New-York daily tribune., 1854-03-15
NEW PUBLICAI7ON6.

THE a. s. oRINNELL EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF SIR
JOHN FRANKLIN, By ELISHA KENT KANE, D avo 'Pp'
The late American Expedition to the Arctic Reglons
has been equally fortunate n the munihcence OF its
0under and the ability of its hstOriOgapher The en-
terprse of Mr.. Grnne for the discovery of Sir John
Franklin could hardly have been intrusted to better
hands for its execution than to the gallant officers aud
crews Of the Advance and Rescue; could their ex
citing adventures in the world of Polar ice have been
more admirably related than in the present fascinating
volume. DIR. Kane has every quality demanded in
mccessful maritime writer. Uniting a remarkable tai
sD for description with the keenest spirit of Observa
hon-neyer allowing his love of the humorous or the
picturesque to seduce him from the vigant examina
lion of facts-and preserving feeling of sunny good
bumor during the darkest hours of Arctic night-he
has given us description of remarkable Incidents,
which for mpressveness, variety, and lie-like natu
rilness is upriyalled by any work of modern travel
The Grinnell Expedition, il will be remembered left
the harbor of NewYork toward the last of May, 1850
Sailing smoothly over quiet seas it had prosperous
voyage to the coast Of Greenland, OF which it came in
light on the 20th of June Soon after the beginning of
July, ii entered the region Of rockribbee ce ai,.
nom thls Tune every ". y brings some phenomenon or
hc'aent II strange and intense interest The effect of
feiractOn in the vicinity OF the cebergs presented
many extraordinary scenes, of one of which we give the
account from DR.. Kane journal of July 81
strip of horizon commencing about 50 to the east OF
he and between it and the land resembed an ex
tended plain covered with the debris Of ruined cities No
efo OF Imagination necessary for 10 travel from
the true waery horizon the false OF refracton above
" and there to huge structures lining an @ra ocean
margin. Some Of rusty, Egyptian, ru6oshciogsed pro
pyia and hypahral courts-some aperDg and ooumnar,
nd RaQlh W
eco like Teimessus Athens, else vague and groto
ae such dreamy memories recalled OF Eora and Car
hardly realize il as write but twas no trek OF
sney. The things were there half an hour ago: saw
hem capcious, versatile full OF forms but bright and
uthne as me phases OF sober NE And as my eyes ran
found upon the marvellous and varying scene every one
these well remembered cities before built up by
eme suggestive feature of the ice.
An iceberg is one of Gods own buildings preaching
lessons Of humility TO the miniature structures Of
In material one colossal Pentehcus its mass the repre-
sentative of power in repose its distribution Stimulating
every architectural type 1t makes one smile at those
classical remnants which period reproduces inis
Madeleine Wahallas and Girard Colleges like universi-
y poems In the dead languages Stili we can compare
hem with the iceberg for 'he same sIaneara p
his thing of feacton is supernatural throughout inc
Widest froc of opium eaters reyery nothing 70 tne
fsniasmagoris Of the sky to night harnaks Oh zoe;
urned upside down resting upon RAINBOW wcolo.eo
ndesta great needles obesks OF pure whileness sno'
sbove their false horizons and after an hour nEe
sen'scon their point of union with their duphcaea
zsges lost themselves in the blue OF the upper SKY
While was looking-the seNtant useless in my hand,
could not think ofangesa blurred and wsvy change
sne the fantastic picture. Prismac tinngs, too
Eae to admit OF doptnc analysis, began to margin my
cehe ,tursl marbles and the faded like one OF
ftsDels dissolvng yews Suddenly, by a fash, they
Npsared in full beauty and, just as was beginning to
ss In my memorandum book the changes which tais
msfnterval had produced they went out entirely, and
81 nearly clear horizon.
The influence of the long summer day in the Arctic
tssiOns has often been described, but seldom with
ssrs force and beauty than in the following passage;
N perpetual daylight had continued up to this moment
nsbated glare. The sun had reached his north me-
aa altitude some days before, but the eye was hEdy