Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-26
DIR. Kane.
A SKETCH, BY DIR. wM. ELDER.

/
When mans life is heroic and his name has
passed into history, the world wants to know him
personally intimately. The "grave and reverend
chronicler," passing over his beginnings presents
him abruptly in his full-grown greatness; men rem
/ der the admiration earned, but the sympathetic
emulation awakened is concerned to know how he
| grew into his maturity Of excellence. This curl
osity is not an ideness of the fancy, but person
al interest in the facts that spring out of those as.
prations which put every man upon the fulflmsnt
OF his own destiny How came this man to excel ;
what was in him what happened to develop it I
Some men are born great some achieve great
ness; some have greatness thrust upon them."-
| How came this man by itg Is il within my reach
also, and by what means? History provokes us
with such queries as these Biography answers
| them.
Doctor Elisha Kent Kane is not quite thirty.
| four years DID, yet he has done more than circum-
navigate the globe; he has visited and traversed
India, Africa, Europe, South America, the islands
of the Pacific, and twice penetrated the Arctic re.
gion to the highest latitude attained by civilized
| man. He has encountered the EXTREMIST pers of
sea and land in every climate of the globe; he
has discharged in turn the severest duties of the
soldier and the seaman; attached to the United
States navy as surgeon, he Is, nevertheless, en-
gagged at one time in the coast survey of the trop
| cal ocean, and in month or two we find him ex-
ploring the frgid zone and all the while that his
personal experiences had the character of roman
tic adventure, he was pushing them in the spirit of
scientific and philanthropic enterprise.
As boy, his instructive bent impelled him to
the indulgence and enjoyment of such adventures
as were best fitted to train him for the work before
him. His collegiate studies suffered some post
ponement while his physical qualities pressed for
their necessary training and discipline. 1t was
| almost in the spirit of truancy that he explored
the Blue Mountains OF Virginia, as student Of
geology, under the guidance of Professor Rodgers,
and cultivated, at once, his hardihood of vital
energy and OF those elements of natural science
which were to qualify him for his after services in
the field of physical geography. But, in due time
he returned to the pursuit of literature, and
achieved the usual honors, as well as though his
college studies had suffered no diversion His
muscles and nerves were educated and his brain
lost nothing by the indrectness of its develop
ment, but was rather corroborated for all the uses
which it has served since He graduated at the
University of Pennsylvania, first in its collegiate,
and afterwards in its medical department His
special reshes in study indicated his natural drift,
chemistry and surgery, natural science in its most
| intimate converse with substance and the RENE
dial art in its most heroic function. He went out
from his Alma Mater good classical scholar, a
good chemist, mineraogist, astronomer, and sur
geon. But he lacked or thought he lacked, 70.
business of frame and soundness Of health He
his admission, demanded active service. He was
appointed upon the diplomatic staff as surgeon to
the first American Embassy to China. This posi-
ton gave him opportunity to explore the Phillip
pine Islands, which he effected mainly on foot He
| was the first man who descended into the crater
| of Tael. Lowered more than hundred feet by
bamboo rope from the overhanging cliff and
clambering down some hundred more through
| the scori@, he made typographical sketch of the
/ col hnttl tla &c
sulphurous acid from the very mouth of the crater
and, although ne was drawn up almost scnseless,
he brought with him his portrait of this hideous
cavern, and the specimens which it afforded
Before he returned from this trip, he had as
cended the Himalayas, and trianguated Greece, on
foot; he had visited Ceylon, the Upper Nile, and
all the mythologic region of Egypt traversing the
route, and making the acquaintance of the learned
Lepsius, who was then prosecuting his archeolo-
gical researches.
| At home again, when the Mexican war broke
out, he asked to be removed from the Philadelphia
Navy Yard to the field of more congenial service;
but the government sent him to the coast of Afri-
ca Here he visited the slave factories, from Cape
Mount to the river Bonny, and through the infa
nous Da Souza got access to the baracoons O
Dahomey, and contracted, besides, the coast fever
from the effects of which he has never entirely re
i covered
From Africa he returned before the close Of the
Mexican war, and believing that his constitution
was broken and his health rapidly going he callet
upon President Polk, and demanded an opportu
nifty for service that might crowd the little rem
nant of bis life with achievements in keeping with
his ambition; the President, just then embarrassed
by temporary non-intercourse with Gen. Scott
charged the Doctor with dispatches to the Gene
raj, of great moment and urgency, which must b,
carried through region occupied by the enemy
This embassy was marked by an adventure so ro
mantle and so Illustrative Of the character Of tn
man, that we are tempted to detail it.
On his way to the Gulf he secured a horse i
Kentucky, such as knight errant would bav
chosen for the companion and sharer of his sdver
lures. Landed at Vera Cruz, he asked for an et
/ cort to convey him TO the capital but the Office
in command had no troopers to spare--he mus
watt or he must accept instead band of ruffia
Mexicans, called the Spy Company, who had ia
ken to the business of treason and trickery for
, livelihood.
He accepted them, and went forward. Nea
Puebla his troop encountered body of Mexican
escorting number Of distinguished officers to Or
zaba, among whom were Major General GaonI
Governor of Puebla; his son, Macmillan, an
General Torejon, who commanded the brliar
charge of horse at Buena Vista. The surpris
was mutual, but the Spy Company had the advar
tage Of the ground At the fret instant of IN
discovery, and before the rascaIs fully corIpr
hended their involvement, the Doctor shouted
Spanish Bravo! the capital adventure, Colore
form your line for the charged" And down the
went upon the enemy Kane and his gallant Ker
lucky charger ahead. Understanding the primo
pie that sends tallow candle through plank, an
that the momentum Of body is its weight multi
piled by its velocity he dashed through the oppC
sing force, and turning to engage after breakin
their line, he found himself fairly surrounded, an
two Of the enemy giving him their special after
| tion. One Of these was disposed Of in an instar