Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-03
THEsAMERICAN ARCTIC EXP EDITION
ARRIVAL OF THE ADVANCE.


The Advance, Capt. De Haven one of the vessels of
the Gronell expedition, arrived at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard Tuesday. We are indebted to the N. Y. Com
mercal Advertiser for the following interesting parti
cularu of the voyage of the Advance and the "Res-
cue" to the arctic regions in search of Sir John Frank
lin:
1t will be remembered that the latest previous intelIi-
gence from the American vessels, the Rescue and The
Advance, was TO the 18th Of September, lS47, recev-
ed through the English papers, On that day they part
ed company with the English squadron, as mentioned
in the dispatches OF Capt. Penny.
On the same night they we've frozen in at Wellington
channel From that point commenced their Northern
DRIFT and they carried up the channel to latitude
rs 25, the greatest Northing attained i'll that
rldan.
From that latitude they commenced drifting aga n
to the South, and in November, 1885, entered Lam
caster Sound. During this time, The violence OF the
eruptions OF the ice great that they could keep
fires regularly lit account OF the motion OF the
vessel. The mercury i'll the thermometer fell below
zero. The bedding Ireze IN every apartment and even
the coffee end soup became congsaIed SIS soon ta-
ken off the fire.
1t was al this time that the scurvy broke out, at.
lacking all the crews and officers, Captain DsHayen
and DR.. Kane included. BY din OF assduous atten-
ton and constant vigilance, however, DR.. Kane sue
ceeded in Keeping down the disease, and fortunately
brought them all through the disease without losing
sin lie man. Any one who saw Dr. kaues eye when
he modesty mentioned this gratifying fact, would rea-
Oily believe that his attention 10 his charge would be
The principal eruptions in the ieo, may here
mention, occurred on the lh of November and the
9th Of December, 1885, and the 18th of January, 1851
GA which latter day the expedition entered Baffins
Bay During their continuance in this ice the vessels
were lifted up by the high six feet seven or
eight inches with lift to staboard OF two feet e ght
inches, the sdiscomforts and Inconvenience OF which
may well be imagined.
During this whole time also the men had to have
their knapsacks constantly prepared we'll as seighs
&c, not knowing but that at any moment the vessels,
thaxTx 1ui1f hs hpI hal
They were three weeks without taking Oft their clothes
Fortunately the ice lifted up rather than crushed he
vessels, which lay eflen considerable elevation on
the crest OF the unheaying ce
From this ice the vessels emerged on the 10th of
June, 1871, after an lmprlsonm' nj OF nine months
During this time they had drifted one thousand and
sixty mies,-a polar DRIFT OF unprecedented extent
The only one in any way analogous with it, we believe,
was that OF Capt. Back, In Hudson's Bay, which,
however, did not compare with It in extent. During
this whole Imprisonment In the icc the two vessels
suffered compara tlvely little damage The Advance
lost her bobstays and OF her false keeI the Res
cue had hcr cuwater and bowsprt literally chiselled
off.
Having got both his vessels liberated Captain De
Haven determined again to tryto prosecute his search
and turned The Advances head to the Northward.-
He succeeded III reaching the upper Melville Bay re-
gion, but was there again hemmed in by ice.
From this he was not liberated until the 18Th of Au-
gust at which time the season was far advanced
that 1t was impossible tor him to proceed and accom-
Plush his purpose, even supposlng everything should be
favorable and no Ice intervene.
He therefore reluctantly determined to return home.
The Advance called at the Greenland ports, where
she obtained full supplies of fresh meats vegetables
fruits, &c, and DR.. Kane soon had the happiness OF
seeing the scurvy entirely disappear
Capt De Haven's the most severe attack aud
afforded singular illustration OF one of the peculiar
features of the disease. A small wound on his finger
made when school boy, by blow from cane and
many years ago completely healed and forgotten was
re-opened by the disease. similar result attended a
wound which Df. Kane received in the Mexican war;
and indeed every man exhibited similar illustration
of this phase of the disease.
Interrogation has returned without the loss of a
man. which speaks volumes alike for the officers and
men and is no mean praise tor the surgeon of the
expedition.
Not having had time to visit the vessel herself, we
speak of her appearance after her hazardous
voyage. DR.. Kane an exceedingly Intelligent and at
fable gentleman, looks well, although shomewhat
weather-beateu.
He thinks, after seeing the regions and resources
on Shore that Sir John Franklin and his crew are
probably yet alive, The Advance has brought home
tie relics of Sir Johns visit to the place where three
Of his buried; also, TWO three Esqui-
mauX dogs, one OF them not many weeks old apta-
reny very fine and Intelligent animals.
DIR. Kane speaks in the highest terms of Capt. De
Haven, aud are sure that Mr.. Grinnell mustfee
proud satisfaction In having set on foot the expedl
ton