The Placer herald., 1855-11-17


having been advised of the movement by
some parties in Valparaiso, managed to effect
his escape to Buenos Ayres previous to the
arrival of the party, 50 that they were obi
ged to return without efecting their object.
1t is supposed that Meiggs is now beyond the
reach of detection.
Return Of the Arctic Expedition.
The most interesting news by this steamer,
is the return to New York, of DIR. Kane, the
intrepid Arctic navigator, after having been
given up as lost, has returned safe home,
with the loss of but three men on bis whole
expedition. He left his brig frozen up in the
Arctic Sea, on the oath of Nav, 1855, went
three hundred miles over the ice to the sea-
and then in open boats thirteen hundred
miles to Upernavik in Greenland. After
waiting for upwards of month a Danish
trading ship found them there; and after a
subsequent delay of fortnight, they were
taken on board and proceeded homeward.
At Leavely on Disco Island $50 miles south
Of Upernavik, the Danish vessels fell in with
the American Searching Expedition, under
Lieut. Hartstein, and the party were trans
ferred to the 41rctic and Release, which veG-
sells reached New York on the oath ult
The following account of the expedition was
taken down from Capt. Kanes own lips
The Expedition succeeded iii crossing Mel
Vile Bay and reaching the headand Of
Smiths Sound as early as the 9th of August,
] lS53. Finding the ice to the North COM
pletely impenetrable, they were forced to
attempt temporary passage along the
coast, where the rapid tides running at the
rate of four miles an hour, with rise and
fall of sixteen feet, had worn a temporary
opening. Previous to taking this step,
which involved great risk which was, in
fact, equal to a sacrifice of the brig in which
DR.. Kane was,-a Francis metallic life-boat,
with cache of provisions, was concealed as
means of retreat
The penetration of the pack-ice was attend
ed 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 several 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 knowledge of the fact of her
oosing her jib-boom, best anchor and bull
warks, besides about 600 fathoms Of warping
! liut. lucy were CuctTci, HoNSNci, ny Il
small daily progress; and by the 10th of
September, 1853, they had succeeded in
gaining the northern face of Greenland, at a
point never reached before.
Here the young ice froze around the ves-
sci, and compelled them to seek winter asy-
lum, in which they experienced a degree Of
cold much below any previous registration.
Whisky froze in November, and for four
months in the year the mercury was solid
daily. The mean annual temperature was
FIVE degrees below zero. This is the greatest
degree of cold ever experienced by man, and
their winter quarters were nearer the Pole
than ever before occupied.
The seuryy was easily controlled, but the
most fearful, as well as the most novel feature
of the winter was tetanus or lockjaw, which
detied all treatment. 1t carried away fifty
seven of the best Esquimaux sledge dogs, and
was altogether frightfal scourge
THE SEARcH.-The operations of search
were commenced as early as March-the first
parties, under the personal charge of DR..
Kane, crossing the ice at q temperature Of