CRITICISM OF KANE'S HE-MARKS. 87 



link between Greenland and the American continent. Dr. Kane 

 Bays " it was in full sight — the mighty crystal bridge whicli con- 

 nects the two continents of America and Greenland ;" and after- 

 wards, in a note, " I have spoken of Humboldt glacier as connecting 

 the two continents of America and Greenland. The expression 

 requires explanation," &c. Difficult as it is to understand, Dr. 

 Kane seems to mean that Greenland is separated from, and therefore 

 half connected with, the Arctic-American Archipelago by a less broad 

 Sound, beyond Humboldt glacier. 



Petersen says, that Kane himself would have undertaken an 

 excursion to the north in the middle of April 1855, but that he 

 could not get the Esquimaux to accompany him, as they would 

 only go bear-hunting around the ice cliffs near Humboldt glacier, 

 and thus Kane was only absent 24 hours on this tour. Kane 

 says that as he could not reach the Open Water, he sought compen- 

 sation in a closer examination of the great glacier, of which he now 

 again takes occasion to give a lively description, concluding with 

 the following allusion to the previously-mentioned idea of the con- 

 nection between Greenland and America : — 



" Thus diversified in its aspect, it stretches to the north till it bounds upon 

 the new land of Washington, cementing into one the Greeuland of the Scandi- 

 navian Vikings and the America of Columbus." 



In the earlier sections there is spoken of the extension and move- 

 ment of the inland ice ; here is specially mentioned the manner in 

 which the floating icebergs tear themselves loose from that side 

 which goes out to the sea — the calvings as they are called in the 

 ice-fjords. None of those engaged in the expedition had had an 

 opportunity to make direct observations in these respects. In order 

 to obtain the necessary prospect, Kane climbed up " one of the 

 highest icebergs," whilst his fellow-travellers rested themselves. 

 From here he meant he could see that 



" The indication of a great propelling agency seemed to be just commencing 

 at the time I was observing it." 



It appeared to him as if the split-off lines of the fast land ice, which 

 signify the beginning of the loosening, were evidently about to 

 extend themselves. As the calving, however, did not follow, Kane 

 coniines himself to remark respecting it — 



" Regarded upon a large scale, I am satisfied that the iceberg is not disen- 

 gaged by debacle, as 1 once supposed. So far from falling into the sea, broken 

 by its weight from the parent glacier, it rises from the sea.'' 



He next adds that 



"The idea of icebergs being discharged, so universal among systematic 



