98 ELISHA KENT KANE. 



greater physical endurance, and furnished with more 

 abundant facilities than any of his predecessors, 

 shall persist in defiance of every impediment in 

 advancing until he boldly plants his foot upon the 

 mysterious spot now termed the North Pole, and then 

 succeeds in making his escape. 



The several parties which had been sent forth 

 Dy Dr. Kane to explore the regions just described 

 having returned, the season of Arctic travel was 

 nearly terminated, and the members of the expedi- 

 tion were about to relapse again into winter quarters, 

 with their usual darkness, monotony, and gloom 

 But, before resigning themselves entirely to this un- 

 welcome seclusion, Dr. Kane resolved to make an 

 effort to reach Beech ey Island. At this point Sir 

 Edward Belcher's squadron was then supposed to be 

 stationed; and from them the American explorers 

 might obtain both provisions and information. Ac- 

 cordingly, Dr. Kane manned his boat, called the 

 "Forlorn Hope," which was twenty-three feet long 

 and six feet and a half beam. The necessary amount 

 of provisions was placed on board, and the bold 

 venture was undertaken. Sometimes the boat was 

 navigated through the unfrozen channels of water 

 which intervened between the floes of ice ; at other 

 times she was placed on a large sledge called the 

 "Faith," and thus transported over the frozen wastes. 



