The American patriot. (Clinton, La.) 1854-1???, 1855-11-17
The Mythic Sea.

For ages there has existed q myth concern
ing Northern Ocean, whose shores were the
impenetrable barriers Office and whose waters
held life and music all its own. The Scan.
dinavians remember the myth, and to this day
IN Sweden and Norway and the Northern Is
lands the great unknown sea has existence in
the belief Of every superstitous mind To us,
who reason so philosophically that nothing is
hidden, it was not deemed probable that such
body Of water did or could exist; and though
many navigators asserted their belief in the
myth, it has not had sufficient data to claim
attention. A few minds, keen from observa-
tion and sagacious from nature, still clung to
the ancient story and suffered it not TO die
One Of these minds was Dr.. Kane, who now
returns home with tidngs that the lost sea is
found!
Our reader doubtless pursued the narrative
the Kane Expedition with breathless atten-
ton, and from it learned that the intrepid nav
igstor left his vessel fast in the almost impene.
trable mountains Of ice in latitude rs deg. 45
min. north, pushing his way in sledg}s and on
foot to latitude 50 deg 80 min, where he stood
upon the shore of, to his eyes, limtless sea-
Three thousand square miles did he scan with
eye and glass, and yet no bounds to that ex-
panse OF water were found; for tfty-two hours
did heavy gale from the north heavc up the
h'avy surf, and yet it brought down not par
ti,le Of ice-showing that around the pole all
was ocean life instead of frigid death. Thus
was the veil penetrated; surprise seized upon
the philosophical specula,or, and now the
world Is busy at the resolution Of this won
derful problem of Northern Sea.
LIST. The doctor represents those waters MS
lmpid as summer sea. BY what progress in
nature can that high latitude so modif, the
temperature Of the air as to leave the sea un-
frozen! Where the Doctor wintercd the ther
mometer often stood ut 30 degrees below zero,
and yet in still more northerly cline there rs
a sea which never is frozen. Science stands
stupeiied, for all it, axioms are repudia.cd and
new laws are to reconcile the facts TO theory.
2i. Bird and fish life is there existent in the
utmost proiusion. There the hawk and cider
duck range in unlimited freedom, while whales
and walrus sport in such herds as to make the
waters swarm with their huge mcrriment Can
these all live without proper foodY Does the
duck infest these regions without its berries
and grasses and bulbs for sustenance Here
then, is another query for the specula,or to
answer, and the mystery of that Northern Sea
grows more and more exciting.
Over the grand barrier which DR.. Kane pas
sed was new land, and he called it Washing
ton, giving names also to the bays and canes
he!ond this is that sea- and that sea bathes the
intangible North Po,e-.t holds the mystery Of
the Northern Lights in its keeping-it keeps
the secret of its own life within its bosom
will man ever solve that secret, and open up
that unknown world? We 81 all pati, ntl,
aw it in hope; for, in our minds, is vague
thought floating that the sea which wlirls
around the pole of this earth holds in its keep
ng the key to thousand mysteries, and We
have faith TO think that in our wears
should they be thcrec score or morc-that
mythic sea shall give up its long kept secret
sandusky Register.