Their discoveries seem also to confirm the theory originally advanced by Capt. Silas Bent of the II. S. navy, that the pole can best be reached by following the course of the Gulf stream northward between Spitsbergen and Nova Zembla; it is claimed by the supporters of this theory that the warmer water of the great current not only keeps the northern channel free from ice at this point, but is the cause of the open polar sea. An expedition fitted out by A. Rosenthal of'Bre-merhaven began in 1871 the exploration of the ocean N. of Siberia. The Norwegian captains Tobiesen and Mack confirmed the discovery of Payer and Weyprecht. Another Norwegian, Capt. Carlsen, discovered the remains of the winter quarters established 275 years before at the N. E. end of Nova Zembla by the Dutch captain Barentz. Ulve and Smyth sailed to the north of Spitzbergen and found open water even in lat. 80° 27'. Finally, Capt. Hall organized at last, with the aid of congress, his long desired American expedition toward the pole; and on June 29 he sailed from New York with a well selected corps of assistants and crew, in the wooden steamer Polaris, of about 400 tons. For nearly two years no important news was received from the explorers.

On April 29, 1873, the British steamship Tigress struck an ice floe in lat. 53° 35' N., lon. 35° W. On this floe were found Capt. Tyson, one of Hall's officers, and 18 others, who had been 196 days on the ice, and drifted about 2,000 miles. They reported that on Oct. 15, 1872, the Polaris being fast in the ice about lat. 77° 35', and leaking badly, they had been ordered to land provisions; and that while so engaged the floe broke up, and they were separated from the ship and rapidly drifted southward, without seeing her again. Their report gave the following details of the expedition. Capt. Hall sailed up Kennedy channel and through a strait which he named Robeson, and on Aug. 24, 1871, reached lat. 82° 16' N. It being deemed prudent to fall back, the Polaris was taken on Sept. 5 into winter quarters in Thank God bay, lat. 81° 38' N. On Oct. 10 Capt. Hall started on a sledge expedition, but did not go beyond lat. 82°. On his return he was taken suddenly ill, and died on Nov. 8. The command then devolved on Capt. Buddington, who resolved to return, and on Aug. 12, 1872, the Polaris was turned southward.

She drifted with the ice into Baffin bay, where Tyson left her.

* These figures make the original force of. Franklin's expedition 129, whereas it has commonly been stated at 138. It has been ascertained, however, that only 134 actually left England, and 5 of these returned.