LAST REPORT OF CAPTAIN HALL. 599 



journeying further north ; and as the time of our expected 

 absence was understood to be for two weeks, we commence 

 our return to-morrow morning. To-day we are storm- 

 bound to this our sixth encampment. From Cape Bre- 

 voort we can see land extending on the west side of the 

 strait to north twenty-two degrees west, and distant about 

 seventy miles, thus making the land we discovered as far 

 as latitude 83 5' north. There is the appearance of laud 

 farther north, and extending more easterly than what I 

 have just noticed, but a peculiar dark nimbus cloud that 

 constantly hangs over what seems to be land prevents my 

 making a full determination. On August 31st the Polaris 

 made her greatest northern latitude, 82 29' north, but 

 after several attempts to get her farther north, she became 

 beset, when we were drifted down to about 81 30', when 

 an opening occurred westward out of the pack, and made 

 harbor September 3rd, where the Polaris is " (A corner 

 of the manuscript is here burned off.) 



" Up to the time I and my party left the ship all have 

 been well, and continue with high hopes of accomplishing 

 our great mission. We find this a much warmer country 

 than we expected. From Cape Alexander the mountains 

 on either side of the Kennedy Channel and Robeson Strait 

 were found entirely bare of snow and ice, with the excep- 

 tion of a glacier that we saw, commencing in about lati- 

 tude 80 30' north, on the east side of the strait, and ex- 

 tending in an east-northeast direction as far as can be seen 

 from the mountains by Polaris Bay. We have found that 

 the country abounds with live seals, game, geese, ducks, 

 musk cattle, rabbits, wolves, foxes, bears, partridges, len- 

 nings, etc. Our sailors have shot two seals in the open 

 waters while at this encampment. 



" Our long Arctic night commenced October 13th, hav- 

 ing seen only the upper limb of the sun above the glacier 

 at meridian October 12th. 



" This despatch to the Secretary of the Navy I finish at 



