ELISHA KENT . KANE. 93 



height, frowning over the frozen sea below, and ex- 

 tends its immense masses along an unbroken front 

 of sixty miles. It is the great crystal bridge which 

 has for ages connected together the two continents 

 of America and Greenland, and it recedes to the 

 interior from the sea through unknown and un- 

 measured limits. Vast crevasses appeared in the 

 sides of the glacier like mere wrinkles. These grew 

 larger as they descended to the sea, where they 

 expanded into gigantic stairways. The appearance 

 of this stupendous wonder of nature resembled in 

 some respects the frozen masses of the Alps, and re- 

 minded the bold adventurer of many scenes which 

 he had witnessed in the mountains of Switzerland. 

 The configuration of the surface and form of this 

 glacier clearly indicate that its inequalities closely 

 follow those of the rocky soil on which it reposes. 



On the 4th of June another party was sent out by 

 Dr. Kane, for the purpose of further exploration. 

 It was placed under the command of William Mor- 

 ton ; and it had been fortunate for Dr. Kane had he 

 accompanied it, inasmuch as it resulted in an extra- 

 ordinary discovery, which possesses unequalled im- 

 portance and interest. His recent exposure and 

 exhausting labors with the previous party, however, 

 rendered it necessary that the commander should 

 recruit himself by remaining with the brig. 



