Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-03
SMITHSONIAN LECTURES.

Dr. Kane's Second Lecturc-Arctic Explorations
On Wednesday evening, until about seven o'clock the
weather was SO very unavorabe that it thought ad
vsabe not to light up the lecture room but as the hour
of beginning approached large audience had collect
ed that it concluded 60 on and before the lecture
commenced the room comfortably filed.
Dr. KANE proceeded to discuss the supposed position
OF Sir John Franklin and the probabilities of his eventual
rescue.
The lecture opened with explanatory of the
geography of the Arctic regions illustrated with well
pared diagrams One of these arranged as to ex
hb the seat of search after Sir John Franklin and upon
it drawn the lines of ice drift of the American Expe
dition.
The experience of Parry and his followers prove that
this regions archipelago whose main is by
aarge Sound, called Lancaster and whose most prominent
passage to the north by large estuary inlet named
after the Duke of Wellington This Inlet has been fire.
quently observed free from ice
Franklin ordered by the British Admiralty to pro-
through Lancaster Sound for three hundred and
fifty miles, Cape called Walker thence he was to steer
to the southwark and westward towards Berng Straits
Failing to accomplish this he was ordered to attempt
passage to the north by Wellington channel. DR. Kane
by series of practical arguments, which to us al
most conclusive shows that this the passage which he
adopted and see, although few of the English officers
differ with him in opinion, that the publications of
the British press fully sustain this view The position of
Sir John Frankins first winter quarters at the very
mouth of this channel is conclusive the fact of that
udcous commander having contemplated its future nav
CATION 1t the alternative enoined by his orders
and the lecture detailed many facts show that it was
aoore alternative Dr. Kane in investigating the natural
laws which regulate the icedrf showed that the eastern
sides of this channel earlier and frequently open
than the western and the peculiar position of Sir John
Franklin enabled him to and take advantage of the
rery first Of these early openings
Add to this the singular and perpexng fact that Frank
lin left written record Of his intentions and it really
if the ice had suddenly opened the north and
that Sir john with his daring and energetic prompude
had pushed into this water without delaying give
to the world behind him notice of his course Certain
thahe deserted encampmen bears marks of hasty
departure, forcing to the conclusion that Sir John
Franklin has six years ago reached the region north Of
this icebound inlet and has since been unable to return
Can he have survived? This question was then taken
up by DIR. Kane in that surprised US. We were
unprepared for the which that region evidently
possesses for the support of human e Narwha white
whales and seattle latter in extreme abundance-crowd
the waters of Wellington channel indeed, twas described
as region " teemng nth animal c." The migratons of
the elder duck, the brent goose, and the auk-a bird
about the size Of teal-were absolutely wonderful
The fatty envelope Of these marine animals, known as
6u65er supplies light and heat their frs and we'll
adapted clothing their flesh wholesome and an-scorJuc
food while the snow-hut IgloG of the Esquimaur,
furnishes dry and comfortable housing In word Dr.
Kane announced that after careful comparison of all
the natural resources of this REGION he was convinced
that food fuel and clothngthe three great contributors
to human exstencewere here in superintendent plenty
"
Of e vessels and crews of Sir John Franklin by ship
wreck the attacks of the ice Dr. Kane said that wind
rare and that the simultaneous destruction
of both vessels hard to realize but supposing
that winds should have foundered the ships that the
ice should have crushed them that ice would serve
in either case, Of escape In 1882 than
thousand whaers cast out sheerless upon the
ice in Bafhns bay. Yet only seven persisted.
The interesting question of open around the pole
then taken up After citing the theoretical arguments
in favor Of such body Of water which cannot here
new Dr. Kane mentioned that the American Expedition
under Lieut. De Haven had actually seen from their mos
northern point that unmistakabe sign the dark cloud
known the odter sky !" and Capt Penny, energetic
whale for whose views Dr. Kane seemed to have great
respect confirmed this "sky" by sighting the itself
Such open has been vaguely called Polynya, or
Poliniya-a term from the Russian, which implies an open
exists in regions where the temperature is
far below the point of csngelaon He fully advocated
however, the existence Of comparatively ces sea- in
which the drift never agglutnates
1t is in this region not far to the north and Of the
point which the American Expedition reached that he
supposes Sir John Franklin and his companions to be i'm
mured surrounded by seal, and the before
described but unable leave their hunting ground and
the frgd Sahara which nervencs between them
and the world from which they shut out.
We can imagine position more calling for human
sympathy than that Of these lost men and we feel
vinced that the feelings which actuate Dr. Kane in his
advocacy to be attributed to sincere
ycon Of the feasibility of their release We feel convinced
that community Of the strong grounds
which existed to sustain the belief in their continued
stencc; and repeat that the Smithsonian Institr-
tion," founded as IL is by Englishman has done well
in opening to us Of receiving authentic in
e formation which may have hereafter a practical and
philanthropc application to the Of our British
brethren.
The interest in the subject only kept up but
enhanced by the graphic description of the terrors and
! pe~ils Of the ice-word.
A luitf is IN