ARCTIC VOYAGES. 
121 
“ 2. The next subject of note was the disintegration of the old floes. It took place 
almost invariably at their original lines of junction, well marked by tbe hummocky ridges. 
This shows that the cementation was imperfect after seventeen days of very low tempe¬ 
rature ; a circumstance attributable, perhaps, to the massive character of the up-piled 
tables, which protected the inner portion of them from the air, and to the constant infil¬ 
tration (endosmose) of salt-water at the abraded margins. 
“ 3. The extent to which the work of super and infra position had been carried during 
the actions may be realized, when I say that the floe-piece which separated from us to 
starboard retained the exact impression of the ship’s side. There it was, with the gang¬ 
way stairs of ice-block masonry, looking down upon the dark water, and the useless em¬ 
bankment embracing a sludgy ice-pool. 
“We could see table after table, more properly layer after layer, each not more than 
seven inches thick, extending down for more than twenty feet. Thus, it is highly pro¬ 
bable, may be formed many of those enormous ice-tables, attributed by authors to direct 
and uninterrupted congelation.” 
Dr. Kane’s reputation as a writer is founded chiefly on his history 
of the second American Exploring Expedition; but it may he doubted 
whether his character as a scientific observer is not better established in 
his description of the first Expedition; which is far, however, from 
being a dry detail of facts and figures, as may be seen from the fol¬ 
lowing :— 
“ To shoot seal, one must practise the Esquimaux tactics of much patience and com¬ 
plete immobility. It is no fun, I assure you after full experience, to sit motionless and 
noiseless as a statue, with a cold iron musket in your hands, and the thermometer 10° 
below zero. But by-and-by I was rewarded by seeing some overgrown Greenland calves 
come within shot. I missed. After another hour of cold expectation, they came again. 
Very strange are these seal. A countenance between the dog and the mild African ape— 
an expression so like that of humanity, that it makes gun-murderers hesitate. At last, 
at long shot, I hit one. God forgive me! 
“ The ball did not kill outright. It was out of range, struck too low, and entered the 
lungs. The poor beast had risen breast-high out of water, like the treading-water swim¬ 
mers among ourselves. He was thus supported, looking about with curious, expectant 
eyes, when the ball entered his lungs. 
“ For a moment he oozed a little bright blood from his mouth, and looked toward 
me with a sort of startled reproachfulness. Then he dipped; an instant after, he came 
up still nearer, looked again, bled again, and went down. A half instant afterward, he 
came up Hurriedly, looked about with anguish in his eyes, for he was quite near me; but 
slowly he sunk, struggling feebly, rose again, sunk again, struggled a very little more. 
The thing was drowning in the element of his sportive revels. He did drown finally, and 
sunk; and so I lost him. 
“ Have naturalists ever noticed the expression of this animal’s phiz? Curiosity, con¬ 
tentment, pain, reproach, despair, even resignation I thought, I saw on this seal’s face. 
“ About half an hour afterward, I killed another. Scurvy and sea-life craving for 
fresh meat led me to it; but 1 shot him dead. 
“ On returning to the ship, I found one toe frost-bitten—a tallow-looking dead man’s 
toe—which was restored to its original ugly vitality by snow-rubbing. Served me right! 
“ Spent the afternoon in unsuccessful seal stalking, and in rigging and contriving a 
spring-gun for the Arctic foxes: a blood-thirsty day. But we ate of fox to-day for din¬ 
ner ; and behold, and it was good.” 
Turning from Dr. Kane to Dr. Sutherland, we cannot but express our 
regret that the “ Lady Eranklin” and “ Sophia” did not find as skilful a 
narrator of their fate as the ‘ ‘ Advance’ ’ and ‘ ‘ Rescue.” The doctors of the 
British exploring expeditions have not been more successful than some 
of the commanding officers; and in their attempts to convey a suitable 
