New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-01
LECTURES.
DIR. KANE UPON THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Dr.. E. K. KANE read his second Lecture

upon THIS subject at the Tabernacle, on FdAy even
ing, to crowded audience. Previous to the Leo
ture, it was announced tha, Rev. II. w. Bellows
would deliver ths next Lecture upon the Faliacies
respecting Liberty among the friends Of Liberty.
Dr NAME then PROCEEDED.
spoke In my last Lecture of the circumstances
and Bsfhns Bay. The huge ice raj. which bore US
along gave us ample time to speculate upon the
wonders which surrounded us. We had no hre. but
S. t zepn Vas ,os wes together many degrees
North Pole, gathered lowering ranunculus en-.
6ecdeo IN snow and Ice. In the second week OF
September our Ice casks were frozen, and we could
get no water, except by manufacture. We quarned
The icebergs ano melted them. Soon the sea bel an
TO freeze our decks became dry, covered with luraps
Of ice and the rigging was beautifully cry stalized
AS the cold increased the scene was fauer lcicles
hung around the deck-peaches became q mass of
calcecone-buIter was cut with chisel--beef with
pick-8x and cTow-bar Walking out, you are con-
seious OF bracing atmosphere. Whiskers and face
glazed with ice. Put cut your tongue, and it Is
frozen TO your chin. Walking on, you get into hne
glow, often into perspiration-bu If the wind rises,
hen YOU have sensation OF pricking pins Ex'
remes meet Extremes OF heat and cold are alike.
In life, cold gave positive character to
existence almost impossible TO describe. We pro-
tected ourselves from metals with fur and ouckskm.
the crawl, the chill-whch is, VITA at home, the
in0icailon OF varying temperature-was there I'M
known. In fact, II was only by the direct attack OF
cold that we aware of II, and officers and men
agreed that We had suffered more at home from cold.
not hope to escape scars, but all returned alive.
On one occasion poor fellow, recovering from in
ILLUMINATION Of the lungs, being asked how HIS frost.
biten came on, produced Il IN piece OF psper,
and SAID " Doctor, did me- want TO trouble you,
but It dropped off last nj yht"
We had a covered thea.er, and on Washlngton's
birth day, year ago, the thermometer being 40 de-
gfees below zero, we had q fine representation;
tot ne unfortunate Irish woman happening to touch
ZONE iron without mit!ens, ven6ed the rhyme:
"whst perils do snvi'on
The man that NEEDLES with cold IRON"
The true wonder of these regions, however, was
the long night IL came on gradually from the mid
lie of November, nor did II disappear for 81 days
The one exclamation was-Oh. that tue day would
come again.
cannot describe the Northern hight. II is Like
painting shadows, and even Turner might hesitate.
The sky stretched over us ultra arine runni into
blue darkness AS the night advanced the great vault
ehtiered with perpetual stars The moon, though
10 degrees from the zenith seemed to De directly
overhead. The temporary dip OF some part OF the
2odiacsl consultations made II only more wonder
iul The great host above these shone In
perfect spendor. During this time We had
the glorious Aurora Borealts. But It Is not the
same splendid display either OF color or light
that We see at home. Ii Is condensed neo-
uIosity-a luminous cloud. In Lancaster sound, Il
srched directly over US with waving light: But 1t
did not alleviate our night, nor cause dip OF the
magnetic needle. The Parselni are sometimes
striking. l have seen the moon surrounded with
two hsIos with diagonal bands, and where they
touched the haoes there were other moons, 90 tnat
We had eight at time; suddenly our topo-
eraphy charged. Ii was like scorie OF lava-theR
without definite surface-then with serrated margin:
On our vessel, changes went on. The locker, all
the metals were covered with dark substance, IKE
lamp black. Every man looked pale as with long
sickness We wearied of doing nothing. We paced
our little ship like beasts their cages. VI tRe ~
inmates OF our vessel, but escaped scurvy. In the
midst came the eun and led In tne nappiest oay OF
our Wandering. man should know the Arctic
winter fully Ii he would enjoy his blessings at home.
1t came first very little above the horizon soon Il
increased until 1t and sank IN our familiar East
and West, and the night, by the 10Th April len us.
Moon and stars faded we had entered on our long
With this period came new celestial phenomena
the parhelion and refraction. The parhellon, or
mock sun, was constantly beautiful. giving US
lozen ge shaped limitations of the sun The effect OF
a sky with manifold suns may De imagined. W re-
fraction the mes. famous form Is the mirage ms
is occasioned by the diversion OF the visual ray
when passing through different layers OF ar II is
nde ed an optical illusion, not cstinguishaoe from
reflection Looking at the polar landscape, you be-
come OF ssnss tSs 1.,apS of Inc
sun, the horizon seemed lifted up then tAe land
scspe was like a hollow cone You were In the
mics. OF vast area OF wncn you Wei" s,xs o.;ns
around you 1t is only IN the night OF summer tnas
'h onens spsndoTs are ehere and ismihaG sights
l give, word by word, paragraph from my note
book: 18th Aug, refractlon again, Juss ahead a
little OF w black globe IN the air Is II bird
or alloon 1t summers; 1t has changed 1t isa
Grand piano nay, an anvil, large enough Tor Vui-
can CycIops II changes sun !! rs pair OF CO
lossal dumb-bels now II Is black sooe again;
Often have seen this effect without the sun we
have been called upon deck by hearing OF nres IL
was startling when we thought OF watch hres But
saw that Sirius was elevated by re'racIion high
above the table lands OF the coast as the telescope
proved. ,- a.
| DIV ell upon this for II was so marvellous one
evening" after the end OF February, PLAIN dsrk
streak was seen to stretch several leagues Ia the SKY
"a hill II a
in the sky vet each OF the massiveness OF noun
tsins The land was then more than % miles on, and
again subsidized, leaving us with an ice-clad hoflzon
So for more than nine months We drlited Inousino
miles But in June the globe OF ice around US broks
and in five days. AFTER an imprisonment OF 2oO DAYS
and a drift of one thousand and eighty miles,
our prows cut clear water. AIteI escapins inso
warner latituces, our commander concluded 10 re-
turn and continue the search for Sir Jonn frahknn
Sculyy grass just up and we fouDed klnu OF ry-
rola. In three weebs we weTe oack again ouneuIs
the ice Greenland is really coDgeres OF ISLANDS
"A range OF mountains rise from 500 70 l,oO0 fee.-
eirdiI the coast and OF which the gorges are sno
Feords These are sublime The water 10 darby
Swallowed they are deeply ciet. anu upon 'neSe
Feores are grouped glaciers -
Il am anssenng questions so you must excuse any
want of method) -. ~,
The glacier is composed OF hesh water. us eie,
ntnts are modified more less by the character OF
ire maze The fracture and disruption 10 caused Dy
waye action, by gravitston and temperature The
iceberg il a liberated glacier. know pos nov 70
,ostes silver Its base cobalt blue, and its edges
fash and sparkle. ,na;,
Its shape depends upon the influences around H. u
You md all landscape forms and features upon IL
MINGLED wi these pleasing associations are higher
feelings Of grandeur. have measured them ana
have found them to be 800 feet and the entire msnt
of one such is therefore 2,IoO feet. Miillons ..
tups are embraced in it, and It moves sometlmes
3 miles an hour There Is something lnhniteIy I'M
posng In its march through the ice hsa: =. ,.,
As we advanced the icebergs increased IA huMoci,
W. ON 2oO from our decks alone. We crept iato
horseshoe bay and the drift.ice imprisoned US i1r
tbree weeks-ice bound In midsummer. hsie, onX
Tour months ago. was the American expedlIlon.
Was strange sight solid and immovaole among .ne
zee stood two huge ice berss beyond US. Inc ress
passed by in endless y. barS
IS - 90 and ne could net tell how soon " migns
S tsiI " And when you remember that winter was
coming YOU may judge how We fen u our im .nsrs
ment Further hope foi or So1d fsvorsd We
wo,ts out and our bows were turned home wai1;