196 RINK ON THE NORTH COAST OF GREENLAND. [April 12, 1858. 
for aught that is known about it. He considers that Humboldt 
Glacier is but one of the many glaciers which run down into every 
fiord along the coast, none of which Dr. Kane had had an opportunity 
of examining, but in the investigation of which Dr. Kink has been 
actively employed for eight years. He does not even find cause to 
believe that Humboldt Glacier discharges any large part of the 
whole amount of ice which moves down from Greenland to the sea, 
but that the direction of greatest discharge is elsewhere (Jakob 
Haven, &c.) ; at all events, data are entirely wanting for estimating 
either the absolute or the relative amount of discharge of ice from 
Humboldt Glacier. Dr. Kane describes the formation of icebergs 
under an hypothesis, apparently offered as his own, of the glaciers 
moving down along the sea bottom, and from time to time break- 
ing up and floating to the surface. Dr. Rink expresses surprise at 
Kane’s ignorance of his own similar hypothesis, which has been 
published in many forms, and ought naturally to be familiar to 
Arctic explorers. As regards the second discovery, that of the 
northern coast of Greenland and the open Polar Sea, it appears 
that the entire story rests upon the assertions of Morton the 
steward, and of Hans, the Greenlander. These two men made a 
sledge expedition to a distance of three days’ journey from camp, but 
a critical examination into their proceedings during those days leads 
Dr. Rink to throw great doubt on the value of their observations, 
as related and mapped out by Dr. Kane. If we are to credit their 
accuracy, we must be prepared to believe that they laid down more 
than 20 points of longitude and latitude during their toilsome 
journey, besides fixing numerous positions on the opposite coast, 
which Morton maps out in a detailed manner, although he never 
approached nearer to it than from 25 to 40 miles. Their itinerary 
is as follows : the first day’s journey takes them beyond the face of 
Humboldt Glacier to open water, flowing with a strong current ; 
the next day’s journey is only 6 miles ; on the third day they have 
a very rugged way to travel over, and are detained by hunting, 
killing, and cooking a bear. A high promontory is before them, 
which they have not strength to reach ; and ultimately they stop 
at the foot of a “ knob,” stated by Morton to be 500 feet high, but 
upon what grounds it does not appear. He ascends this knob, and 
from its top professes to obtain a view for 36 miles, over a sea 
entirely free from ice ; but we are left entirely in the dark as to the 
extent of the field of view which is left clear by the promontory. 
Morton sees a mountain to the northward, which he lays down at 
the enormous distance of 100 miles from the point where he stood, 
and yet he remarks on the barrenness of its top and on the streaks 
