The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-14

OF course always sangulne, put 1t IS not the less
matter of congratuaton 10 the public that they
have surmounted the first serious obstacle that
opposed them.
There is such degree of romantic interest
attaching to all narratives of Arctic explorations,
that in despite of temperature oftentimes fifty
degrees below zero-of scurvy in its most horrible
aspects-of frost-bitten limbs-of snow-blindness
of the awfully depressing influences of the
prolonged Arctic night-of perils, and hardships,
and privations in every conceivable shape and
form, and Of possible wreck and starvation-there
have always been found adventurous spirits who
were willing TO dare any or all of these dangers,
either in search of lost mariners, of a Northwest
passage to the Pacific Ocean, or to investigate
the mystery of Polar attraction, or TO solve
curious geographical problem. WnLoUGHBY and
BARENTz HUDsoN BEHRING and SHALARoFF,
FRANKLIN and CRozIER, all Of them renowned
Arctic navigators, persisted miserably in the Polar
waste. Our own intrepid KANE had scarcely re-
turned home to chronicle his sad experiences and
his brilliant discovery of an open Polar sea, before
he fell a victim Che sufferings he had undergone
and TO the disease he had contracted in that
mates who We're connected with the various expe-
ditions that have been fitted out during the last
three centuries, many lie buried in rugged ravines
or on bold headlands beneath the rude cairns
erected TO their memory by their sorrowing COM
rades and Of the survivors, not a few returned
to their homes broken in health or mutilated in
limb. Each succeeding navigator added some
thing, however, to the sum of geographical
knowledge But it was reserved for MCCLURE-in
his fruitless search after FRANKLIN and CRozIER
and the crews of the Ere5us and Terror-to dis
cover the long-sought for Northwest passage; for
RAE and MCCLNToCK to ascertain beyond a doubt
the sad fate of FRANKLIN and his companions,
and for KANE to find north of the ice-belt, within
which his own vessel was inexricably frozen up,
a nayigable channel which opened into great
Polar sea, Astounding with animal life-thus sud-
denly verifying an ingenious Scienti6c theory,
but, at the same time, widening the field of
speculation, and exciting irrepressble curiosity
to explore those strange waters and the unknown
regions beyond.
But the truth of MoRToN's narrative has been
disputed. With the exception of his companion
HANS, an Esquimaux, he was the only man of the
of Kennedy Channel and in planting the GRINNELL
flag of the Antarctic-"the relic of two Polar
Voyages ON the black cliff which overhung
the vast eXpanse of rock-shadowed waters that
"rolled up and broke in white caps at its basen
KANE was in no condition to verify, by personal
observation, the correctness of the discovery
which had been made by his second officer The
season for Arctic travel was drawing to close.
Nearly all his men were either diseased or dis
abled, and, with "nether health, fuel nor provi-
"sions" there remained alternative but to
make an effort to warp the ship through the pack
in the hope of gaining the open water to the
southwark. A IL the devices, however, for attain
ing this object were frustrated. A second Arctic
winter was encountered under circumstances which
we'll calculated to cause the stoutest hearts to
despond, and but for the occasional supplies which
were drawn with immense difficulty from the
Esquimaux settlement at Etah, the whole party
must have persisted from the combined effects of
scurvy and exposure. Finally, from these causes,
KANE was forced to abandon his vessel. With
his boats fastened upon rude sedges, he set out for
the Danish settlement at Upernavik, which he
reached on the 9Th of August after long and
Resting simply upon the authority of MORTON,
this alleged discovery of an open Polar sea still
remains, as we have said, matter of doubt, and
it is to either establish beyond controversy the
fact of its existence, to class it with the iusory
discoveries of BARENTz and WRANGEL and PENNY
and INGLEFIELD, that DR.. HAYES, who accompa-
MED KANE on the second Grinnell expedition, has
undertaken, with the sanction and assistance of
various scientific associations throughout the
UNITED STATES, to conduct another exploring
party to the Arctic seas.
He proposes to reach Kennedy Channel and
MoRToNs rock-bound sea, by passing along
the Western shore of Smiths Strait, instead
of the Eastern, where the pack is believed
to be the heaviest and where KANE found himself
compelled to abandon his brig. The difficulties
that present themselves to the successful carrying
out of this project are certainly not insuperable
DR.. HAYES has the advantage of a thorough knowl-
edge of all the routes from Rensselaer, harbor south
ward to the Esqumaux settlement at Etah and
of the line of direction northward taken by NOR
TON in reaching Cape Constitution. Morton came
upon open water in about ten days after leaving
the brig, and although several days were spent in
traversing the coast line of the unknown sea- the
whole period occupied by him between his depar-
ture from and return to Rensselaer, harbor
did not exceed thirty days. Less than that
time with good dogs and healthy and vigorous
crew, would suffice to carry HAYES and his party
across the ice belt lying beta the open water in
Smiths Strait and that in Kennedy Channel and
fOnce the boats were launched on the latter the Sc
crets Of the Polar basin are within his ability to
unfold. A schooner of one hundred tuns burthen;
picked crew of twelve men, inclusive of officers;
dogs and sledges brought from Greenland, and
provisions, such as previous experience has shown
to be best adapted to the cimate-these are the
means and appliances which are to be placed at
his disposal. The whole expense of the enterprise
will not exceed twenty thousand dollars, one half
OF which has already been Subscribed, and as it is
now understood that there will be no difficulty in
procuring the remainder of the sum needed, the
expedition will, in all probability, leave New
York during the coming month of May. With
but one object to fulfil, and the direction of the
line of travel already marked out we see no reason
why this new exploring expedition should not set
at rest forever the question of an open Polar sea,
and perhaps lead to fresh series of brlliant dis
coveries in the terra incognita beyond.
-zu---.--.ur..--
We have been requested to call attention to a
Card which Will be found in its proper place in our
advertising columns, signed by a number of prom
inent merchants and other business men. whose