146 ADDITIONAL NOTICES. [Feb. 28, 1859. 



is of too great a value for them to kill him. It is very rare that such a thing 

 happens ; it is under extraordinary circumstances if they resort to murder. 

 Schlagintweit has two or three routes by which he may turn up yet. One is 

 towards the Kirghis steppes and the Jaxartes, and if he comes upon the Russian 

 pickets in that country he is certain to be safe. Another route is towards 

 Persia, and I think he has a great chance of reaching that country and of 

 passing through^it. 



Sib C. MufiRAY. — The Persians are very hostile to the tribes that he is 

 with. 



Mr. Atkinson. — But not to him. 



Sir G. Murray. — Not to him, but to the tribes. 



Mr. Atkinson. — I can give you an instance of the possibility of his being 

 yet alive. While I was absent I was lost for near eighteen months, and my 

 friends in Siberia gave me up for dead. The gentleman with whom I had 

 left what little property I had there, was about to make application to our 

 minister in St. Petersburg, to know how it was to be disposed of. Fortunately, 

 I returned and claimed it ; and so, I think, Schlagintweit may turn up yet. 



ADDITIONAL NOTICES. 



Letter from Isaac /. Hayes, Esq.^ to the President, on the Arctic Expedition 

 under the late Dr. E. K. Kane, Sfc. 



To Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, President of the Eoydl Geographical 

 Society of London. 



Philadelphia, May 23, 1858. 

 Sir, — I have learned that at a late meeting of the Royal Geographical Society 

 a discussion arose upon the discoveries made by the American expedition to 

 the Arctic Seas under the command of Dr. E. K. Kane of the U. S. navy. 



By one of the London journals which reported the proceedings of the meet- 

 ing, it appears that Dr. Rink of Copenhagen submitted some remarks touching 

 the correctness of certain observations made by one of the exploring parties 

 (William Morton, and Hans, an Esquimaux hunter) from the brig Advance, 

 viz. the geographical position of the lands to the northward of the 80th 

 parallel, and the open water reported to have been seen beyond it.* 



The fidelity of Morton is vouched for by Dr. Kane to the extent of his 

 means of knowledge as commander, in circumstances ajBfording peculiar oppor- 

 tunities for ascertainment of character. His material was worked up by Mr. 

 Charles A. Schott, an accomplished assistant of the U. S. Coast Survey Corps. 

 Whatever error is assignable must therefore fall within one of these three 

 descriptions, viz. imperfect instrumental observations, imperfect dead reckon- 

 ing, and the mean adopted by Dr. Kane between the two. 



I do full justice to the candour of Dr. Rink, and his desire to promote the 

 accuracy of geographical records ; but since he has announced his conclusions 

 before the distinguished Society over which you presided, and his criti- 

 cisms attracted the special attention of members so well instructed as your- 

 self. Sir George Back, Captain Collinson, and Dr. Armstrong, it seems to 

 be a duty incumbent upon myself at the earliest moment to invite the renewed 



♦ For Dr. Rink's Paper sc<? "Proceedings" R.G.S., vol. ii., p. 19.5, &c. ; also 

 ** Journal" K.G.S., vol. xxviii. — Ed. 



