156; his highest on land, 157;
observations from Capo Brevoort, 158 ; deter-
mines latitude of last encampment, 159; do-
posits dispatch, 162 ; returns to the Polaris,
170; taken eick, 173; condition critical, 174;
improves rapidly— his relapse and death, 175 ;
grief for, 176; extracts from journal respecting
former sicknesses, 177 and 178 ; illness in Wash-
ington, 178; under medical treatment before
sailing, 179 ; the funeral of, 184 ; the grave,
185 ; death of, fatal to the Expedition, 189 ; in-
terest in Expeditions for Franklin's relief, 190;
starts on first oxpHdition, 191 ; discovers relics
of Frobisher's Expeditions, 192 ; discovers Fro-
bisher's Bay, »6. ; starts on second Expedition,
194 ; visits King William's Land, 199 ; letter to
Judge Daly detailing results, 201 to 209 ; quali-
fications previous to taking command of the
Polaris, 209; lacked only good health, 213;
grave of, found nndisturbod, 301 ; inscription
placed on grave, 385, 395; Arctic library of,
cached, 499 ; first news of the death of, 574.

Hall, Mrs. C. F., Roquette prize sent to, 631.

Hall, Robert, Secretary of the Admiralty, letter of,
665, 672.

Hall's Basin, named by Captain Budington, 396.

Halos, 131, 242, 255, 267, 289, 323, 474,

Hannah, on the Polaris, 37; Hall's first meeting
with, 193; her services, 213 ; makes skin cloth-
ing, 255.

Hans, 49; aervices secured, 59; accompanies Hall
on sledge-journey, 147; his services, 213; babe
born to, 406; taken to Greenland, 584.

Hnns Island, the Polaris imsses, 407.

Hares, seen. 326,474,486; killed, 119, 123, 332,353,
355,477,478,486,487,492.

Hartstene Bay, Hall's wish to be landed in, 43.

Hawks, seen, 149, 3.'>9.

Hayes, Dr. I.I., tl<l,il apparatus U8piI,1:J6; iron boat
left on McQary's Island, sought, 453; observa-
tory destroyed by natives, 463.

Henry, Professor Joseph, letter of, 637 to 640; in-
structions of, 545 to 653.

Highest land, seen by Hall, 165; reached by Tyson
and Meyer, 356.

Hilgard, Professor J. K., instructions by, 640, 641 to
645.

Holsteinborg, the Polaris at, 50; the Juniata at,
581.

Howgato, Capt. H. W., U. 8. A., a member of the
Board of Inquiry, 597.

I<e, 73, 97; pack first encountered, 70; olose, 71,
502 ; stopped by, 74, 500, 507, 558, U'i) ; patch,
75; heavy pack, 7»;, 352, 358, 376; 100 feet thick,
77 ; patches of, HO ; largo floes, 81, 285, 397 ;
heavy, 82, 411; solid from shore to shore, 84,
383, .384, 387 ; floes, 89, 90, 98, 100 ; a wall of, 91 ;
pressure of, 99, 125, 244, 259, 389, 390, 392, 402,
409, 415, 425, 429, .'■)03, 509; loosened, 101,553,
559,.5(j6; opens, 103, i:«}, 148,237,258,265,380,
415,468,472; young, 118,240,284,285,287,348,
405,413,415.

Ico-floe party, the members, 524 ; sight tho Polaris,
525; drift'near tho west land, 527; build three
igloos, 528; drift to the south, 529; scanty al-
lowance, 540; loss of strength, 543; opposite
Cnraberlanu Gulf, 549; opposite Cape Farewell,
553; in great peril, 560; ight a vessel, 571;
picked up by ) he Tigress, 572 ; at Washington,
575; examined, 597.

Igloo, building an, 341.

Indianapolis, Indiana, Hall lectures in, 21.

Inland Island, Hull's ninth encampment near, 169.

Inman Line of SteaniHliips, passage given to part of
Budington party, 517.

Insects, 36H.

Intrepid, three of the Budington party on tho, 516.

Ivory gull, seen, 413.

Jackmann, Captain, 57'/*..

Index.

693

Jensen, Oovoraor of Tossl-Ussak, tloclinos to nocom-
pany Hull, 04 ; pilots tho Polaris, (KI.

Joe, on tlie Polaris, 37 ; aocornpanieH Hall on sledRo-
Jouruoy, 147; Hall's first meetlnK with, H);{-
Lis Bervices, 2i:i ; on board the TiKross, 584.

Johnnnn, Mr. A. U., letter from Hall, 19.

"Julianhopo," the brig, root l)y the Polaris, 60.

"Juniata," U. 8. 8., maito ren;ly for sea, 579 ; comple-
ment of, 580; sails <Vom New York, ift.; arrives
at Saint John's, 592 ; arrives at New York, 593.

Jupiter, observations of, 159, 1C7, 168, 300.

Kono, Dr. E. K., Hall ranked with, 21.
Kasorsoak, |i.i88od,58.

Kenne-'y ClKinnel, the Polaris .-nter8,79,407.
Kerosene-oil, tho freezing-point, 330.
King ducks, killed, 378, 379, 391.
King-itoko, the Polaris reaches, 63.
King William's Land, Hall's desire to reach, 18-
Hall reaches, 199. '

Koldewoy, Captain Carl, views of an open Polar sea,

Kroft, Rev. Mr., missionary at Liohtenfels, 50.
Krugor, J. W.C, placed in charge of the tidal ob-
sorvations, 229.

Lancaster Sound, land seen near, 532.

Laver, Captain, kindness to part of tho Budington

party, 517.
Lemmings, traces of, seen, 149, 326, 361 ; cancht

360.361,394,396.
Liohtenfels, visited by a party from tho Polaris.

50.
Life-Boat Cove, Polaris opposite, 442.
Lime-juice, given out, 230.
Lister, T. V., Under Secretary of State, for England.

letter of, 666.
" Little Juniata," dispatched, 582 ; in Melville Bay,

590; rejoins tho Juniata, 591,
Littleton Island, Polaris passes, 75.

Lookout Mountain, Hall's first snow-house near,
150. '

Lessen, P., Governor of Qodhavn, receives Hall
cordially, 53; assists Commander Braine, 581.

Luminous Streamers, 268, 279, 281, 290, 297, 299. 300
533. . . . ,

Lummes, a rookery of, 501; killed, 391.

Malte-Brnn, M. V. A., Report of Pilzo Commission

presoatod by, 625.
Markham, Captain A. H., R. N., visits tho Kavons-

craig, 516.
Mauch, J. B., surveying, 124, 120; searched for.
130 ; assistant to yeoman, ib. ; clerk to Hall, ib. ;
quallflcationN, 213; assists Mr. Meyer in ob-
serving, 286: experiments with korosone-oil,
330; doscribos a ravine, 339 ; reports unfavora-
bly as to ico in Strait, 308; meteorological ob-
sorvations, 375, 454 ; his duties, 379.
Moek, Professor P. B., instructions l>y, 655 to 659
Mercury, frozen, 303, 311, 320, 471, 537, 539.
Meteor, 296.

Meyer, Mr. Frederick, meteorologist of the Expe-
djtion, 37; determination of highest liititudo,
85 ; keeps watch, ib. ; surveying, 120, 124, 126,
134, 331, 355, 357; qualifications, 211; banks
up observatory, 218; goes to tho relief of Dr.
Bossels, 233; attacked by scurvy, 421- his
records placed on the ice, 432; determinea
position, 408, 425, 5.33,539, 541, 549,562 ,70;
nearly frozen to death, 561 ; suffers from bun-
ger, 563.
Mirage, 48, 373.

Mock-Moons, 242, 255, 289. (See ParascieniB)
Mosquitoes, 368.

Morton, Mr. William, second mate of the Polaris V
recognized by Jans, 60: goes in search of
Mauch, 130; appointed yeoman, 130 ; qualifica-
tion, 212; loses uso of foot, 230.
Mulloy, Mr. Thomas N., United States Consul at St.
John's, accompanies the Polaris out of harbor
48; receives informatlom of tho rescue of the
ice-floe party, 574; recalls the Juniata in tho
Hector, 503.
Musk-oxen, traces of, seen, 123, 125, 149, 161; seen
353, 362 ; killed, 134, 353, 355, 357, :158, 361.

Magnetometer, observations with, 289; term-dav
295. ""

Narwhals, seen, ."JOS, 542, 549 ; fired at, 541, 545.
National Academy of Sciences, instructions of, 637.
Navy, Polaris crow to bo under discipline of, 35,
Newcomb, Professor Simon, U.S. N., instructions bv

640. ^'

Newman's Bay, named, 160.
Newman, Rev. Dr. J. P., conducts Divino Service,

56; addresses the crew of the Polaris, 57.
New Year's Day, 269, 467, 6;}6.
New York City, Hall lectures in, 21.
liindomanu, William, narrowly escapes drowning:

51 ; fastens Polaris to Providonco Borg, 238.

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(7)6) 873-4503

694

Index.

Northumberland Island, in 8ig'ut,4a7; Budlngtcj

party lands on, 502, 504.
Nonrae, Professor J. E., U. 8. N., revises and corrects

proof of last seven chapters, 4 ; charge of the

preparation of Narrative of Hall's Second Ex-

p3dltlon, 685 (note).

Observatory Bluff, named, 110.

Odell, Mr. A. A., assistant engineer of the Polaris,
37 ; qualifications, 813 ; monnmeut, 402.

OfiBcial courtesies, 48, 49, 55, 56.

Offlej Island, fossils found on, 331,378; encamp-
ment at, 341.

Ookgooks, seen, 385, 343, 373; killed, 220, 371, 380
423, 545, 54l>. '

Owls, seen, 149,353,483.

Paraselenro, 304, 383, 474.

Parhelia, 323,351, 426, 474.

Parry, Sir Edward, Hr.U ranked with, 21.

Pendulum obse/vatious, 276 to 279,475

" Periwinkle," U. S. A., selected for cruise, 88; rebuilt

—launched— name changed to Polaris, 29.
Petermann Fiord, visited, 331, .345, 370.
Pittsburgh, Pa., Hall lectures in, 21.
Plovers, t -lied, 390, 403.

Plumer, Rev. Dr. W. 8., sermons presented t - Hall, 62.
Point Joy, the Polaris near, 78.
Polaris House, finished, 450; life in, 462; found by

Commander Greer, 586.
' Polaris," TJ. 8. 8., named by Hall, 29 ; sailed from
Washmgton, ih.; voyage from Washington to
New York, 36; sails from the United States, ih. ;
complement, 37; at St. John's, 48 ; leaves Fisk-
ernaes, 50; supplied from the Congress, 56-
loaves Godhavn.tft.; leaves Upernavik, 63;
stopped by ice, 74 ; forces through ice, 75, re-
sumes her course, 76 ; enters Kennedy Channel
79; discovers a small island, 80; her position,
81; at her highest point, 84; drifts to the
south, 89; contends with great difficulty 91 •
latitude of, when beset, 96 ; suffers ice pressure'.
97; a nip, 99; carried rapidly to thj south,
100; casts off, 103; escapes imminent danger
from fire, 104; anchors, <6.; the winter home
of the, 109; in danger, 121; changes in berth-
ing arrangements, 128; fire-hole, 131; ice press-
ure, 135; well built and supplied, 210; adrift,
237 ; sawing a dock for, 841 ; under great press-
ure, 844; strained by tidal motion, 259; gun-
powder fails to free the, 268,275; her conbtant
motion, 381 ; the effect of the strain, 354 ; leak

Polaris— Continued.

di^oo^ered, 360; efforts to atop leak, 3G9- leck
increasing, 375; eawiug out, 381; afloat! 382-
unde. way, 383, 384; narrowly escapes being
crushed, 388 ; ice pressure, 392 ; cleared by thf
deck-pumps, 395; aground, 402; leaves Thank-
God Harbor 407 ; fast to floe, 40H ; nipped, 411,
423; the leak, 419,- ^eak diminishing, 4^; drift-
ing rapidly, 488; party on board, at the separa-
tion, 439; desperate condition of, 440 441-
beached, 443 ; stem gone, 444 ; abandoned, 450 1
fire-wood taken from, 468; well built, 469-
fastened to the shore, 495; sunk 586
Port Foulke, visiied by Dr. Bessels and Mr. Bryan
493. ^ '

Providence Berg, named, 110; Polaris anchored
under the protection of, 118; as a protector,
1^; holds against great pressure, 135; sun-
plies ice, 148; the Polaris against, 238; 4ovc8
in on the vessel, 844; probability of, being
dnven in, 866 ; the sun seen from, 313 ; the r *
fngerator in, 363 ; fears of its going adrift, 381 ;
eaves the Polaris, 388 ; turned over by ice press!
nre, 398; forced in toward the shore, 393:
split asunder, 394. '

Ptarmigans tracks of, seen, 470 ; seen, 327, 388, 344.
358 ; killed, 333, 338. 353. 355. 358, 359, 370, 373.

Rain, 50, 389. 391. 396, 402. 409, 410. 414, 507

Ravens, seen, 380, 445. 463 , 470, 503

"Raveiisoraig," sighted, 511; reaches the latitude
of Conical Rock, 515 ; enters Lancaster Sonnd,
t6.; transfers seven Polaris men to the Arctic,
516; three Polaris men to the Intrepid, ih.;
four Polaris men to the Arctic, ih

Reid Mr. William, ^United States vice-consul at
Dundee, attentions to the Budington party,

Rensselaer Harbor, the Polaris above, 75; visited

by Mr. Bryan, 488,
Repulse Harbor, named, 91 ; visited by Mr. Meyer,

Reynolds, Commotlore William, U. S. N., a member
of the Board of Inquiry, 597.

Rickaby, Mr. J., a passenger on the Eric. 518.

Robeson, Hon. G. M., Secretary of the Navy, in-
spects the Polaris, 29; instructions to Hall, 30
to 36; Hall's dispatch to, 163 to 16<) ; orders an
inquiry as to the cause of Hall's death, 182;
crew of boat named after, 337; appoints a
Board of Inquiry, 597; letter of, 667.

Roboaou Strait, named, 109,

Im^£x,

695

Roqnetto, the, Prize avrarded to Hall, 625 to f)31 ;

the, Medal placed at the International Exhibi'

tlon 1876, 625.
Boyal Geographical Society of London, relics of

Probisher's Expeditions sent to, 193.
Eudolph, Dr.E. N., receives Hall cordially, 58;

visits the Polaris, 60 ; Commander Braine con-

salts with, 581.

Sailors' Companion, copies of the, donated, 62.
Saint John'R, the Polaris at, 48 ; the ice-floe party
at, 574 ; the Tigress at, 584, 588 ; the Juniata at.
592,593. '

Sargent, Hon. A. A., introduces a Resolution into
United States Senate for the preparation of a
Narrative of Hall's Second Expedition, 685,
(note).
Saunders Island, the Polaris passes, 72.
Schornheidter, Governor of Fiskemaes, visiti the

Polaris, 49.
Sohoonmaker, Commander C. M., U. S. N., com-
mands the Frolic, 575.
Schumann, Emil, chief engineer of the Polaris, 37 ;
qualifications, 212; finds a budding plant, 325.
Scurvy, 356, 464; its causes, 284 ; signs of, 351.394,

421,464,470,538.
Seal holes, seen, 531, 536, 544.
Seals, seen, 113, 118,137,138,149,155,156,160,220,
301, 302, 325, 326, 349, 370, 372, 404, 405, 420, 421
482,505, 535,538, 539,540,542,544,549,552,563,
569 ; killed, 117, 137, 325, 349, 360, 368, 370, 377
396, 404, 405, 408, 412, 420 to 427, 491, 492, 495
527, 530, 531, 532, 535, 538 to 544, 547,548, 549*
550, 552, 55.1, 557, 558, 565, 569, 570.
Seamen's Friend Society, library given by, 62.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Hall's let-
ters to, 19, 192.
Separation, Polaris and ice-floe party, 434, 523
Sherman, Hon. John, introduces joint resolution in

the Senate, 26.
" Shoemaker ", a dog, gored by musk-cattle, 403
Shooting-stars, 257.
Shrimps, 327.

Siemens, Hermann, testimony in regard to the ice,
64 ; an extract from record of, 102 ; signs letter
of men to Hall, 132 ; placed in charge of tidal
observations, 229 ; prostrated by a storm, 233.
Smtth, Inspector Krarup, arrives at Godhavn, 54 •
gives Hall a letter to Governor Elberg, 61. '
Smith's Sound, the Polaris enters, 75.
Snipes, seen, 503; killed, 373,402, 405.
Snow, 89, 90, 96, 100, 101, 102, 118, 125, 135, 136, 223
243, 281, 28ri, 320, 340, 345, 379, 391, 414, 415, 424

Snow — Continued.

427, 445, 447, 483, 501, 502, 603, 507, 527, 529, 530.
535,538,541,543,586.
Snow-birds, seen, 326, 358, 359, 491, 503 ; killed, 373
Snow-drift, 128, 150, 217, 229, 234, 236, 243,244,256
265, 282, 290, 291, 302, 303, 315, 320, 321, 427, 454,
457, 458. 523, 530, 538, 541, 545, 546, S-id
Sorfalik, Budington party land at, 500.
Sonntag, Mr. August, grave of, visited, 494.
Soutar, Captain David, 516.
Soutter, Dr. A. D., welcomes the Budington party,

512.
Stark, Rev. Mr., missionary at Lichtenfels, 50.
State Line of Steamships, passage given to part of

Budington party, 51S,
Stevenson, Hon. J., introduces joint resolution into

House of Representatives, 26.
Stores, landed on floe, 100; brought back on board
Polaris, 103; put on shore Thank-God Harbor,
106, 113 ; a survey ordered, 131 ; left at Thank-
God Harbor, 406; list of same, 669; put oft
ice, 429 ; landed at Polaris House, 447.
Sukkertoppen, the Juniata at, 581.
Sumner Headland, named, ICO.
Sumner, Hon. Charles, reports Arctic Resolution,
27 ; moves it as an amendment to general ap-
propriation bill, ih.
Sun, disappears, 148, 151,444,529; re-appears, 313,
472, 473, 538; disappears at midnight, 412;
shining on Grinnell Land, Ji2 ; on observatory
at midnight, 355 ; above the horizon at mid-
night, 479; eclipse of, 492.
Swallow, seen, 503.
Swarte Hook, on starboard beam, 58.
Swedish Scientific Expedition, reports to Hall the
condition of the ice, 51.

Thank-God Harbor, named, 119; its latitude, 114;
the Polaris leaves, 407.

Temperature, the highest observed, 397; the low-
est, 320 ; during December, 1871, 250; January,
1872, 291; February, 1872, 316; March, 1872,
333; April, 1872, 354; May, 1872, 361: June,

1872, S85; July, 1872, 397; August, 1872, 414;
November, 1873, 459 ; December, 1872, 464 •
January, 1873, 469 ; February, 1873, 473 ; March.

1873, 476 ; April, 187.1, 482.
Tessi-Ussak, the Polaris at, 64 ; the Little Juniata

leaves, 582 ; the Tigress at. 584.
Thanksgiving Diiy, 247, 532.
Thornton, Sir Edward, letter of, 666.
''Tigress," ice-floe party picked up by, 572; bought

by United States Government, 579.

Ir II

If i' i

696

Index.

" Tigress," U. 8. 8., repaired at the Brooklyn navy-
yard, 579; commissioned, 584 ; Captain Tyson
and three of the seamen of the Polaris on board,
ib.; finds Polaris House, 585 ; refits at Oodhavn,
587; crosses Davis Strait, ik; anchors at Niantlik,
ib.; at Ivigtuk, ib.-, at St. John's, ib.; at New
York, ib.

Turnstones, seen, 480 ; killed, 405.

Twilight, height arch, 256, 461 ; increaao . i", at
neon, 268, 467 ; all night, 323, 474.

Tyson, Captain G. E., joins the Polaris at New York,
36; assistant navigator of the Polaris, 37;
opinion of, as to course, 92 ; qualifications, 2U ;
commands one of the boats, 337 ; start* toward
the North, 377 ; returns with crew, 389 ; builds
house on floe, 418; at work on the floe, 434;
takes charge of floc-par*v, 523 ; ice-master of
the Tigress, 584 ; examined by the Board of In-
quiry, .598 ; jonmal of, whUe on boat-joiirney,
678 to 681.

Umingmung Island, EUesmere Land called, 477.
Upemavik, the Polaris at, 58 ; the Jnniata at, 581 ;
the Tigress at, 584.

Von Otter, Baron, Hall meets, at Holsteinborg, 51

Walker, Captain J. B., 517.

Walruses, blow of, heard, 285; seen, 78, 421, 505;

killed, 457,472.
Washington, D. C, Hall's arrival at, 25.
Washington's birthday, 311.
Wator-clonds, what they mean, 95.
Whales, seen, 58 ; fisheries, 40.
Williams & Haven, give Hall free paosage, 191.
Wolves, tracks of, seen, 300 ; setn, 338.
Wolstenholme Island, the Polaris passes, 71 ; Bod-

ington party hauls up on, 506.