It was, perhaps, a little unfortunate that this expedition, which was so poorly adapted to make full use of its opportunities, should have been more favoured by luck than any of its predecessors. After stopping at Upernivik to pick up Hans Christian, who brought with him his wife and a family which had already attained to considerable dimensions, the _Polaris_ sailed merrily on past Rensselaer Harbour, through the so-called “open Polar Sea,” through Kennedy Channel, across Hall Basin and up Robeson Channel, till, on August 30, she was in lat. 82° 16´, 250 miles, beyond the furthest point reached by any previous explorer. It seems, indeed, that she might have penetrated even further than that without much difficulty had Hall only been a practical seaman, for the stream of ice by which she was stopped was quite insignificant, and there was a magnificent water-sky away to the northward. Buddington, however, was dead against the attempt, and Hall, of course, was obliged to follow his advice, so the _Polaris_ was allowed to drift southward, until, on September 3, when she had reached lat. 81° 38′, she found herself in a small indentation called Thank God Bay, in which she was made snug for the winter. Two months later a gloom was cast over the company by the tragic death of Hall. On returning, rather chilled, from a sledge journey, he was unwise enough to descend at once to the cabin and drink hot coffee, though his experience of life in the Polar regions ought to have taught him that it was extremely dangerous to do this without first divesting himself of his furs and allowing his system to be toned up to the high temperature of his cabin. Within a few hours he became seriously ill, and a fortnight later he died. Dr Bessels gave it as his opinion that his death was due to apoplexy.