The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-15
HALL IN THE ARCTIC.
A New Government Book on the Dead
Explorers Second Voyage.
HIS SUFFERINGS AND SUCCESSES.
The Behring Strait Route to the Pole
Confidence in De Long.

Confidence in De Long
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENCE
WASHINGTON, Dec 49, 1879.
The narrative Of G. y. Halls Second Arctic Expe-
dition." prepared at the Naval Observatory and
transmitted to the Senate by the Secretary of the
Navy. is nearly ready for delivery from the govern
ment printing office. copy received in advance
shows volume of the same size with Admiral Davis
narrative of Halls voyage the Inflated Polaris-
an imperial octave OF TOO pages. with moro than
100 illustrations. 1t will form q companion
volume to that narrative and to Halls "Arctic
Researches. completing the three records of his
years Arctic work. The book now issuing is not
the story of voyage to the Pole but of five years.
residence among the Esquimaux. ana of number
Of sledge journeys around Hudsons B ~ and as far
west as King Williams Land. No other Arctic ex-
plorer has ever had long an experience with The
natives or made SO many suffering sledge journeys
in the depths Of winter.
Opening the volume We find large dissected cir
cumpolar map. prepared for the benefit Of Arctic
readers and illustrating only Halls labors but
those Of other distinguished Arctic explorers in
both heinisphcres. Their names number more than
one hundred and their positions reached North and
West indicated with reference to the tables in
the text. The lstitudes and longitudes reached by
the sledges Of Captain Mares. and Nordenskj0ld's
altered coast line Of Northern Asia plotted. IS
we'll as the tracks Of Franklns ships in 1856 and
Of his two land expeditions to the ocean of 1S193
and the twelve hundred mile drift OF Tyson's ice
foe party from the Polaris.
THROUGH BEHRING STRAIT.
Looking on the map up through Behring's Strait
toward wrangell Land will be found the names Of
Rodgers ClS55). Raynor (1S6l and Long (ls67. each
of which names has renewed interest, now that Dc
Long is up there on Lis way to the Pole the map
showing also . sketch Of Wrangell Land, with its
volcanic peaks. a. seen by Captain Long, OF New
London. in 1867. The sketch does not present to
the eye an idea OF much comfort for De Longs ex-
perience II he has wintered there; but whether
he has made . harbor or is even frozen
up outside 1t is safe to say that he is master Of the
situation. His naval record from the time of his
tering the Annapolis Academy and his brilliant
cruise in the Little Juniata while searching for the
Polaris Of themselves justify the best hopes Of his
Anal success and general remark here has been that
II any one could solve the problem De Long
was the man to be chosen. This confidence
is fully shared by such Arctic captains as
Rowe. who commanded the vincennes under
Rodgers In 1866. and Simms. who built ana COM
manded the Arctic. which went out for the relief Of
DR.. Kane. Simms tells us to-day that he considers
that Arctic ship has ever gone out well fitted
Tor the service as the Jeanette giving among his
other that De Long take out his propeller
probably in Ave minutes. and that he has spare
hanges which, In Of losscan be promptly screwed
Built originally for speed under sail steam.
both combined. furnished in England with all the
modern equipments or an Arctic exploring ship,
the Jeanette is we'll known to have been the pet
ship the Psndors) Of Captain Allen Young. who took
her safely through his two Arctic voyages of 1856
passing through hurricane on his return from the
last. Captain Simms says tnat retted she has
been under De Long. aud not tied up by cred ape
. government vessel must be, but fully equipped
and her course left to the commanders discretion.
she has every chance Of glorious success. This
opinion from the commander Of the Arctic, who was
himself frozen up in Bafins Bay. IL certainly of
value. II De Long should even be frozen up out
side he can push forward at the opening season,
after being we'll housed and we'll fed from his larder
RoDGER's EXPEDITION.
In this connection one cannot help expressing the
regret that the narrative OF the expedition sent out
under Lieutenant (now admira Rodgers in 1866. for
the reconnaissance of Behring Strait the Arctic
Sea- has never been published. Rodgers and Rowe in
the vncennes reached the position of latitude 72 deg
05 min north, and longitude 174 deg. 81 min. west
for the purpose of verifying the existence of land
which had been placed there the admiralty charts
by Captain Kelett. r. NJ Of the British ship Herald
They ran the position Of this land by
Kellett. anchorinR IL in forty-two fsthoms,
and they compelled also to report the nom
existence Of Plover Island. This last has disap-
peared from the charts. and Admiral Kelletts name
has been transferred seemingly to the un-
known possible north extension of Wrsnpell
Land. At this time Of such renewed interest
in Arctic exploration through the Straits il
tai N tsS
report Of Rodgers expedition. which tho Secretary
of the Navy. in his report for 1867. announced rs
rapidly advancing" but for tho completion of
which, it is understood. Congress failed to make ap-
preparation. The chart Of the expedition issued
from our photographic Office. shows tho soundings
to confirm what has been just said.
HALLS LONE EXPEDITION.
To return to Halls expedition. He u we'll remem-
bered by many in New York and in Cincinnati as
tho untirng enthusiast who left his seal engraving
and his penny newspaper. the Press copy Of which
lies before us). to go out alone in search OF the
Franklin records and Frsnklin's men. His curious
personal history is different from that Of all other
Arctic explorers in thus going out alone and remain
ing alone for more than seven years among tho
Esqumaux. He accomplished much more in
those years than no has had credit for Tho volume
now published shows that the eenuinoness of his
discoveries the first expedition promptly ad-
mittcd by the Royal Geographical Society Of Lon.
don. and his geological collections brought home
with the Frobishcr relics are valued by scientific
men. Appendix Ill. Of the volume now issuing
is . discussion by Professor Emerson. OF
Amherst College. Of that part OF Halls col
lections which we're presented TO that col
lege. Professor Emerson says that he has given
detailed account of the specimens. many Of which
furnished new fossils coming from horizon which
had not before been known to be represented 30 far
North-that Of the "Utica" satc-and he quotes from
the journal Of the Royal Dublin Society. that
''Hali'n geological collections give US tho only in
formation concerning tho occurrence of the Lower