Washington sentinel., 1853-11-10
@snsraI Sntslligtnts.


News from the Arctic whaling Fleet.
The whaling bark, Harriet Thompson, Captain
Fordham, arrived al San Francisco, September %,
from the Arctic ocean. Captain F. states that the
catch in those regions for the present season has
been remarkably meagre. His vessel left San
Francisco on the 18th OF April last, and standing
away from the California coast Captain K. shaped
his course for the Fox Aleulian Islands, in lat-
tude Of about SO degrees NJ These islands, stretch
ing like huge bar or dam across the entrance to
the Kamschatka sea, he found glittering with Ice
and snow even al that late month in the spring.
Passing with strong easterly breeze around the
western point OF Somitsch Island, he followed the
kamschatka coast along 10 Cape Aponpinskoi, the
eastern promontory of the Russian Asiatic possess
sions and from accurate observations, ascertained
that in the charts of the day this cape is laid down
nearly two degrees north of its actual position.
Here he found the great region OF ice extending
across the Kamschatka sea from Cape St. Thad-
deus 10 Cape Romanzof, on the American cont-
nent, and so thick that no vessel could hope TO
penetrate this apparently eternal barrier
While waiting here for the ice to break up, the
great American whaling fleet gradually collected
al Cape st. Thaddeus. On the 10th Of June, a
heavy gale sprung up, the vast field of ice became
agi,ated, and in less than twenty-four hours The
whole was broken and separated into two acre
pieces, and on the 9th, fleet of above one hun
dred whalemen started for Behrng Straits
The whaling season in these inhospilable regions
is included between the months Of June and Sep
tember, after which the weather becomes so in
clement that no boats can live amid the storms
and other dangers that beset the mariner The
success off the whaling feet has been but poor this
year. Capt. Fordham thinks that out Of $50 whal-
ing vessels employed during the past season in
the sea OF Okhotsk and in Behring's Straits about
100 have not averaged 100 barrels each. There
has been q remarkable scarcity of whales during
the present season, not only in Behring's Straits,
but in the whole northern whaling region. This,
Capt. Fordham thinks, is owing 10 the wanton
destruction Of the calves along the Russian coast
by the whalers, who thus sacrifice, for few bar
rels of OIL the future prospects of the whole feet
II has only been within few years that whalers
have penetrated as far north as Behring's Straits
in pursuit Of their occupation; the supply is fast
giving out, and there are fewer whales this year
than during the past two seasons.
What few whales were seen were remarkably
wild, and consisted of what is known as the
bowhead whale Of large size, and yielding from
$50 TO 200 barrels of oil This species has hitherto
been but little known, and resembles the right
whale in appearance and in the quality of its oil
Captain Fordham states that the horned whale,
described in Lieutenant Maury's work, does not
exist, but there is species known as the muscle
digger, which comes up from depth of from
thirty TO forty fathoms, withits head covered with
mud and shells. Focks of birds generally sur
round them when they RISE The appearance OF
so much of the country as was visible was desc
late and cheerless in the extreme. Sometimes,
however, the whaling fleet was in such close
proximity that conversation was carried on from
vessel TO vessel in numerous instances. As
whole, the catch of the present season has been
uncommonly small, and the whole whaling feet
will be in rendezvous at the Sandwich Islands by
the middle OF October. Many vessels had not
captured single whale
Captain Fordham, of the Harriet Thompson,
thinks that all further search for the Erebus and
Terror is useless. On the 18th of August he saw
Of the ships of the searching expedition, sup
posed 10 be the Pover She was then in the Arc
tic sea, between Prince and Wales Head and the
Diomede Islands. She was bound north, and
would probably winter in Plover Bay, (named
after her, which was her place Of refuge last win
ter. Captain F. exchanged signals with her, and
the signals were mutually misunderstood AT the
time she was seen the sea was entirely clear OF
ice, though the same dense fog which had hung
over the waters for two months, still prevailed
Another ship belonging to the exploring expedi-
lion was in Port Clarence on the 10Th July.
Captain +. held conversations with the Esqui-
maux Indians at places where he landed with his
boats. So many expeditions have been sent there
during the last five years, that many ofthem could
talk intslligibly on the subject of Sir John Frank
lin. Their arguments were such as TO discourage
all further search for the missing navigators. f8i
II was thought by such whalesman as have nav
igated these regions, that the Erebus and Terror
were not crushed by any icebergs or feld-ice, but
that they were capsized by being forced upon the
surface OF partially submerged ice. II was the
opinion that the exploring expedition could not
penetrate further this year than 72o N. The Arc
tic sea has been unusually clear Of ice, and the
winter has been comparatively mild. The noun
tains surrounding the Arctic sea showed but
little snow at the time the whaling fleet len, not
so much as was seen on the Aleutian Islands two
months before.