CHARLES FRANCIS HALL AND JONES SOUND 
309 
North Pole. In doing this I feel [wish ?] to contribute all I can in ad- 
vancing the cause of science, especially of that branch relating to astron- 
omy. For near four months now the vessel designed for the North Polar 
E.vpedition has been in hand at the Washington navj" yard. She has been 
almost entireh^ built anew, and is now the best strengthened vessel for 
Arctic service that any country ever fitted out. The vessel is to be in 
waiting about the 1st of June, at which time I hope to take departure. 
Capt. S. V. Budington, of Groton, Conn., is the sailing master and ice- 
pilot ; Hubbel C. Chester, of Noank, Conn., is the first mate. The former 
has been 30 years at sea and 20 years navigating, more or less, in Davis 
strait; the latter has been for 12 years in tbe Arctic sea. The second 
mate is William Morton, who was on the first Grinnell expedition, 1850-’!, 
and with Dr Kane on his remarkable expedition of 1853-’4 and ’5. This 
rviorton is the adventurer who, with the Esquimaux Hans, made the 
sledge journey northward from Kane’s winter quarters, latitude 78° 37^ 
north, up to cape Constitution, where he discovered the renowned “ Open 
Polar sea.” 
The Esquimaux family, Joe, Hannah, and their little daughter Punny, 
will accompan}’’ me back to the north. This family I brought to the 
States in the fall of 1869, when I returned from my five-year vo5’age and 
travels in the Arctic regions. The whole ship's company from the States 
will consist of about 27 souls. The vessel is about 400 tons — a top-sail 
schooner with auxiliary ijropeller. I think Government will send one 
of her vessels as a transport to one of the higher settlements of Green- 
land. By having this transport to convey provisions and stores, a great 
confidence can be reposed in the resources of the expedition. IMyproposed 
route is up along the west coast of Greenland to the latitude of 76° north ; 
then I turn to the westward, striking into Jones sound. After a penetra- 
tion of this water for about 150 miles discovery begins, when the prow of 
J'olaris (the name of the vessel) will, if land and water will permit, he 
>irged on to the north as far as practicable. It is quite probable that the 
ves.sel cannot safely be advanced farther than latitude 80°, which will 
leave a distance, of course, of 600 geographic miles to the Pole. The time 
of arriving at latitude 80° will be about September 1 ; then a winter har- 
bor will be sought for and vessel i)laced in it. The following sju-ing (of 
1872) sledge j)arties will be organized and led on poleward. By sledging 
and by boating— just as nature’s highway shall be found to be — tlie north 
e.xtremity of the earth’s axis must be finally reached by the undersigned 
and his party ; then my mi.ssion will have been i)erformed, and not till 
then. I e.xpect to suc(!eed in accomplishing the ])urposes of this II. S. 
North Polar Expedition within two and one-half years, yet it may take 
live years. Every man that goes on this expedition innst understand 
that if lu! goes it is with this full understanding that he will be faithful 
and true to the expedition and to all that pertains to it to the (mkI if it 
takes from two and a half to five years. I am confident, however, that 
the purpo.se of the ex|)cdition will he acc<nnplished hy the end of two 
and a lialf years from the 1st of .Inne ne.\t. 
Yon are nixlonhtedly acquainted with the work that Sontag, theastron- 
ijiner of Dr Kane’s expedition, |i(!rfornn‘<l. . . . Owing to the fact 
