Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 6.djvu/165

 ELISHA KENT KANE 329 field, R. N.. in Smith Sound, afforded to Kane a new route for his activities. The scheme, as far as the search for Franklin was concerned, was well-meaning, but none the less fallacious and illogical. Kane was personally cognizant of the fact that Franklin had gone into Lancaster Sound, and had wintered in 1845-46 at Beechy Island, plainly following the direct and positive orders of the Admi- ralty, that he should push southward from Cape Walker to the neighborhood of Behring Strait. Moreover, the last mail ever received from the Franklin expedi- tion contained a letter from Captain Fitz-James, in which he stated that Frank- lin had shown him the orders, expressed his disbelief in an open sea to the north, and had given " a pleasant account of his expectations of being able to get through the ice on the north coast of America." A search for Franklin by the way of Smith Sound, seventeen degrees of longitude and four degrees of latitude to the north and east of his last known position, was to assume not only that Franklin had disobeyed the strict letter of his instructions, but had also abandoned his voyage after having accomplished one-third of the distance from Greenland to Behring Strait. As the initiator and inspirer of the expedition, Kane was the natural head of it, but there were difficulties in the way. The assignment of a surgeon to the command of a naval expedition was un- precedented ; but somehow Kane succeeded in overcoming even the time-honored observances of the Navy, and was placed in command by a formal order of the Secretary of the Navy in November, 1852. Kane repeatedly set forth his belief in an open Polar sea, and announced his expectation of reaching it. The expedition was not alone a proposed search for Franklin, but especially contemplated the continuation to the northward of the discoveries made in 1851 by Captain Inglefield, on the west coast of Greenland. Kane declared his intention of reaching " its most northern attainable point, and thence pressing on toward the Pole as far as boats or sleds could carry us, ex- amine the coast lines for vestiges of the lost party," and " seeking the open sea . . . launch our little boats, and embark upon its waters." On May 30, 1853, the expedition left New York in the sailing brig Ad- vance, there being seventeen members all told. The vessel was stanch, well- fitted, and suitable, the scientific instruments satisfactory, but the provisions were illy chosen for Arctic service, and the equipment in many respects inadequate or deficient. The Greenland ports supplied skin-clothing, dogs, and Eskimo dog- drivers ; the latter being destined to play an important part in establishing har- monious relations with the Etah natives. On reaching Melville Bay, Kane de- cided to take the middle passage, direct through the dreaded pack a most venturesome route for a sailing-vessel. Favored by an off-shore gale, the Ad- vance escaped with the loss of a whale-boat, and emerged into the open sea near Cape York, known as the North Water. Stopped by the ice, Kane wisely de- cided to cache his metallic life-boat, filled with boat-stores, on Littleton Island, so as to secure his retreat, since, as he says : " My mind was made up from the first that we are to force our way to the north as far as the elements will let us."