82 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



explorations, and his writings are filled with references 

 to them. He knew all the explorers personally, and 

 furnished many of them with helpful advice and en- 

 couragement in their undertakings, — especially Kane, 

 De Haven, Lynch, and Herndon. Dr. Kane wished to 

 name the open polar sea after Maury; but he waived the 

 honor and wrote to Kane that he should yield to his 

 friends and let "his name go upon the waters", and to- 

 day it is known as Kane Basin. 



Maury's investigations into the habits and nature of 

 whales had led him to conclude that there was really a 

 Northwest Passage as well as open water about the 

 North Pole. The former theory was proved by Com- 

 mander McClure of H. M. S. Investigator , July 31, 1850 

 to April 6, 1853, when he passed from west to east 

 through the northern waters, and settled the question. 

 As to the polar sea, it is interesting to note in passing 

 that only recently two explorers of the air, Byrd and 

 Amundson, both verified the truth of Maury's theory. 



As regards the Antarctic regions, Maury called upon 

 the nations of the world to cooperate in sending an 

 expedition there. "Ho for the South Pole" was his 

 slogan. "It is enough for me", he wrote, "when con- 

 templating the vast extent of that unknown region, to 

 know that it is a part of the surface of our planet, and to 

 remember that the earth was made for man; that all 

 knowledge is profitable; that no discoveries have con- 

 ferred more honor and glory upon the age in which they 

 were made, or been more beneficial to the world than 

 geographical discoveries; and that never were nations 

 so well prepared to undertake Antarctic exploration as 

 are those that I now solicit". Though the Civil War 

 interfered with the carrying out of plans for the explor- 



