The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-19 00:00:00

The Dundee Whalers.

We regret to state that a telegraphic message was
received from Peterhead, late on Saturday evening,
by ex-Bailie Ycaman, to the effect that the Alert
had arrived from Cumberland Straits, with 60 tons
of oil ; that there had been no passage this season
through Melville Bay ; and that the steam whalers
were all in Cumberland Straits clean in the middle
of August. The Alert, which brought this news, is
a sailing brig, the property of one of the Peterhead
Wintering Companies, and would sail from Peter-
head either late last autumn or early in the spring.
She must have made her fishing in the early spring,
as it is only then, or in the autumn, that fish are to
be got in Cumberland Straits. The news brought
by the Alert is the worst that ever reached Dundee
at this advanced season of the year, as it applies to
no less than 11 large steam whalers (including one
that hails from Kirkcaldy) connected with this port,
being the finest and most valuable fleet that ever
left the Tay for a whaling expedition. Each of the
vessels carries on an average 60 men, so that
between 600 and 700 families, irrespective of the
owners, are directly interested in the result of the
year's fishing. The best fishing is generally
that in Pond's Bay, but it is over in July, and
the vessels not being able to get through Melville
Bay have not succeeded this year in reaching the
favourite fishing ground. We understand that
after the Alert left they might go north to what is
called the Rock Head fishing on the west side of
Davis's Straits, if the state of the ice permitted, and
there they might get a few whales. After that the
practice is to wind up the fishing at the end of the
season in Cumberland Straits, where they were when
the Alert left ; and there are seasons when a fair
fishing can be made at that place, but it is a chance.
As we have said, the best fishing ground is at Pond's
Bay, and the fishing generally takes place there be-
tween the 10th and the 25th of July. It is on this
fishing that the most reliance is generally placed,
but Melville Bay being impenetrable on account of
the ice, the vessels have not reached the ground this
year at all. When the Alert left, the best of the
season, taking the average of years, was gone ; but,
of course, it was just possible that the vessels might
still catch some fish at Rock Head or Cumberland
Straits. In order to show how much interested
Dundee is in the results of the fishing, we give the
following list of steam whalers that left for Davis's
Straits this spring :—The Tay, Capt. Birnie ; the
Camperdown, Capt. Bruce • the Victor, Capt.
Walker ; the Polynia, Capt. IsTicholl ; the arwhal,
Capt. Sturrock ; the Wildfire, Capt. Souter ; the
Alexander, Capt. Walker ' • the Esquimaux, Capt.
Yule ; the Intrepid, Capt. Deuchars ; the Ravens-
craig, Capt. Allen ; and the Erik, Capt. Jones.—
Dundee Advertiser.
2 -

WESTON'S MUSIC HALL.—The latest novelty
produced by the now proprietors of this attractive place of
entertainment is the band of " Star Minstrels," eighteen
in number, whose performances of negro melodies, both
vocal and instrumental, are of great excellence and merit.
The "funny" man of the troupe is Mr. West, who has
achieved a great reputation by his particularly laughable
effusions known as stump oratory, and certainly he seems
to improve every evening of his performance. We have
had many highly-talented troupes of Ethiopian Melodists,
but it has been left to the spirit of the new proprietors
of this favourite place of amusement to introduce
the largest as well as one of the best that has ever ap-
peared in the metropolis. The audiences attracted by the
performance of the " Star Minstrels" are invariably larger
than the spacious and elegant hall can accommodate, and
therefore to hear the performance of the talented troupe.
early attendance is absolutely necessary. There are
various other attractions of a very entertaining descrip-
tion, and the high class entertainment now offered to the
public shows most unmistakably that Messrs. Sweasy and
Holland are determined to secure talent for their numerous
patrons at any price.
1" she replied, " is
A DELICATE GHOST.—“ spell ,
out to shape, like
a kinder gas, which blows
,us I." You're blown out like
"eve air ; and if you
balloons." "Oh indeed," said
balloons, air your?" " Yes," h
don't break our film, " "Oh indeed," said I,
which ysoutecasln'ts'when we don't wish,
we are as strong
not understanding
nqou,ivto p p hen I knocked
that glove off.je:!" "I rayther
as you f
de
sj
isbe
break
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ea
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guess you did, she said; "it's only just healed up."
Then, madam," said thinkin' I'd caught her trip-
ping, for these ghosts most of 'em lie like ever-
"if you're blown out like a balloon, how is
it you didn't collapse right away ? It wasn't will,
was it ?" " No," she answered, quite ready. " I'd given
that up; it's the nature of the sperit not to. " How so ?"
said I, thinking it rayther a faymale reason. "Why," she
said, "sperit and air is like ilo and water, and won't mix ;
you can stir 'em as hard as you like, but they won't mix.'
" Oh, indeed 1" said I again, puzzlin' my head for another
question. For mind you, youngster, whenever you meet
with a ghost, ask 'em questions, and never leave off.
They're compelled to answer you out of politeness, and I
will say ghosts aro pretty mannered as a rule. But once
let 'em out of harness, and they always run to their own
stones, like a horse to his stage, and there's no stopping
'em ; and of all bores, I gueSs a ghost's life tops 'em,
they're all so long and dreffal melancholy. But she was
politeness itself, was this young sperit. Seeing me a
puzzling what to say next, she asked me with unusual de-
licacy whether I had any more questions to ask her, and
just at that moment one rushed into my head with such
impetuosity as knocked my pipe out of my mouth. " \Val,
as you ask me," I said, "I have just one or two or so. You
were speakin' of lying up in a table. What did you mean by
that ? Were you sick ?" "No," she said, " that isn't the
reason ; wo sperits are never sick. It was because I hadn't
any clothes olt."—Dickens's "All the Year Round."