Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-02-08
VOL. 20. NO 6

one his own enthusiasns--the service 0
natural scieace combined With beroio
personal effort; and, added TO. this that art
fspatriotisu. which charges itself with i.s
/ own fall share in the execution. of national
engagements OF honor and besides ibis
cordial assumption Of his, country's deb.s
and duties, there was no little force. ip tae
appeal OF a nohiy brave spirited gonan to
the clavalry of the American navy.ls
+ He vas .hatling in thetepid waters .
1.-THE Gulf of Msxicc, on The l2th Of May
$50, when he received bis telegraphiS
order to proceed forthwith to New York, for
duty upon the Arciir expedition, In pins
! days from that date he was, beyond the
limits Of the United States on lis dismal
voyage to tie North Pole. OF this first
American expedition, as ills we'll known TO
the1pp5lic, he was the surgeon, the natural
ist, and the historian. II returned disap-
ispoiHtedef its main object, after winter IN
the regions Of eternal ice aud a ifteen
mouth 5 absence. @ $3.50 =
Scarcely allowing himself day to recover
from the hardship Of his cruise, nc set on
foot the second attempt, from which he has
returned, aud verifying by actual ohserva-
ton the long questioned existence of an
open sea beyond the latitude of s., degrees,
and hey yond the temperature, also, Of 100
degrees below the freezing point. His
'sPers oral Narrative,' published early in
1853, reeounts the adventures OF TIE frs.
voyage, and discovers his diversified quail
fcations for such an enterprise.
The last voyage occupied two winters in
the highest latitudes, and two years and =
half Of uuintermitted labor, with the risks
and responsibilities attendant. He is now
tpreparing the history for publication. But
that part Of il which best reports bis own
personal agency, and would most jusils pre-
sept the man 10. the reader, VIII Of course be
suppressed. We would gladly supply ii,
but Us get this is impossible TO us His
journal is private property, the extracts
which W may expect will be only too shyof
egotism, and his companions have not spoken
yet, as, some day they Will speak, Of his
conduct throughout the terrible struggles
which togetie- they endured. ....z an.
| To form arJ thing like aa adequate esti-
mate of this last achievement, it is to bs
recollected that his whole company a amounted
10 bEt twenty iReu, and thai Of this corps
or crew be was the commander. in naval
phrase and When We are apprised that h;s
portfolio Of scenery. sketehed On the spot
III pencil, and in water eolors kept fluid
over spirit lamp, amounts to over three
hundred sketches, we have hint Of the ak
tent and variety of the Offices he filled on
this voyage. He was in fact the surgeon,
sailing master. astronomer and naturalist
as we'll as captain and leader cf toe ex-
pidi;ion.
This man Of ali work, and desperate, da-
ring and successful doing, is in height about
Eve feet seven inches, in weight say one
hundred aud thirty pounds or. so, if health
and rest woa!d but give him leave to gil up
his natural measure. His complexion, is
fair, his hair brown, and his eyes DARK gray,
with . hawk look. Ee is ahunter By every
gift aud grace and instinct taa: makes up
the character; 40 excellent shot and >
brilliant horsaman. BE has escaped With
whole bones from all bis adventures, bus
he has several Wounds which are ,treu-
blesome; aud With such general health a.
his, most men would call themselves in
7alids, and live on furlough from all the ac
tive duties Of lifea yet he has won the dis
tinction of being the frst civilized man to
stand in latitude So deg 80 min, and gazc
upon tho opon Polar Sea-to reach tho
northermoss point of land on the globe
TO report the lowest temperature ever .endu-
red-the heaviest sledge journeys ever
| performed--and the widest life that civili-
zed man has successfully uudergones and to
return after all to tell the story q his adj
| ventures. rs ss.
The secret spring Of all this energy Is IN
bis religious enthusiasul--9iscovered alike
in the generous spirit of his adventures IN
pnrsuit of scieuce--in bis enthusiastic fdel-
i,y to duty and 10 his heroic maintenance Of
the point Of honor IN all bis intercourse With
men. ssis
| /. In his department there is that mixture
Of shyuess and frankness, simplicity and
fastidlousnesa, saniwiched rather than olen-
ded which marks the man Of genius, aaa the
monk Of industry. He sesass coufdeHt,a
himself bur not of hiulselfe His niannerjs
remarkable for celebrity Of mavement, alert
attenti9cness, auicaness Of comprehension,
rapidity o. utterance and ssnsensious COM
pactness of dction, which arise from >
habitual watchfrlness against the betrayal