May 25, 1857.] OBITUARY. 399 



the Eesolution expressive of our admiration of his conduct, which 

 you passed with acclamation, and which was communicated to him 

 personally by our lamented late President, Admiral Beechey.* 

 Hurrying away to the Havannah to seek a milder clime, Dr. Kane 

 there terminated his noble and brilliant career. If on the subject 

 of Arctic research our meed of praise has justly been offered to 

 such pure philanthropists as Grinnell and Peabody, let me say that 

 there never has been an occasion in which the people of the United 

 States have done greater honour to themselves than by the manner 

 in which they sought to testify their respect for the memory of their 

 young hero Kane, when his mortal remains reached his native city of 

 Philadelphia. *' The long procession of mourners (as is recorded in 

 the 'Philadelphia Evening Journal ' of March 12), the crowded yet 

 silent streets through which they move, the roll of muffled drums, 

 the booming of minute guns, the tolling of passing bells, the craped 

 flags at half mast, and all the solemn pageantry of the scene proclaim 

 that it is no ordinary occasion which has called forth these impres- 

 sive demonstrations of public respect." Agreeing entirely with 

 this eloquent writer, that few men have ever lived, who have earned 

 a better title to the esteem and admiration of his race, and also 

 warmly commending to your notice the sentiment proceeding from 

 a great commercial city of our kinsmen, " that we are not to look 

 to the mere utilitarian value of Dr. Kane's labours and adventures, to 

 the claim for that bright and unfading glory which must ever sur- 

 round his name," let me say that, by re-echoing the voice of America 

 on this occasion, England can best cherish the memory of one who 

 dared and did such heroic deeds to rescue our lost navigators. 



Having thus imperfectly glanced at the feats which our deceased 

 Medallist had accomplished in the short life-time of thirty-five 

 years under the impulses of humanity and science, I cannot better 

 sum up his virtues than in the words of the divine who preached 

 his funeral sermon j" — " He has traversed the planet in its most in- 

 accessible places, has gathered here and there a laurel from every 

 walk of physical research in which he strayed, has gone into the 

 thick of perilous adventure, abstracting in the spirit of philosophy, 

 yet seeing and loving in the spirit of poesy, has returned to invest 

 the very story of his escape with the charms of literature and art, 

 and dying at length in the morning of his fame, is now lamented 

 with mingled affection and pride by his country and the world." 



* See Geographical Proceedings, Jan. 1856. 

 t The Rev. C. W, Shields. 



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