Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1857-03-28
NEW BOOKS.

,,o p,,,c, onr here large bodies Of public lands
subject to private entry. The right OF pre-snpsn not
thereby affected until roads are actsally located.
NEW BOOKS. Ha
Arctic Exp,orations BY DR.. Kane. Philadelphia.
Childs 4 Petersen Pabli shers.
The occupation of our time and space to polit.
zeal matters have prevented us from noticing at
length several new and valuable books which
have been lying on our table for the past month.
Prominent among these are two volumes from
the pen of the late eminent and lamented DIR.
Kane, which in point of typographical execution
and clearness Of diction, beauty of embellish-
ment and thrilling interest, have no superior in
the American Library. DR.. Kane was young
and skillful surgeon in the U. s. Army, ardent in
his search after science-impulsive but warm and
generous in his nature-energstic and capable OF
great endurance. His mind was clear and Wig
orous and his conclusions were generally correct.
Prompted by the benevolence of his heart and a
desire to add to his store of scientific knowledge,
he accepted the proposition of Moses Grinnsll, of
New York, to take charge Of an expedition in
search of Sir John Franklin, and in the month of
December, 1852, set sail for the Polar Regions
of the Arctic Ocean, where he and his little crew
remained during the years 1853, 1854 and
1855. As the Doctor accompanied the sxpedi-
ton sent out in 1850 on the same errand, he pos
sessed some knowledge of the bearings he should
take and tho necessary equipments OF the voyage,
and hence doubtless he went better prepared to
accomplish his mission than either these who had
previously left this country or Europe. The two
volumes before US contain minute and ele-
CANT account of the events of those remarkable
three years, so full of interest to the scientific
world, SO noble to the generous beatings of the
heart of Humanity, and SO grand in their final
and successful triumph.
Looking down upon US with calm, genial
gaze, is the portrait of DR.. KANE. Though the
original has passed into the bosom of mother
earth, che still lives" and upon the monument
he has left behind him. are traced ever living
mementoes of his heroic deeds. Then follow the
scenes through which he passed, delineated in the
most perfect manner by the skilful pencil of the
artist. Here is the likeness of some unoouth ma
tive with the dull eye and animal instinct. There
ism scene of rugged nature, cold isolated, forbid
ding. Here comes mighty iceberg thunderin 6
its way down upon the little vessel of our adven-
turers-there large fragments of ice have just
fallen over the bow of the brig, but all is safe,
and securely the vessel glides On her way. Yon-
der view depicts wildly some of the hardships of
the noble mariners. Surrounded on all sides by
one continuous wall of ice, they are fighting their
way over the slippery glaciers-where, they can
not tell. All before them is cold and frigid.-
Mountains upon mountains of ice pile thor lofty
peaks almost into the dome of Heaven and no
their desolate way. Thoughts of home come DER
them-of the cheerful fresides and of the many
friends they have left behind, but it is only for
o moment-the preservation of Nature impels
them onward.
We cannot in so brief an article as this must
necessarily be, portray one-third of the many
thrillingly interesting scenes gathered from this
work. They are not only beautifully described
by DR.. Kane, in o clear and chaste diction, but
are set before the reader az accurately and life
like as within the range Of Art. Here is q brief
description of s'Winter Life on Board of the
Brig:''
sour fuel is limited to three basket.fulls of
coal day, and our mean temperature outside is
400 below zero, 40 below as write. London
Brown Stout and somebody's Old Brown Sher-
~, freeze in the cabin lockers and the carlines
over head are hung with tubs of chopped ice to
make water for our daily drink. Our lamps can
not be persuaded to burn salt lard our oil is ex-
hausted and we work by muddy tapers of cork
hoated in saucers. We have not pound of fresh
nd nplu hor ~ 1nft
ssNot a man now, except Pierre and Morton, is
exempt from scurvy; and as look around upon
the pale faces and haggard looks of my comrades,
feel that We are fighting the battle of life at
disadvantage, and that an Arctic night and an
Arctic day age man more rapidly and harshly
thansa year anywhere else in all this weary
world" H 81
The Doctor was no doubt conscious Of the in
roads the hardships he was enduring were ma
king upon his health and that of his comrades
but like all of US, he little dreamed that death
was so near at hand.
As a specimen Of some of the annoyances t.
which they were subjected, the following from the
pen of the Doctor, relative to the New Found.
land dogs they took with them, will be perused
with interest, as it exhibits train of humor I'm.
Ter trying circumstances really praise-w orthy:
'More bother with these dogs! Worse than q
street of Constantinople emptied upon our decks
the unruly, thieving, wild beast pack Not &
bears paw, or an Esquimaux Uranium, or bas-
ket Of NOISES, or any specimen whatever, car
leave your hand for o moment without their ma
king rush at it, and, after yelping scramble,
swallowing it at . gulp. q"
81 have seen them attempt whole feather bed
and here, this very morning, one of my Ksrsul
brutes has eaten up two entire birds nests which
had just before gathered from the rocks; feath
ers, filth, pebbles and moss--s peck-ful at tn
least. One was perfect specimen of the mes
of the tridactyle, the other Of the big burgomas
ter. y
"when we reach Zoe, or berg or temporary
harbor, they start out in body, neither voice no
lash restraining them, and scsmper of like !,
drove of hogs on an Illinois oak-opening. Tw
of our largest left themselves behind at Fog Inle
and We hnd to send of boat party to-day to thei
rescue. It cost pull through leo and water o
about eight miles before they found the reore
ants, fat and ssucy, beside the carcass of th
dead narwhal. After more than an hour spen
in attempts to catch them, one was tied an
brought on board but the other suicidal scam
had to be left to his fate" 40
In speaking of these dogs in another place, til
Doctor informs US that they died of brain uJsua
caused by too close confinement on board the brig
During their sickness they were nursed like bs
bies. 'sTo days" says the author, give up a
hope of saving them. Their disease is a. clearl
mental as in the case of any human being. The
fawn on you, but without seeming to appreeias
the notice you give them in return pushing the
heads against your person or oscillating with
strange pantomine of fear. Their most intell
gent actions seem automatic; sometime the
claw you, Is If trying to burrow into your seal