F. GEOGRAPHY. 143 



On Christmas day the ship was hemmed in by a heavy field 

 of ice, but the weather was as pleasant as an Italian spring 

 day. Such was the reluctance of Captain Hall to have the 

 further discoveries which he is expecting to make shared by 

 rival expeditions, that, according to the writer, he did not 

 send word of his return to the Secretary of the Navy, which 

 was certainly a very reprehensible omission. The entire story 

 bears little evidence of credibility, and will at least require 

 further confirmation before it can be accepted. N~eio York 

 Times, April 15,1872. 



LATEST NEWS FROM CAPTAIN HALL. 



The Secretary of the Navy has recently received, by way 

 of Copenhagen, a letter from Capt. O. F. Hall, of the Polaris, 

 written on the 24th of August, 1871, at Tossak, North Green- 

 land, latitude 73 21', longitude 56 5' west. Although this 

 is but a few days later than the dispatch brought home by 

 the frigate Congress nearly a year ago, it renews the assur- 

 ance of the harmony existing on board the vessel between 

 the members of the expedition, and the perfect satisfaction 

 of all with the equipment and preparations for the coming 

 winter. 



It is well known that no efforts were spared by the Navy 

 Department to render this expedition the most perfect and 

 complete in its equipment of any ever sent to the north, and 

 the success of these endeavors must therefore be a source of 

 great gratification to it. Governor Elberg, of the Upernavik 

 district, accompanied the Polaris as far as Disco, and brought 

 back the dispatches, which have thus been a year in their 

 journey to Washington. Through his help Captain Hall ob- 

 tained sixty strong, healthy young Esquimau dogs, and a 

 large supply of food for them, together with a supply of 

 reinde^furs, seal-skins, etc. 



At Upernavik, Hans Christian, well known to the readers 

 of Kane's narrative, joined them as hunter and dog-driver, 

 and was accompanied by his wife and three children, who, 

 with Joe and Hannah and their child, Captain Hall's faithful 

 companions in previous years, made up quite a party. It 

 will be remembered that Captain Hall met the returning 

 Swedish expedition at Holsteinborg, and that its commander 

 supplied him with charts and copies of such of his notes as 



