The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-10-18
The Antarctic Expedition.

has made strong a public sensation II was not in our
nor the power Of Language to speak too highly Of
s importance 10 SCIENCE its conduct througho
as honorable TO the naval service end glorious the
country The harmony which prevailed from first to
est IN every department. the hrmness and resolution OF
all ed and the safe return with SO little Of sick
ness or OF loss during years of aduous and danger
GUS enterprise, ref such credit officers and men,
that wou indeed be difficult fad words express
our admiration. That speedy promotion reward will
mark the sense their country enteans OF their devoted
ness matter OF courses aud we take pleasure In stating
that his Roy al ghness Prince Albert took a anu
early interest in their progress and discoveries. II is
another fine trait in the character that lutrious per
sonage and OF the right kind to add to great aud
growing popularity of the best and most enduring de-
scripon In bestowing his regards upon these brave
navigators, he the true position OF British
prince and portion of their gallant exploits will thus
become part of his history well as OF the history Of
the matte adorned by both
But our feeling this subject must net lead us into the
vice of common place defamation In addition what
appeared IN weeks sheet, have some parcu-
iars to communicate to readers which, we are sure
VIII be gratiyin TO their tastes and curiosity.
We mentioned the punmct having struck the ground
IN sounding OF great depth, but had not at thu moment
the before Us. 1t at 2677 fathoms and
ny an able conrvance the vessels Veered out more than
oil ine and yet (as IN lat 10. deg 81 with all
that scope could hnd no bottom. In the former case
where they did they could net FIRING the lead up again
to Indicate the nature OF the ground.
In the highest ATTITUDES, however which they reached
aud uuch within the antarctic circle, their dredging
was very productive, and they have brought home, in
creatures, shells SIC Sc, which are believed be rare
if not this branch OF scientific exploration and
winch VIII be the more welcome now since Prot.
Forbes E researches (see fortunately in this very
same sheet 6o4, his report and the results to which it
ieads) have as were opened vast novel field Of in.
curry Tor the Investigation OF the nature OF globe
In these deolate regions where little could be
able TO divuge few from the depths Of the
sea About and around them it was almost as If life were
extinct Animals there none; and trds very
few The stormy petrol occasionally flying their
heads, was shots and new species OF White petrol was
also obtained The ether pathological inhabitants of
the antarctic, such as gulls, &C., were identical with
those OF the arctic rPgons the colors feathers
and form Only they We're, like angel visits, few end
far betw OF shrimps under the ice, there my
rads but apparently nothing to feed upon them except
the worthless fnnerwhale For the mess the
blank Seals however abounded, with skins oil long
coarse hair. And this aila except the exraordi
nary penguin, whose habits seemed to be mpenetrable
This bird found always the ice, and at immense
distances from land How existed appeared to be mys
terry There thousands and tens thousands OF the
smaller specles and the lightly Aedged Young in their
first yoar often with But the were besides
patarchal order encountered in more than three
OF any time and OF an immense size Their
ON the SUBMITS of icebergs and elsewhere was almost
uocIous Tor with their stately stalk and short they
looked Tor all the world like the padres OF religious
feet six inches height The average weight Of this
large class "a pounds, and heavy they were and
walk, and glsncng their shoulders it were with
wonder at tn strange vsters they betrayed no tea:s
impulse led them to jump up the face OF piece Of ice,
their happers came down each side and they rose
with aspr ng Considering their orm) truly astonishing
OF the officers estimated such exploits at TO- II
or ia feet In perpendicular height
How these birds contrive TO live icy masses, unable
TO fly, and not much made for running is, repeat
natural curiosity TheEe are no within many de-
grees IN the antaratic circle where they abide.
vi the dreadful storm mentioned in our last we have
since sketch; which, ured, is under.
wrought representation OF the 1t is perfectly APP
paing The e. ebus md Terror are but one wave apart
aud the tremendous masses OF zee if they must
crush thousand navies Their was indeed mira
cuous Both ruddsrs lost at nearly the same time and
dreadful swell driving them and down. whilst the roll
ing ICE was sometimes under them and sometimes emery
ing ir m the water around. i must been terrific;
may ha Oh fhpn nj tvh
have spoken renders the navigation OF the south ininite
more perious than that in the northern sphere where
the waves and currents comparatively smooth, and
the forcing way through the ice very different and
much safer operation.
Among the memorable objects of the voyage, the vol
cano we described last week was the most memorable
It's appearance il spoken OF by oil The officers and
ofs grandeur when state, that sailing away fro m
III direct course the seis could see 1t distinctly at
the distance OF 1870 miles
The geology near this phenomenon would be OF ex
IRENE interest but il not sttanabe and we have
only 20 console ourselves with the abundance OF snec
mems brought from other parts kerguelens Land was
rich in this respect and seems altogether TO have been
QUE OF the most remarkable spots visited by the exped
ton. We sal il was OF volc snc origin but puzzle
to tell exactly what it s Covered with lava imbe6s
immense FOSSIL trees of them six or seven ieet IN
circumference and numerous iine minerals, quartz in
huge masses in bssatc caverns, and other singular
mains II looks as il land had been submerged, and
again thrown up to the surface by volcanic action the
former solid rth and all it, products having been
stored to view under gneous power, which destroyed
it, Here, however country men Jared well, and we're
not thin the null udes of teal which surrounded them
and afforded good table cheer and excellent species
the brassica tribe, though Wild furnished vegetable
much esteemed after a long voyage. The seed of this
cabbage furnished food for many birds and several spec
about go have been sent brought home
OF which, no doubt, some will augment eur iauna :
Shooting these OF the principal amusemens oil
the officers, when not on duty
From Kerguelen's Land we have on our table, kindly
presented to US by eut Smith, beautiful specimen OF
he fossil wood-a black SLEEK with the woody fbres OBJ
tcuarly side, of different brown consistency
is about ee inches in diameter, and very heavy From
Van Dicmens Land have slso sciied vegetable re-
mains of ingular beauty and in mentioning the place
whence they came, happy again to notice the
hearty welcome from Sir John franklin. who made it
home TO the expedition. But before we leave kergue.
lem, Land we must revert to the scientific operations
there, thou gh merely mention that the amt ulaory
observaor,es from which so much information has been
acquired have all been safely relanded in England, and
ready for any other expedition. These houses an
swered their purposes admirably DID the instruments
generally and the Erebus and Terror worked stimuli
taEeously, and communicated the results by signal
daily, there cannot be doubt Of the cness OF the
experiments and observations This is OF infinite conse
quence for must prevent all question, or cav or pre-
tence from other quarters.
The visit to Cape Horn. whittier they from the
Falkland Islands brought them Gas observed) ac'
quaned with the natives Of that wild promonory They
met them island not the mainlahd but place
evidently much fcequened by them. They never met
more than six OF the together, and found
them fearless and rather robust, active, end well look
ing race They machless mitators, and very dex.
ferrous thieves but nothing offer in barter but small
pieces of skins and careful prevent the appear
ance of their These kept sedulousy out Of
sight and in instance whore party from the ships
surprised two Of them srouching in concealed part
thvy leapt and from them screechiDs with terror
The Jerden Island" OF Captain Wediell map near;
aud upon IT, upon others rabbits Drought from the
Falkland sles) put ashore and 90 the soil light
and sandy and covered with grass and they
will no doubt thrive, and repensh tho land. Our kind
voyagers aso other shores where vessels will
hereafter touch landed rabbits poultry costs and sheep
OF which their future successors may reap the adven-
tage.
The boats ofhe natives OF the Terra del Fuego
rously built, and their bottom bailased with clay on
which their cooking reformed. The men, we have
said, great mines One oil officers danced and
sung Jim Crow TO a Get OF them and Fuegan immedi-
aely, the great entertainment OF the ships crews,
copied both dance and song the first to perfection and
the last ell that thought he pronounced every
absurd word whilst he jumped Jim Crow
Among the happy returns, we cannot conclude without
mentioning the pretty kitten sent board the Erebus