June 14, 1858.] 
LETTER OF PROFESSOR BACHE, 
359 
ocean to a considerable height is thus kept in a state of motion and change, 
and the invisible elastic vapour which is sent into the atmosphere by evapora- 
tion, in one part, comes down as rain in another. The different quantities of 
vapour condensed in equal times in different localities, and the elevations at 
which the condensation takes place, modify the movements of the air in various 
degrees, and in all conceivable ways, but the nature of the processes is always 
the same.” 
6. On Dr. Rink’s Remarks respecting the supposed Discovery by Dr. Kane 
of the North Coast of Greenland and an Open Polar Sea. 
The President. — I have, Gentlemen, now to call your attention to a sub- 
ject which, although at first sight it might appear untoward to the American 
gentlemen, Mr. Poor, Professor Alexander, and any others who may be pre- 
sent, will, I have no doubt, when properly explained, satisfy them that the 
feeling of vexation which has been expressed at New York, has solely arisen 
out of an inaccurate newspaper account of what took place at a former meeting 
of this Society. You will recollect that at the meeting of this Society in 
April a paper was read, as sent to us by Dr. Henry Rink, the Danish Lieutenant- 
Governor of South Greenland — a gentleman extremely well acquainted with 
the glaciers of that country. In that paper, whilst making some comments of 
a critical character on Dr. Kane’s work, he questioned the accuracy of the 
determination of the extreme north latitude fixed by Morton, one of Dr. Kane’s 
party. Upon that paper being read, two of our distinguished Arctic explorers, 
Sir George Back and Captain Collinson, made observations which led to a 
conviction on the part of Mr. Arrowsmith and the practical geographers who 
had studied the subject, that the extent of northern latitude claimed by Dr. 
Kane, on the observation of his steward Morton, must be reduced. 
Upon that subject I will request the Secretary to read a letter from Pro- 
fessor Bache, who completely justifies the main conclusions at which our 
nautical men had arrived. In fact, the only difference between them and 
the Professor amounts to some seven or eight miles. Now, if that is all the 
difference existing between the American version and our own, it is surely 
undeserving of attention. 
My chief object, however, in calling attention to the case is to state that 
throughout all the observations made on the former evening, not a single 
individual disparaged in the slightest degree the great merits of that illus- 
trious traveller, Dr. Kane. We all truly admire him; and during the short 
period he was amongst us, every person who saw him, loved him. We gave 
him our gold medal, have done him all the honour in our power, and having 
striven to record our high sense of his great and noble achievements, it was 
impossible that we should disparage his merits. 
Mr. Jay, in his letter to myself, uses words employed in a newspaper. Now, 
I must declare from the chair that that statement is most inaccurate. Had 
the statement been correct, our American friends would have had reason 
indeed to be offended. Dr. Shaw will now read the letter of Professor Bache 
addressed to the Hon. G. M. Dallas, the American Minister : — 
Washington, W. C., May 6, 1858. 
My dear Sir, — As desired in the note addressed to yon by Dr. 
Norton Shaw, under date of April 13, 1858, I have caused an 
examination to be made of the data for Morton’s northing in the 
expedition in which he saw the open Polar Sea. I selected for this 
