The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-02-02
CAPTAIN HALL.

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At reception lately given by the American Geo
! graphical Society in honor of this indefatigable
Arctic explorer, had the opportunity of hearing
his statement in regard to his expedition, and of
aiming the relics of Sir John Frankns lost party,
which he has rescued from their long imprisonment
in ice and darkness. There was of course the usual
collection of silver spoons forks knives, and other
cooking and eating utensils; also mahogany chro-
nometer case, and large portion of the side of a
clinker-but whale-boat, whose patched and bat
tered boards and gaping seams, robbed of paint and
oakum, gave ocular demonstration of the rough
assaults of Polar ice. But the most interesting
specimen he has brought with him is his Esqumaux
interpreter and firm friend, Joseph Ebierping, with
his fur and sealskin suits. Joe is scive, though
dwsrfsh, fellow, of a sallow, muIatto color, with
straight black hair, and high cheek bones, having a
markedly Monaghan type of countenance. During
his stay in New York be discards sealskns and furs
and dresses in American clothing He has also
adopted reformed diet aud seal blubber and train
oil no longer appear on his bill of fare
During Captain Halls stay of several years in
polar regions, he has found it necessary in great
measure to adopt the ways and measures, oflife of
the Esquimauxs. In no other way success az
tainable so perfectly the diet, the dress the ice
huts and the mode Of hunting and travelling of these
Hyperboreans a necessary aud exact Outgrowth of
their severe and rigid climatic conditions. In his
sledge journeys, Captain Hall depended exclusively,
upon that remarkable animal of wol6sh appearance,
the Esquimaux dog. He lays claim to having made
the discovery, that these dogs endure better, per
form greater wonders of speed and distance, and
more easily Withstand the depressing influence of
the long polar night which DIR. Kane found fatal to
his dogs, when they we'll fed, than when half
starved, fact, which, though sounding much like
trnism, does not to have been sufficiently ap-
preciated by other explorers. He found that the
amount of food-chiehy meat and oil-necessary
alike for and dog in that rigorous climate, bore
direct ratio TO the temperature indicated by the
thermometer, increasing the spirit sank towards
its bulb and decreasing as it rose in the tube.
An iniracton of this law, was in his exeperince,
likely to be attended by the most serious conse-
quences, and the only times when he felt in danger
of freezing to death were, when he journeying
on a short allowance of food.
Captain Hall owes his success to his unprecedented
willingness to be instructed by Esquimaux, in the
art of Safeguarding and journeying. All previous
explorers, with less bigotry, have persisted
in adhernig to the of sledges of their
faciure
But Captain Hall has become thorough convert
to the Esquimaux sledge, the principal feature of
which is that n the place of Furnished STEEL long
regarded by explorers the best shoe for the
uer, it substitutes the novelty of mixture of ice
and moss. This is laid on wooden runner about
four inches broad; and having been firmly con-
gealed by tie extreme low temperature, its sur
face is brought to the highest polish, by pouring
water over it aud then dext rously Furnishing it by
rapid friction with bears fur. No runner can
compete with this for speed over the surface Of
Arctic ice Captain Hall says thattbe friction from