The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-02
From The NelU York Commercial Advertiser, Sept. 30.
American Searching EIpe dition-ArrivaI OF
the Advance.

the Advance.
Early this forenoon the Advance, Capt. De Ha-
ven, one Of the vessels sent out by Mr. Henry Grin
nell to search for Sir John Franklin arrived at the
navy yard, Brooklyn. We have had an interview
with Z. X. Kane, esq surgeon to the expedition,
to whose courtesy we indebted for the following
particulars:
II will be remembered that the latest previous
intelligence from the American vessels, the Rescue
and the Advance, was to the 9Th of September,
1850, received through the English papers. On
that day they parted company with the English
squadron, as mentioned in the dispatches Of Capt.
Penny.
On the same night they were frozen in at We'll
lington channel. From that point commenced
their northern drift, and they carried up the
channel to latitude rs %, the greatest northing
ever attained in that meridian.
From that latitude they commenced drifting
again to the south, and in November, 1850, entered
Lancaster Sound. During this time the violence
of the eruptons of the ice SO great that they
could keep fires regularly lit on account Of the
motion Of the vessel The mercury in the Their
mometer fell below zero. The bedding froze in
every apartment, and even the coffee and soup be-
came CONCEALED as taken off the fire.
1t was at this time that the scurvy broke out, at
lacking all the crews and officers, Captain De Ha-
ven and Dr. Kane included. BY dint OF assiduous
attention and constant vigilance, however, DR..
Kane succeeded in keeping down the disease, and
fortunately brought them all through the disease
without losing single man. Any who saw
Dr. Kane's eye, when he modestly mentioned this
gratifying fact would readily believe that his at
tenton to his charge would be alike enthusiastic
and unremitting.
The principal eruptions in the ice we may here
mention, occurred on the 18th of November and
the 9th OF December, 1850, and the 9Th of Janua-
ry 1851 on which latter day the expedition entered
BafIn's bay. During their continuance in this
ice the vessels were lifted up by the stern high
as six feet eight inches, with list 10 star
board of two feet eight inches the discomforts and
inconvenience OF which may well be imagined.
During this whole time also the men had TO have
their knapsacks constantly prepared, as well as
seighs, g. not knowing but that at any momentth
vessels, strong as they were, might be crushed by
the ice. They were three weeks without taking off
their clothes. Fortunately the ice lifted up, rather
than crushed, the vessels, which lay often con-
siderable elevation on the crest OF the upheaving
ice.
From this ice the vessels emerged on the 10th of
June, 1851, after an imprisonment OF nine months
During this time they had dritted one thousand and
sixty miles-a polar drift Of unprecedented extent.
The only one in any way analogous with ii, we be-
leve, was that of Captain Back, in Hudson's bay,
which, however, did not compare with il in extent.
During this whole mprisonmentin the ice, the two
vessels suffered comparatively little damage. The
Advance lost her bob stays and part Of her false
keel the Rescue had her cutwater and bowsprit lit
orally chiselled of.
Having got both his vessels liberated, Captain
De Haven determined again to try TO prosecute his
search, and turned the Advances head to the
northward. He succeeded in reaching the upper
Melville bay region, but was there again hemmed
in by ice.
From this he was not liberated until the 10Th of
August, at which time the season was SO far adj
vanced that it was impossible for him to proceed
and accomplish his purpose, even supposing every
thing 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 DIR. Kane soon had the
happiness of seeing the scurvy entirely disappear.
Captain De Haven's was the most severe attack,
and afforded singular illustration of of
the peculiar features of the disease. A small
wound on his finger, made when schoolboy by
blow from cane, and many years ago completely
healed and forgotten, reopened by the disease.
A similar result attended wound which DIR. Kane
received in the Mexican war I; and, indeed, every
man exhibited a similar illustration Of this phase
Of the disease.
The expedition has returned without the loss of
q man, which speaks volumes alike for the officers
and men, and ID no mean praise for the surgeon of
the expedition.
The American vessels last saw the English ship
Prince Albert at eleven o'clock a. M, on the 18th
of August, standing south southeast, having given
up, as Captain De Haven concluded, all hope of
getting round the bay ice, and making the south
ern passage captain lie raven THINKS II proba-
Bile that she would reach Prince Regenps inlet.
Not having had time to visit the vessel herself,
we cannot speak of her appearance after her ha-
zardous voyage. DIR. Kane, exceedingly intel
ligent and affablc gentleman, looks well, although
somewhat weatherbeaten.
He thinks, after seeing the regions and the re-
sources on shore, that Sir John Franklin and his
crews are probably yes alive. The Advance has
brought home the relics of Sir Johns visit to the
place where three OF his men were buried.
Also two or three Esquimaux dogs, one of them
not many weeks old, apparently very fine and in
telligent animals.
DR.. Kane speaks in the highest terms of Captain
De Haven, and sure that Mr.. GrinneH must
feel proud satisfaction in having set on foot the
expedition.
We learn from Mr.. Grinnell that Lady Franklin
entertans the same opinion as DR.. Kane with re-
spect TO her noble husband.