364 EXPEDITION TOWARD THE NORTH POLE. 



success in your daring enterprise, and commending you and them to 

 the protecting care of the God who rules the universe, 

 I am, very respectfully, jours, 



GEO. M. EOBESON, 



Secretary of the Navy. 

 Ohas. F. Hall, 



Commanding Expedition toward the North Pole. 



LETTER OF PROFESSOR JOSEPH HENRY, (PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL 

 ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,) WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPTAIN C. F. HALL 

 FOR THE SCIENTIFIC OPERATIONS OF THE EXPEDITION TOWARD THE 

 NORTH POLE. 



Washington, D, C, June 9, 1871. 



Sir : In accordance with the law of Congress authorizing the expe- 

 dition for explorations within the Arctic Circle, the scientific operations 

 are to be prescribed by the National Academy ; and in behalf of this 

 society I respectfully submit the following remarks and suggestions : 



The appropriation for this expedition was granted by Congress prin- 

 cipally on account of the representations of Captain Hall and his friends 

 *as to the possibility of improving our knowledge of the geography of 

 the regions beyond the eightieth degree of north latitude, and more 

 especially of reaching the Pole. Probably on this account and that of 

 the experience which Captain Hall had acquired by seven years' resi- 

 dence in the Arctic regions, he was appointed by the President as com- 

 mander of the expedition. 



In order that Captain Hall might have full opportunity to arrange his 

 plans, and that no impediments should be put in the way of their 

 execution, it was proper that he should have the organization of the 

 expedition and the selection of his assistants. These privileges having 

 been granted him. Captain Hall early appointed as the sailing-master 

 of the expedition his friend and former fellow-voyager in the Arctic 

 Zone, Captain Buddington, who has spent twenty-five years amid polar 

 ice ; and for the subordinate positions, persons selected especially for 

 their experience of life in the same regions. 



Tt is evident from the foregoing statement that the expedition, except 

 in its relations to geographical discovery, is not of a scientific character, 

 and to connect with it a full corps of scientific observers whose duty it 

 vshould be to make minute investigations relative to the physics of the 

 globe, and to aftbrd them such facilities with regard to time and position 

 as would be necessary to the full success of the object of their organi- 

 zation, would materially interfere with the views entertained by Captain 

 Hall, and the purpose for which the appropriation was evidently 

 intended by Congress. 



Although the special objects and peculiar organization of this expe- 

 dition are not primarily of a scientific character, yet many phenomena 

 may be observed and specimens of natural history be incidentally col- 

 lected, particularly during the long winter periods in which the vessel 



