ere the _Advance_ had
been quitted, and pushing on steadily, reached the channel which had
been thought was the "open Polar Sea." He proceeded up to latitude 82
degrees 16 minutes North; but here the _Polaris_ was beset in the ice at
last; hitherto all had been plain sailing. They reached winter quarters
in September, and named the place "Thank God" Bay, latitude 81 degrees
38 minutes North, longitude 61 degrees 44 minutes West.

The winter was fatal to Captain Hall. After his return from a few days'
sledging journey, he was suddenly taken ill. In this exploration, which
he undertook with the Esquimaux and his first mate (Mr Chester), he
reached a place he named Newman's Bay, in latitude 82 degrees North.
When the illness first attacked him it was not deemed serious; but he
became partially paralysed, and on the 8th of November he expired,
leaving Captain Buddington in command. Captain Hall was buried on the
morning of the 11th of November, the darkness of the Polar night being
faintly illuminated by ship's lanthorns and the weird boreal gleam of
the stars in the atmosphere.

During the remainder of the winter, surveys were made; but Buddington
did not continue the discipline of Hall. In May, Tyson, Meyers, and the
two Esquimaux started on a sledging expedition, and got some musk oxen.
Through these boat-expeditions, during the summer, discipline was
greatly relaxed, and consequently the original plan of the voyage could
not be carried out. The _Polaris_ on the ice drifted, as other vessels
have drifted, and came down Smith's Sound to Kane's former winter
quarters.

A panic occurred in October, which nearly proved fatal to some of the
members of the expedition. The ice "nipped" the _Polaris_, and it
appears, from all accounts, that the ice-master who commanded
(Buddington) completely lost his presence of mind, and commanded a
general heaving overboard of stores and everything on deck. The order
was obeyed, with results as might have been anticipated. The ice was
broken up by the lifting and settling of the ship. The stores were
scattered broadcast on the floe, and Captain Tyson, with a few of the
most sensible men, left the vessel to arrange the stores, with the
Esquimaux and their wives and children as assistants in the work.

They were all very busy sorting the supplies when a terrible rending and
cracking was heard. Explosion succeeded explosion--the ice opened in
many places--the _Polaris_ was freed;