Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-28
Arctic Adventures.

From the correspondence of the EUening
Post, we take some interesting particulars of
the expedition of Captain Hall and his CON-
panions, not found in the account of the
PoIaris disaster which we gave two weeks
ago.
Had we not the most conclusive evidence,
il would be difficult to believe that party
consisting of eleven men, two women and FIVE
children the youngest now but eight months
od-were borne away from their vessel on
az ice fJe in latitude 77o 35', on the 15th of
October, 1872, and were picked up by q
steamer off Grady Harbor,s on the coast OF
Labrador on the 2sth of April, 1873, in
latitude So, having drifted on the ice, with
out making any allowance for the windngs
of their track, ,44O miles. And yet this is
the simple truth; and it 10 also true that
when taken off the ice all were in good health,
the baby included. and in fair condition.
This wonderful ice-voyage leaves all others
ofthe KIN in the shade Kane's escape from
the Advance, over the ice, in Smiths Sound,
.nks in comparison with this to the dimen-
sions of mere boating excursion. Even
Barent wondrous boat voyage from Nova
Zsmbla pales before it. The escape of the
crew of the Hansa, of the German North
Polar Expedition, on the ice, was not attend
ed by tenth part of the perils and priva-
tions of these lonely voyagers. The Hansa
was crushed in the ice, on the east coast of
Greenland, on the 22d of October, 1869 in
latitude 707 49'. longitude l07 ST.. The
crew, fourteen in number, all men, took to the
ice: but they had ample stores. and built a
snug house on the ice with patent fuel. They
were tolerably comfortable, and only on one
occasion. when the foe broke up. were they
ia serious peril. Allowing for the windings
Of their course, they drifted eleven hundred
miles. and on June IA, 1870, arrived at Fred
eriksthaI, on the other side of Cape Farewell.
They were longer on their voyage than those
Of the Polaris, but they only drifted from
20 to 60--ten degrees the Polaris party
sailed on the ice-raft over 24- 35' of latitude :;
and allowing for the windings of their track,
prOJablY drIlted more than two thousand
miles in all. They had only snow huts to
shelter them, and very slender stock of
provision at starting, not more than enough
to sustain the party for single month, if
duly fed. We must conclude, then, that
this wonderful voyage is without parallel.
VOYAGE OF THE PoLARIs.
propose, first of all, to furnish your
readers with slight sketch of the POlaris
until tue ltluo WDeH tuOSe vi ueT crew, l1ON
in St. johns, drilted off on the ice-hoe. AZ
ter leaving Disco she had very favorable
time, and found the season unusually open
and the weather fine. The Polaris put into
Cpper Navick, where she remained one day,
and then steamed north into Melville Bay !,
where she first encountered ice, and had
some diff :ulty IN working her way through.
After wards she met with open water, unen-
numbered with ice; but at Cape Wolston-
hllme she again encountered Ice. Having
got through the pack and reached latitude
7SI, she found open water as far as the eye
could reach. Then entering Smith Sound
she had still open water, meeting occasional
" with ice-felds, till Kennedy Channel was
reached, where logs were met with. In 81
25, soundings We're taken With line of two
hundred iathoms without touching the bot
tom. The weather having cleared mp, the
Poaris steamed away north. The POlaris
passed through a narrow strait which Cap
tain Hall named Robeson Channel, after the
Secretary of the Navy. Having reached lat
tude So 49,, the land on tie Greenland side
could be seen trending eastward; oa the
American side Grinnell Land could be seen
as tar as latitude S30. Heiyy ice now ar
rested the progress of the ship, and being
made fast to foe she drfted south for sew
eral successive days. During the last week
OF August the pressure OF the heavy Ice be-
came SO alarming that it was deemed prudent
to remove a portion of the stores from the
ship to the ice On September 4th the ice
slackened, and the ship drited farther south
till she was off the southern point of Robson
Channel, which Captain Hall named Cape
LOptun. Stores were now taken into the
ship, aid the water beiug open, steam was
a..I cha rna n
bay which Captain Hall named Polaris Bay,
and selected as his winter quarters. Here
he anchored 10 a small harbor which hs
named - Thank God Har1Or,' close to pro-
tccting iceberg, which was aground. and call
ed by him . Providence Iceberg Half th'
stores were now landed the wooden observ
atory which was on beard was erected ashore
On tie 18th OF September party went ou
hunting and shot musk OK, of which sew
eral more were subsequently shot, Captain
Hall, having observed a broad valley at som,
distance from the coast, which was rugged
and mountainous, stretching away north
wald, decided on a sledging expedition, SO a
to explore these valleys and prepare the way
for next springs operations along the Green
land coast. He and MIR. Chester, chief mate
with two Esquimaux, started on sledg'
drawn by dogs. They were absent a fort
night, and in returning discovered ba,
twenty miles north Of the winter quarters
which they named Newman's Bay, after tlt
Rev. DR.. Newman, who was on board tn
Congress, on hec visit to Disco with store
for the PoIaris. The northern point of thi
bay Captain Hall named Cape Reward. Oh
h.s return Captain Hall fell sick, and afle
an illness of fourteen days, died on Novem
Der Sth. He was buried on the shore ada
cent to Poaris Bay. Two days were spen
IN digging a grave to the depths of four feet
the coffin was placed on sledge, and th
whole ships company, IN profound sorrow
followed the remains OF their beloved com
mander to the grave. The funeral servic
was read by Mr.. Bryan, and tho lionel,
grave was carefully covered in. There, ir
tie Arctic solitudes, reposes the dust of one
OF the most daring and enthusiastic explor
ers OF those grim regi0ns-a man who ha
determined that he would reach the opel
Polar sea, that he would be the first to em
bark on It's waters and reach the pole. Hi
resting place is, at all events, nearer the pol
than that of any other white man.
WINTER QUARTERS.
On November 2lst, during heavy gale c
wind, the ice broke up round the ship an
she drifted alongside '' Providence Iceberg.
The young ice formed soon again, bat
heavy gale from the south drove heavy lc
INTO the bay, and forced the foot of the ice
o5Tg right under the ships keel, causing
heavy list, and, at high water, throwing he
on her beams. In this uncomfortable posi-
ton the Polaris remained all winter. The,
were one hundred and thirty-fve days with
out seeing the sun. During the long, dar
Arctic night the crew kept up their spirit
well, having a regular routine of duties, an
occasionally games and other amusement
All continued perfectly healthy.
SURvEYIN EXPEDITIoNG,
On March q, DR.. Dessel and Mr.. Bryan
with two Esauimaux started south to SUI