The New York Herald Newspaper, May 21, 1873, Page 6

and his wife and Hans Christian seemed to have been in most constant attendance upon Captain Hall during his sickness according to their ac- counts. Joe speaks better English and, is generally more intelligible than Hans, though a great deal of caution and preparation are neces- sary to make them communicative and to avoid mistaking their meaning. They have a habit of giving utterance to @lgjointed and) ejaculatory clauses, which is apt to perplex one not accustomed to such a method of conversation. There is, how- ever, a bright expression of understanding about the dark eye, which now and then extends itself over the swarthy features in proportion to the amount of feeling created by the subject of discus- sion, ‘Their very significant gesticulations, too, operate a8 a most intelligent means of communi- cating their ideas—equal to any pantomime. There is a great deal of sincerity (apparent at all events) in their countenances, which, in these instances, I am much inclined to believe a true ind}eation of character. Joe and Hannah and Hans, at first, ‘when your correspondent interviewed them, ex- hibited a great deal of cautious (if not timorous)’ reserve, but it gradually decreased, till they con- versed (each separate from the others) without anyrestraint, Ali the Esqumaux showed an un- common fondness for Captain Hall. In order to prevent misconstruction I prefer to give their own words in reference to Captain Hall’s death. JOE, THE ESQUIMAU’S, STORY, Joe says (partly in answer to my inquiries and partly speaking on his own account, without being interrogated at all) :— Very fond of Captain Hall. We was crushed in ice. Didn't like Buddington; always talking be- hind back; asking story all time. Ship’s stern brokén. Blow hard when drove from ship, Couldn't getaboard. Some men here (in St. Jonns) and some in ship used to quarrel. I went with Captain Hall purpose to go sledge to North. After Hall died Buddington wouldn’t go. I see with two eye and two ear. I tell Buddington, I come to go North. He wouldn’t let me go. Buddington and { quarrelled good deal about it. I went with Hall ‘on last sled and Hans and Chester (the mate). We ‘went fifty miles north of ship on’ ice and land. Found musk ox tracks on land, Sun nearly gone ‘when came back to ship. Hall told me when sick SOMEBODY GIVE HIM SOMETHING BAD, fle was sick two weeks, Buddington did not take care of him, [think it not right; made me feelbad. Sick man good man, too. Throat swelled something; couldn't drink. Said he burn inside. Istopped up with himevery night with another man; he sleep I'wake, I wake he sleep. Hall was in gabin, I talked to Hall much. - He no talk to others much as me, I didn’t see Hallin first night after hecame aboard from sled. Came aboard with him in afternoon. He looked well, happy, and Spoke nice. The four of us— WALL, CHESTER, HANS AND JOE— had coffee when came aboard. I had mine in my own room, underneath cabin. Hall in cabin, and two others in galley. At 10 o'clock that night my Wile told me HALL VFRY SICK; VOMITING; eatsomething. Next morning I go see bim and say, “What matter: He all alene im cabin. He say, “You pretty well, Joe?’ I say “Yes.” He say, “You drink bad coffee last night?” 1 say “No.” Task him, “Did he drink bad coffee?” He tay, “Something bad fn coffee I drink last night, making me sick and stomach bad.” Same morning he get very sick, vomiting. After five days he feel better; wake up and say he want to see my little girl, and say to her he think he would leave ber, but didn’t like, After he get better he get four doctor books to try and see what make him sick, Mle study hard, and say to me, “That name is makin’ me sick.” (Joe explained that he (Captain Hail) here pointed to a name in one of the books, which heread out.) It was BomErniNe Auovr rorsoy, MimusK. After Hall die everybody watching one anether, Me no understand what they mean. All afraid some- body put down poison in water, bread or some- thing. It looked like it he was polsoned to me all Same. Buddington didn’t like to go to cabin. He was quarrelling all time. HANS CHRISTIAN’S STATEMENT apon this subject, though much briefer, 1s tothe game effect. He is more significantin his action than Joe, although less imtelligible in his speech. He represented, or rather imitated, the symptoms of paralysis upon Captain Hall, confining himself to the part he said he was affected, which 1 un- derstood to be the right side, He made use, ‘when speaking of Hall's illness, of the remarkabie words, “Me: plenty savelz, but not much speak English,” and in connection with what he SEVERAL TIMES CALLED “‘PORRISON,” which I understood from him afterwards to mean poison. de sald:—I went in sled with Captain Hall. Aboard ship I slept in forecastie, Captain Hall was well when he gotaboard (f, ¢, from the sleighing expedition before alluded to). He laugh And cheerful when he got aboard; Jooked all right. Saw him when he was sick. Joe told me Captain was poisoned and not to tell; by and by he'd come to America and then tell, {From Hans’ language and gesture I judged he meant Hall was paralyzed partially on the right side, He spoke very indistinctly in reference to this.) . Ihadabook, and wrote in Esquimaux about Captain Hall’s sickness. It is now lost. The coffee fid not make me nor Joe nor Chester sick. “Me plenty savvy, but mot much speak English. I think somebody kill him, All same Captain poison.” Whether Hans meant this—“Captain poisoned,’’ or “Captain poison him,” I could not well gather, but Iam inclined to think he meant to say ‘‘Cap- tain was poisoned,” “ MYSTERY SOMEWHERE. _ The circumstances connected with the death of ‘Waptain Hall, thus collected, wear a palpable ap- _, pearance of mystery. Setting aside the testimony of the Esquimaux, Hans and Joe, suspicion is in- separable from this version of the story, No doubt Captain Tyson and Mr. Myers are in posses- sion of information which they are unwill- ing to communicate yet, but which will, doubtless, ‘become public at the proper time, The facts stated, though their veracity be assumed—which induce the suspicion that there ig something more, and that there has been a sup- pression, if not a perversion, of the truth—are that aman in perfect health, good spirits, and in the lively possession of all his faculties, should sud- denly be prostrated by a dangerous and ulti- mately fatal illness, arising solely from, the simple canse of DRINKING PART OF A CUP OF COPFRE or from the heat of his cabin. It may be answered, however, that Captain Hall had just returned from on exploripg expedition which bad occupied 6 | WEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, peace 4, earl, ademas SHEET. fortnight; that daring that camped out upon the ice, in a temperature of ex: cesive cold, without the luxuries and comforts of his giiip; that the systemhad become assymitinted to this mode of living, andthe Sudden trapattion from excessive cold to extresie heat suffciently explained the consequences. Still this, which 1s the only explanation to be given, will hardly stand the test of strict scrutiny. In the firat place, it does not appear that there was any occasion for serious exposure during this expedition, nor-was there pany, in fact. On tne contrary, the bitterest Pola ef the, Arctic Winter had not yet set in, a8 we shall presently see. The journey was not.upon. drifting, or unsafe ice, but partly on land and partly on an immovable surface of ice. The expedition had their sleds, skins, feod and all things necessary to their comfort or con- venience, and encountered no unusual adventares, The fact of one guddenly entering.» warm room and complaining of the heat is no remarkable oo- currence, and isnot shown to be connected in any way with the subsequent illness. There is no buMicient cause alleged to which it can be traced. The Doctor is said to have promouncea his disease. apoplexy, and this 1s, of course, question for medical knowledge and experience to deter- ‘mine. Apoplexy, generally understood te be a sudden affection of the system, terminating in sud- den death, is, at ali events,inconsisteat with what is related of Captain’ Mall's Qisorder. There was nothing sudden about his death. He. took to his bed; after fve days became better; was then per- fectly delirious, was partially paralyzed, and died (a3 Heron says) quite easily— WENT OUT “LIKE THE SNUFF OF A CANDLE." With all due eference to the medical adviser, there is very little apoplexy about such an illness as that, nor does-it_appear that Oaptain Hall had the’ sligatest predisposition to apoplexy. It has been said that this account, irre- spective of the statements made by tne Esquimaux, has got the prvma facie character of truth; but, coupled with that evidence, which, the apoplexy excepted, does not conttict with, bat rather explains it, ‘there seems to Temain no doubt but that Captain Hall was the VICTIM OF POUL PLAY at.the hands of seme person or persons on board, from which his death resulted. ‘This-ts further evi- dent from the fact thatthe strong impression upon his (Captain Hall's) own mind was that he had been poisoned. If such a design did exist in the minds of any on hoard the vessel it will be’seen that no better opportunity to perpetrate the vil- lanous deed could present itself than immediately on his return from a long journey, when his weary condition and probably want of retreshment could be easily availed of to practice the necessary im- position. If motive for such a fiendish act 1s wanting it may perhaps be interred from many of the following circumstances =~ THE QUARRELS ON BOARD: In the circumscribed limits of a ship's company many differences, having their origin in incompa- tibillty of disposition or character, or jealousy of superior attainments or general diversity of in- terest, and frequently more trivial and unworthy motives, which in the world at large, by reason of a less frequent collision, would but very seldom interfere with the harmony of soclety, are here constantly kept in view and augmented from time to time by their daily contact with one another, until at length they assume the form of open and bitter hostilities. So tt would seem to be in this instance. And the tsolated condition of the ves- sel, its peculiar situation and the extraordinary’ nature of the expedition afforded many opportuni- ties for the exhibition of petty jealousies and small spites. That such miserable feelings were enter- tained towards Captain Hall cannot be fora mo- ment doubted, as the following circumstances will show:— . CAPTAIN HALLS DEVOTION TO HIS WORK, Captain Mall was devoted to his work, and all his efforts were strenuously exerted towards the North Pole, or such @ high latitude as would de- termine the possibility of arriving at that long cherished object of his ambition. The Winter of 1871 was favorable to his purpose, and he had reached, as already stated, the highest known latitude, where the difficulties which obstructed his pregress did not materially increase, They had passed what Kane supposed to be the Polar Sea, which now PROVED TO BH A SOUND. Beyond this they penetrated into Robegon's Chan- nel and were there en the last day of August, 1871, ‘The admissions of some, and the statements of all, prove that had they continued here and pressed on they might at that time have penetrated into the sea beyond, Some. idea of their locality may be given by the fact that from the ob- servatory erected in Polaris Bay, in lati- tude $81 degrees 33 minutes, Cape Leber bore west 5 degrees south, distant about forty-five miles, while tneir present latitude was 82 degrees 16 minutes. But a few miles from here was a body of clear water, stretching as far as the eye could reach—it is estimated about eighty or ninety miles. Many important circumstances unmistak- ably indicated the existence of an unfrozen ocean beyond the channel, MILD WRATHER, WITH FOGS AND MISTS brought down by northerly winds, could come frem no other source. Land was visible to the north and west of this body of water a great distance. Now was the moment to embrace the present {avorabie opportunity, which was liable to | be defeated by the slightest sudden change, and, by @ prompt continuation of thetr hitherto suc- cessful adventure, achieve the glorious goal for which they had hazarded so much, But here, on the eve of an easy victory, arose that PATAL DIFFERENOR OF OPINION, which blasted all the heroic explorer’s prospects and rendered fruitless that mighty energy and labor which had already led him such @ aistance over the barren and inhospitable regions of the unknown North. The sailing master, Buddington, had several times expressed his anxiety to go no further, and strongly urged the necessity of re- treating to winter at Port. Hope, in latitude 73 de- grees 20 minutes, nearly two hundred and forty miles south of their present highly advantageous position. Hail was determined to proceed, if pos sible, and would not consent to this latter propost- tion. Buddington, however, persiated, GROSSLY MISREPRESENTING THE DIFFICULTIES and dangers of presging (urther north or even re- maining where tyey were, Buddingtop, being the navigator, was the judge of these expedicacies, and Hall, believing what Buddington had reported, at length consented to yield, and the ship returned gud pot up at Polaris Bay for the Winter. The rescued crew say they could not see any good rem fon for adopting this course; there was n0.necem admit that tyere was the usust amount of peri! to be anticipated from venturing further, such as is incident @f ‘ilitimes ¢0.an expedition of he Kind, yet, they say, that it was their auty r) persue the object for-which it was instituted unmindrul of the danger, which was in fact not greater than pre- viously, Before ‘concluding to retreat (HALL CALLED & COUNOLL, § consisting of himself, Captain Tyson, Ohester (the, mate) and Buddington, to consider which course Was mostadvisable, At this council Gaptain Tyson strongly advocated Captain Hall’s views, and urged the impropriety of desisting. ‘The brave and tne right cause was overruled, to which circumstance it is possible that Captain Hall owed his death. If the vessel had continued on its course, as Cap- tain Rall desired and urged, the expedition would in all probability have been crowned with success, and the dreams of geographers and explorers been realized; but an unaccountable timidity, the off spring ‘of. &craven cowardice or other im- proper motive, annibilated the \nopes of Cap- tain »Hall. Buddington, from \ the position which he Occupied, was master of the situation; he said “Thus far have you gone—you shall go no farther,” and he was obeyed, reluctantly of course, asa matter ‘of, necessity, It 1s impossible to anflyse the motiyes ‘which prompted \Buddington. From his. kn owledgo.of the ii Tegions he must have known that it was 1 AS DANGEHOUS TO TURN BAGE\A8 TO PROCEED, and that, if the vessel was\to be frozen in, she might a8 well/be frozen in at one place as another. The fact that Qaptain Tyson supported the views of Captain Hail fornishes adattional confirmation that the latter was right ‘and Buddington was wrong. Great expeditions have often failed through the ignorance, tncompetence or obstinacy of subordinates, and it was so in this-particular instance. The biame, if there is blame attending the failure of the expedition, will cleave to Bud- dington, unless he can, if still living, satisfactorily explain what now seems to be his unaccountable conduct. It {8 not too much to say that his action blasted all the hopes-of his superior, > A GREAT MAN'S END. pa ee a ale oe er eaerane Apt. Although thwarted in his grand designs for the time, the explorer.did not abandon his investiga- tions, but, in company with the Esquimaux men and the mate, started upon the sledge expedition, from which he returned to die. Captain Hall ap- pears to have beén the only one of the scientific department who ventured. So died and was buried Captain Hall—buried, like Sir John Moore, by “the lantern dimly burn- ing,” but unlighted by the ray of the: assistant moon, in the howling wilderness ‘of frozen ice, where the footfall of man was never heard nor had the sound of hia voice ever disturbed the suprem- acy of theraging elements, Dust to dust! Ashes to ashes! The beautiful, though rudely rendered ‘Strains of the Episcopal service for the burial of the dead consigned the.mortal to his primitive source and last resting place, but figuratively, indeed, for in that implacable territory of impenetrable rock and everlasting frost was there neither sod nor ashes to constitate tbe hero’s sepulchre. And the blasts of Boreas walled his requiem, and the unmitigated blackness of the Arctic Win- ter darkness, relieved but by the flickering fame of a single fambeau, proclaimed the gloom of his melanchely end, unerring presage of the uncer- tain light now alone remaining to direct the prog- ress of the survivors, Rest thee, then, undaunted soldier, faithful in thy futile fight against the freaks and frolics of fickle fortune, honored, though fruit- less farer in the former fate of faultless, fearless philanthopists! Though the tomb of thy material remnant be hot enshrouded ‘neath the green sward of thy loved and loving parent land; though thon sleepest in company with the creeping and prowling denizens ef that icy, night-bound shore, yet shall thy name repose with honor in the hearts of thy countrymen and the friends of science, and, save that the same surroundings cannot deck thy grave and enshrine itin their affections by those typical tokens, we ‘May say, with the poet, of thou who art far from the land:— On, breathe not his name; let it rest in the shade Where cold and unhonored his relics are laid; Sad, silent and dark be the tear that we shed ‘As the night dew that falls on the grass o’er his. head. AFTER HALL’S DEATH. During the remainder of that Winter the weather in Polaris bay was very mild for that locality. Captain Tyson says that the temperature was generally gero, or 5, 10 or 15 degrees below. About the fatter part of the first Winter it was one day 58 degrees below. March was the coldest month, the thermometer being below 40 throughout. There was much moisture in the air, weather very foggy, aurora borealis seldom visible. The ice constantly broke up and was swept away south. There were many very HEAVY GALES OF WIND. He concluded that if they did not find the North Pole they certainly had the Wind Pole. The wind went at the rate of fifty and sixty miles an honr, The scientific people could keep no account of it. It often, blew thém flat down on the ice. He picked up pebbles on the ice a mile and two miles from the mountaing, whence the wind had blown them down. The cloudy weather, fogs and mists led him to believe that there was an expansive ocean im- mediately north of where the ship was—an ocean probably beset with drifting ice. They might, he says, have continued north and pressed into the ocean through Roveson’s Channel, as they had plenty of coal. He thinks the land there, which separated them from the Spitzbergen Sea, is very narrow, but oo attempt was made to cross ity which would nave beens very great advantage in determining the character of the locaiity beyorid, ‘They twice attempted to find a harbor north, but could not. Captain Tyson continued:—1 don't know what the reason was for wintering in Polaris Bay. The sailing master, Buddington, several times wanted to stop the vessel and Go To WINTER AT rorT fore, where Hayes wintered. Captain Hall wanted to go on, but believed it was not possible from Bud- dington® misrepresentations, Buddington was next in command after Hall’s death, but he kept no ‘discipline, Hall was a strict disciptinatian, ‘We despised Boddington on account of his’ lying, cheating and stealing. The crew dtd nov tike fil at Orst, but before his death they liked Him’ very mugh, finding that his discipline was tempered with love, and that what he did was for the inter+ ests of all, Contrasting the dignity of his charac ter with the meanness of that of Buddington they gould not but bitterly mourn his loss; and if the discipline of the latter was not severe, all would have preferred the manly rule of Hall ta the pettl (oem 006 Of bis BuCCesEOr. Aida Gretel it sudan nae ‘the fottow - ing year (1672), another ‘attempt was made under +: eee ee ‘two boats. ply mate, was Piss) ir boat was hauled up on the shore, and the men,wha were about twenty-five miles of and were within commanication, returned to ‘the ship overland, as the sailing master wad calling loudiy foF ance because THE SHIP WAS LEAKY. ‘They were at that timewatching-an opporvanisy, | to get north, but none otcurred. Northeast gales -were piling up the ice, which drifted south. Could get no footing on it; it was crushed and all in hommocks..._This was in Robeson'’s Channel, extending from @h 44 to. 82 20 (or, 2%). Arrived gt the ship they found her oot in much distress—nothing like what was represented. She was leaking, but/from an old leak caused by her Bway in 1671 and swinging against an feeberg—cailéa ‘by Captain Hall “Providence Berg)” on the lea of which she all that Winter. /BUDDINGTON ABANDONED PHE EXPEDITION altogether, and started home on At 12, On the 15th of October the ship had drifted from latitude 80.deg. 2 mjn. to 77 deg: 35 min., wiere she encountered a heavyigalé from south- east and was jammed by_a heavy présaure of ico” and bergs. The ice lifted ‘her/out of the Water, go that ‘she only drew six” feet, and lay on her beam ends every low tide. At tlie, Vg feet water jmark she / snoxé nen steny and Started weod-ends. On the night ofthe 15th, fearing she would be crushed, and the Vessel being reported leaking very badly, an order was given to SHIFT PROVISIONS FROM SHIP TO 10K. | They continued. landing for two or three hours, when the pressure ceased, Tyson then went ‘on board and asked the satting master if the vesgel | ‘was making any more water than usual; ne Ba ported that she was not. Tyson went t spe pump | wh and ascertained that she ‘Wag.not tna ing shy hors water that she had been all Simmer. He then went on the ice again, ‘The rescued party were on tne ice alongside the vessel where the-provisions we! deposited; the remainder of the ship’s company were.on board. The ice commenced to crack, aud, ina few minutes more, broke up into Pieces. e vessel broke from her fastenings, and was ‘Poon lost to sight IN THE STORM AND DARKNESS, _// On the ‘broken ice were most of the provisions that had been taken from the ship, of Which they. \suceedea in securing fourteen cans “of pemican, 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 Arie Witn thir Gehérs on the piece of ice that had provisions on tt. fterecked of and went adrift. We got back to the main doe ‘n a scow or boat, which eat of ot tao mes, MP | “wYson says :—"I could have pon # the veut that night and been there now, but would not leave the women and children. My duty was on the ice. I thonght he would get pack-to us nextday, which ‘Pub? couia ‘nage’ cong: The breaking away was caused by the floe, to which the ship was fastened, in betwee: Jan and aome.icebergs up the floe and away. It was about ‘NINB.OB TEM, O'CLOOK. LN. 2HB NIGHT; temperature about manne evening it had been mineteen ‘We ala npt-save moré than one-ten! — on the ice.” ~ After tho RT I lay on the Went to sleep, except , who ge allnight. Next mornit vessel et not to be seen, and, knowing that their\stock of provisions was not sufficient to last the whole com; Winter, ‘they sried to make the land with 9 view to, ‘aigcover if there: were ‘any inkablsants in “the locality to assist them in living through the Winter. Having got about nalf way tothe shore, and the boats being heavily laden, progress became Aimcult on account.of the drifting tee, ahd they were compelled, to haul their poate on the ice again. As thas time \ “" $HE-WRSSEL CAME IN stu, _}tinder steam and canvas, rounding a point to the northwest, Instead of offing to the rescue, as they expected, ané steamed along down the shore, They then set up.@ black rubber cloth, lashed to an oar ona, pingacie, Walch is the best mark in contrast with the ice and is easily distinguishable. The ship was at this time about eight or nine miles from the flog and must have seen the signal. She was soon lost to sight in the bend of the land and behind Se took t ae nmperiand Iiand. 1 i | eis e Se irate the floe commence ‘drifting southwards, opening a little bay to the NOBTHMAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND. ‘There was the vessel in harbor, her sails furled, H and no smoke issuing from her stack. They then | attempted to-bring.the boats across the floe in an easterly direction, hoping to fitia-water_ and reach the shore, to board the vessel from there; su¢-/ “Ceeded in dragging one boat aeross, took the wad and atte! toreach the shore some distance below a gc driven pack by the gale, rift and snow, and compelied.to haul up the boat omthe ice again. The vessel was about.four or five thiles from the floe at this time. | The main- land was tothe east, about three of four miles. Tyson saya‘—‘‘All that prevented us from reach- pounds, some musk-ox skins, a, few biaskets, 8.) ing the vessel was ‘slob. or ‘posh’ too thick for us number of rifles and-abundant ammunition. As regards the moerings of the vessel, it seems that, had she been’properly moored that night, she would have been able to hold on although Tyson says that he expected her to go assoon as the pres- sure of i¢e slacked. John ‘Heron, being partiou- larly interrogated 483 TO HER MOORINGS, saysi—'The vessel was ia great, danger—timbers cracking and crashing; but I think if the for’ad’ moorings had been properly secured she would have stood. The for’ad hawser slipped and did not break; it was wrongly secured by a slippery hitch; it was done by a fireman, and not by one of the regular seamen; no seaman woulg have done it that way.” The fastenings appear to have been ice anchors and hawsers made on to the main floe, on part of which the men were when the vessel broke away. The provisions were placed on the ice in anticipa- tion of the vessel breaking away, with the wemen and children, to enable the crew to save all they could, and then jump for their lives if necessary. A MOMENT OF AGONY. The prevailing impression among the unfortu- nate nineteen who were left behind was that Buad- dington had wilfully abandoned them to their fate. He had been anticipating the breaking up of the ioe for some tyme, and if he had wished to have Tyson and his companions op board he could easily have represented matters to them in such @ light that they would not have ventured to be absent at 80 critical a juncture. But no such intimation was given te the men on the ice. The vessel did not drift away so suddenly that the. ‘men could not have been rescued from their perilous position ;, but. BESCUE THERE WAS NONB,” and the inference ts irresistible that the sailing master, thinking he would be rid of a troublesome companion in the person of Tyson, determined to seize the favorable opportunity, and, regardiess of consequences, abandon the men to their fate whom it was his sacred duty to save. What must have been the feelings of the nineteen persons on the ice, five of whom were feeble women and helpless children, as they saw the vessel, which to them was the only means of salvation, drift slowly away? Around them was the breaking and floating ice, which ‘every Moment threatened to engulph all in the cold clutches of Death. Right in ‘their sight the vessel moved away. They ‘could not reach her. She could not or did not attempt to put back for them. Thoughts of home and friends, who in all probability might never be seen again, crowded upon the imagination, and it re- quired all the efforts of the strong, brave men to quiet the weeping woman and children: If Bud- dington still lives and is accountable for the de- sertion he has A FEARFUL RESPONSIBILITY upon his shoulders to which he should be strictly held to account. If it was impossible for him to have stayed the progress of the vessel on the first day, the day on which it driited, there is no reason which can be ascertained why he should not have returned on the following day. The sea was clear enough for naviga- tion, the distance made by the vessel could not have been very far from the locality in which Tyson and his companions were ieft. It to putt fhe boat throagh. INT had known/What was to follow I would have gone through it or sunk. Had my men co-operated with me COULD HAVE REACHED THE SHIP THAT Dax; The men were».tired and exhausted, but, though Thad not slept at all the might before, I was ready for work, but was aloe in my enaeavors. It was Buddington’s duty to come and.take us off.’ Yoe says:—“The {oe between us and the vessel that morning was all small posh, Any steamer could come through it to where we were. We could see the men aboard with spy-giass and they could see us.” Heron says:—“She might have come to us that morning, I think. My private opinion is she could. There was no disagreement at all on board. (Heron probably means on that particular day, as his other statements are inconsistent with there being no disagreement at all.) CAUSE OF THE DISAGREEMENT. Captain Tyson thinks the ill-fecling and bad designs of Buddington and a few others, who were his gccomplices, had continued from the first, on acconit of Captain Hall’s determination to go as far north as possiole, and Buddington’s determina- tion, from fear or whatever cause, that he should not. After Hali’s death most of the others were in favor of continuing and pushing north, and Tyson says that Buddington several times expressed his determination to send them (Tyson and his party) “on the road to hell as soon as ah opportunity offered.” He characterizes Buddington as a great scoundrel, and declares that he PURPOSELY ABANDONED THEM TO DESTRUCTION. He gives Myers the character of being energetic and qualified in his department, but thinks he was not'suMictently aware of the condition of affairsat the time of separation and the possibility of getting rescued then to be able to give any opinion upon it. The Germans, according to his account, ruled the ship after Hall's death, and there was neither law nor system on board, every one working entirely en hisown account. Bessel and Bryant were anx- fous to get as far north as possible. Myers had worked hard and lost all his labor. ETAR is close to Northumberland Island, bat could not be reached at that time. This is a village, or settie- ment, under the Danish government, inhabited by Danes and Esquimaux in Summer; but, liké the other Danish settlements on the coast, generally by the Esquimanux only during the Winter. There is @ resident Governor in each place, who comes afinually from Denmark. Here the Danish ships are provisioned, and it was at Disco (one of them further south) that the Polaris took in her last supply of coal, when setting out for the North in 1871, All the necessaries of life ‘in food and cloth- ing can be had at these places. They are remarkable for their admirable system of schooling, established and maintained by the Dan- ish missionaries, a creditable consequence ef which is that nearly all the Esquimsux located in or near them are able to read and many te write, They have also thdir churches. in each settlement so that, while within the eound of tne bell, at all events, the Eequimaux are a tolerably civilized people. Had the unfortunate outcasts been able but to reach this place at the time what an age of misery and suffering haa been spared them! It was was well known that the Polaris had plenty of | 9 narrow chance, indeed, that might, have saved coal on board, Why did she not return? Te this question Buddington alone can make answer, and them, but almost in the act of grasping security they were consigned to a cruel disappolutment— when he arrives home, if ever he does arrive, it will, | now crneland bitter they beat can tell who have doubtless, be asked in a way which will secure en anawer, That the nineteen souls left behind be eye that ® very, small exertion would have THE I1CKB DRIFTS WITH THE PaRTy. Now commenced the drift from the 15th of Octo- rescued them, and that that exertion was with | ber, 1872, to the 30th of April, 1873, over six months, held, 19 undeniable from the they nave. made since they were by the Tigress. statements | or 197 days. Night closed upon the scene last de- landed | scribed. The abandoned party had fortunately two The stories they tell of the | boats, the only remaining boats belonging to the departure of the veqsel are given below, and from | Polaris, them ®, cerrect impression can be gathered of The gale daring the night carried the floe and its 4), SBRUR PERLINGS AT TER AWFUL MOMENT. unfortunate occupiers to the southwest, and in the Heron. says:--I made. rush for the vessel and | morning they were abeut thirty miles away from sung out for s line, but they would not give me Where the ship was lying comfortebly at anchor. one, Onester and Boddington wore standing on A heavy sep was running, which broke up the the, GARETTAR, Aa Conld, bare crown me DE foe and ecparpted. the marty mom six bege Eee all of Dread, one of their boats and other articles of food; clothing, compasees, &0. When-the gale abated they endeavored to shoot as Many seals as for’ food and light as well as fuel, but di@ jeceed in getting more than three, owing to rough weather having set in. When the weather cleared up the party found themselves, as they supposed, on the east coast or west coast of Green- dand, about forty miles from .the ship. They. Bow. hoped to reach the shore, but the ice belng weak, they could not transport boats and provisions te shore until it grew stronger. Fortunately they here discovered the other boat, provisiens, &c., from which they had been separated, and saved all, The ice at length grew stronger, and they made another attempt to reach the shore, carrging everything in the boats-and dragging. them on ‘their keels, The ice being exceedingly rouge, they stove both boats, whfch did not, nowever, render them uselés3, -On the lat of November they succeeded in getting about halfway te the shore, when _MIGHT AND STORMY WEATHER (AME ON, and prevented further progress, In the morning it wasfound that the.tce was broken and the flee \drifting south very awifily. No more land was Seen for some days, and bad weather continued throughout November. Then, giving up all nope of Present resoue, they bulit-stiow houses on the toe, reconeijéd to make them their home for a seagor. These huts were houses of snow, constructed of Actroular form atthe base, gfadually converging towards the top; the sides, surmounted by a block of snow, which, formed the roof, leaving a smatl hole for ventilation. The entrance was a small vacuum at the base, barely large enough fora man to crawl through, Any greater space would destroy the usefulness of the house by allowing access te the cold and wind. These houses, while the weather continues hard and dry, are warm and tolerably comfortable, but on the first appearance of wet or thaw have gen- q ey 2 ge abamdoned, The palsies of the | Hsquimat to Sohsumption Ws attributable, among other causes, to this method of life, constantly ex- jposing themselves to the damp cold of theirmelt- ling huta, 4 oe Their food from this time was a prudent allow. ance of such provisions as they had, with alarge Proportion Of seal Mesh fat, and, subsequently, When the seals were scarce, even seal skins, Three of the-huts were for dwelling houses and one fora storeliouse.. {n one lived Captain Tyson, Joe, and Hannah his wife, and one ohild; 4m the second, Mans Christian,” wife and ‘four children; in the third, Mr. Myers an@eight men. These hata were built aide by side on ¢he foe, aud were oon- ‘tinuously odcupled from'Noyembér to or da aa they wére k COMPELLED TO ABANDON THEM. = They had m0 materials for fire, except old rags and blubber—both “searce—which had to be used very spéringty, end only when it waa necessary te warm théiz scanty allowance of food, 80 that for néarly the whole six _montlis they were “without fire, a peculiarly distressing position ander the circumstances, especiaily as these huts, unless heated ertificially, are extremely cold. ‘4 THE AROCTIO WINTER. ‘The darkness of the-Arctic night, which laste @ long time, and commences about December 1, pre- vented the oatching of seals or other animals ex- cept by accident. Then the sun disappeared, and did notreappear until the end of January or bee ginning of February. During this period day waa not distinguishable from night, except y theans of a streak of light on the south. ern horizon, which, however, afforded na light to our unfortunate wanderers, It ‘was a darkness ulike the darkness of southern latitudes, There wag no baimy breath of night; all was cold and cReerless and desolate, Day suc. ceeded to day, and still the darkness continued. Gradually,the eye became acoustomied to it, and ‘Objects which at the first were dim. and indistinct could be plainly discerned at a distance. The Esquimaax of the party were, of course, ‘used to the long, dark Winter and thought lightly of it, but it was not so with the Americans and the other members of the expedition. Some of them had had experience im the northern latitudes, but never such @ trying one as this, and their hearts might have well failed. them when they thought ef the dreary prospect which Spread out before them. Those who read this narrative in their comfortable homes ¢$n form but @ faint impression of the suiferings: which these people enduréd. The greatest privation which the darkness occasioned was that it put a stop for the time to the seal hunting, Which to the crew was ‘THE OHIEF MEANS OF SUSTENANCE. ‘The dark color of the animal prevented it from being seen at any distance, and the pursuit of it in the midst of the darkness was attended with so many perils that few had the temerity to engage in it, Even the Esquimaux, who Were familiar with the habits of *the seal and’ new its every movement, refrained almost entirely from hunting it during the Stygian darkness. It must not be understood from this that the Arctle Winter's night doés not vary in. duration, as it lasts months longer in some latitudes than im others; but it afust be remembered that, drifting south, they Were gradually diminishing the period of that darkness which reigned at Northumberland’ Isiand and approaching the extending light of “other days.” In the latter part of February they lived princtpaily on birds—dove-keys—whieh were picked up Setween the ice cracks. The descriptton of seat taken in the North is called by the natives netaik and another known as the “bearded seal” It is short and chunky, and smaller than the better known darps of the New. foundland shores. ‘The provisions lasted antil the end of February, when the party had to fall back upon the rifle and seals and birds, THE SUN APPEARED ON THE NORIZON on the 19th) of January for the first time aftor ite disappearance im November, rising at half-pase eleven A. M. and setting at haif-past twelve P. M. After the sun set there was twilight for six or seven hours. The days after that rapidly grew longer until the party was picked up. On the last of February they had remaining of thotr provisions brought from the vessel only two cans of pemican and 120 pounds of bread—the lat- ter wet and mouldy. One of the boats was cut up to make fael to melt the ice into water to drink. During the time they were without biubber their provisions Were eaten cold, Tho natives were very faithful in their exertions ¢o will seals during the months of darkness; bus, ag sald before, they rarely succeeded, the dimouities and dangers attending the undertaking being very great, Starvation now stared the party m the face, aud the retura of the