THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 45 



between Melville and Baring's Islands, which passage had been sought 

 for without success during so many ages. He saw the thermometer 

 descend 50^ below zero. In the month of October, 1854, he 

 returned to England, and, at a subsequent period, it was ascertained 

 with certainty that, before his death, Franklin knew of the other 

 passage which exists to the north of America, to the south of Victoria 

 Land and Wollaston. 



The expedition of Dr. Kane entered Smith's Strait in 1853, and 

 advanced towards the north upon sledges drawn by dogs ; the mean 

 temperature, which ranged between 30° and 40° below zero, fell at 

 last to 50"^. At 11'' from the Pole they found two Esquimaux 

 villages, called Etah and Peterovik. A detachment, conducted by 

 Lieutenant Morton, discovered, beyond 80*^ of latitude, an open 

 channel inhabited by innumerable swarms of birds, consisting of sea 

 swallows, ducks, and gulls, which delighted them by their shrill, 

 piercing cries. Seals enjoyed themselves on the floating ice. In 

 ascending the banks they met with flowering plants belonging to 

 such genera as Lychnis, Hespens, &c. On the 24th of June, Morton 

 hoisted the flag of the Antarctic, which had before this seen the ice 

 of the South Pole on Cape Independence, situated beyond 81^. To 

 the north stretched an open sea. On the left was the western bank 

 of the Kennedy Channel, which seemed to terminate in a chain of 

 mountains, the principal peak rising from 9,000 to 10,000 feet, which 

 was named Mount Parry. The expedition returned towards the south, 

 and reached the port of Uppemavick exhausted with hunger, where 

 it was received on board an American ship. Dr. Kane, weakened by 

 his sufferings, from which he never quite recovered, died in 1857. 



We cannot conclude this rapid sketch of events connected with 

 the expeditions to the Arctic Pole without noting a geological fact 

 of great and singular interest. When opportunities have presented 

 themselves of examining the rocks in the regions adjoining the North 

 Pole, it has been found that many of them belong to the coal 

 measures. Such is the case in Melville Island and Prince Patrick s 

 Island. Under the ice which covers the soil in these islands coal 

 exists, with all the fossil plants which invariably accompany it. This 

 shows that in the coal period of geology, the North Pole was covered 

 with a rich and abundant vegetation whose remains constitute the 

 coal-fields of the present day ; and proves to demonstration that the 

 temperature of these regions was, at one period of the earth's history, 

 equal to that of the more temperate regions of the present day. 

 What a wonderful change in the temperature of these regions is thus 

 indicated ! It is, indeed, a strange contrast to find coal formations 



