Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-07

age. He was in fact the surgeon, sailing-mas.
ter, astronomer and naturalist, as well as CAP
tain and leader of the expedition
This man of all work, and desperate daring
and successful doing, is in height about five feet
seven inches; in weight, say one hundred and
thirty pounds OF SO, if health and rest would
but give him leave to fill up his natural measure.
His complexion is fair, his hair brown, and his
eyes dark gray, with hawk look. He is hun
ter by every gift and grace and instinct that
makes up the character; an excellent shot, and
a brilliant horseman He has escaped with
whole bones from all his adventures, but he has
several wounds which are troublesome and
with such general health as his, most men
would call themselves invalids and live on fur
Tough from all the active duties of life; yet he
has won the distinction of being the first civ
ilized man to stand in latitude S2o 30f and
gaze upon the open Polar Sea-to reach the
northernmost point 6 land on the globe-to
report the lowest temperature ever endured
the heaviest sledge journeys ever performed
and the widest life that civilized man has sue.
cesslully undergone; and to return after all to
tell the story of his adventures.
The secret spring of all this energy is in his
religious Observation-Disclosures alike in the
generous spirit of his adventures in pursuit Of
science ; in his enthusiastic fidelity to duty and
in his heroic maintenance of the point of honor
in all his intercourse with men.
In his department there is that mixture o.
shyness and frankness, simplicity and fastidious
ness, sandwiched rather than blended, which
marks the man of genius, and the monk of in
dustry. lie seems confident IN himself but mol
of himself. His manner is remarkable fol
celebrity of movement, alert attentiveness, quick
ness of comprehension, rapidity of utteranct
and sententious companions of dictation, which
arise from habitual watchfulness against tn,
betrayal of his own cnthusiasms. He seems tt
fear that be is boring you, and is always dis
covering his unwillingness " to sit'' for you
admiration. If you Question him about thu
handsome official Acknowledgements of his ser
vices by the British and American governments
OR in any way endeayor to turn him upon hi
own gallant achievements, he hurries you away
from the subject to some point of scientific in
terest which he presumes will more concern an(
engage YOURSELF Or he says Or he does some
thing that makes you think he is occupied witt
his own inferiority in some matter which you
conversation presents to him. One is obliged t.
struggle with him to maintain the tone of re
spect which his character and achievements de
serne and when the interview is never, a feel
ing of disappointment remains for the failur
in your efforts to ransack the man as you wish
Cd and TO render the tribute which you owe
him.
We wish we could be sure that he will no
in his Forthcoming work, give us the dram
without its hero; or we wish the expeditio
and its hero had chronicler as worthy as
would be were he not the principol characte
in the story.
DR.. Kane's Narrative of the Expedition, no.
preparing, and in process of publication b
Messrs Childs s. Peterson of Philadelphia, wi
embrace the important discoveries made in tn
frozen region far beyond the reach of all tn
predecessors of the American exploring party
and these perilous adventures, crowded wit
romantic Incidents which, in the language
the Secretary of the Navy, "not only ezci'
our wonder, but borrow a novel grandeur fro1
the truly benevolent constitutions which anim'
E ted and nerved linn to his task. ."-Graham
Magazine, Feb,, 1856.