ELISHA KENT KANE. 131 



were deadly in their effects upon his system ; and 

 he resolved at once to test the influence of a clearer 

 and purer climate. The disease which afflicted him 

 was the one to which he had long been subject, 

 hypertrophy, or enlargement, of the heart ; a dan- 

 gerous and painful affection, which produced fre- 

 quent palpitation and difficult respiration. "With 

 these ailments were now united that endemic Arctic 

 plague, the scurvy. 



In accordance with his resolution, Dr. Kane sailed 

 for Cuba in November, 1856. On the 25th of De- 

 cember he reached the port of Havana. The voy- 

 age had not improved his health, and a paralyzed 

 leg and arm were now added to his other diseases. 

 Having disembarked and taken lodgings at a hotel 

 on shore, his condition slightly improved. In a few 

 days his mother and two brothers reached his bed- 

 side ; and thus he obtained a very great alleviation 

 of his loneliness and his sufferings, by enjoying the 

 presence and the assiduities of those to whom he 

 was most closely attached. He still entertained 

 hopes of recovery, and anxiously desired to resume 

 his voyage homeward ; but his fate had been far 

 differently ordered. He continued to sink rapidly 

 from day to day. In the last solemn scenes of his 

 life he was as remarkable and peculiar as during 

 the whole of his previous existence. Very soon 



