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The Most Wonderful Voyage on Record

words of hope and confidence of the success of the expedition. N 1870, the Congress of the United States appropriated the sum of $50,000 for an On the 8th of November, Captain Hall expedition to the North died suddenly, probably from an attack of Pole, and eight days after- apoplexy. Hall was an exceptional man, ward Captain Hall received gifted with great powers of endurance a commission as Com- Above mander of the same. His a as Com- and great tenacity of purpose.

His medium height, he was powerfully built, ship was the Polaris, which with broad chest, muscular limbs and a steamed out of New York large head. He was remarkable for his harbor on June 29, 1871. temperate habits. After his return from Nearly two months later, his second expedition, a more robust man the Polaris entered the re- could not have been found. Upon his death, the command fell upon Budington.

Having proceeded as far north as possible, by the middle of the following July, the expedition prepared to return. gions of perpetual ice and snow, and from that time until the 30th of April, 1873, not a word was heard from the expedition by the civilized world.

Early in September, the Polaris reached The ice left the Polaris free early in a cove on the Greenland north shore. An August, and she steamed slowly southimmense iceberg sheltered its mouth, and ward. At the close of the first day, she here it was determined to pass the winter. was fastened in the ice, and was in a very This point is about 200 miles north of Dr. dangerous position. She was made fast Kane's famous winter quarters, and about to a floe on the 16th, which drifted her three miles north of the farthest point hither and thither in Smith's Sound for reached by Hayes. two months, during which time not more The iceberg was used as a mooring than twelve miles were gained to the place for the Polaris. An observatory was south, bringing her in the neighborhood at once established, and Hall began pre- of Northumberland Island. Apprehendparations for a sledge journey in the ing danger, provisions were carried on direction of the Pole. On October 10th, deck, a canvas shelter was erected on the he started with four sledges and fourteen ice, and every preparation made for a dogs, accompanied by Chester, the mate, speedy abandonment of the vessel, should and the Esquimaux, Ebierbing and Hans. it become necessary. On the evening of the 20th, Hall wrote A very severe gale set in from the south the last words ever penned by him, which on October 15th. The ice pressed in were a communication to the Secretary of under the ship, and she was actually the Navy. It was a description of the lifted out of the water and thrown on her voyage up to the time of settling down beam-ends on the ice. Provisions and in their winter quarters, and was full of stores were thrown over, and under orders THRILLING