AMERICAN ENTERPRISE AND DISCOVERIES. HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAL EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. [From the New York Herald.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 852, 1 October 1853, Page 4

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE AND DISCOVERIES. HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAL EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. [From the New York Herald.]

We present to our readers an interesting account of the various expeditions fitted out by the Government and citizens of the United States, to various parts of the world, and the discoveries in science to which they have led. Of these the following are the principal maritime expeditions : — Pendleton's South Sea Expedition, Wilkw's Exploring Expedition, Lynch's Expedition to the Dead Sea, the American Arctic Expedition, the Japan Expedition, Ringgold's North Pacific Surveying Expedition, Lieutenant Hearndon's exploration of the Amazon, Lynch's African Expedition, and Kane's Arctic Expedition. The following are the priocipal inland expeditions :-— Grey's discovery of the Columbia River, Expedition of Lewis and Clark, Pike's Expedition, Long's Expedition to the sources of the St.

Peter's River, Schoolcraft's Expedition, Freemont's Expedition, JC tarney's Expedition, frc. We have always been tb« friend of national exploration, and do not consider onr navy by any means so übiquitously and engrossingly effective : that it cannot spare from its belligerent factions a small stipend to stimulate scientific research, and add a chapter to our knowledge of tfte geography of the globe. On the contrary,. the navy has always felt the want of the frontier service, the Spartan high scbe*) of the American* army r and we do not see that there is any better aquatic substitute open to it than the divers exploring services, in which we have certainly starooro, ample enough left us t» emulate foreign nations.. We therefore lent a cordial support to tbt effortsof the late Secretary Kennedy, te give play ir> the navy to the activity which, io the army, has illustrated the names of the Freroonts, Emory*,, and Stansburys, and i»ade them at mcc an honor to the body to which they belong, and the best possible indication to the country of its efficiency and spirit. Things at least look hopeMty now. Lieutenant Hearndon (of the navy) has jjist leturned from an exploration of the source* of theAmazon ; Commauder Ringgold, United State* Navy, is nearly ready for Bebring's Straits ; Lieutenant Page, United States Navy, is on hi» way to the rich valley »f the La Plata ; and Dr. Kane is on the eve »f his departure for thr f'roz. n north. How successful the present administration with Mr. Dobbin may be, in carry. ing o«t the liberal policy of Mr. Dobbin's predecessor remains to be seen. We hope it wilt devote this arm of the national strength to something better than buttons and bombshells, dry docks, and salt beef. We Visited yesterday that' one of the expeditions which has a special claim upon our sympathies,, as being a measure of humanity, with objects of> a more utilitarian character* — the Arctic expedU tioo in search of Sir John Franklin ; and madea minute examination of the Advance, being received with marked attention by her officers on> board, and a couple of large shaggy Newfoundland dogs, who have already taken up their quarters there. The Advance, it is known, has already susuined the rough encounters of an Arctic cruise. We were told that no vessel has ever visited the Polar seas more ably strengthened against their peculiar trials. Her bows are a mass of so!id timber, some six feet from her cutwater, breasihooks form a perfect labyrinth in her forecastle, and cross-beams, some four feet asunder, traverse her entire length. All these arefor the parpose of resisting the pressure of the ice ; but externally, two layers of heavy o»k. sheathing* with long strips of boiler iron, protectthe hull from the cutting action of the drifting: fields. It seems the general opinion that the open* Polar Sea, one of the great geographical problems of the dsy, will, if it exists at all, disclosetraces of the missing vessels and their crews. The primary object, therefore, of the Arctic expedition, and that which has enlisted the liberality of Mr. Grinnell, snd the sympathies of itscomroan ier, is the search alter Sir John Franklin. But this is not incompatible with other aims, and special attention is evidently to begiven to scientific observation. The organisation for (his purpose, for an expedition limited as to* means, is singularly complete. It has particularly eugrossed the attention of Dr. Kane, and liasinvoked tfa: suggestion* and pecuniary aid of nearly «li our learned societies. The Smithsonian Institution bjs behaved with praiseworthyliberality, and it should be published as a fact creditable to New York, that oor American Geographical Society — a young but already roost effective institution — has been tl.e roost prominent of all in affording a prompt and judicious ct-operation. The line of travel is expected to ■stretch to the north of any latitude that ha* yet been attained upon the western continent ; and on this account -will favor (singularly) valuable researches in temperature and terrestrial magnetism. The meteorological and magnetic departments, therefore ,are fitted out with instrumentsat the expense, we fear, of many a Sunday's ration of small stores; and Dr. Kane has teassist him in his daily observations, young Mr. Sonntag, late of Ahona, who fills the place of astronomer to the expedition. A naturalist, with a full equipment for collecting and preserving, is another important limb of the expedition ; and the liberality of the late Secretary of the Navy has supplied it with a fine daguerrotype apparatus, which, we suppose, will bring back a complete gallery of Esquimaux in costume, and enable us to study the features of the Polar landscape around our firesides at home. We were struck with the hardy, weather-beaten appearance of the watch officers, a list of whom, with the other members, we expect to obtain in a day or two. They were all volunteers — more than one of them tried companions of Dr. Kane's former travels — and all anxious and ready for their departure, which, we are informed, will takeplace ou oi about the last of next week. The feature of the expedition which distinguishes it from those heretofore undertaken byGreat Britain is its plan of endeavouring to penetrate to the' extreme north on foot and overland. After the advance is arrested by ice in the northern avenues of Baffin's Bay, depots of provisions are to be poshed forward on sledges drawn by Esquimaux dogs, and an attempt made by Dr. Kane, in person, to reach the open water. His little party will \drag after them their owr> provisions and clothing, trusting to- the snov/housefor shelter, and bearing a couple of India-rubber cloth boats, spread upon basket-work, a device due to the ingenuity of Mr. Bennet, late keeper of the Mint light-hoase. With these boats, which we examined with an interest almost painful, they hope to put out on the unknown sea, and search it so thoroughly as to bring back proof of the destruction of the lost ships Erebus and Terror, or a satisfactory negation of the fact. If tracea are discovered pointing in any particular direction, our cpuntrymen will follow them up to the end. They were 138 stalwart men in the vigor or manhood — these English, who now more than six years ago disappeared behind the ice wall of the Polar circle. If they have been unable to adapt themselves, like the Esquimaux, ta the rigor of its dreadful climate,' the extreme cold has at least, in charity, preserved' for perfect recognition their remains.