Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-02-13
~. Kanc,
u slx.ea d Dr. H1Rina Elder.

passe3 into hissorY the world wail,s 10 know hin,
personally. Tie grave and reverend esron-
,cie, gassing orer hss beginning prescnts hin,
abruptly ia his full grown greatness; men rem
der the admiration earned, but tie sympathetic
emulation awakened Is concerned 70 know how
he grew into his maturity of excellence. This
CURIOSITY il not an idtcne-s OF the fancy ba.
personal ineres; Ia the facts that spring out of
those aspirations which pnt every man upon the
falslsiHent Of his own destiny. How came this
| man 10 exeei--whai was in hin--whaE happened
| TO develop iis-"Some men are born great, some
achieve greatness, sofne have greatness thrust
| upon them How came tils man by il? Is it
within ms reach also ard bs wba, meanss-
| History provokes rs with such queries as these
| Biography answers them.
DIR. Elisha Ken, Kane is not quite thirty-four
years old, yet he has done more than circannas-
igate the Globe, ne has visited and trayersed In
dia, Africa, Europe, SonthAmerica, the Islands of
| the Pacific, and twice penetrated the Arctic re-
ron TO the highest latitude attained by civilized
man. He has encountered the EXTREMIST perks
of sea and land, in every climate of the Globe;
l he has discharged in turn the seyerest duties of
the soldier and the seainen: attached to the
United States Navy surgeon. he is, never
iheless, engaged at one time III the coast survey
4 of the tropical ocean, and in a month or two, we
/ find him exploring the frigid zone; and all the
i
i acter of romantic adventure, he was pushing
them in the spirit of scientific and philanthro-
| pie enterprise
As boy, his instructive bent impelled him to
| the indulgence and enjoyment of such adyen-
lures "a were best fitted to train him for the
work before him. His collegiate studies suffer
ed some postponemcnt while his physical quail
ties pressed Tor their necessary training and dis
ciplne. II was almost in the spirit of truancy
that he explored the Blue Mountains OF Virginia,
as student OF geology, under the guidance OF
i Professor Rodgers, and cultivated, ut once, his
hardihood of vital energy, and those elements
of natural scien:e which were to qualify him for
after services in the field of physical geography.
Bat. 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 di-
version--his muscles aud nerves were educated,
and his brain lost nothing by the indirectness
of its development, but was rather corroboratcd
Tor all the uses which it has served since. He
| graduated at the University of PENNSYLVANIA
irSt, in its collegiate, and afterwards, in its med
ical department. His special relishes in study
indicated his natural drift: chemistry and sur
gerry natural science in its most intimate con
verse with substance and the remedial art in its
most heroic function He went out from his
Alma Mater good classical scholar, good
1 chemist, mincralogisi, astronomer, and surgeon
But he lacked, or thought he lacked. ROBUSTNESS
of frame and soundness of health. He solicited
IN appointment in the navy, and upon his adj
| mission demanded active service lie was APP
pointed upon the diplomatic staff as surgeon to
i The frs. American Embassy to China. This posi-
| ton gave him opportunity to explore the Phi
lippine Islands, which he effected mainly on foot.
He was the first man who descended into the
crater of Tael; lowered more than undrea
| feet by a bamboo rope from the overhang!nr
| cliff and clambcriug down some seven hundred
| more through the scorie, he made a Typographical
sketch of the interior Of this great volcano, col
lccted bottle OF sulphurous acid from the very
| mouth of the crater; and, although he was
drawn up almost sensc,ess, he brought with him
his portrait of this hidcous cavern, and the speci-
! mems which it afforded. .4 .4.,-
| Before he returned from his trip, he had as
cendcd the IIimalayas, and triangulatcd Greece
on foot; he had visited Ceylon, the Upper Nile,
and all the Hydrologic region o! Egypt; traverS-
ing the route, and making the acquaintance o.
the learned Lcpsi,s, who was then prosecuting
| his Archaeological researches.
! At home again, when the Mexican war broke
out, he asked to be removed from the Philndel.
phia Navy Yard to the field of Il more congenal
service but the Government sent him to the
Coast of Africa. Here he visited the slave f.cto-
ries from Cape Mount TO the river Bonnv, and
through the infamous Da Soaza, got access to
the baracoons of Dahomey, and contracted, be-
sides, the Coast Fever, from the effects of which
he has never entirely recovered.
From Africa he returned before the close OF
the Mexican war, and believing that his constitu.
ton WAS broken, and his health rapidly going
| he called upon President Polk, and demanded Il n
opportunity for service that might crowd the lit
tie remnant of his life with achievements in
keeping with his ambition the President JUS
then embarrassed by a temporary non.nter-
course with General Scott, charged the Doctor
! with dispatches to the General, OF great mo-
ment and urgency, which must be carried thro
4 region occupied by the enemy. This en-
bassy was marked by an adventure so romantic
and so illustrative of the character of the man.
that We tempted TO detail it..
On his way to the Gulf he secured horse in
| Kentucky, such as knight Grant would have
chosen Tor companion and sharer of his ad-
ventures. Landed at Vera Cruz, he asked for an
escort to convey him to the capital, but the Off
Ger in command had no troopers TO spare-he
must wait, or he must accept, instead, Il band OF
rattan Mexcans called Spy Company, who had
taken to the business of treason and trickcrv for
livelihood. He accepted them and went for
ward Near Puebla his troop encountered ii bo-
dy of MeXicans cscorlins number of disn-
gushcsl officers to Orizaba, among whom were
| ,iaior-ticncral Glona, Governor OF Puebli; lis
son, Maxmlian, ana General Toreion, who
commanded the brilliant charge of horse at b.
enl Vista The surprise was mutual but Spy
Company had the advantage Of the ground. A
the first instant of the discovery, and before the
rascals fully comprehcnded their involvement
the Doctor sholied i'll Spanish, Bravo! the cap
| ital adventure, Colonel. form your line for the
CHARGE" And down they Went upon the enc
my; Kane ana his gallant Kentucky charger IL
| ,.iI,la h.tc,
taEow-.and through plank, and that the mo
mcatum OF body is its weight multiplied by it
| velocity, he dashed through the opposing force
| and turning 20 engage after breaking their line
| he found himself fairly surrounded, and TWO o
| tn" enemy giving him their special attention.
| One of these was disposed OF, i'll an instant b>
rearing his horse, who, with blow Of his fore
| foog 1oored his man; and wheeling suddenly
| the Dor:o gave the o;hera sword wound, which
| opened his external lilac artery, ana PIT him
horS Iu combat. This subject of the Doctors
! military surgery was the young Ma milan. The
brief melee terminated with cry from the Mex
leans, I'VE surrender" Two of the officers
| made dash for an escape, the Doctor pursued
them, but soon gave up the chase. When he
returned. he ioand his ru;iians preparing to mas
| sacrc the prisoners. AS he guoped past the
Young officer whom he had wounded, lie lear,.
him cry, "Senor save my father" group o.
the Suefr!tlt guards were u:tSnnS upon the Mex
leans, huidled together, with their lanccs in
rest. He threw himself before thcn-one o!
them transfixed his horse, another gave him a
severe wounl in the grain He killed the frs,
lieutenant, wounded the second lieutenant. and
blew part OF the coiouel's beard Oft with the
last charge Of his six-shoo;cr; then graphing
with him, and using his fists he brought the
party oierms. The lives Of the prisoners were
saved and the Doc;or received their swords
As soon as General Gaona could reach his son.
who lay at little distance FROM the scene of the
last struggle. the Doctor found him sitting br
him receiving his last adicus. Shifting the sol
der and resumng The surgeon, he secured the
artery, and PIT the wounded man in condition
to travel. The ambulance got up Tor the oc t.
on, contained at once the wounded Macmillan.
the wounded seecnd-lieutenant, and the mar
thar had prepared them for STOW travel lg, him
self en- his litter, fron the lance wound received
in defence OF his prisoners. When they reached
iucbia, the Doe.or's wound proved the worst in
the party. He taken 10 the gorcrnInen.
house, but the cid General in gratitude for his
generous services had MIN conveyed to his own
house. General Childs, American Commander
at Pueba, hearing OF the generosity of his pris-
oner. discharged him without milking any terms |