Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-20

: noted about one hundred fathoms. The
existence of a constant current south
) ward was noticed by the expedition, it
rapidity varying with the season and
J locality. The winter temperature was
found to be much milder than was eX.
t pected, the minimum being fifty-eight
|, degrees below zero in January, although
March proved to be the coldest month.
+ The prevailing winds were from the
J northeast, although there were occasion.
{ ally tempests from the southwest.
( High winds were noticed, how.
ever, from all points of the corn.
pass. Rain was occasionally observed
! only on the land, however, the precipi-
ton presenting itself over the ice in the
, form of snow. During the summer the
J extent of lands and elevations were bare
of snow and ice, excepting patches here
and there IN the shade of rocks. The
soil during this period was covered with
q more or less dense vegetation of moss,
. with which several Arctic plants were
interspersed, some of them of considera-
BILE beauty, but entirely without scent,
and many small willows, scarce
Ily reaching the dignity of shrubs,
and the rocks noticed were of
q schistose or slate nature, and in some
mems of which were collected. Distinct
evidences of former glaciers seen in To-
calities, the indications consisting in
terrennial and lateral mardines. Ami
NAL life was found to abound, musk
oxen being shot at intervals throughout
the winter. Geese, ducks and other
water-fowls, including plOver and other
wading birds, abOunded
DURING SUMMER.
/ Although the species of land birds
were comparatively few, no fish were
seen, although nets and lines were fire.
quently called into play in attempting
I to obtain them. The waters, however,
were found to contain jellyfish and
shrimps. Seals were very abundant.
Numerous insects were observed also,
!. especially several species of butterflies,
bees and insects OF ike character. The
geographical results of the Polaris expe-
dition, so far as they can now be aseer-
tanned from the testimony of Messrs.
I Tyson, Myer, and their comrades, may
be summed up briefly as follows: The
open polar sea laid down by Kane and
Hays is found to be in reality a sound of
considerable extent, formed by a some
what abrupt expansion of Kennedy
I channel to the nOrthward, and broken
by Lady Franklin's bay on the west,
and on the east by large inlet twenty
miles wide at the opening, and certainly
EXTENDING FAR INLAND.
Its length was not ascertained. Myer
thinks it may be in fact a strait, extend
ing till it communicates with Francis
Joseph's sound, of the GeTmania and
Hanse expedition, and with it defining
the northern limits of Greenland. This
| inlet was called Southern Fiord. North
/ of it, in the same place, is an indenta-
/ ton of the shore, called Polaris bay by
| Captain Hall. The Polaris wintered at
the northern point of this bay, named
Lupten. Its southern point is yet with
out name. From Cape Lupten the land
] bends to the northeast from the eastern
shore of q new channel from twenty
! five to thirty miles wide, opening to
/ the sound above meAtioned to which
Captain Hall, as has already been stat
ed, gave the name Of Robeson's straits.
The western shore Of these straits, north
of Grinnel's land, is also nameless.
Northeast of Cape Lupton, in latitude
| eighty-One degrees and thirty-One min
utes is deep inlet, which Captain Hall
called Newman's bay, naming its north
ern point Cape BrevoOrt, and its south
ern bluff Summer Headland. The bend
/ of land continues to Repulse harbOr,
| in latitude eighty-seveu degrees nine
minutes north. The highest northern
position reached by land during this ex-
I peditiOn was an elevation of one thou
sand seven hundred feet, at Repulse
| harbor On the eastern coast of Robe
sons stats the land continues north
or 70 Of STR 70 nd
thence east and southeast, till lost in
the distanae, its vanishing point bear
ing south by east from the place of OBJ
servation.
NO OTHER LAND WAS VISIBLE,
TO the northeast, but land was seen on
the west coast extending north as far as
the eye could reach, and apparently ter
| minating on the headland of eighIy-fOur
I degrees north. The errors in the shore
line Of the west coast, as laid down by
Or. Hayes, and also the errors in the
shOre-line of Greenland, as laid down
by DR.. Kane, were observed and
corrected OF course full scien-
pedition cannot be known until that
vessel shall have been found and brought
back, with the treasures she has gathered
/
explorations; but enough is told by the
witnesses whom We have examined to
excite expectation and encourage the
hope of large and valuable additions to
the domain of human knowledge.
iSignedl GEO. NJ. robson,
Secretary of Navy.
SPENCER 7. BAIRD,
ASsistan t-Secretary Smithsonian Institute.
VIM. REYNOLDS,
Commodore United States Navy.
II. W. HOWGATE,
Acting Signal Officer United States Army.
TEXT OF CAPTAIN HALLS DISPATCH
Sixth Snowhouse Encampment, Cape Brew
oort, northslde entrance to Newmans Bay,
latitude eighty-two, three north, longitude
sixty-one two west, October 10Th, ISL.
To the Honorable Secretary of the United
States Navy, Geo. W. Robeson:
Myself and party, consisting of Mr..
Chester, first mate, my Esquimaux Joe
and Greenland, have left the ship in
winter quarter, thank God. The harbor
is in latitude eighty-one, thirty
eight, north longitude sixty-one
forty-four degrees west of meridian,
October 10th. The journey is by two
sledges drawn by fourteen dogs, to dis
cover, if possible, a feasible route in
land for my sledge journey next spring
to reach the north pole, purposing to
adopt such route, if found better than
q route over old foes and hammocks, to
strait, which have designated Robe
son strait, after the honorable secre-
tary of the United States navy.
We arrived here the afternoon
Of October 18th, having discovered q
lake and river; on our way along the
latter our route was a most serpentine
one, which led us on to this bay, fifteen
minutes distance from here, southwark
and eastward. From the top of an ice
berg near the mouth of said river we
could see that this bay, which l have
named after Rev. DR.. Newman,
extended to a highland eastward
and southwark of that position,
about fifteen miles, making the extent
of Newman's bay, from its headland or
cape, full thirty miles. The south
cape is high, bold and noble head
land. l have named it Sumner head
land, after Hon. Charles Sumner, orator
and United States senator, and the north
cape, Cape BrevoOrt, after J. Carson
Brevoort, friend TO Arctic discoveries.
On arriving here we found the mouth of
Newman's bay open, and in the water
numerous seals bObbing up their heads,
THIS open water making close to Sum-
ner headland ana BrevoOFt cape. The
ice of Robson strait debarred ali chance
of extending our journey up the straits.
The land is mountainous, but will ad-
init Of our surveying further north, and
as the time of our expected absence was
understood to be two weeks, we COM
mence our return tomorrow. To-day
we are storm-bound to this, our sixth
encampment. From Cape Brevoort we
can see the land extending on
the west side of the strait to
the north. tWenty-tWo degrees west and