140 ELISHA KENT KANE. 



his arduous studies and signal success as a physician ; 

 in his desire to turn to good advantage his rare 

 opportunities of improvement and investigation in 

 Eastern Asia ; in the determination which he ex- 

 hibited in reference to the exploration of the mys- 

 terious crater of Tael ; in the intense ardor which 

 inflamed him to take part in the hostilities between 

 Mexico and the United States ; in the eagerness 

 with which he entered upon the first Arctic expe- 

 dition which sailed from our shores ; in the uncon- 

 querable resolution with which he followed out, 

 executed, and completed his second venture into 

 that perilous clime ; and in the self-destroying in- 

 dustry with which he prepared his narrative of its 

 events for the press ; in all these leading incidents 

 of his career, one of his chief and controlling motives 

 of action was an honorable desire for distinction. 

 Nor does this quality deserve censure, but much 

 rather praise. Nothing so clearly evinces abasement 

 of character, and gives more infallible token of future 

 disgrace or oblivion, than a contempt of the opinion 

 of the wise and good of the community ; and if we 

 examine the motive cause which has inspired the 

 most brilliant, useful, and applauded achievements 

 of the human intellect in all lands and ages, it will 

 clearly appear that this same honorable ambition 

 constituted a large and decisive element in it. 



