CO ELISHA KENT KANE. 



control by the unwearied attention and skilful treat- 

 ment of the medical officers. My thanks are due to 

 them, especially to Passed Assistant Surgeon Kane, 

 the senior medical officer of the expedition. I often 

 had occasion to consult him concerning the hygiene 

 of the crew ; and it is in a great measure owing to 

 the advice which he gave and the expedients which 

 he recommended that the expedition was enabled 

 to return without the loss of one man. By the latter 

 end of February the ice had become sufficiently 

 thick to enable us to build a trench around the 

 stern of the Rescue sufficiently deep to ascertain 

 the extent of the injury she had received in the gale 

 at Griffith's Island. It was not found to be material : 

 the upper gudgeon alone had been wrenched from 

 the stern-post. It was adjusted, and the rudder 

 repaired in readiness for shipping when it should 

 be required. A new bowsprit was also made for her 

 out of the few spare spars we had left, and every 

 thing made seaworthy in both vessels before the 

 breaking up of the ice. 



"In May the noonday began to take effect upon 

 the snow which covered the ice : the surface of the 

 floes became watery, and difficult to walk over. Still, 

 the dissolution was so slow in comparison with the 

 mass to be dissolved, that it must have taken it a 

 long period to become liberated from this cause 



