Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-10-17
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION
RETURNED!
Safety of DIR. Kane!
DR.. KANE'S NARRATIVE.


The Expedition succeeded in crossing
Melville Bay, and reaching, the headland
of Smiths Sound as early as the 9th of
August, 1853. Finding the ice to the N.
completely impenetrable, they were forced
to attempt temporary passage along the
anast where r.spid ii dos ,.upqina a t the
rate of four miles an hour, with a rise and
fall of sixteen feet, had worn temporary
opening. Previous to taking this step,
which involved great risk, which was in
fact, equal to sacrifice of the brig in
which DR.. Kane was,- Francis metallic
life-boat with cache Of provisions, was
concealed as a means of retreat.
The penetration Of the pack-ice was at
tended by many obstacles. The vessel
grounded with every tide, and but for her
extreme strength, she would not have been
able to sustain the shocks. She was sew
eral times on her beam ends, and once on
fire from the upsetting of the stoves.
Some idea of this peculiar navigation
may be formed by a knowledge of the fact
Of her losing her jib-boom, best bower an
Choir and bulwarks, besides about 500
fathoms of warping line. They were
cheered, however, by small daily pro-
gress; and by the 10th September, 1858,
they had succeeded in gaining the north
ern face of Greenland, at point never
reached before. ~
Here the young ice froze around the
vessel, and compelled them to seek win
ter asylum, in which they experienced a
degree of much cold below any previous
registration. Whiskey froze in Novem-
Der, and for four months in the year the
mercury was solid daily! The mean an
nual temperature was FIVE degrees below
zero. This is the greatest degree of cold
ever experienced by man, and their win
ter quarters were nearer the Pole than
ever before occupied
The scurvey was easily controlled, but
the most fearful, as well as the most novel
feature of the winter was tetanus, or
lockjaw, which deGed all treatment. It
carried away 81 of the best Esquimaux
sledge dogs, and was altogether fright
full scourge.
THE SEARCH. 81
The operations of search were com
menced as early as March; the first parties,
under the personal charge of DR.. Kane.
crossing the ice at q temperature of fifty
seven degrees below zero. The loss of
their dogs obliged them, as an only altern-
alive to adopt this early travel. Many
of the party were frost bitten, and under
went an amputation of the toes. It was
by means of these efforts that the Expedi-
ton succeeded in bringing back it's results.
The parties were in the field as late as
the 10th of July, only ceasing from labor
when the winters darkness rendered it
impossible to travel.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL RESULTS OF THE ExPE
DITI0N.
Greenland has been followed by DR..
Kane, and surveyed, with coast line
toward the Atlantic, fronting due North,
until stupendous glacier checked their
progress. This mass of ice rose in lofty
grandeur to q height of 500 feet, abutting
into the sea. 1t undoubtedly is the only
obstacle to the insularity Of Greenland
or,in other words, the only barrier be-
tween Greenland and the Atlantic It is.
however, an effectual barrier to all future
explorations. This glacier, in spite of
the difficulties of falling bergs, was fol-
lowed out to sea, the party rafting them
selves across open water spaces, upon
masses of ice: In this way they succeed
ed in travelling so miles along its base;
andstfaced it into new northern land.
This new land, thus cemented to Green
land, by protruding ice, is named Wash
ington. The large bay which intervenesi