The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-14
SMITHSONIAN LECTURES.

SMITHSONIAN LECTURES.
DIR. Kane's Lecture-Arctic Explorations
DIR, Kane proceeded TO discuss the suppose
position of Sir John Franklin, and the proba
bilities of his eventual rescue.
The experience of Parry and his follower
prove thai this region is a vast archipelago
whose main approach is by large Sound call
ed Lancaster; and whose most prominent pas
sage to the north is by large estuary or in
let, named after the Duke of wellington
Tins inlet has been frequently observed fire,
from ice.
franklin was ordered by the British Admi
ralify 10 proceed through Lancaster Sound fcl
some three hundred and fifty miles, TO Cape
called Walker; thence he was to steer to the
southwark and westward, towards, Behring's
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 seem to US al.
most conclusive, shows that this was the pag.
sage which he adopted, and we see. although
few Of the English officers differ with him
IN opinion, that the recent publications of the
BRUSH press fully sustain this view. The DO.
sition of Sir John FrankIn's first winter quar-.
1ers, at the very mouth of the channel, is con.
elusive as TO the fact of that judicious com.
mandeI having contemplated its future nayjga.
tIon: III was the alternative enjoined bv his
ORDERS, and the lecture detailed many facts
10 show that it was farorite alternative. DIR.
kane, in investigating the natural laws which
regulate the ice-driff, showed that the eastern
sides of this channel are earlier and more fire..
9uently open than the western; and the pecu.
lar position of Sir John Franklin enabled
him to see and.toke advantage of the rery first
Of these early openings.
Add to this the singular and perplexing fact
that Franklin left no written record of his in
1entions, and it really seems as il the ice had
suddenly opened to the north, and that Sir John
with his daring and energetic promptitude.
had pushed into this new water, without de.
laying to give TO the world behind him notice
OF MS course. Certain it is that the deserted
encampment bears marks Of hasty departure.
forcing us to the conclusion that Sir john
Franklin had SIX years ago reached the region
north OF this ice-bound inlet, and has since
been unable to return.
Can he have survived? This question was
ahen taken up by DR.. Kane in O manner that
surprised us. We were unprepared for the
resources which that region evidently posses.
ses for the support of human life, Narwhal.
white whales, and seal-the latter in extreme
abundance-crowd the waters of Wellington
channel; indeed, was it described as region
feamsng scft. animal life" The migrations
OF the elder duck, the great goose, and the
auk-a bird about the size of our teaI-were
absolutely wonderful. The fatty enyeIope of
these marine animals, known as 6tubber. sun.
plies Liz bit and heat, their furs warm and well.
adapted clothing their flesh wholesome and
anti-scorbufic food; while the snow-hut. or
Igloe Of the Esquimaux, furnished a dry and
comfortable housingl La q word, DR.. Kane
announced that, "after careful comparison f
all the natural resources of this region" he
was convinced that food, fuel, and clothing
the three great contributors to human exist
ence-Were here in superintendent plenty.
In answer TO the supposition of the entire
destruction OF the vessels and crews of Sir
John Franklin by shipwreck or the attacks OF
the ice, DIR. Kane said that wind storms were
rare, and that the simultaneous destruction of
both vessels was hard to realize; but even sun
posing that winds should have fonndered the
ships, or thatthe ice should have cru he'd them,
that same ice would serve, in either case. az a
means Of escape. In 1882 more than one thou
sand whalers were cast out, shelteress, unon
the ice IN Baftn's bay. Yet onl y seven men
persisted
The interesting question of an omen sea
around the pole was then taken up. After ci-
ting the theoretical arguments in favor of such
body Of water, which we cannot here renew.
DIR. Kane mentioned that the American Expe.
dition under Lieut.. De Haven had actually
seen, from their most northern point that I'M
Instakable sign, the dark cloud known as the
"rater skg" and Capt Penny, an energetic
whaler, for whose views DIR. Kane seemed 10
have a great respect, confirmed this "sky" by
sighting the water itself.
Such an open sea has been vaguely called
Polynya, or Poliniya-a term from the Rus
sian, which implies an open space. DR.. Kane
cannot think that, in a literal sense, such sea
exists in regions where the mean temperature
is so far below the point of congelation. He
fully advocated, however, the existence of a
comparatively fcetess sea, in which the drift
never agglatinates.
II is in this region not far TO the north and
west of the point which the American Expe-
dtion reached, that he supposes Sir John
Franklin and his companions TO be immured;
surrounded by seal, and the resources before
described but unable TO leave their hunting
ground and cross the "frigid Sahara which
intervenes between them and the world from
which they are shut out.-Nat. Int.
We have accounts of preparations for fit
ting out another expedition from England, to
proceed in search of Sir John Franklin.l
BosToS ON New YoRK.-The Boston Path
Finder makes the following hard hit at the
New Yorkeis:
"The New Workers are in bad wav.---
They erect costly churches, which poor peo-
pie cannot afford to enter, and thus obstruct
lIle way " HCufcA ny iicii lUFc vi sIlOW anu
now we learn that they ere removing the oh.
structions at "Hell Gate" at the public ex.
pense This latter passage was spoken oil
several hundred years ago, as being wide
but seems to have been found insufficient 10
accommodate the increasing travel from
Gotham"
PRIVILEGED MEMBEss.-A correspondent
of the New York Independent, writing from
Washington, tells the following good one of
a minister who was not acquainted with the
ways Of the capital:
A gentleman on a visit here, and anxious
to listen to the debates, opened very cody
one of the doors Of the Senate, and was abont
TO pass in, when the doorkeeper asked, care
you a privileged memberi"@ What do Won
mean, by sHch a mani" asked the stranger.
The reply was, "a Governor, an ex.memher
ofCongress, or foreign minister" The stran-
ger said, Il am a minister" "From what
court or country, if you pleasei' asked the
cffciai. tVery. gravely pointing up,)"From
life tsGffpt 0f Haapan ais ~ ~