Includes biography of Elisha Kent Kane, an arctic explorer who was surgeon on first Grinnell expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, 1850-51, and commander of second Grinnell expedition, 1853-55.

Dr. Elisha Kent Kane was America's first Arctic explorer. He served as ship's surgeon with the First Grinnell Expedition and as leader of the second Grinnell Expedition in search of John Franklin. After his death, spiritualist Margaret Fox claimed that she was Kane's common-law wife, but his family refused to grant her a widow's annuity. Five years later she filed a lawsuit, and both parties reached an agreement: an annuity for Fox in exchange for Kane's correspondence with her. Charging that the Kanes had not kept their word, she published this volume anonymously.

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Includes biography of Elisha Kent Kane, an arctic explorer who was surgeon on first Grinnell expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, 1850-51, and commander of second Grinnell expedition, 1853-55.

This is the story of the fames explorer who perhaps was the greatest American hero of the 1850's. In 1850 Kane sailed on the first Grinnell Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, missing since 1845. The first expedition stirred such interest that Kane was able to organize and lead a second expedition.