Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-28
MiseellameoMs.
CAPT. HALLS ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Official Report of the Secretary Of tn,
Navy.
LcoSTINUED FROM YEsTERDAY.l

snow and ice, excepting patches here
and there in the shade of the rocks The
soil during this period was covered with q
more or less dense vegetation or moss with
when several arctic plants were inters-
persed, some of them of considerable
beauty, but entirely without perfume, and
many small willows. scarcely reaching the
dignity of shrubs. The rocks noticed were
oi a schistose or slate nature, and in soma
instances contained fossil plants, speci-
mems of which were collected
No fish were seen, although the net and
lines were called frequently into play, in
attempting 10 obtain them. The waters
however filled to an extraordinary degree
with marine invertebrT. including the jelly
fish and shrimps. 1t was believed by the
party that the seals depend upon the latter
for their principal subsistence. The geo
graphical results Of the Polaris expedition,
SO far as they can now be ascertained from
the testimony of Messrs. Tyson, Meyer
and their comrades, may he summed mp
briefly as follows;
The open Polar sea lail down by Haue
and Hayes IS found TO be in reality a sound
OF considerable extent, formed by /. some
what abrupt expansion OF Kennedy Cham
nei to the nosthward, and broken by Lady
Franklin Bay Oh the west and on the east
by large inlet, twenty miles wide al tie
opening, and certainly extending far III
| land. Its length was not aseertaned, and
Mr.. Meyer thinks il may be IN fact strait
extending until 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 place is the indentatiou
of the shore, called the Polaris Bay by
Captain Hall, where the Polaris wntered
in latitude 81 degrees - minutes north.
Thc northern point Of this bay was
named Cape Supton the southern point is
yet without a name. From Cape Supion
the land trends to northeast, and from the
eastern shore OF a ncw channel from - to
80 miles wide, opening out OF the sound
continues to Eepulse Harbor, in latitude
position reached hy land during this ex-
pedition.
From an elevation OF 1900 feet at Re-
| pulse liarbor. OF the east coast of Robe
! sons Straits. the land continues northeas,
to the end of these straits, and thence east
and southeast till lost in the distance. It's
the poiut of observation.
No ether land was visible to the NORTH
east, bnt land was seen on the west coast.
extending north as far as the eye could
reach, and apparently terminating in
headland - degrees north. Mr.. Meyel
also stated that directly to the north he
observed on Il bright day. from the elcva-
ton mentioned, a line OF light apparently
circular iii form, which was thought bv
other observers to be land, but which he
supposed to indicate open water. Besides
ascertaining accurately the condition and
extent OF what WAS before supposed to be
an open polar sea, discovering the south
ern ford to the southeast and Robeson's
Strait to the north, with another wide eX-
panSe of water beyond it, and extending
by examination and survey the coast 1ine
on the cast up to latitude 81 deg 9 min.
north and by observation somewhat fur
ther prolonging the west coast to the north
ard and passing, with the Polaris under
steam, the high latitude of 81 deg. 10 min
north, Il point far beyond the limits of all
previous navigation toward the pole, er-
rors in the shore line Of the west coast, as
laid down by pr Hayes, and also errors
in the shore line OF Greenland, as laid
down by DR.. Kane, We're observed and
corrected
Ofcourse 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 records and details
of her arctic explorations; but enough is
told by witnesses whom we have exam
med to excite the expectation and encour-
age the hope of large and valuable adli
tonS TO the domain OF human knowledge
| (Si~ncd) GEORGE NJ. robson,
Secretary of the Navy.
>rENCER +. BAIRD,
! ,ssistant-Secretary
Smithsonian Institute.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS.
Commander L. s. Navy
H. w. HoNGAGE.
Acting Signal-Otficcr
United States Army
70 the President, June sixteenth Q6).
eighteen hundred and seventy-three.
Cory of 4 DRAFT OF CAPTAIN Halls
DESPATCH.
sixth. Snow house Encampment, Cape
Brevoort, north side entrance to tAeWman :
BAY, latitude 81 degrees, ; minutes north
longitude 81 degrees 20 minutes west
October 20, 1871
To the Honorable Secretary Of the Uni
ted States Navy, George NJ. Robeson---
Myself and party, consisting of Mr.. Ches
ter, first mate. my ESquimaux Joe. and
the Greenland Esquimaux Hans, left tn,
ship in winter quarters, Thank God Har-
bor, latitude 81 degrees IS minutes moth,
longitude 81 degrees 4 / minutes west, At
the meridian Of October 10th, on a Journey
by two sledges, to discover. il possible, !,
feasible route inland for my sledge to jour
ney next spring to reach the North Pole,
purposing to adopt such a route if found
better than route over the old foes and
hummocks OF the strait, which have de-
nominated Robeson Strait, after the hon.
orable secretary ot the United States Navy.
We arrived here the afternoon OF October
Il, having discovered lake and river on
our way.
Along the latter our route, u most SER
pentine one. led lis on this bay, fifteen
minutes distant from here, sou,hward
tcoScLuDED ON FOURTH PAGE.