New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-26
DR.. NAME.
. skrTcB. By DIR. WILLIAM ELDER.

SKETCH, By DIR. WILLIAM 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 iulLgroWn greatness, men render the admiration
earned, hut the sympathetic emulation awakened IL
concerned to know how he grew into h. maturity OF
excellence This curio'it, Is not an likeness ot the
fancy but personal interest III the facts that spuag
out Of those aspirations which put every man upon
the fulfment of hi- own destiny. How came TIN"
man ~ exce-what was in hn--what happened to H.
yelop il "Sorne men are born great; some achieve
"graatnrSs; some have greatness thrust upon them.
How came this man by II l. 1t within my reach also
and by what means History pFovokes ~ with
such queries . these; Biography answer them
Doctor Elisha Kent Kane i not quite 81 years OIL,
vet Lee has done more than circumnavgate the globe;
he has visited and tfaversed lnda, Atnra, Europe,
South America the Islands of the Pacific, and twice
ucncrated the Arctic region to the highest atitu lie al
taiucd ly civilized man. He has Encountered he eH-
trcmes perif of and land IN every climate OF the
globe he has discharged in t. N the sev"es dufs Oh
the soldier and the seaman. Attached To tn United
States Navy surgeon, he Is nevertheless engaged
al one time in the coast survey of tue tropical ocean,
and in a month two find him exploring the frigd
gore; and al the while that his personal experiences
had tue character Of romantic adventure he pa>h
ing them in the spirit of scientific and phlanthroplc
enterprise.
A. boy hie instructive bent imperd lin TO the IN
dulgeucc aud cEovm ut Of suc. adventures ~ were
hest fitted train hin foI the work before HIM. lis
cole late studies suffered some pOsiponement Whie
bs Uhyeca qualities pressed tor their necessary tram
mo and discipline. Ii was almost in the spirit OF tru
arcy that he explored the Blue Mountains OF Virginia
az a student of geology under the gldance OF frnies
sor Rodgers and cultivated al once his bArlh0od OF
vital ergy and those elements Unnatural science which
were 10 qualify him for his after services IN the field
Of physical geography. But IL due time lac returned
to the pursuit OF literature, ana achieved tue osu
honors well as though his college studies had sui
ered diversion biz muscles and nerves were edu-
Gated and his brain lost nothing by the ndrectness OF
it, development, but rather cOuob0raied fOf al
the n-es which it has served since. lie gradusted ~
the University of Pennsyvania-trst, in IT. collegiate,
and sttervard in IL medical department. Hls special
relishcs il study Indicated his 1atural trlft chemistry
ard surgery; natural science in s most mtinate con-
verse with substance ana the remedial art IN It's most
h,roc function. He wen. ont from his Alma Meter
good classical scholar, good chemist nineralogst,
astronomer and surgeon. But he lacked or Thought
be lacked, robustness of frame and soundne-s OF
health. H. solicited appointment IN tae navy, and,
upou Ais almi siop dt nanded active service. He
was appointed upon the diplomatic stan ~ surgeon to
the first American embassy 10 China. This position
gave him opporuntytO explore ths Philippine Islands,
which he effected mainly on foot. lie was the brst
who descended into the crater Of laeli lowered
more than hundred feet by bamboo rope from the
oyerhangng cliff, and canberng down some 700 feet
more through the scorias, he made a Typographical
ketcb of the interior Of this great voicauo collected
bottle of sulphurOUs acid from the very mouth OF the
crater; and, athou.h be drawn up almost sense
less he brought with him his portrait Of this bideous
cavern, and the specimens which it Afforded
Before he returned from tails trip, be had a~oeAdcd
the Hin sayas, and triangUlated Greece % fcot ne
had visited Ceyon, the Upper Me, and all the inytho-
ogic region Of Egypt; traversng the route ana max
ing the acquaintance OF the learned LepslGs "ho WIS
then prosecuting bis archaeological reseafcnes'
At home again, when the Mexican war broke out,
be asked to be removed from the Phiia .eipha Navy
Yard 10 the field Of more congemai serTcei pHt 'he
Government sent him e. thu Coast Of AREA here
be visited the saye-fact0es, from Cape Mount 70 1ne
River Bonny and through the Infamous ia SoaIa,
got acc,ss to the barocoon- of Dahomey ana co
iracted besides, the coasteyer nom tLe eH0c'S u
which he ha- never entirely recovered
From Africa he returned before TIE c.o7' .. TIC
HexcaD war anu believing tnAt hls constr uoh was
broken ard his health rapHey gong ne cafu nP'4
President Polk, aid demanded m "pp"r'hD,y iol ~
vice that m.gst crowd the tt,le remnant 81 As lHe
with ach ~ ments iu keeping with hS ainpUoh INC
Pre- dent just then embarrassed by temporary non
Intercourse with Ger Scott, charged the Doct"i WIZ
dispatches 10 the General of great Inomeot aLa W.
geIcy which must b. carried through region V''u-
ii,d by the enemy. Ili- embassy was MARK" ny 'I
rdveutle roInatti" and ~ Illustrative 81 me '-'
after Of the man. THAI we are tempted 20 ~ tsA =;
On HI way 10 The Gut Ae secuIed "o''' ia n
turkv .rcb A. II kneht-erIa1t would nave ca0-en tpI
tic CoRranOn and sbareF OF his adventure Lih1.u
o. Vera Cruz b. asked for az escort o. convey Nm ~
the capital bat tie officer command haH ~ cooper;
to spare-ue must wait, % be must accept lnsteai
!, AID M ruf.an Aexc8ne. called The spy Comp my
40 had taken 10 tie business Of treason ami Lnckery
for livehoo1 liz accepted them ana went FORWARD.
No. Pu-D a Lis troop encountered n bVty OF heNl-
cars es,rrt,ng q uhnber OF distinguished officer, -
O,;1eba amony whom were heJ"--ti neal Gaor9.
Gov,rpor of Puebla; hs soI MaXimi.rn. and General
To,.op who commanded Tie brilliant charge OF horse
~ Rueua Vista. TIE surprise was mutual, bnt the
er, Corrtany tGl the advantage u the groHrd AZ
II, frat Ls.ant Cd; the discovery 4ud befJe tue Iascgis
fuIy colnuTeheLded their .nyOiv, nj, the Doctor
,hoated . Spanish, Bravo toe capital adventure,
Colonel; form your me for the charge Aud
down thi,y upon the enemy; Kane and Lis gal
ant hostGcky charge, ahead. Understanding tue
prnt ple that Sends tallov-cantc through ? ak,
snd tia, the L"Inertum Of body is weight multi
ph.d b. IFS velocity he dc shed through the opposing
fgroe and tuning - engage after br akng their lac,
lie found himself iauiy surrounded and two VI tho
enemy giving him their special attention. Ole Of
tLs-. disposed Of in a. i--ta-t by oearIng
boIse, with = blow Of Lis fc-c foot hJored BE-
mani ami, wheeling Suddenly, tue Doctor gave the
other swCfG-Tound, which opened the external lhac
artCy, and put bin hory d. cfwba This subject OF
tie Doctors military surgery vas the young han-
milan. The brief melee terminated witt u cry from
the heIicans, I'VE surrender Two q the officers
made dash for escape The Doctor pursued them,
but soon gave mp the chase. When be returned be
oand bis rufaI- preparing 10 Massacre the prisoners
Az be galoped past the young oneer whom be bad
wounded, he heard him cry "SehoT, save my father"
group Of The guerilla guards were dashIng upon the
heIcaus tudded together With their lancer N rest.
kt. h.or afsu a ffr Isf.