The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

A DESERTED FLEET IN THE ARCTIC.

An American paper publishes the following private letter
from Captain William U Kelly, of Dinghampton, who was
capt.tin of one of the fleet of whalers deserted in the Ice
at Point Belcher a year ago, and is again in the Arctic Ocean
In command of a vessel. Trao letter is dated ship James
Al:en, August 12, 1272, and says:— - .

-- • --,
"Thinking you would like to hear from the Arctic,
I will take tho opportunity of sending by the schooner
Muria, all the news concerning the ships left at Point
Belcher last year. The barque Minerva lies at the en-
trance of Wamlight Inlet, as good as when abandoned in
hull, bat her cabin is marred considerably. She lay on
the edge of the beach, and she swung inshore clear of the
heavy ice which grounded outside of her, and she re-
ceived no damage. The Thomas Dickinson lies on her
beam ends, on the bank, bilged, and full of water. I don't
know whether they will get her off or not. The barque
Seneca (brother ged's vessel) was dragged by the ice.
up the coast some distance—her bowsprit gone, bul-
warks stove, and rudder carried away. She was then
frc zen in solid, and so they found her; the will pro-
bably be saved if she is not stove. The Rtindeer sank,
and the Florida lies ashore on Sea-horse Islands,
burned to the water's edge; and all the rest of
the beet were either carried away by the ice or
crushed to pieces in shapeless masses, or burned by
the natives. They burned the Gay Head (the ship I
abandoned) and anicordia where they lay. The barque
3/0,4-lath usetts went round Point Barrow. There was one
white Man on board her who stayed up hare last winter.
He milffe his escape over the ice this summer, and was
five days getting back to the ships. He was about
used up when they found him this summer. The
natives set out to kill him, but the women saved
him, and afterwards the old chief took care of him.
He saved a large quantity of bone, but the natives
took it away from him, except a small quantity. He
said 150,000 dols. would not tempt him to try another
winter in the Arctic. He said that four days after we

left the shipe last year the water froze over, and the
natives walked of to the ships; and 14 days after there
came on s heavy north-east gale and drove all but the
ground toe away —that never moved. Shortly after
there blew another north•east gale, and he said that of all
the butting and smaehing he ever saw the worst was
among those ships driving into each other during those
gales. Some were ground to atoms, and what the ice '
spared the natives soon destroyed after pillaging them
of everything they pleased. We think the reason they
spared the three remaining ships was because they were
handy to the villages, and they probably thought they
would have them to pick on. No doubt they would
have destroyed them also, but they were totally on.
prepared for the speedy arrival of the white men.
Captain Smith, of the Cbrhitta (lost last season in the
ice), travelled up the ice coast from Point Lay, accom-
panied br two natives, interpreters from Kotzebue
Sound. They bad one of the Kvaks's canoes, and a r
rived at the inlet safely, taking the natives by sur-
prise. They thought he dropped from the clouds,
mid they ran and hid away. He came up to
them and gave a shout of peace, which they
understood, and than they eame out. The bench
was lined with whalebone and ivory, and other things
they L3Ol plundered from the ships. Lots of things
were wantonly destroyed, and the Minerva was a sight
to behold They had cut into the dm cask, and rolled
it out, awl stn-wed the contents all over. There was
nothing hut the wanthn wretches cut into that they
could get at. The djGris in the cabin wa) knee deep
with articles of all kinds, dirt, i&c. Everything in
the run was broken open, and the contents strewed
al over. The other ships were in the same con-
dition. All the acuPpere were cut out, and every
piece of lead they could find. The sails were cut
from the bolt ropes, and of those they made tents.
No sooner were they apprised of the arrival of the
ships than they loaded their canoes with whale-
bone, itc., and started off to trade. The love of barter
is as strong as ever. They were very independent and
saucy, and cared only for guns. Since writing the above
I have seen the Seneca. I don't believe she will be got
off. She lies high aground and on her beam ends. The
hull of the Champion lies two miles south of her ; the
Reindeer still further south; only the Minerva will be
eaved. As the last bit of news at present, I took a
large whale yesterday, and am busy trying him out. The
ice is opening fast, and I hope to have good success
this season. Captain Fraser took a whale also yester-
day.—Yours truly, " Wm. H. KELLEY."