New-York tribune., 1873-06-20


Gro NJ. RoBEsoN. Secretary of the Navy.
A SUMMARY OF TIE TESTIMONY.
The undersigned. having been present az ana taken
mart in the fun and careful examination OF MT Geo r.
Tyson. assistant navigator; Frederick Meyer meteoro-
ogist; j. W. C. Kruger G.. W, Lnguist, Frederick An
tipp Peter johnson. Frederick Jamka, and Wm Lnde-
mann seamep and John Harron. steward; VIM Jack
SON cook and Joe. Hannah. aud Hans ESquimaux, all
late Of the steamer Poaris and, with the exception OF
The wife Of Hans and five children comprising the party
which was separated from her the ice in October last
and picked up of the coast Of Labrador on April 80 OF
this year by the British sailing steamer TTos give the
following the result Of The investigation:
SAILING OF THE PoLABIS.
The Polars left Disco on the 18th Of August ISL
when she parted company from the Congress, arriving
az Upper Navk the next day At this port she TOOK on
board dogs, seal and dogslns. and small Quah'
tity Of coal and shipped Hans Hendrick or Chrsu'n'
EsqumauN, who had been with Drs, Kane ana hayes
and the wife of Hans and three children ~ was
expected that Jensen, who had also accompanies III
Hayes would ioiu the PolaIis at TessuiSoc. Leaving
Navik, the Polaris touched at IeSSul5ac Shu
tnere procured more dogs ana q small guam
tity Of clothing, hut Jensen did not go with
H. The expcditon leaving TcSSuisac on The 2ith she
proceeded northward under steam, passing through
Smith Sound and Kennedy Channel with very little de-
lay or obstruction from the Ice. Near Cape Frazier
(,sufT TIgl q "a
for fe entering place. but unsuccessful in finding
one Clearing kennedy Channel in the PolaTis Capt
Hall found himself passing through large sound in tho
precise position Of Kane open Polar Sea- with bay on
the Greenland side In this bay the ship subse
ouently wintcred and Il received from Capt Hall the
name Of Poars Bav Us hcrn cape he called Tpton
Passing ON 10 the uorthward aud passing through
the sound the ship entered another channel OF
about 25 or 80 miles width with high land on either
efs1o af fft{uf fbp 1irlp
northern latitude, declared by Capt Hall 10 be so 90
north, but afterWaId found by careful calculation Of
Mr. Meyers, 10 tc so l6' north AT this. her
highest point. the Poaris was stin the new
strait OF channel which she had discovered and
which Capt Hall bad named Robson Straits,
after the present Secretary OF the Navy.
Here The ship wa met hy heavy floating ice extending
entirely the straits and barring her further pro
gress northward After making unsuccessful efforts to
hnd q way through the ice, Capt Hail. in a boat, exam
incd small baTb1r the eastern side OF the straits for
Winter quarters. This being found unsuitable for the
purpose named Refuse HarbOr." After incuIring
imminent risks, the ship became fairly bcset in these
straits and drftcd with the ice to the south, and out Of
them 20 the latitude OF Sl2 3)r north, when the
pack opening on the 50 Of September, she
steamed the eastward and found her Winter quarters
in small sheltered bend Of the coast protected
IVY stranded lceberc on the east side OF Poars Bay,
latitude SO OO 35' north longitude 6' ~ west To this
cove Capt. Hall gave the of Thank God HarbOr"
calling the iceberg Providence Berg" At midnight
the 81 Of September, 1871, Capt Hall landed with
boat east shore of Poars Bay and the name Of
God and Of the President Of the United States raised the
American flag the land he had discovered. on one
occasion while beset in Robson Straits the Polars
seemed 70 he in such danger Of being crushed that
visions placed upon the ice an1 measures taken to
be in readiness for leaving her but she haPpily escaped
without injury. Immediately after securing his ship in
Winter Cuartcrs Cant Han rnada rrpnlratious for
sledge journey northward, and other work was com
menced by landing and setting up the observatory
getting the scientific observations under way, suryeyn
the harbor, cleaning up ship and making snug for
the Winter
CAPT HALLS LAST EXPLORATIONS AND DEATH.
On the 10th OF October Capt Hall left the Pol1ris.
accompanied by Mr. Chester first mate, and Esquimaux
Joe aud Hans with two sedges and dogs. Setting out
on this expedition the first step taken by Capt Han fell
upon land more northern than white mans foot had
before touched III the progress Of the Journey
unhappily the last that Capt Hall to make toward
the pOle-he discovered appears by hs dispatch, a
river lake, and a large inlet the latter in latitude
80 81" north lie named this Newmans Bay calling its
northern point Cape Brevoort and the southern one
Sumner Headand. At Cape BrevOort, in latitude So 81
north, longitude CO. 20' west, nc rested, making
there his sixth snow encampment. On october
20 be wrote his last dispatch the Secretary OF the
Navy the original draft Of which found in his
IN MS WTltlugdesk lis examination IN
Washington after ii delivered TO the Secretary of
the Navy by ESQuimaux Joe who had kept the desk in
his custody from the time 10 was picked up
Oh the ice, after the separation OF the res
cued party from the ship. A copy Of TINS
dispatch singulay preserved accompanies this re
port. Capt Hall himself deposited a transcript OF 1t in
the side Of the mountain at Cape BrevoOrt.
Capt Hail. it appears, had hoped when lac left the POa
ris this journey TO advance nO.thward at least
INT AFT h9v 4bO he
PEELED by the condition Of the shore and Of the ice and
by the state OF the climate return and await the ap
proach OF Spring for another attempt He reached the
hp the oath Of October apparently his usual fine
health, but attacked the same evening with sickness
Df the stomach and vomiting, and taking to his bed
the day found 10 be seriously ILL., His most marked
symptoms seem, from the evidence to have been such
as indicate congestion of the BRAIN accompanied by de-
irium and partial paralysis Of one side. The wit
all state that his attack called apOpleXy, and
some Of them speak Of their knowledge Of his par
alysls aud doliIium. He recovered, however, some
days after sufficiently to leave his bed, to move
about the cabin little, and to attempt to at
tend 10 business. But he soon had relapse,
became again delious. and died the sth OF NOvem-
ber 1871 Three days after he buried the shore
From personal examination Of al the witnesses, aud
from their testimony given reach the unanimous
opinion that the death OF Capt Hall resulted naturally
from disease without fault the part Of any one.
During bis illness he under the medical Of DR..
Besse and of the persons now here capable
Of giving particular account OF the nature and
symptoms Of his fatal sickness the return Of the Poars
must be awaited precise information. All the per-
sons examined testify to the uniform kindness and
Of Capt Han, and 10 the good order and efficient
dton Of the Polaris while under his command.
CAPT. BUDDISGTON IN COMMAND
On the death Of Capt Han, Mr.. Buddinglon succeeded
the command Of the PoarIs had been provided for
the instructions for the voyage issued by the sccre
tary Of the Navy. The Winter passed is usual in
the Arctic region, but without any suffering from the
cold from disease from the want Of proper provis-
Ions. The scientific observations diligently kept
up. POlaris and Newmans Bays were surveyed