Elisha Kent Kane Diary

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It has been already traced -- at the peril of the lives of the party -- for 90 miles. Throughout all this extent it presented a precipi= =tous face of 3 to 500 feet and when last seen was lost as a mere point in the distance still running to the North. Such a length of protruded ice would imply a corresponding brea[d]th. An icy river already abutting 90 miles in to the sea must have at its sources of exit a diameteter proportioned to its magnificent ^linear^ dimensions --and the 120 miles which seem to intervene between ourselves and the culmination of Greenland are perhaps entirely occupied by this gigantic ice barrier.

Greenland is a continent rather than an island its least possible axis from Cape Farewell to the assumed northern then culmination of 82º gives a length of 1320 miles -- while Australia from its northern to its southern capes is but 280 miles greater (x1). Imagine now the centres of a continent. Throughout nearly this extent occupied by a colossal mer de glace representing at once the water shed of vast areas of snow covered mountains and its atmospheric precipitations. (2) Imagine this flowing on as an icy river -- seeking its lateral vents at every fiord and valley -- and discharging mountains of ice -- ice bergs -- into the Atlantic and Greenland Seas and at last reaching the northern face of its generating

(x)1. Australia between Bass and Torres straits measures about 1600 miles. Determine the accuracy!

(2) Dr. Hayes interior journey off Renssalaer H. was arrested at 90 miles distance by the same great glacier.

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land mass - to pour out into unknown Arctic space - its studepndous volume of glacial solid.

I had looked in my own mind for some such phenomenon - should we be fortunate enough to reach the Northern Coast of Greenland but now that it was before me I could not realise it. In spite of the beautiful analogies // which Forbes and [left blank] have developed // between the glacier and the river - I could not comprehend at first - this complete substitution of ice for water. In a hydrological (hydrographic) point of view - I was looking at the counter= part of the great North and South flowing river systems of Arctic Asia and America - but there were no vast alluvians - no forest or animal traces borne down by liquid torrents, -- Here was a plastic moving semi solid mass - obliterating life - swallowing rocks and islands and ploughing its way with irrestistable march through the depth of an investing sea.

From the nearest rock to which it could be approached with any thing like safety, an island could be seen already half covered by the solid waters, and great lumps of ice were constantly falling like rocks upon its unburried portion where they split into a thousand fragments. Repose was not the characteristic of this glacier - every feature indicated activity energy movement. It surface was margined by crevasses expanding as they neared its margin into deltiform branches, but these were crossed nearly at right angles - by long continuous lines of fracture - which as they approached the margin seem to lose their support from below and fell in a succession of escalades or steps.

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This indication of a great propelling agency was, however, just commencing for these split-off lines of ice where evidently still in motion widening their fissures and with actions more and more energetic as they neared the water tumbling - and discharging - and crumbling and falling until they assumed the form of ice bergs. Long files of these could be seen until lost in the distance their separation marked by dark parallel lines, which although they commenced with broad and spaceous avenues - were narrowed in the distant perspective to mere points. A sight more impressive than this vast area can hardly be conceived.

//For details see elsewhere//

I need not do more than describe it to render justice to the parties who wandered along its base seeking modes of possible ascent. No mortal can ascend or cross this natural fortress - it protects its own mysteries and shuts out forever the furhter approach to the Atlantic by human labour.

[margin] Wednesday June 28

The distance configuration of the Glacier shows that it adapts itself to the inequalities of a basis country underneath - every modification of hill and valley may be formed there as upon land. Thus running on it approaches the Continent of America - and the return of Morton will show whether - it connects into one the Greenland of the Scandinavian Vikings and the America of Chris.r Columbus. So much then for our discoveries on the Greenland coast.

Mr. McGeary's men by making

short journey came back wonderfully fresh. Only two out of the four returning were laid up - one of them is Mr Mc Geary himself who has severe snow blindness.

Four noble King Ducks were shot to day. The tern are now numerous about our island rocks - they arrived about ten days ago a single pair - they are alrea = =dy beginning to build and their gull like screeching is pleasant and land like to us

[Thurs June 29] The seals fall to us rarely since Hand's departure - Mr. Fordfellow killed one but so young as to give little food to our new reinforced numbers. We give all our bids to Mr [Browns?] who is the lowest now of our party.

George Whipple was placed in Confinement for threatening Mr Goodfellow and using abusive language - Confine = ment means a [snug break ?] (? ?) in the Cabin with better grubb than before yet it is solitude and isolation. Experience shows that it is in every sense punishment and as such efficient.

Placed Sonntag at a mercator projection [company?] , our own results with those of Capt. Inglefields who is in absurd error, as to all his determination above 78 degrees 30 -

Day very clear [?] [ ?] Coast.

[Friday June 30] I walked last night to a large berg in the [?] and after some dangerous climbing succeeded in ascend= =ing it. No break nor signs of breaking was seen in the still solid ice.

24 altered in structure as it is there is an inva= sion of the complete solidity as far as eye can [extend?] at an altitude of 60 feet. Mr Sonntag and Dr Hayes from the Sylvia Head looked out upon a radius 23 miles and saw there the same expanse of ice. The noise noise of a distant water stream is heard in shore to the S.E. I sent Hayes and Bonsall to find it. They are still out.

Mr Ohlsen completed a tinned box for our skinned specimines as a protection against the rats which infest the brig. I had the boat put into the land ice water as a preparatory to complete overhauling.

Placed our [?] Barometer - on deck a change of level of five feet and circled a [?] on [?] Island (Tern Rock?) for magnetic observations Hourly of variables of declimations . Placed Mr Wilson on a day watch and filled up with Dr Hayes, Goodfellow and Bonsall

June

June is one of the critical months of the Arctic year - It heralds the true summer and brings back to land and water the migratory life which winter had driven to the south.

This month has been singularly chararicteristic in our present latitudes Except the [?] gull and snowbird which reached us in not a bird of passage had reached us The falcon and Ptarmigan represented on shore the resident birds. The Raven [?] over ambiguous haunts of sea ice and land-