The New York Herald Newspaper, May 10, 1873, Page 3

i. THE POLARIS. End and Failure of the Great Arctic Expedition. The Vessel Loses Her Commander. and Half Her Crew. DEATH OF THE HEROIC HALL. — He Expires of Apoplexy While En- couraging His Crew. THE NORTH POLE ALMOST WITHIN SIGHT. Nineteen Survivors Rescued from an Iceberg. Thrilling Narrative of Arctic Adventure— One Hundred and Ninety Days on a Floe, DRIFTING FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES. Subsisting on Seal Bear Flesh. and Alternate Emotions of Joy and Despair. THE POLARIS DEPRIVED OF HER BOATS, Anchored at Northumber- land Island. NARRATIVE OF THE ASSISTANT NAVIGATOR A Chapter ot Surpassing Interest. THE NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PRESIDENT GRANT DEEPLY ARFLICTED, The country will hear with feelings of the most painful interest the melancholy tidings published in to-day’s Heratp of the misad- ‘venture of the Polaris, the failure of the last Breat Arctic expedition and the loss of its heroic commander, Captain C. F. Hall, along with, probably, a portion of his crew. It is pilmost two years since the Polaris left the Port of New York on her voyage of discovery %o the North Pole, and “never,’’ in the words of her commander, “was an Arctic expedi- fion more completely fitted out.’’ The Polaris ‘Was prepared for her great work with an un- paralleled degree of care and foresight. Sho pwanted for nothing. All thatart and science ould provide was furnished, and she set sail under a greater variety of auspicious circum- tances than perhaps ever blessed the start of pny similar enterprise. Sad to say, she may ever return, and the work she undertook to flo must be tried over again. From the correspondent at Bay Roberts, New- foundland, we have received the following @espatches concerning the sorrowful ending jad the brave mission of Captain OC. F. Hall:— Bax Roserts, via St. Jouns, N. F. May 9, 1873. The steamer Walrus arrived from the seal Bshery at the port of St. Johns this morning ringing news that the steamer Tigress had wome into Bay Roberts, eighteen miles from hhere, having om board nineteen survivors of Ball's Arctic expedition. " The Hznaty correspondent, who was one ‘bf the first to learn the important intelligence, Simmediately started to Bay Roberts to learn the full particulars. The. Tigress was at gnchor and the rescued men were assembled pndeck. They furnished the Heratn corres- Bondent with the DEEPLY THRILLING NARRATIVE pf the adventures of the expedition, the death pf Captain Hall and the final escape of the survivors, who were taken off from an iceberg by the Tigress on the 30th of April last, in Uatitude 53 30, after having spent 196 days on the floe. The following are the names of the rescued: — LIST OF NAMES. HL. C. Tyson, assistant navigator. Frederick Meyer, meteorologist, John Heron, steward. W. C. Kruger, seaman. Fred Jamka, seaman. ‘Wm. Nindemann, seaman, Fred Antnig, seaman. Gustavus T. Linguist, seaman. Peter Johnston, seuman, William Jackson, cook. Sequimaux Joe, interpreter. Hannah and child, Esquimaur. Hans Christian, of Kane's expedition. Hans Christian's wife and four children, , Youngest only eight months old. ’ DRIVEN FROM THE POLARIS. This party, which had been landed from ~ Phe Polaris, were driven from her by 8 gale prhich burst her moorings on the 15th of Oc- ober, 1872, in latitude 72 35. LAST NIGHT OF THE POLARIS. _SWhen they last saw the Rolazis she wag an- NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1873.—TRIPLE SHEET. der steam and canvas, making for a harbor on the east side of Northumberland Island. NO BOATS LEFT. She had no boats left of the six which she brought with her from the port of New York. Two were lost ina northern expedi- tion, two were landed on the ice with Cap- tain Tyson’s party, one was burnt as firewood to make water for the crew, and the other is on board the Tigress. The Polaris was in command of Captain Buddington, who had thirteen of a crew along with him, and a plentiful stock of provi- sions. She was making a good deal of water, but, as Captain Tyson informed the Heraup cor- respondent, she was not more leaky than when he was on board all the previous Fall and Winter. A HEB BOW DAMAGED. Her bow was somewhat damaged, and it is the opinion of the survivors they will be un- able to get clear until July, and even then, if the ship is unseaworthy, they should have to make new boats to effect un escape. DEATH OF THE HEROIC HALL, On the 8th of October, 1871, in latitude 81 38, longitude 61 44, Captain Hall died of apoplexy, and was buried on shore, where they erected a wooden cross to mark his grave. He had recently returned from a northern sledge expedition, in which he had attained the latitude of 82 16. He seemed in his usual health, and had called the crew into the cabin to encourage them with hopes of future rewards and stimulate them to renewed exertion when he was suddenly struck down and expired, to the great grief of those around, to whom he had endeared himself by his kind- ness and devotion, ADVENTURES OF THE SURVIVORS. In September, 1871, the Polaris entered Winter quarters, and left August 12, 1872. The ice was very heavy, and set in a southern direction. She was forced south, and so con- tinued drifting till Captain Tyson and party were driven from her. The sledge party crossed Kane’s Polar Sea, which they pronounced to bea strait about fifteen miles wide. There was an appearance of open water to the north, The rescued party suffered very much during their dreary drift from hunger and cold. For the last two months they ate raw seal and polar bear as they could get it, When MET BY THE TIGRESS they showed evident signs of their great suf. ferings, but during the nine days they have been on board they have improved vastly and are now in fair health. The party is in charge of the United States Consul and will arrive in St. Johns on Monday next. Statement of Captain Tyson. The following statement was furnished the Herarp correspondent by Captain Tyson:— On the 24th of August, 1871, we left Tes- sinsack and went through Smith’s Sound. We succeeded in getting as far north as latitude 8216, when we returned and wintered at Polaris Bay, latitude 81 38, longitude 61 44. We were frozen up until the 5th of September. On the 10th of October Captain Hall started on a sledge journey north, and returned on the 24th, when he was taken sick, and died on the 8th of November. He was buried on the 11th. The attack that car- tied him off was said to be apoplexy. We passed the Winter at Polaris Bay. On the 8th of June, 1872, we attempted to reach the north with two boats. We hauled our other boat on shore and _ returned overland on the 8th of July. We started for home on the 12th of August, and on the 15th were beset with ice in latitude 8002, We drifted from there down to latitnde 77 35, when we encountered a heavy southwest gale, the ship being under heavy pressure. On the night of the 15th we commenced landing provisions, &., onthe ice, THE VESSEL BEING REPORTED LEAKING very badly at times. We continued landing provisions for two or three hours, when the pressure ceased. I went on board the vessel and asked the sailing master if the vessel was making any more water than usual. He re- ported that she was not. I then went to the pumps and ascertained that she was not making any more than she was doing all Summer. BREAKING OF THE ICE. I went on the ice again and shortly after it began to crack, and ina few minutes after- wards bruke in many pieces. The vessel broke from her fastenings and was soon LOST TO SIGHT IN THE DARKNESS AND STORM. On the broken ice were most of our pro- visions to sustain the party through the Winter, and seeing nothing of the vessel, we attempted to reach the shore, in hopes of finding natives to assist us in living through the Winter. Getting about half way to the shore with our heavily laden boats, our progress became hard by the drifting ice and I was compelled to haul on the ice again, PROVISIONS SAVED. At this time I succeeded in saving fourteen cans of pemmican, eleven and a half bags of bread, ten dozen one and two pound cans of meat and soup, fourteen hams, one small bag of chocolate, weighing twenty pounds; some musk ox skins, a few blankets, a number of rifles and abundant ammunition, In the morning, knowing that I had NOT PROWSIONS ENOUG® and other articles of fond; clothing, com- passes, d&v., on the abatemont of the gale I fndeavored to shoot ag many sealy ag pos sible, both for food, light and fuel, wut could only get three, owing to bad weather having set in. I supposed the wind to be about southwest. On its clearing up 1 found myself within about eight miles of what I supposed to be the east coast, and about thirty or forty miles below the ship. The ice being weak I could not transport boats and provisions to land until it grew stronger. While here I discovered my other boat, bread, &c., and saved all. The ICE GREW FIRM. I made another attempt to reach the shore, carrying everything in the boats and dragging them on their keel. The ice being exceed- ingly rough we stove both boats. We suc- ceeded on the Ist of November in getting about HALF WAY TO SHORE. Night came onus and very stormy weather. In the morning the ice was broken and we were drifting southward very fast. We saw no more land for many days, bad weather continuing all through the month of Novem- ber. We built snow houses and made our- selves as comfortable as we could. ten white men, two Esquimanx, two women and five children in all. We succeeded in killing a few seals, which farnished us with light and fuel with which to warm our scanty allowance of food through the darkness of the Arctic Winter. In the latter part of February we lived principally upon birds, and in March commenced to catch seals, Through that month we supported ourselves on BEARS’ AND SEALS’ FLESH, wasting neither skin nor entrflls, We col- lected enough food in this way to last us until the middle of May, had we not been driven to sea by strong westerly gale in the latter part of March, our floe piece being then reduced from five miles in circum- ference to about twenty yards in diameter, We left the piece on the Ist of April, and abandoned nearly all of our meat, a large amount of ammunition, clothing, skins and other articles, taking a portion of the meat in the boat, which we were obliged to throw overbeard on account of the boats being so deeply laden. I regained THE OUTER EDGE OF THE PACK of ice on the 3d of April, and succeeded in getting a little farther in on the pack. On the 4th a heavy northeast gale set in, a heavy sea running under the ice, which broke it in small pieces, so that we had to live on small pans, as we could not put the boat out, neither could we find seals for food, and we were REDUCED ALMOST TO STARVATION. On the 2ist of April we sighted a polar bear. Every person was ordered to lie down and imitate the seal, while the two Esqui- maux secreted themselves behind a piece of ice, enticing the bear near enough to us to killhim. A few days after this we got our boat in the water and worked our way west and southwest, and continued to work every opportunity to the westward, in hopes of reaching the Labrador coast and getting tem- porary relief. We were PICKED UP BY THE STEAMSHIP TIGRESS, Captain Bartlett, on the 30th of April, in lati- tude 53 35 north, longitude 55 west, or near Wolf Island, and about forty miles from land. The Polaris is now without boats, having lost two in trying to get Northin the Spring of 1872. We were A PROVIDENTIAL MEETING. ‘The Tigress fell in with the party in a dense fog and providentially struck the very floe on which they were, otherwise they must have perished. They all seem tolerably well. Captain Tyson complained of swelled legs and feet, but nothing serious is the matter with him. When they left the Polaris all on board were in good health. HOW THE POLARIS LEFT THEM, In reference to the way in which the Po- laris got away from the party which was rescued from off the iceberg Captain Tyson states that he felt little anxiety at first, thinking she would soon come to their “I set my colors,”’ he said, ‘as she steamed down along the shore, but the vessel was soon lost to sightin the bend of the land, and behind what I took to be Northumberland Island. The piece of ice I was on commenced drifting southward as the wind hauled to the northeast, opening a little bay to the northeast of Northumberland Island. I saw the vessel in the harbor there ; her sails were furled, no smoke was issuing from her smokestack that I could see. I then attempted to bring my boats across the floe in an easterly direction, HOPING TO FIND WATER and reach the shore. I succeeded in drag- ging one boat across, took the water and attempted to reach the shore some distance below the vessel. We were then drifting very fast, and the gale was blowing fresh, with great violence, from the northeast, and snowing very fast and drifting. I was driven back on the ice again and compelled to haul my boat out. Night closed on me and carried us to the southwest. In the morning we were about thirty miles southwest of where the ship went in harbor. A heavy sea was run- ning, wkich broke up my floe pibce, separating us from six bags of bread and one boat. I saw o vessel under steam and canvas round- inga point to the northwest, Thinking she would come to our relief I gave myself no extra anxiety, but soon we were doomed to digenpointment, end, from thot tne unt the relief. Tigress rescued us, we never got a glimpse of the Polaris. President Grant Deeply Afflicted at the News. Wasumerton, May 9, 1873. After the general matters relating to the government had been discussed in the presence of the President after his re- turn to this city this evening, Assist- ant Secretary Davis, Acting Secretary of State, brought the following important despatch under the notice of the Executive from the United States Consul at St. Johns, Newfoundland: — THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Sr. Jouns, Newfoundland, May 9, 1873. The English sailing ship Walrus has just arrived, and reports that the steamer Tigress picked up on the ice at Grady Harbor, Labra- dor, on the 30th of April last, fifteen of the crew and five of the Esquimaux of the steamer Polaris, of the Arctic Expedition. Captain Hall died last Summer. The Tigress is hourly expected at St. Johns. F. N. MALLOY, United States Consul. On the receipt of this despatch the Acting Secretary of State at once telegraphed to Consul Malloy to ascertain the names of the seamen saved, that those having relations or friends on board might be relieved from farther anxiety. The expedition was fitted out at great ex- pense, and under the personal supervision of the naval officials at the Washington Navy Yard. At the time of the departure of the Polaris her fate was predicted by experienced naval seamen who have carefully studied the charts, and pronounced the passage under- taken by Captain Hall as only a waste of money. The news of the disaster to the Polaris af- fected the President deeply, as he had hoped that the enterprise of the government in this direction would redound to our national honor, THE INCEPTION OF THE ENTERPRISE. Captain Hall was an old Arctic explorer, but Owed his distinction chiefy to his searcn for the remains of the Sir John Franklin expedition. The absorbing theory of his life was the exisvence of an open Polar sea, which he felt it was perfectly possible to reach by crossing its ice-bound margin on sledges, Captain Hall wrote and lectured a good deal on the subject of the North Pole, and, like all men imbued with singleness of purpose, he made his way in the long run to the attention of the public. Finally Congress voted an appro- Priation of $50,000 to ft out an expedition for the object of giving @ practical test to the theory of Hall and aiding the progress of science and civilization. There was a great dea) of inter- est felt throughout the country in the enterprise, and this became more evident when Congress, which just then happened to be in a parsimonious mood, appropriated liberal means for ita equip- ment. A government vessel was set apart to be fitted up specially with a view to Arctic naviga- tion. This was the Polaris, formerly the Peri- winkle. She was exceedingly stanch and well fitted, and Captain Hall gave his days and nights to superintending her equipment. THE LOST POLARIS. She was about 400 tons measurement, larger than the Advance, in which Dr. Kane undertook his former voyage. She was planked all over her sides with six inches of solid white oak timbers, and was throughout nearly doubled in strength, her bews being almost @ solid massof timber sheathed with iron and terminating in @ sharp trou prow, with which to cut through the ice,’ Her engine, which was built some years ago at Messrs. Neafes & Levy's works, Philadelphia, was exceedingly com- pact and powerful, and took up comparatively little space. The propeller was arranged {n such @ manner that it could be unshipped and lifted up on deck through a shaft or propeller well in the stern. A supply of extra blades were pro- vided, so that if one should by accident get broken it could always be replaced. There was also an extra rudder on board and several suits of sails and sets of spars of all dimensions. Of the two boilers one was supplied with an apparatus to use whale oll for the generation of steam, not only to furnish the propelling power, but also toheat up the vessel throughout by steam. The Polaris was rigged as a foretopsail schooner, and fully able to sail and steer under canvas only. She also hada new life-preserving buoy placed on the outside in the stern that could be lowered into the water by touching @ spring placed near the pilot house. By touching another spring an electric light aMixed to the buoy, about two feet above the water, could be ignited by completing the circuit of an electric current from @ galvanic batiery on board; and thus the buoy could always be distinctly seen, and aman falling overboard would know in what di- Tection to swim for help. She had also FIVE EXTRAORDINARY BOATS, one of which is worth describing. It was about twenty feet long, four feet wide and two Ieet deep. It had acarrying capacity of four tona, weighed only 250 pounds, and carried with perfect ease and safety twenty men. It consisted of am interior frame built of hickory and ash woods, over which was stretched a canvas cover previeusly soaked ina preparation to render it perfectly waterproof, and the boat could be taken apart and folded together in a space less than one-eighth of its original size in about three minutes and by the assistance of a couple of men only. When folded up it was per- fectly flat, and could be transported on a sledge across the ice without the slightest difficulty. When open water was reached the order of things was exactly reversed—the boat unpacked and spread out and the siedge and its convents taken on board, dog team and all. ‘The accommodations of the Polaris for crew and | officers were perfect. The cabin was neatly fitted up, and had init an organ, presented to Captain Hall by the Smith Organ Company, and aft she car- ried asmall brass howitzer. From Captain to deck hand the crew of the Polaris was composed of heroes worthy to be sung with Zetes and Orpheus and Jason and all the other Argonauts. SKETCH OF CAPTAIN HALL. Captain Hall was about five feet cight inches in height,with a compact, firmly knit frame, indicative of great vigor and strength, and weighed probably about one hundred and ninety pounds. He hada large head, with a profusion of thiek, brown hair and heavy brown beard inclining to curl. His forehead was broad and massive, with a full development of the temporal and coronal regions, His eyes were blue and the whole expression of the countenance firm, but very agreeable, kind and pleasant. Cap- tain Hall hailed from Cincinnati, where he was once engaged in the newspaper business, publish- ing the Occasional and afterwards the Datly Penny Press. In nis earlier years he was a blacksmith, working at the forge, and his robust development beyond question, was in some measare attributable te the exercise of that ardent occupation. He was in no wise @ seientific or highly educatea man, bug had ®& remarkably practical mind, with @& great deal of force of character. He had never studied the science of navigation even, though he was, through experience and aptitude, as competent to navigate @ ship or conduct an overland exploring expedition as any of the daring band of discover- ers that had endeavored to solve the great Artic problem. He sailed northward in 1860 in search of Sir John Franklin, since which time his name and fame have been the common property of the world. DR. RMIL BISSELS wag the chief of the ggienuiac corps of the exned|: $$ _____—_—_—_— tion, and a member of a former enterprise sent out under the auspices of the Prussian government to discover the North Pole, Dr. Bissels was a young man of very high reputation as @ scientist. He ‘was a graduate of the famous University of Heidel- berg, and was highly endorsed by such men as the celebrated Dr. Petermann, of Gotha, the greatest living geographer in the world, and Professor Agassiz, Me was a nephew of the renowned as tronomer, Dr, Bissels, who first determined the exact distance from the earth of the star Alpha, in the constellation of the Swan, and several others of the fixed stars. In person he was slightly and gracefally built; a large and intellectual head, with @ heavy dark beard; a profusion of dark hair, handsome dark eyes and regularly moulded feat- ures, He was a most enthusiastic naturalist, and fully caught the electric enthusiasm of his chief. MR. WILLIAM MORTON, the famous discoverer of Kane’s open sea, acted as second mate, He was with the first Grinnell expedition, twenty-three years ago, and was thor- oughly conversant with all the mysteries of Arctic navigation. Mr. Morton was the firm friend and right hand man of Dr. Kane, and was eminently qualified for the duties of bis position. He was about five feet ten inches high, with a firm, bold, hand- some face, light brown hair, auburn beard, promi- nent nose, and a very quiet and modest, but firm and determined, bearing. He bailed from Jersey City. He discovered the open Polar Sea in 1854, near the eighty-third parallel. Moving northward over the ice barriers in Smith’s Sound, Morton and bis party reached an iceless sea, having & tempera- ture of about forty degrees above zero—eight de- grees above the freezing point of fresh and twelve degrees above that of sait water, Large waves dashed on the beach with the swell of the ocean; seals were sporting and innumerable water fowls feeding in its waters, and it was marked by the phenomena of regular tides, The discovery of this sea made Morton at once famous all over the world, THE REST OF THE EXPEDITION. The second in command of the Polaris was Captain Sidney 0. Buddington, whose title was sailing and ice master, and who had been a whaler for thirty-one years of his life; H.C. Tyson, as- sistant navigator; Uubbard ©. Chester, chief mate; Emil Schuman, chief engineer, a native of Saxony; ‘A. A. Odell, assistant engineer; W. F. Campbell, fireman; John W. Booth, fireman; John Heron, steward; William Jackson, cook; Nathan J. Coftin, carpenter; Hermon Siemons, seaman; Frederick Anting, seaman; J, W. C. Kruger, seaman; Henry Hobby, seaman; Joseph 8B, Manch, sea man; G, W. Linguist, seaman; Peter Johnson, seaman; William Niedemann, seaman; Frederick Jamka, seaman; Noah Hayes, seaman; RK, W. D. Bryan, astronomer and chaplain; Frederick Meyer, meteorologist, &c.; Joe, Esquimaux, in- terpreter and general assistant; Hannah, Esqui- maux, interpreter and general assistant; Puny, daughter of Joe and Hannah; Hans Christian, dog driver, hunter, &c.; wife of Hans Christian, three children of Hans Christian—in all thirty-nine souls. PLAN OF THE VOYAGE. It was Captain Hall’s design, after leaving New York, to go to St. John’s, Newfoundland, staying there to get @ few dogs and certain stores for Arctic navigation, which are more easily obtained at that port than elsewhere. From thence he was to steer for Disco, in Greenland, and perhaps touch at Holstembourg. At Disco he was to establish a ren” dezvous, whither he could resort for supplies if needed, instead of coming nearer home. Vessels could be more heavily ladened up in Baffin’s Bay and the contiguous waters (they being smootn and lake like in character) than they could with safety to meet the heavy swells, the flerce gusts or the storms of the Atlantic, Hence, asa storeship, the United States steamship Congress, followed the Polaris with provisions and all materials necessary, to be debarked at Disco, the southerly rendezvous of the expedition, He was to obtain his dogs irom Upernavik, Disco or Tissonack, the most northern settlement in Greenland, and thereafter at such points ashe might need them. After leaving Dis- co he was to strike boldly across Baffin’s Bay into Jones’ Sound, in latitude seventy-six, and after sailing about two hundred mules to strike off suddenly to the northward, He was indifferent he said, about wintering in Jomes’ Sound, having hopes of getting his vessel inte winter quarters in latitude eighty degrees. It was in the month of April of last year he calculated to commence sledging tt towards the Pole, which he was s0 con- fident of reaching. He also reckoned that if Elles mere, which extends from Jones’ Sound northward, continued upward to the Pole, he would have no dimiculty in reaching it within one hundred days. Had he found the land and ice terminate in an open Polar sea, he was prepared by means of boats to complete the trip. He indulged the hope of an- choring the Polaris right over the North Pole itseif, Captain Hall was an adept in sledge travelling. He travelled in his time over ten thousand miles in sledges, and considered himself acquainted with all the minutia of such a manner of locomo- tion, He intended to essay the irksome task of training his men to adopt the customs of the native Esquimaux in their food and dress. He hoped to bring his fol- lowers to an appreciation of the uncooked flesh of the whale, the walrus and the seal. By using this food they were supposed to be able to stand with impunity the dreadful cold of the Arctic Circle. The dress Captain Hall approved was a aeerskin sack Jumper, with fur hood, deerskin breeches, deer nd eider skin stockings, one over the other, and Poverea with stout moccasins of deerskin and high leggings. With these precautions it was supposed the men could defy any degree of cold, DEPARTURE OF THE POLARIS FROM NEW YORK HARBOR, Thursday evening, June 29, 1871, the Polaris steamed out from the Brooklyn Navy Yard amtd the cheers of a crowd of assembled spectators. As she disappeared round the curve in the river a wreath of blue smeke arose from the bulwarks and the report of @ small cannon answered back the last goodby. Three of the crew, named Charles Brandt, John Wilson and William Jessops, had de- serted the vessel the day before; but these men were replaced by Mr. J. Merison, of 109 South street, who acted as special agent for Captain Hall's Polar Expedition. ARRIVAL AT ST. JONN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND. On the arrival of the Polaris at St. John’s, New- foundiand, on the 13th of July, Captain Hall and the entire staff connected with the expedition were received by the Governor, Secretary and several prominent members of the Legislature. Every courtesy was extended to the distinguished visitors. They were banqueted at the Governor's mansion, and, in company with several citizens, enjoyed a day’s trout fishing. On the departure of the Polaris her gallant company recetved @ hearty Godspeed from the Newfoundlanders. PROGRESS OF THE VOYAGE. August 26 the Navy Department received de- spatches from Captain Hall, dated Holsteinberg, Greenland, the 1st of August, reporting the arrival there, July 31, of the Polaris, where they were agreeably surprised at finding the Swedish expe- dition, consisting of a brig and small steamer, under With the exception of a gale, which broke upon the Polaris on the evening they leit Fiscanoes, the sea was quiet, The Swedish expedition reported that the Arctic navigation was better than it had been for several years, and Governor Elberg, of the Holsteinberg district, promised Captain Hall all the aid he could give. At the date of Captain Hall’s despatch the Polaris was awaiting the ar- rival of the transport Congress. Captain Hall ex- pected to get a supply of reindeer furs at Hol- steinberg, but none could be found, the reindeer having been nearly ail killed off in that neighber- hood, and therefore they should depend on Disco, Upernavik and Smith’s Sound for their Winter furs and sledge dogs. At thisdate the ship’s company of the Po'aris were in good health and spirits, REPORT PROM THE UNITED STATES 8IIP CONGRESS, August 28 the United States ship Congress re- turned from Greenland, after seeing the Polaris of towards the Pole. The Congress found the Polaris at Disco, Captain Hall, with eight Esquimaux, boarded her @ mile from the harbor. Some trouble had arisen between Captain Hall and his scientific associates as to the special object of the expedition, which threatened to be serous, but by the judicious and firm imterposition of the late Captain Davenport, of the Congress, who laid down the Rovallaw and gated thet the pazamount obiect the command of F. W. Von Otter, which had been to | Disco and Upernavik, and was then on its way home. | 3 ———ee ‘Was getting to the North Pole, harmony was sgt parently restored, DIGSENSION IN THE EXPEDITION, The trouble, as nearly as could be aacertained) @rose Out Of a feeling of misunderstanding upon the point of auperierity, Captain Buddington, wha was commissioned by the government as master of the Polaris, objected to Captain Hall, who of course, Was in supreme command of the expedi< tion, assaming the right to dictate to him in cer< tain matters of sailing, as he claimed Mr. Hall hag no right to interfere with the navigatton of tha vessel, Dr. Bisse] sided witn the sailing master, as did also Mr. Meyers, of the Signal Corps, upon, this subject, as well as upon minor details, ‘The Doctor, 1t was said, had no particular in- terest in the geographical character of the great venture in the sea of ice, but he was most pro« foundly engrossed in the view of promoting his profeasional science by closely observing the effect of salt diet upon the urine, and for that object chiefly he enlisted in the cruise. The Congress officers heard old whalers say that the men coul® stand that section of the world for two years with- out any very pernicious effect upon the constitu- tion or spirits, but that after that term a feeling of dejection and lassitude would inevitably ensue. They also sald that if Captatn, Hall could accomplish his purpose within that period, well and good; but shoul& he be necessitated to put back te Disco for the re- mainder of his stores his men will surely desert him en masse. This solution was generally re- garded, in the event of non-success within that period, as highly probable. To put back they con- sidered would be fatal to success with the crew ho took along. The Polaris sailed August 17 amid three cheers from the Congress. Captain Hall, in- stead of going via Jones’ sound, was to keep to the: west side of Smith’s Sound, as there were ice drifts: southwesterly which had embayed Kane's advance, In April, 1872, advices from Newfoundland brought intelligence that the Polaris put back to Green- land in February through stress of weather and to: get a further supply of coal and provisions. THE HOPEFUL AND FINAL WORDS OF THE BRAVE EXPLORER, ‘The last word that was received from Captalm, Hall was a year after the date of the arrival of the’ Congress from Disco, It was just as he bade adiea to civilization that he sent to the Navy Depart ment the following sadly interesting despatch, dated at Tossac, Greenland, August 24, 1871, It came by way of Copenhagen and was Just a year en route :— LATITUDE 73 21 10, LONGITUDE 56 5 45 W., UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP POLARIS, Tossac ON TUS-SU-1S-84K, Greerfland, ‘August 22, 1871. SrR—I have the honor to report my proceedings since the dates (August 20 and 21) of my last com- munication, written at Upper Upernavik. It wag half-past eight P. M. of August 21 when we left the harbor of Upernavik, having on board Governor Elberg, of whom I made previous mention, and several of his people, bound fer this place on & visit, After steaming twelve miles to the northwest and westward we hauled up im front of & small island settlement called King-i-toke, where Governor Elberg and my- self, with a boat’s crew, went ashore to purchase dogs, furs and other requisites for the ex- pedition, I was able, after considerable difficulty, to get eleven dogs to add to the number already possessed by the Polaris, Having spent two hours at King-1-Toke we returned@ aboard. At one A. M., August 22, renewed our voyage for Tessac, making our way, by the ald of good native pilots, among the namerous reefs, rocks and islands with which Upernavik and vieinity abound, At half-past five A. M. of the 22d we arrived at Tossac. At once E called on Jensen, and to my astonishment and dis~ appointment found that a mistake had been made in any one of us expecting that his consent could be obtained to leave his home at the present time. A PROFESSIONAL DOG DRIVER ENGAGED. By the full consent and co-operation of the gove ernment authorities of Denmar! ‘ident in Green- land, I have concluded a contract with Hans Christian, by which he enters the service of the United States Nerth Polar Expedition as dog driver, hunter and servant. The wife and three ehuildren are to aceompany Hans. The prospects ef the expedition are fine—the weather beautiful, clear and unexeeptionally warm. Every prepara- tion has been made to bid farewell to civilization for several years, if need be, to accomplish our pur- pose. Our coal bunkers are not only full, but we have fully ten tonsen deck, besides weod, planks, tar and rosin in considerable quantities, that ean be used for steaming purposes in any emergency. Never was an Arctic expedition more completely fitted oat than this, STEAMING QUALITIES OP THE POLARIS. The progress of the Polaris so far has been quite favorable, making exceedingly good passages from. port to port—first from Washington to New York, thence to New London; then to St. Johns, N. F., and thence to Greenland. First to Fiscaneas, them to Holsteinberg, tnence to Godhavn, Upernavik, and tiris port (Tossac), the last link binding us to the land of civilization. The actual steaming or sailing: time ef the Polaris from Washington to New York was sixty hours, and from the latter place to this— the most northern civilized settlement of the worid,, unless there be one for us to discover af or near the North Pole—has been twenty days, seven hours and thirty minutes. There is every reason to rejoice that everything pertaining to the expedition, under the rulings of High Heaven, isin @ far more prosperous and substantially successful condition than even I had hoped or prayed for, We are making every effort to leave here to-mor- row. I will at the latest moment resume my place io continuing this communication. DETAINED BY A FOG, EVENING, August 23, 1871.—We did not get under Way to-day, as expected, because a heavy, dark fog has prevailed all day, and the same now con- tinues. The venture of steaming out into a sea of undefined reefs and sunken rocks, under the present circumstances, could not be undertaken. ‘The full number of dogs (sixty) required for the expedition, is now made up. At the several ports of Greenland where we have stopped we have been successfal in obtaining proper food for the dogs. August 24—1 P, M, AWAY FOR THE UNKNOWN REGIONS, The fog still continues, and I decide we eannot wait longer for its dispersion, for a longer delay wilimake it doubtful of the expedition securing the very high latitude I desire to obtain before en- tering into Winter quarters. A good pilot had offered to do his very best in conducting the Po- laris outside of the mest imminent danger of the reeis and rocks. Now, half-past one P. M., the anchor of the Polaris has just been weighed, and not again will it go down till, as I trust and pray, @ higher, afar higher latitude has been attained than ever before by civilized man. Governor El- berg 1s about accompanying us out of the harbor and seaward. He leaves us when the pilot does, A TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR ELBERG. Governor Lowertz Elberg has rendered to thie expedition much service, and long will I remember him for his great kindness. Iam sure you and my country will fully appreciate the hospitality and co-operation of the Danish officials in Greenland as relating to our North Polar Expedition. Now, at a quarter past two, the Polaris bids ADIRU TO THE CIVILIZED WORLD, Governor Elberg leaves us, promising to take these despatches back to Upernavik and to send them to our Minister at Copenhagen by the next ship, which opportunity may not be until next year. God be with us. Yours, ever, Cc. F. HALL, To Gworae M. Roseson, Secretary of the Navy, Washington. ARMY ORDER WASHINGTON, May 9, 1873, By an order of the War Department, issued to- day, all the paymasters in the Departments of Call- fornia and Arizona are placed directly under tho orders of the Division Commander, who in nis dis- — cretion wili have authority to cause an interchange of duties and stations in the respective depart- ments. NAVAL ORDERS, ‘Wasninctox, May 9, 1873. Commander J. Young is detached from the Soutt: Atlantic station and placed on eee tes chief F David Smith is detached Tuscarore pad plocod On Walting OFdore,