Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-04-07
THE GRINNELL EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF SIR
JOHN

The late American Expedition to tho Arctic Regions has
been equally fortunate in the munificence of its founder and
The ability of its historiogrnpher. The enterprise Of Mr..
Grinneli for the discovery of Sir John franklin, could hardly
have been entrusted to better hands for its execution than
10 the gallant officers and crews of the Advance and Rescue
nor could their exciting adventures in the world OF Polar
Ice have been more admirably related than in The volume
which contains DR.. kanes observations and remarks on the
expedition.
The Grinnell expedition, 1t will be remembered, left the
harbour of New York towards the last of May, 1850. Sail.
Ing smoothly over quiet seas, il had a prosperous voyage to
the coas, Of Greenland, of which i, came 10 eight on the 10Th
OF June. Soon after the beginning Of July, il entered the
region OF rock-ribbed ice, and from this time, every day
orlnss some phenomenon or incident of strange and intense
interest. The elect OF refraclion in the vicinity Of the ice
De ps,g g'I presented many extraordinary scenes, Of one of which
we give Inc account from Dr.. Ranes Journal OF July ):
a stfip OF horizon, commencing about 8 deg. to the Elst
Q. Inc sun, and between It aud the land, ressmbled an ex-
tenaeo PAIN, covered with the debris Of ruined cities. No
effort OF Imagination was necessary for me TO travel from
the true watesy horizon 10 tho false one of ref,action above
II, and there 10 sec huge structures lining an mini oceanic
margin. Some OF rusty, Egyptian, rubbisn-cloeg ed propyia,
ahd hypstnfai courts-somc tapeing and columnar. like Pal,
myra and Baalbec some with archittave and portico, like
dreamy memories re. called Dc" Of Ei / and II e cotii. 'Ae' sue" as
can hardly renhze it as l write bu, i. was no trick OIL
them, capriciouu, versatile, full of forms. but bright aud de.
dnite as the phases Of sober life. And us my eyes ran round
sell.remembered cities rose before me, built up by some sug.
geslivs feature Of the ice.
An Iceberg Is one of Gods own buildings, preaching It's
lessons Of humility TO the miniature structures Of man. LIS
material, one colossal Penteiicus; its mass, the Representa-.
tive OF power In repose; its distribution, Stimulating every ar
chiteetural type. IL makes ons smile at those classica
remnants which our own period r]eproduces In i,s MadeIeinss
Waihsll1s, and Girard Colleges. like university poems In the
dead languages. Still, we can compare them with the Ice,
boraza and the Hill of Howth. But this Thing of rclrsc,ion
10 supernatural throughout. The widest frolio of On opium
caters reyery 10 nothing 10 The phantasmugoria of the sky
tonight Raroaks of Ice, turned upside down. ware rsst.
ing upon rainbow colored pedestas; grea. needles, obelisks
Of pure Wilderness, shot up above their false horizons, and
after an hour. glass.hke contraction at their point Of union
Win thetY DUPLICATED iDagCS, LOST themselves in The h,no nj
she upper sky.
While / was looking-the ssxtant useless In my hand, for
J could not think Of apReis-a blurred and wavy change
came over the fantastic picture. Ptismatic tintIng,, too
vague to ednl. Of dioptrc analysis, began to margin my ar
dlysolving views. Suddeniv. hv ] a,sh thew recommended IL
lu. osIu.y, ano Just as I was beginning to nots 10 my me.
noisnaam oook me changes which this brief interval had
riSon. ''"'a o' W 1'a NV