Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-07-01

anu all ISH iIlIdu-A S6Ill6i1eIlb dG n aVlC
is close by. Communication with
these people could be easily opened and
maintained ; and no apprehension for
the POlaris, or in the absence of acct
| dent or s;ckness) for those on board.
is entertained by any of the rescued
persons. As to the question whether
the ship can make her way to the
Danish settlement at Upernavik or
Discoe without steam, if she gets free
from ice this season, supposing her
to be in as good condition as when the
rescued party was last on board, the
witnesses differ in judgment; but the
fair if not better opinion, is that she
will need assistance to bring her COM
pleteiy and safely out.
INTERESTING POINTS.
On board the polaris are specimens
of drift-wood picked UP or near the
| shores on Newman's bay and POlaris
bay, among which Myers thought he
e;ognized distinctly the walnut, the
ash and the pine. Among the aumer-
Gus facts that appear to be shown by
the testimony elected on examination,
we may mention as one of much in
| terest that the dip of the needle
amounted to 45 degrees, and its devia-
tion to So degrees, being less than at
Port Foulke and Renneselaer harbor
as given by DR.. Kane and DR.. Hayes
| The rise and fall or the tides were care
| fully observed, the average being
| about sol feet. The greatest depth OF
water noted was about 100 fatboms -
| The existence of constant current
southwark was noticed by the expedi-
ton, its rapidity varying with the
| season and locality. The winter tenn
perature was found TO be much milder
than expected, the minimum being
50 degrees below zero in January, al
| though there were occasionally tenn
pests from hesOuthwest. High winds
were noticed, however, from all points
of the compass. Rain was OCCASION
ally observed, only on land, the pre-
cipitation presenting itself over the
! ice in the form of snow. During the
summer the extent of both head |
| lands and of 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 u more or less dense vegetation
| of moss, with which several Arctic
plants we've interspersed, some of them
of considerable beauty, but entirely
| without scent, and many small will
| lows, scarcely reaching the dignity of
shrubs. The rocks noticed were OF q
| schiStOse or slate nature, and in some
instances they contained fossil plants,
| specimens of which were collected
Distinct evidence OF former glacier
were seen in places now bare of ice,
these indications consisting in the &C.
curIence of terrenial and lateral NOR
aines. Animal life was found TO
abouhu, musk oxen beiHg shot at in
tervals throughout the winter. Geese
duck and other water fowls, including
plOver and other wading birds aboun-
ded during the summer, although the
species of land birds were compare
| lively few. No fish were seen, al
| though nets and lines were frequently
called into play in attempting to OBJ
| tain them. The waters however, were
found to abound to an extraordinary
| degree with marine iEvertebr8, inclu-
! ding Jelly fish and shrimps. Seals
were very abundant. Numerous in
sects were observed also, especially
| several species OF butterflies; also flies,
bees and insects of like character.
THE OPEN POLAR SEA:
The geographical results of the Po-
! laris expedition, so far as can now be
ascertained from the testimony of Ty-
| son, Meyer, and their comrades, may
be summed up briefly as follows; The
open Polar sea laid down by Kane &
| Hayes is found to be in reality asOund
of considerable extent, formed by a
somewhat abrupt expansion of Ken
neGy channel to the nOrthward, and
broken by Lady Frankliu's bay on the
west, and on the east by large inlet
20 miles wide at the opening. and evil
! IDENTIFY extending far inland. Its
| length was not aScertained, and Mr..
Meyer thinks it may be in fact, a
strait extending till it communicates
with Francis Joseph's Sound. OF the
| Germania and Hensa expedition, and
with it definining the northern
limits of Greenland. This inlet was
called Southern Fiard. North of 1t in
the same place is an indentatiOn OF the
shore called Polaris Bay by Captain
Hall. The POlaris wintered at the
northern point of this bay, named
Cape Bupten; it's southern point Is
| vet without a name. Beyond Cape
Lupten the land bends to the north
east, and forms the eastern shore OF
new channel from twenty-five to thir-
ty miles wide, opening out of the
sound above mentioned. to which
Captain Hall, as already stated, gave
the name of Robeson's straits. The
| western shore of these straits, north OF
Grinnels land. is also nameless.-
Northeast of Cape Lupten, in latitude
81 degrees 81 minutes. is deep Inlet,
which Captain Hall called Newman
| Bay, naming its northern point Cape
| BrevOort and its southern bluff Sum
| mer Headland. The bend of land con-
tinues TO Repulse HarbOr in latitude
! 81 degrees 8 minutes north, the high
est northern position reached 10y lana
during this expedition. From an ele-
walton of 1900 feet at Repulse Harbor
on the east coast of RobesOn's Straits,
it is seen that the land continues
| northeast to the end OF these Straits,
and thence east and southeast till lost
in the distance, it's vanishing point
being south of east from the place OF
| observation. No other land was vlsl'
BILE to the northeast; but land was
seen on the west coast extending north
as far as the eye could reach, apparent
ly terminating i'll q headland aDout
S4 deg. north e Errors in the shore
line of the west coast as laid down by
DIR. Hayes, and also errors IN the
shore line of Greenland as laid down
| by DIR. Kane, were observed and cor
rected, OF course the full scientific
results of the Polaris expedition can
not be known until that vessel shall
have been fonnd and brought back
With the treasures she has gathered
and the records and details of her Arc.
tic explorations but enough is told
by the witnesses whom we have ex'
amined to excite expectation and en-
courage the hope ofIarge and valuable
additions to the domain of human
| knowledge.