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, Hesperis, &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 Uppernavick 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 
