The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-10-28
Correspondence Of the Pacific ommerci Advertiser
Letter from the Arctic.
BARK SARAH SHEAF, !
North Pacific, Sept, 1858. )

BARK SARAH SHEAF,
North Pacific, Sept, 1858. !
(Concluded)
The Arctic is q miserable, cold, foggy place, and
bowheads, ~devilfsh, humpbacks aad fnbacks of the
hale species, walrus, seal and birds are the only liv-
ing things to be seen in and around its waters. OF
land animals the natives have plenty of white fox and
moose deer skins, and now and then one of the grisly
or white bear. What their religion is, or how they
marry, or bury their dead, I did not learn; but the
story among sailors that they do not die a natural
death but when too old to support themselves, are
squeezed to death by their friends, as well as of their
running a spear into their breast and drawing o cup
of blood for the bride to drink when they get married,
are deemed fabulous. The Indian Chiefs crew say
that if a couple wish to get married they keep COM
pany two or three weeks, and if they like each other,
go as man and wife. The natives showed me a lot of
small ivory images of the whale, walrus, seal, white
bear, fox and deer, and Of birds, but whether they
were objects of worship or not [ did not learn. 1t is
reported that the Russians have recently sent a lot of
Catholic missionaries up here at Norton Bay. The
tribes further north are said to be still more savage,
and to hold the moro southern tribes in constant
fear.
If the smell Of the natives is disagreeablc on a
whale ship, what must it be in their town! Filth,
such as entrails, hair and bone, make it a perfect
quagmire, in some places over a mans shoes, and the
quicker he gets off into the boat to breathe the fresh
air the better. They turn in to sleep under their skin
blankets, both in winter aud summer, naked, men,
women and children side by side. OF walrus hide
they make canoes, huts, lines for whaling, solee Of
moccasins, sc. 1t is tough and nearly an inch thick.
and when bleached in the sun admits the light. The
water in the Straits and in most parts Of the Arctic
in sight of shore is but from eight to fifteen fathoms
in depth, and in st. lawrence Bay ships cannot in
some places get near the shore, on account Of shoal
water. The current here. in my opinion, ACCOUNTS
for the fact that the North West passage was effected
from this side by the ships drifting through with the
ice, as we'll as for the failure and loss of life attending
the trial from the Greenland side. The current here
is similar to that around the Shantas in the Ochotsk,
though not 30 strong. and asthe waters Of the Japan
are supposed to he higher than those Of the Ochotsk,
a similar cause may produce it here.
Whales did not come into the Arctic this season,
except a few struggling ones, until about the 9th Of
August. We took our first whale in July, and were
employed until August in cruising about, taking two
~devil6sh, sixty -four walrus and q bowhead stinker.
The Hi6ernio took from seventy to eighty barrels of
walrus oil. She, the Japan and this bark came up
TO . large school Of them converting acres, in q solid
body. on The night OF the Sd July. It WAS hlowing