The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-01-31
StlisttlIal>torrs.
DR.. KAN E.
PROM 4 SKETCH BY DIR. WILLIAM ELrrR.

FROM SKETCH BY DIR. WILLIAM ELEER'
When mans life is heroic, and his name
has passed into history, the world wants to
know him personally, intimately. The "grave
and reverened chronicler," passing over his
beginnings, presents him abruptly in his full
grown greatness; men render the admiration
earned, but the sympathetic emulation awnk-
ened il concerned to know, how he grew in.
to his maturity OF excellence. This curios.
ity is not an idleness ofthe fancy, but per
sonal interest in the facts that springs out
ofthuse aspirations which put every man mp.
on the fulfllment of his own destiny. How
came this man tv excell--what was in him
what happened to develop it! "Some men
are born great; some achieve greatness:
some men have greatness thrust upon them. p"
How came this man by it! Is it with
in my rsach also! and by what means? His
tory provokes US with such queries as these:
Biography answers them.
Doctor Elisha Kent Kane is not quite
thirty-four years old, yet he has done more
than circumnayigate the globe; he has vis-
tied and traversed India. Africa. Europe,
South America, the Islands OF the Pacific
and twice penetrated the Arctic region to
the highest latitude attained by civilized man.
He has encountered the EXTREMIST perils Of
the sea and land, in every climate ofthe
globe; he has discharged in turn the sever
est duties ofthe soldier and the seaman; at.
sached to the United States Navy as q sur
geon. he is, nevertheless, engaged at one
time in the coast survey OF the tropical ocean,
and In month or two, we find him explor
ing the frigid zone; and oil the while that
his personal experiences has the character
ofromantic adventure, he was pushing them
In the spirit of scientific and philanthropic
enterprise.
As boy, his instinctive bent impelled
him to the indulgence and enjoyment Of
such adventures as were best fitted to train
him for the work before him. His collegi-
ave studies suffered some postponement
while his physical qualities pressed for their
necessary training and discipline. It was
almost in the spirit of truancy that he expler-
ed the Blue mountains Of Virginia. as stu
dent Of geology, under the guidance of Pro-
fessor Rodgers, and cultivated, at once. his
hardihood of vital energy and those elements
Of natural science which were to qualify him
forhis after services in the field ol physical
geography. But, in due time he returned to
the pursuits 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 indirectRcss Of it's
Development, but was rather corroborated
for all the uses which ii has served. He
graduated at the University Of Pennsy ylvania
---first in its collegiate, and afterwards in
its smedical department. His special relish
esin sturdy indicated his nataral drift; chem
istry and snEgery; natural science 10 its most
intimate converse with substance. and the
remedial art in its most heroic function
He went out from the Alma Mater a good
classical scholar, q good chemist, mineralo.
gist, astronomer. and surgeon. But he lack
edor thought he lacked, robustness of frame
and soundness Of health. He solicited an
appointment in the navy, and upon his I'd
,iaisaIon, demaded active service. He was
1sppointed upon the diplomatic staff as sur.
ageon to the fist American Embassy to Chi.
90. This position gave him opportunity to
explore the Philippine Islands. which he ef-
.fscsed mainly on foot. He was the first
man who descended into the crater Of Tael;
lowered more than hundred feet by BAN
boo rope from the oyerhanging cliff, and
slsInbering down some seven hundred moe
through the sccfio, he made Typographical
shetch Of the interior ofihis great volcano
collected : bottle ofsplphurous id.frorn
yheyefy mouth Of the crater; and. although
Aswaa dawn up almost senseless, he broght
with him hia portrait Of this hideeus cavern,l
and the specimens which it afforded.
~ Before he returned from his trip, he has
sseended the Hi,naIavas, and trianguIated
.(srssce. on foot; he had visited Ceylon, the
Upper Nile. and Al ths myshoiosic region