No. 132.
Sir Edward
Thornton to Mr. Fish.
Washington, January 27,
1877. (Received January 27.)
Sir: In compliance with instructions which I
have received from the Earl of Derby, I have the honor to inclose copy
of a letter addressed to the foreign office by the admiralty and of its
inclosure, a letter dated the 14th of December last, from Capt. Sir
George Nares, forwarding the documents and stores belonging to the
Polaris expedition which were recovered during the voyage of Her
Majesty’s ships Alert and Discovery in the Arctic Sea.
I also inclose a list of the above-mentioned articles, which are
transmitted
[Page 270]
separately in
three cases, one hamper, a copper cylinder with a record, and an
envelope containing an ensign which was hoisted over “Hall’s Rest” by
the British expedition in May, 1876.
I have the honor, &c.,
[Inclosure.]
Capt. Sir George
Nares to the British
Admiralty.
Admiralty Waiting-Room,
December 14, 1876.
Sir: I have the honor to forward the two
original official records, and the books, instruments, and stores
belonging to the recent United States Polar Expedition, which were
recovered during the voyage of Her Majesty’s ships Alert and
Discovery in the Arctic Sea.
The books were found near the site of the second winter quarters of
the Polaris, at Life-Boat Cove, scattered about in different boxes,
which contained also scraps of skins and other unimportant articles,
as mentioned in my report of the 27th of October, 1876.
The records and other articles were found at Hall’s Rest, in Polaris
Bay, or at the boats’ depots, in Newman’s Bay.
The chronometer, after four years’ exposure to the Arctic weather,
has kept excellent time since its recovery.
As an interesting relic, I have the honor to forward an American flag
which was hoisted at Hall’s grave when a memorial tablet was erected
to his memory by the late-British expedition, and left flying there
for several days while the sledge parties were in the
neighborhood.
I have, &c.,
The Secretary to the Admiralty.
