Litchfield enquirer., 1856-01-31
From GraAaa's Magaziss. DIR. KANE.
A sKercH, BY DR. WILLIAM ELDER.

DIR. KANE.
 sKeTcH, BY DR. WILLIAM ELDER.
 WHsn a man's life is heroic, and his name has passed into history, the world wants to know him personally, intimately. The "gfave and reverend chronicles" !" sssing over his beginnings. presents him abruptly in his fnll-grown greatness; men render the admiration earned, but the sym pathetic emulation awakened is concern ed to know how he grew into his maturity ofexcei!ence. This curiosity is not an idleness of the fancy. but a personal inter- est in the facts that springs out of those aspirations which put every man upon his fuIfilment of his own destiny. How came this man so excel-what was in him what happened to develop iti "So,ne men sre born great; some achieve great. mess; some have greatness thrust upon them" How cane this man by it2 Is It within my reach also and, by what meansi History provokes us with such queries as these Biography answers them.
 Doctor Elisha Kent Kane is not quite thiry-four years old, yet he has done more than circumnavigate the globe he has visited and traversed India, Africa, Eu- rope, 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 eiirsmest perils Of sea and land, in every climate of the globe he has di-chnrged In turn the severest duties of the soldier and the seaman: attached to the United States Navy as a surgeon, he ia, neverthe- A..s s,~t vey of the tropical ocean, aad in a month or TWO, we find him exploring the frigid zone; and all the while that lis personal experiences had the character of romantic adventure, he was pushing them in the sPiri, of scientific and philan,hropic rn. t-sprise.
 As boy. Nj. insdne,lvs ben, impelled him so tho ihdhigrnte and enjoyment oi Sueh adsetitafes as were best fitted to train him for the work before him. His col- legiates studies suffered some postpone. ment while his physical qualities pressed f's their necessary training aLd discipline. It WAS almost in the spirit of uuancy that he explored the Blue Mountains of Vir. giaia, ss a student of geology, under the guidance of PfoEfssor Rodgers, and culti. eated; ss once, his hardihood of vital ener. " and those elements of natural science which were to qualify him for his after ser- yices in the field of phy scal geography.- Of literature, aud achieved tho usual hon. ors as well as though his college studies lad suffered no divrrsion--his muscles and nerves were educated, and his hr.in lost nothing ny the indirectness of iis develop ment. hut was rather cortobora'ed for at che ases which 1t has served since. He graduated at tho University of Psnnssl. vania--first, tn it's collegiate, and after. wards, tn iis medical, department. His special rclishrs in study indicated his na. tuTal drifi: chemistry and surgery na,u. fal science in its most intimate converse with substance, and remedial ait in it's most heroic function. He went out from his Alma Mater a good classical scholar, good chemist. minefalogiss, astronomer, and surgeon. But he lacked, or though, he lacked. robustness of frame and sound. ness of health He solicited an appoint. ,nent ia the navy, and upon his admission, demanded active service. H5 was ap. pointed upon the diplomatic staff as sur. geon to the first American Embassy te China. This position gave him opportu' ni,y to explore the Philippine Islands which he effected mainly nfoo,. He wa, the isr man who descended into the era ter Of Tsel, lowered more than a hundred feet hy bamboo rope from the overhang ing ciif, and clambering down some seve, hundred moro through the srorie, he mad, . typographical sketch of the interior o this great volcano. collected . bottle o surpharous acid from the very mouth o the orator; and, although he was dawl up almost senseless, ho brought with hin his portrait of this hidsous cavern, and ti specimens which 1t afforded.
 Before he returned from his trip, he ha, ascended the himalayas. and traingula,~, Greece. on foot l; he had visited Cryion the Upper Nile, and all the my,holugic re gion of Egypt; traversing the route. an. making acquainsancs of the learned Lep sias, who was then prosecuting his srcheo logical researches.
 At homa hgain, when the Mexican wa broke out. ke asked to he removed fror the Philadelphia Navy Yard to tho field c . more congcnial service hut the govern ment seat him to the Coast of Africa.- Here he visited the slave factories, fro. Cape Mount to the river Bonny, m through the infamcus Da Soaxa, got ., cess to the baracoons of Dshom~y, su eontrscsrd. besides. the Coast Fever. fro, inc effects of which he has never entirel secosessd.
 From Africa he returned hefare the elo. of the Mexican war, and believing that h consultation was broken, and his heall rapidly going. hs called upon Presidel pulk, and demanded m opportunity { sesvics shas might crowd the litsls remnas cf his liss wtsk achievements in keepin with hisambition--th President, just ths embsrvassed by aiemporsEy Aan-intrrcour with 0sasnl Scoss. charged tho Doct, with dssPatchss to the General, Of gro