92 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



report ])y Lieutenant Lee of his observations while in command of the 

 Dolphin has recently been published by Congress. 



Arctic Expedition under Doctor Kane. 



The brig Advance which with her consort, the Rescue, had joined 

 in 1850 the band of searchers for the long lost Sir John Franklin, was 

 again fitted out and commissioned for a renewed effort in that direction, 

 under command of Dr. E. K. Kane, the intrepid surgeon and annahst 

 of the first or the Grinnell expedition. The Advance, liberally lent for 

 the purpose by her owner, Mr. Henry Grinnell, was provided with all 

 the means necessary for resisting the vigor of an arctic winter, and 

 for making various deeply interesting observations in natural and piiy- 

 sical science in the polar regions. The Smithsonian Listitution fur- 

 nished a complete set of magnetical apparatus, besides fitting out the en- 

 tire natural history equipment; and the lunds necessary for the general 

 expenses were supplied by Mr. Grinnell and by private subscrij)tions. 

 Doctor Kane intended to have particular attention paid to the Acalephas 

 and Crustacea of the arctic seas, as well as to the collection of skele- 

 tons of cetaceans and pinnipedians. Mr. Henry Goodfellow has charge 

 of the natural history department; Dr. L I. Hayes is surgeon, and Au- 

 gustus Sontng, astronomer. The entire fi)rce consisted of but seventeen 

 men. Dr. Kane proposed to visit Uppernavik, and there procure the 

 necessary dogs and Eskimos for an overland journey, to be fully 

 provided with these as well as with suitable dresses of furs, &c. His 

 intention was to go directly to Smith's Sound at the foot of Baffin's 

 bay, and, passing up the Sound to as great a distance as possible, seek 

 a secure harbor for the winter. He then expected to take his sledge- 

 boats, and with seven men, besides the Eskimos, proceed by land 

 or water, as the case might require, in a direction due north as far as 

 circumstances would allow. 



The vessel left New York on the 3Jst of May, and the latest dates 

 from Dr. Kane were from Uppernavik to July 20, 1853. He had suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining what he needed for his onward march, and ex- 

 pected to start immediately for the north. 



Since then nothing has been heard from him, and Congress has au- 

 thorized an expedition for his succor. 



Exploration of the coast of Western Africa, bij Linitenant TV. F. Lij?ich, 



United States Navy. 



Commander W. F. Lynch, United States navy, who left the United 

 States in November, 1852, on a reconnoissance of the coast of western 

 Africa, preparatory to a more extended exploration at some subsequent 

 period, returned on the 1st of May, 1853, having been busily engaged, 

 during the greater part of the interval, in prosecuting the object of his 

 mission. He examined a large portion of the coast of Liberia, and went 

 up a number of the rivers. He suffered much from the sickness which 

 is so constant an attendant of the white man on that coast, and which 

 caused an abrupt termination of his labors. He recommends that any 

 future exploring party should consist almost entirely of citizens of Libe- 



