162 



various inlets of Lancaster sound; Capt. Penny, of the whaling ser- 

 vice, engaged by the British government, in the far northern passages 

 of Baffin's bay; a private expedition, under the command of Sir John 

 Ross; and another to co-operate with him, which has been organized 

 under the immediate auspices of Lady Franklin. To these is now 

 added the American expedition, consisting of two brigantines, the 

 Advance and Rescue, fitted out by the munificence of a New York 

 merchant, Henry Grinneli, Esq., and officered and manned by volun- 

 teers from the Navy of the United States. 



Dr. Kane's letter closes with inquiring into the probabilities of the 

 Franklin party being found by either of these expeditions. "Though 

 the field of exploration," he says, "seems vast at first view, reaching 

 from Cape Barrow, on the west, in longitude 155°, to Cape Clarence, 

 on the east, in west longitude 90°, and extending from those points 

 indefinitely north; yet the avenues by which it is to be approached 

 are kw and narrowly limited. All the indications of the last four 

 seasons have been against the onward progress of the party to a con- 

 siderable distance, as they explain the impracticability of its return 

 after reaching any of the points to which it was destined. The colos- 

 sal masses of floating ice, which we have already met with, and their 

 immense number, show that the barriers to Arctic exploration have 

 once more given way. Where Franklin entered, others can now 

 follow for the first time; and I am myself convinced, that for some 

 one or other of these, there is yet in reserve the happiness of effecting 

 his rescue." 



Mr. Justice stated some observations recently made by him 

 on the existence and progress southward of the " TVheat- 

 loorm^^ which is supposed to have come originally from 

 Canada. 



He mentioned the appearance of the worm in the white wheat, at 

 his farm on the river Delaware, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. 

 From observations made by him, he is induced to believe that grain 

 growing on heavy clay soils is most obnoxious to the attack of the 

 worm, as the grain does not harden as rapidly as in looser and 

 warmer soils. The worm appears to be engendered within the chaff" 

 or outside covering of the grain, and its ravages are more decided, 

 while the grain continues in a milky state. The head of wheat may 

 present all the appearances of being full and heavy until near the 

 time of ripening, when, instead of a change of colour, from green to 

 yellow, indicating perfection, it remains of a dirty green, and inspec- 



