40 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



his friends, Congress in the winter of 1869-70 passed an act 

 authorizing the organization of an expedition toward the North 

 Pole, which was later known as Hall's Third Arctic Expedition, 

 or the voyage of the Polaris, from the name of the vessel com- 

 missioned for the undertaking. The Act of Congress was as 

 follows : 



" SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States 

 be authorized to organize and send out one or more expeditions toward the North 

 Pole, and to appoint such person or persons as he may deem most fitted to the 

 command thereof; to detail any officer of the public service to take part in the 

 same, and to use any public vessel that may be suitable for the purpose; the 

 scientific operations of the expedition to be prescribed in accordance with the 

 advice of the National Academy of Sciences; and that the sum of fifty thousand 

 dollars, or such part thereof as may be necessary, be hereby appropriated, out of 

 any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended under the 

 direction of the President." 



Approved, July 12, 1870." 



Captain Hall was appointed leader of the expedition, and 

 in accordance with the Act of Congress the Secretary issued 

 instructions to him, in which were included those of a committee 

 of the National Academy of Sciences. The instructions were 

 embodied in a pamphlet, which was published under the title: 

 " Instructions for the Expedition toward the North Pole from 

 Hon. Geo. M. Robeson, Secretary of the Navy. With an 

 appendix from the National Academy of Sciences. 1871." 



On page 4 the following reference is made to the Academy: 



" You [Chas. F. Hall] will render Dr. Bessels and his assistants all such 

 facilities and aids as may be in your power to carry into effect the said further 

 advice, as given in the instructions herewith furnished in a communication from 

 the president of the National Academy of Sciences. It is, however, important 

 that objects of natural history, ethnology, etc., etc., which may be collected by 

 any person attached to the expedition, shall be delivered to the chief of the 

 scientific department, to be cared for by him, under your direction, and considered 

 the property of the government; and every person be strictly prohibited from 

 keeping any such object." 



The instructions and appendix are also contained in the Re- 

 port of the Secretary of the Navy for 1871, pp. 238-260. 



17 Stat. at Large, vol. 16, 1871, p. 251, 4ist Congress, 2d Session, chap. 251, sec. 9. 



