The New York herald., 1861-10-11

ARCTIC EXPLORING observation-disclosures or
DOCTOR HAYEs.-We are glad to welcome back
from the icy regions Of the Arctic pole the in
trepid Hayes and his companions. They ar
rived at Halifax last Wednesday, in their little
schooner, the United States, after an absence OF
year and three months. What discoveries
they have made, what contributions secured for
science, we know not yet. Possibly, so soon as
DR.. Hayes reaches this city, he may give to the
public, through the press, the results of his ex-
pedition. We only know that his intention of
taking his vessel into Smiths Sound was frus-
tratcd by the fact of the channel being closed
with ice, and also that the sledge parties which
We're organized proceeded as far north as the
eightieth degree Of latitude. We have no
doubt, however, that the results of his observa-
tions will throw considerable degree of light
on some of the scientific and geographic prob
lens which yet remain unsolved.
DR.. Hayes is not by any means the first ex-
plorer who has penetrated within tho circle of
the eightieth degree Two centuries and a
half ago that feat was accomplished by the
navigator who gave his name to our beautiful
North river. That was in 1917. He has since
found rivals in Phipps, who did the same in
1878; in Scorsby, who did 1t in 1906; in Buchon
and Sir John Franklin, and Clavering and
Parry; in our own Dr. Kane, who penetrated in
his dog sledge beyond the eghtieth degree
in 1854, and now in DR.. Isaac Hayes, whose
farthest northern search appears to have been
so O5.
There is great deal Of romantic interest
connected with these successive attempts, con-
tinued for the last two and half centuries, to
discover the northwest passage between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and to sail on
that open sea in which the Russians have a tra-
ditional belief, and whose waters were actually
seen from distance by DR.. Kane and VIM.
Morton, the steward Of the Advance. The
dream Of effecting passage between the two
oceans was once, and but once, realized, when
q sledge party detailed from McClintock's ves-
sci, the Investigator, proceeding eastward from
the North Pacific, met in those icy solitudes a
similar exploring party detached from British
vessel on the North Atlantic side.
AS to any practical results to be obtained
from the discovery of q northwest passage, all
ideas Of the kind have been long since aban-
doned, and the recent explorations have been
undertaken principally in the hope of solving
the mystery Of the fate of Sir John Franklin
and his men. Incident to that prime motive
has been, of course, the desire of adding to our
knowledge of those Arctic regions and of OBJ
serving facts that might aid the cause of science
These latter considerations alone ought to be of
sufficient Importance to induce the British gov
ernment or our own government, or some Of the
public spirited men Of either nation-such az
Grinneli or Peabody--to maintain an exploring
party constantly in those regions, relieving and
supplying it from time to time. The cost
would be Insignificant, and the advantage to
science inestimable We do not wish to antici-
pate DR.. Hayes report, but we may express the
hope that it will urge the same view.
The STEAMER CATALME JOB-O. B. MATTEsoN
LOOMING UP AGAIN IN ALL His GLoRY.-Our
readers have read and heard great deal of that
mysterious business of the steamer Cataline; but
we have something more to tell them, which we
half inclined to suspects the true solution OF
this riddle. A Washington correspondent OF
one Of our morning contemporaries very broadly
intimates that from the evidence before the
Congressional Investigating Committee the fol-
lowing are the leading facts in this case, to
wit:-First, that 0. b. Matteson bought the
steamer Cataline for $4,000. Secondly, that
O. b. Matteson sold the steamer Cataline to
Thurlow Weed, John f. Develin, o. B. Matteson
and Gilbert G. Davidson for $4,000, whereby
the said Matteson realized $500 clear cash
and retained besides an interest of one-fourth
In the concern.
This is our latest information. The public al
ready know that this steamer Catalne was hired
to the government for the snug little sum Of ten
thousand dollars q month, and with the further
agreement that If lost while in the public SER
vice $4,000 wero to be paid the owners by
way Of indemnity. To make assurance doubly
sure, the boat was next insured for
$4,000. II will also be remembered
that after having been a very short time
in the government service the Cataline was
very mysteriously ignited and consumed by fire
one night near Fortress Monroe 1t appears,
however, that this spontaneous combustion of the
boat did not occur before her discharge by the
government; so that this accidental confagration
was badly timed, thereby losing the aforesaid
$4,000 indemnity, and running serious risk
of losing the $4,000 insurance But except
ing these drawbacks, and supposing the par
ticulars in this case as we have given them to
be true, it must be conceded that O. B. Matte
son, in this lovely job, looms up in all his
pristine glory. And it is somewhat remarkable
that in this joint stock speculation there is no
report of anything like thousand dollars Des-
moines draft from Matteson in favor Of the Hon.
Massa Greeley. Let us have all the facts.
The REBEL SEQcEsrRATIoN ACT.-In another
part Of this paper will be found an abstract
of the act passed by the rebel government Of
our rebellious States, entitled IAN act for the
sequestration Of the estates. property and effects
of alien enemies, and for indemnity of citizens
of the Confaderatc States md nersons aidipr