194 Arctic Animals. 



seemo- others drink. There can be no doubt that 

 Hall was an enthusiast, and that his whole soul was 

 wrapped up in the noble desire to achieve greatness. 

 He has found a last resting-place in the midst of 

 his discoveries. 



The winter quarters of the "Polaris/' in 81° 38', 

 are the most northern position in which civilized 

 man has ever wintered ; and all details respecting 

 the temperature and the amount of animal life arc 

 consequently most interesting. The lowest tem- 

 perature registered was — 48° Fahr., with very little 

 wind blowing at the time. The prevailing winds 

 were from the north-east. The fall of snow during 

 the two winters passed by the " Polaris " up Smith 

 Sound was remarkably small, the heaviest snow 

 storm occurring in the month of June, and that was 

 not of any extraordinary amount. In the latitude 

 of their winter quarters musk oxen were met with, 

 and twenty-six were shot. Foxes and lemmings 

 were also seen, but other animals were compara- 

 tively scarce, and only one bear was seen during 

 the whole year. Narwhal and walrus were not 

 seen to the north of 79°, but seals were obtained up 

 to the exfreme point in 82° 16'. They were of 

 three kinds, namely, the common Greenland seal, 

 the ground seal, and the fetid seal. The bladder 

 or hooded seal was not met with. On the western 

 side it was stated by the Etah Esquimaux, that 

 Ellesmere Land abounded with musk oxen ; and, 

 judging from the configuration of Grinnell Land 





