THE VALUE OF POLAR EXPEDITIONS. 83 



"The severity of the climate has been exaggerated. To parties under 

 cover it is not more trying than that at the summit of Mount Washington, 

 in New Hampshire, or of Pike's Peak, Colorado, as stated by a former 

 member of one of Dr. Hayes' expeditions, and who has since served a year 

 on the summit of the last named mountain. 



"In this connection attention is invited to the following extracts from 

 official reports. The first is from the report of the Secretary of the Navy 

 and his associates on the results of the Polaris expedition: 



"'During the summer the entire extent of both low lands and elevations 

 (at Thank God Harbor, latitude 81 deg. 38 min. north) are bare of both 

 snow and ice, excepting patches here and there in the shade of the rocks. 

 The soil during this jDeriod was covered with a more or less dense vegeta- 

 tion of moss, with which several Arctic plants were intorsiJersed, some of 

 them of considerable beauty, but entirely without scent, and many small 

 willows scarcely reaching the dignity of shrubs. 



"'Animal life was found to abound, musk oxen being shot at intervals 

 throughout the winter, their food consisting of the moss and other vege- 

 tables obtained during this season by scraping off the snow with their hoofs. 

 Wolves, also bears, oxen and other mammals, were repeatedly observed. 

 Geese, ducks and other water fowls, including plover and other wading 

 birds, abounded during the summer, although the species of land feirds were 

 comparatively few, including, however, as might have been expected, large 

 numbers of snow partridges. No fish were seen. The waters were, how- 

 ever, found filled to an extraordinary degree with marine intervertebrata, 

 including jelly-fish and shrimps. It was believed by the party that the 

 seals depend upon the latter for their principal subsistence, the seals them- 

 selves being very abundant. 



'"Numerous insects were observed also, especially several species of 

 butterflies, also flies, bees and insects of like chaKlfeter.' 



"In the last dispatch written by Capt. Hall, afhis snow encampment on 

 the north side of Newman's Bay, latitude 82 deg. 3 min. north, October 20 

 1871, he says: 



" ' We find this is a much warmer country than we expected. From 

 Oape Alexander the mountains on either side of the Kennedy Channel and 

 Eobeson Strait we found entirely bare of snow and ice, with the exception 

 of a glacier that we saw covering about latitude 80 deg. 30. min., east side 

 of the strait, and, extending east-northeast as far as can be seen from the 

 mountain by Polaris Bay. We have found that the country abounds with 

 life and seals, game, ducks, musk-cattle, rabbits, wolves, foxes, bears, part- 

 ridges, etc. Our sealers have shot two seals in the open water while at this 

 encampment.' " 



Having referred to the letter of Professor Loomis, of Yale College, to 

 Capt. Howgate, we will close this article by quoting from it that portion in 

 which he points out the almost inestimable advantages of a thorough ex- 

 ploration of the Arctic regions to the scientific and the commercial world. 



