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[[first page]] [[first column]] THE DAY-BOOK [[?]]ill be published every morning throughout the year, [[?]]nday mornings excepted, by the Editor and Proprietor, FRANCIS WINTON, at his office, Water Street, nearly opposite the Premises of Messrs. BAINE, JOHNSTON & [[?]], where all communications and advertisements intended for this paper will be received. THE DAY-BOOK. ST. JOHN'S, TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1862. Through the kindness of the Editor of the DAY-BOOK, I desire to return my heartfelt thanks to the [[many]] good friends from whom I have received so [[many]] tokens of Christian generosity during my [[short]] stay in St. John's. Having been so long [[excluded]] from civilization, the unusual attention I have [[received]] from many of the people of St.John's affects [[me]] beyond my power of expression. I can only [[return]] my warmest thanks, assuring my friends that [[I]] shall ever retain their kindness green in my [[memory]]. C.F. HALL. Monday, Aug. 25, 1862 [We are compelled to postpone the publication of [[our]] additional notes regarding Mr. HALL'S explorations till tomorrow, owing to the arrival of the mail. They shall appear in our next, and will give a description of the method pursued by the Esquimaux [[in]] killing seals, with other interesting information. [[end column]] [[end page]] [[second page]] [[first column]] [[SATURDAY]], NOVEMBER 8, 1862. THE ARCTIC DISCOVERIES. Mr. C.F. Hall Before the Geographical and Statistical Society- The Inuit Family- Statement of Captain S.O. Buddington, &c., &c. On Thursday evening Mr. C.F. Hall read a very interesting paper on his Arctic discoveries before the Geographical and Statistical Society. The audience was quite large and composed of those of our citizens who have ever taken a deep interest in matters pertaining to Arctic research. Among the number present we noticed Captain W. Parker Snow, an English Arctic explorer of considerable note. Mr. Henry Grinnell introduced Mr. Hall to the audience, who greeted him with applause. In his preliminary remarks the speaker referred to the generosity of some of the citizens of Ohio, Connecticut and New York, who enabled him to start on his first, and what has proved quite successful voyage. yet he felt that he had not by any means accomplished his mission to those regions. He read from his original manuscript many interesting incidents of his earlier experiences and of the dangers he encountered. To assist him in explaining to the audience the track of his travels three charts were suspended over the platform, and from time to time he pointed out the various points of interest. His narrative of his life among the Innuits was very graphic, and he referred to their kindness and generosity in terms which were eloquent and touching. He paid those denizens of a frozen region a tribute which any body of men might be proud of. The Innuits of Greenland were found to be an educated people, little children reading books published by the natives. Several of the books were shown, whose typography and appearance were in every way highly creditable. He said the Innuits are honest, religious and a self-governing people, having no laws, no rulers or chiefs; and in all his intercourse with them he never saw a fight or even a quarrel. They had some vices, as we would term them, but their virtues were in the majority. One thing he could say of them, if one had anything to eat, all had something to eat. The speaker dwelt at some length on the oral history obtained from the natives; and, strange to say, he had been so careful in his notes as to write down any question propounded to them and their answers. Much of the credit of finding the relics or the spot where they were was due to a conversation he had with O-ko-jox-ie, a venerable Innuit woman, who is believed to be over one hundred years of age. In narrating how he came to find the [[Codluna?]], or White Man's Island, he was very minute in his statement, and his theories were satisfactorily proved in all points relating to it. It is seldom one sees the profound attention and interest manifested by an audience as was witnessed on this occasion. Mr. Hall had with him a volume of Hakabuit's voyages, kingly loaned by Hon. Geo. Bancroft, from which he read several extracts bearing upon the points in question. This rare and valuable work, speaking of the abode of Frobisher's men, agrees with the position where Mr. Hall found his relics. Shortly before nine o'clock the Innuits, E-bier-ping, Tuk-e-leto, his wife, and Tuk-e-Iik-etu his child, accompanied by Captain S.O. BUddington, were brought into the room clad in full summer costume of deer and seal skins. Their presence created quite a sensation, and Mr. Hall gave the audience quite a history of their services to him. Tuk-e-leto, the woman, is claimed to be the best interpreter int he Arctic regions. She is of a mild disposition, and has a faculty of acquiring readily the lingo of other tribes. During the evening Captain William Parker Snow, a British explorer, propounded a few question to Mr. Hall in relation to the discoveries of Perry, which Mr. hall answered with promptness, and in such a manner that Capt. Snow stated to the society that he was of the firm belief that Mr. Hall was the first man to definitely settle the fact that the body of water heretofore known as the Frobisher's Strait was only a deep bay, and, as an Englishman, he was proud to acknowledge Mr. Hall as the discoverer of this interesting fact. After the close of the lecture, on motion of the Rev. Dr. Thompson, seconded by Hon. George Bancroft, the thanks of the audience and society were presented to Mr. Hall. Mr. Hall's relics were now open for inspection. They comprise quite a variety of specimens of bituminous coal, tiles, brick and pieces of stone, on which can be seen fragments of mortar which by age have become as hard as the rock itself. All of these relics were dug up, and not picked up carelessly, along the shores. Among the articles found is a large piece of iron ballast, weighing about twenty pounds. Time had made quite a change in its appearance. Among the most remarkable portions of Mr. Hall's cabinet is his manuscript writings, covering over three thousand closely written pages. During the latter part of his cruise his paper ran short, and he was obliged to use envelopes, scraps of paper, blank books, &c. He has also a large number of charts of the regions over which he has traveled. Some of them are the work of his own hands, and others are the production of the Innuits. All of his work shows a thorough knowledge of the science of navigation and surveying, and all of his surveys can be relied on. Mr. Hall had also obtained quite a collection of books, published at some of the Innuit stations in Greenland. Most of them are illustrated, and give the reader an excellent idea of the people and their attainments when Christianized. Should Mr. Hall be permitted to get upon King William's Land there is no doubt but he would astonish the world with his discoveries, and, in all probability, not only find the body of Sir John Franklin, but the journal of the voyage of the ill-fated navigator. [[end column]] [[second column]] and it proved of the utmost service to us, as it lasted, in small quantities, till well in the spring. Our provisions could be summed up as follows:- Four casks of bread, six barrels of salt provisions, five barrels of flour, one barrel of molasses and a little coffee. This was, by the greatest care, preserved, and we saved a cask of bread and one of beef and pork for a great emergency; and should we live through the winter, it was to be used in making the passage to a civilized port. We began to leave the ship about the 1st of December I had made arrangements for the Innuits to take one or two men into each of their families, and care for them during the winter. These men could assist the natives in hunted the walrus, &c., and not be cumbersome to them I remained on board of the vessel the best part of the time, but there was scarcely a day passed but a sledge visited the ship. Our crew were continually changing their places of abode, and this variety tended much to off ennui. On the 1st of May our old whaling ground in Frobisher's Bay was again occupied, and we were once more dwellers in tents. We were enabled by this time to procure all the walrus meat, ducks and eggs we wanted, and, of course, we were no longer a burden to our kind friends the Innuits. The whaling prospects were more discouraging than they were the season previous, and our spring season did not promise any good results. We cruised over the same ground, but it was of no avail. We were looking for a chance to get our ice-bound bark out and return to our friends and home. We returned to the ship by the 8th of August, and on the 9th got under way, and after three days' hard pounding to the ice got clear and started for St. john's N.F., where we arrived on the 22d of August, 1862, after an absence of twenty-seven months. Mr. Hall proposes now to visit the West, taking with him the Innuit family, and delivering a series of lectures on Arctic life; then pushing on towards the East he hopes that he may yet be enabled to discover some traces of the last days of Sir John Franklin and his party. Capt. Buddington is to be his sailing master and companion should he be so fortunate as to procure a suitable vessel in which to further prosecute his surveys. With two such men to prosecute so great a [missing word] can be no doubt but much valuable inf[word incomplete] be obtained. [[end column]] [[third column]] Subsequently we had an interview with Captain S.O. Buddington, of the bark George Henry, which vessel carried Mr. hall to and from the scene of his labors. We give the following statement from the lips of Captain S. O. Buddington, who commanded that little ship on her late perilous voyage in the icy regions, and to whom mainly is due the preservation of the crew and ship. It is no easy task for men [unacclimated?] to withstand the rigors of such high latitudes: but, with proper care and attention, persons are enabled to live out a lengthened span of years. Among the social evils which seamen are liable to fall into is a spirit of discontent and want of confidence in their superior officers. They seem to think that the idea of self-preservation is higher in ratio to rank, and consequently they are fearful that their officers will desert them. It is, then, highly important to keep up a family feeling among the men, and impress them that, as a unit they are safe; but if separated, and each body under separate control, they are in danger of being lost. In this respect Captain Buddington and his officers succeeded admirably. He had ever shared their every privation, and when discouraged has been ready to cheer them up. A crew which, when they went from this country, averaged in looks common men, are now, on their return, fat and healthy, and there is not a man of the ship's company who can wear the same sized garments he did before his departure to the Arctic seas. This speaks well for Arctic life and a two years' cruise filled with hardships and dangers. Captain Buddington's several voyages tot hat region have rendered him familiar with its geography, and by his constant intercourse with the natives he had acquired the language so that he speaks it fluently. This, to a person visiting that locality, is of the utmost importance. In his journeyings he had become familiar with the grounds over which he had sailed. He is a man of noted skill among his brother whalemen and navigators. Yet, with all his attainments and knowledge, he is very modest and unassuming; but even to the eye of the casual observer it can be seen that he is a man of marked intelligence. He says that Mr. Hall is a superior navigator, and that his observations and locations are true, and that he was surprised to see how readily Mr. hall adapted himself to any study upon which he placed his mind. We state this fact, because, before Mr. Hall sailed, in some quarters it was whispered rather sarcastically that he was a pretty navigator to go upon such a voyage. Captain Buddington scouts the idea thus put forth, and says that his use of instruments cannot be surpassed. But to the narrative:- CAPTAIN S.O. BUDDINGTON'S STATEMENT. We sailed from New London, in the whaling bark George Henry, on the 29th of may, 1860. Nothing of interest occurred until our arrival at Holsteinburg, Greenland. We were very kindly received by Governor Eliberg, who tendered every needed facility. Mr. Hall procured a team of Innuit dogs, eight in number. After leaving Holsteinberg we proceeded to a tract of coast not laid down in any admiralty chart, comprising O-kud-lea, Knew-gum-uke and the so-called Frobisher's Straits. We arrived at O-kud-lea August 7,1860. On the 16th of August we went to Knew-gum-uke, where we stopped to take the fall whales. We found plenty of whales from the 1st to the 26th of September, but they were very wild and difficult of capture. At the latter date a heavy gale of wind set in, and the ice drove off the whales, and the George Henry was nearly lost. The [illegible], or [illegible] , was lost, as was also Mr. Hall's boat. At this time we had taken two whales, and our prospects were very good to make a fine voyage, but the gale of wind put an end to the whaling for the season. By the 1st of November the whaling was entirely suspended for the season. During this winter Mr. Hall was engaged in his studies principally, although he made a journey to O-kud-lea, which occupied forty-three days. At this time he made his preliminary surveys of that coast, which he visited twice afterwords. During the winter months, the crew of the bark were variously employed in ship's duty, and were worked so as to prevent, as much as possible, an attack of the scurvy. The natives wre very kind to us, and their society tended much to make our Arctic life bearable. The spring opened with favorable weather, but it was intensely cold. On the 12th of March we commenced operations over to Ob-bier-she-ping (whales, plenty of whales, off the land), twenty-two miles from the ship and in Frobisher's Bay. In the middle of may all hands, except one shipkeeper, were encamped at that place in tents made of the ship's sails. Out expectations at this time were very buoyant; but after weary watching we found that there was only plenty of ice and no whales; but we kept a bright lookout on the whole northern side of Frobisher's Bay until the 1st of August and only say three whales, and they were going very rapidly up the bay. At this time Mr. Hall was engaged in surveying the coast line of Frobisher's Bay, and was absent all summer prosecuting that work. He had a whale boat and a crew of natives. As soon as the ice broke up we attempted to bring the ship around into Frobisher's Bay; but, after repeated attempts, we were unable to accomplish our purpose, and we were compelled to return to a harbor about five miles from our first winter quarters. There we were obliged to remain all the season, as the ice choked up the mouth of the bay and left only the head of it upon for us to whale in. I have never seen the ice act in such a manner before, and I have been up there six winters. On the 19th of September the whales came in; but we did not take one until the 8th of October. Two more were captured before the 18th of the same month, so that our whaling season amounted to only ten days. On the 18th we were frozen in solid, and there was not enough water in sight to float a boat. It was owing to the heavy ice setting in so early in the season, and blocking up the entire bay, that we were frozen in so early in the year. Now came the dark time of the voyage. I had a crew of thirty men to provide for during a tedious winter, and had only two months' provisions to do it with. I can assure you it strained my nerves to think of it. Mr. Hall had returned by this time, and his little stock of provisions he freely turned over for the support of the party; [[end column]] [[end page]]
