The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-05-22
eaptafn Han and his Explorations.

CAPTAIN Hall and his Explorations.
Capt. G. F. Hall, formerly of Cincinnati, left
New London, Conn.,, in the whale ship George
Henry. on the 29th Of May, 1860, on 8 voyage
of Arctic explorations. In the following Au-
gust he reached Frobisher's Strait, where, soon
after his arrival, fearful gale arose, which de-
stroyed the shallops in which he had intended
to penetrate to the open sea around the North
pole, and came near wrecking the George Hen
~. BIZ advice of the EsquimauX, he made
no efforts to proceed northward until the fol-
lowing Suramer. In the Spring of 1861, with
a whale boat and crew of six natives, started
on his northern journey to the Countess of
Warwick's Sound, and after much difficulty
succeeded in discovering the place where Fro
bisher, in 1874 or 1876, had attempted to plant
a colony, and numerous relics of the ll-fated
colony, numbered by the natives. Near Queen
Elizabeth'3 Land he found an immense glacier
more than 5000 feet high, 100 miles in length,
and so mics in width, which he named "The
Grinnell Glacier" in honor of Mr.. Henry
Grinnell. During the Winter of 1s6l-'62, the
ships company were subsisted mostly by the
;Esquimauk, of whose bravery, honesty, truth
fulness and hospitality Capt. Hall spoke of in
the highest terms, bringing home with him q
family of this people. He returned from his
expeditions in 1852, arriving at New London,
Conn, on the 18th Of September.
! In JunA,, 1864, Captain Hall sailed on q
second voyage of expedition in the Arctic re-
gions, more fully equipped than before: twas
on this yoJage that he gained information from
the Esuuifnaux in regard to four of Franklin's
men. which induced him to believe that q por-
ton of the party of that bold explorer were
still living During this second voyage Capt.
Hall made number Of interesting discoveries
respecting the Northwest passage, the coasts of
the Northern Ocean, etc. Captain Hall was
remarkably successful in his researches, ascer-
tanning tile localities in which the different
parties of the Sir John Franklin expedition
perished, and obtained about one hundred and
fifty relicn of the ill-fated expedition. After
an absence of FIVE years, he returned to the
United States in September, 1859, and induced
the Goyerimentto undertake the expense OF a
voyage direct to the North Pole. -
The third and last expedition of Captain
Hall sailed from New York June 29th, 1871.
This was by far the best appointed and most
carefully and amply provided of the Arctic ex-
peditions of 1871, and was sent out by the Gov
ernment Under the direction of Captain Hall.
He had crew of picked men, all of them in
telligent and capable of managing the ship.
His vessel, the Polaris, formerly the Peri
Wrinkle, wtls Government steamer, but thor
oughly strengthened and prepared for the voy-
age, of about four hundred tons burden. One
of her boilers was supplied with an apparatus
for using whale oil for the generation of steam,
as well as for heating the ship. No pains or
expense was spared in providing everything to
make the expedition success; and the Con-
gress, q war steamer, conveyed her as far as
Disco Island, carrying an immense supply Of
>. IL e. ko
Her scientific corps included DR.. Emil Bessel,
a member of the first and second German Arc
tic Expeditions Sergeant Myers, Of the Signal
CORPS; and two or three other gentlemen of
fine attainments.
! The Polaris sailed from New York June 29,
and left Godhaven, the Port of Disco Island,
August IL, 1871. At Upernovik, where the
Captain Hoped to obtain large supply of dogs
for his sltdges, he was only partially success
full but she season being unusually long, and
less ice than for many years in both Smiths
and jones' Sounds, hc would undoubtedly be
able to make high latitude before going into
winter quarters. Though. he at first proposed
to take tie route through Jones' Soand, where
as yet no very high latitude has been attained,
he was allowed large discretion, and it Has
understood before he left New York, that he
would probably make his way up Smiths
Sound, following the general route OF Kane
and Hays, though better provided for his jour-
iney than either.
But Captain Hall never lived to realize the
hope of Ills matured years, and the goal of a
fond ambition. ~
The open Polar sea may be q reality, but thus
far it has proved to be myth: Captain Hall
He spent eight years of his life in the Arctic
region, and was we'll acquainted with the Ian
guage, Customs, and mode Of life of the Esqui-
imaux. His published narrative of his Arctic
explorations is exceedingly interesting.