The Times has received a full report from Newfoundland of
the voyage of the American ship Polaris, which, after reaching the 82° 16', lost its commander, Captain Hall, apparently by apoplexy, on the 8th of November, 1871, and a considerable portion of the crew of which was separated from the ship on the 15th of October, 1872, and floated south on an ice-floe. The account of their sufferings and expedients for living is very inter- esting, but after all, the chief interest attaches to the ship's experience of the climate of the extreme northerly point reached, and this seems to confirm the theory that a much milder region is to be found near the pole, and probably an open sea. Cer- tainly the climate of the furthest point was much milder than that of the region south of it ;—in June the plain around them was free- from snow, and the ground covered with creeping herbage, serving as food to great herds of musk oxen which range over it. Indeed, north of 80° it was much warmer than between 70°' and 80°. Besides musk oxen, rabbits and lemmings were seen in abundance ; the wild flowers were brilliant ; and when the Polaris unfortunately went into winter quarters in 1871, a heavy bank of cloud was seen, what looked like a. water horizon to the north-east, the direction in which a way was open for the Polaris to explore. Driftwood, too, came floating south, which seemed to imply that the Esquimaux, at least, had dwellings further to the north. Probably Captain Ffall's want of intrepidity in going so early into winter quarters was due to his failing health, but it would; be a thousand pities if we do not follow up by further investiga- tion the many evidences of a milder climate near the Pole. The Times will not easily persuade us that our courage ought to quail before the open secret of the Polar Sea.
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