The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-02-14

A SKETCH, ~ DIR. WILLIAM RLDER.

When mans life il heroic, and his name
has passed into history. the world wants TO
know him personally, intimately. The grave
and reverend chroncler,' passing over his be-
ginnings, presents him abruptly in his full
grown greatness men render the admiration
earned : but the sympathetic emulation awak-
ened Is concerned to know how be grew into
his maturity Of excellence. This curiosity is
not an idleness Of the fancy, but personal in
terest In the facts that warins out OF ttosc "a.
pirations which puts every man upon the full
fllment OF his own destiny. low came this
man to excel--what was in hm--what hap
pened to develop il? "Some men are born
great; some achieve greatness; some have
greatness thrust upon them" How came this
man by it. Is it within my reach alsoy and,
by what means? History provokcs 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 cir
cumnavigated the globe; be has visited and
traversed India, Africa, Europe, South Amer
lea, the Islands Of the Pacific, and twice pen
etrated the Artic region TO the highest lati-
tude attained by civilized man. He has
encountered the EXTREMIST pcrils of sea aud
land in every climate Of the globe; he has
discharged in turn the severest duties Of the
soldier and the seaman; attached to the Uni
ted States Navy as a surgeon, he is, ncverthe-
less, engaged at one time in the coast survey
Of the tropical ocean, and in month or two,
se find him exploring the irigid zone; and oil
the while that his personal experiences had the
character of romantic adventure, he was push
ing them in the spirit of scientific and philaD-
thropic enterprise.
As boy his instructive bent impelled him TO
tb,.i in<lul psnSp n
as were best fitted to train him tor the work
before him His collegiate studies suffered some
postponement while his physical qualities press
ed for their necessary training discipline. II
was almost in the spirit of truancy that he ex,
plored the Blue Mountains OF Virginia, as
student Of geology, under the guidance Of Prof
Rodgers, and cultivated, at once, his hardihood
Of vital cnere: and those elenTuts IS natural
science which were TO qualify him Tor his after
services in the field Of physical geography. But
in due time he returned TO the pursuit Of litera.
ture, and achieved the usual honors, as well as
though his college studies had suffered no diver.
sion--his muscles and nerves were educated, and
his brain lost nothing by the indirectness Of its
Development, but was rather corroborated for
all the uses which it has served since. He
graduated at the University Of Pennsylvania
first in its collegiate and afterwards in its med.
. ical department. His special rclisbes in study
indicated his natural driit chemistry and sur
gerry naturAl science, in its most intimate con-
versc with substance and the remedial art, in lis
most heroic function. He went out from his
Alma Mater good classical scholar a good
chemist. mineralogist, astronomer. and surgeon.
Bot he lacked or thought he lacked. ROBUSTNESS
Of frame and soundness OF health. He solicited
an appointment in the Navy and upon his ad-
mission. demanded active service. lie was ap-
pointed upon the diplomatic staff Us surgeon TO
> the frs, American Embassy to China. This
position gave him opportunity TO explore the
Philippine Islands. which he efIectei mainly on
foot lie was the first man who desocnded in
10 the crater Of Tael lowered more than
hundred feet by bamboo rope from the over
hanging cliff and clambering down some seven
hundred more through the scorie. he made
Typographical sketch Of the interior Of this
great volcano, collected bottle OF sulphroas
acid from the very mouth Of the crater and al.
though he was drawn up almos, senseless he
broaght with him his portrait of this hidcous
cavern and the specimens which il afforded.
Before be returned from this trip be had de-
scended the Himalyas, and triangulatei Greece,
on foot he had visited Ceylon, the Upper Nile.
and all the mythologie region OF Egypt trav-
esiug the route. and making the acq,aintasc
Of the learned Iepsius. who was then prosecu-
ting his archaeological researches.
Al home again, when the Mexican war broke
out, h. asked to BE- removed from the Phihael-
phia Navy Yard 10 the field of q more conge-
NAL service: but tbs government sent him 10
: the Coast OF Africa Here b. visited the slave
factories. from Cape Mospt 10 the river Bonny.
and through the Infamous De Soma 20. aecess
10 the haracoops n Dahomcy. and contracted.
besides, the Coast Fever. from the effects Of
which be has never entirely recovered
From Africa h. retarned before the Close Of
the Mexican war and believing that his COO
s,itgtion was broken, and his health rapidly 90
ing. BE- ealled upon Prsideut Polk. and De
nantIed an opportunity &c service that might
crowd the little remnan, Of bis lise with sehiev-
= rnepts In keeping with bis ambition the Pr.si-
sat, Just then embarrassed by temporary
Don-intercourse with General Scot, charged