The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-10-14

N~sAAAS - SA60 0ANSA 0RAh oA0 AAoS 0AS~AS
cruising ground is of general interest, and we
must here state that if masters of whaleships will
take the trouble to furnish such an account of
their cruises, the whaling interests will be much
promoted. There is probably more uncertainty
about the right season (if indeed there is any one
monthly for whaling in the Arctic Ocean than in
any of our northern cruising grounds. But the
fact is established, that whales do pass to and
from the Arctic, through the Bhering Straits
sometime during the summer months, say from
June to August and September, and that at times
they are exceedingly abundant. Sometimes they
pass through with SO great speed that it is inn
possible to take them at other times the weather
is 50 rugged or the ice SO thick that it is useless
to lower a boat. 1t is also established as pretty
certain that all vessels that go there must run
their chance of finding whales and good weather
during not more than a week or two of the sea-
son, and that if they stay long enough, the
chance turns up. 1t is much to be regretted
that all of the forty or fifty ships that went there
did not stay till the middle of August, when
there appeared whales enough to fill them all
twice full. But finding no whales, instead of
being plenty as they expected, on entering the
straits, and after waiting a few weeks, they gave
up in despair, or as one captain writes us, fully
satisfied that the Arctic ground is a humbug.
Those ON the other hand who have persevered,
are well paid, for as near as we can Judge, the
sixteen or eighteen vessels that remained as long
as the South America will show an average of
about one thousand barrels.
The bark South America, passed through the
I IDA AL 1Sl~ 1QSQ FIJI = -:xI A. -.
in Lat. so 30, long. 17O9 OS w., bound to the
Northward on the Eastern shore. Never having
heard of q ship going North along the East shore
early in the season, and thinking to find whales and
get North sooner than through the old route to the
Westward, followed..the ice from 81. Paul's Island as
far as Nounivok Island. On 10Th of May found the
ice solid. l got in the ice, trying to work to the S.W.
from this island, in company with the Polar Star.
On the 9Th of June. all hands being somewhat tired
by continually pulling and hauling on ropes, I
worked out of the ice to the s. E. into clear water to
rest. June 18th, started again in the same direction
in company with the Polar Star. June 18th. Lat.
$40 o., Long. 1889 16 W., got through the ice into
clear water. 1 found ships to the Northward Of me
which had been there several days. 1 am satisfied
that ships cannot get North on the East shore as
early as they can to the Westward. Capt. Murdoch
of the Nassau, and the ship William Thompson.
followed the land close in four fathoms Of water, and
came very near losing their ships, they finding the
ice much heavier than 1 did. They would drop
anchor when the current was ahead to let the ice
pass, and take it up again when favorable. They got
through about the same time that I did. There are
NO whales on this shore but the humpback and rip
sack. so called. In May, 1 saw plenty of walrus on
the ice.
The weather is much better On this shore at this
time of the year, than the ships found it to the West
ward, and l think colder. The thermometer ranged
from go to $50 throughout May and June. My
object was to get into the Arctic Ocean as early as 1
could, off Cape Lisburne, where l saw plenty whales
in July, 1857; but ships got there before l did and
very few scattering whales. The ice broke up
much earlier this season in the Anadir Sea than
usual, and that was the occasion Of ships falling in
with it SO far South. The ice was not half SO heavy
as I have seen it years past, but plenty of it. Many
whales were seen in the ice but could not get them,
and very few were taken outside.
arrived off Cape Lisburne July 9th, and cruised
over the ground where 1 saw whales last season, and
saw nothing. I then went to Long. 164' 5V, Lat.
68a O0 and saw nothing, and returned again to the
Straits 18th of July. 1 saw the first bowheads off
Lawrence Bay. These whales were going into the
Arctic and the weather was very bad, only two or
three whales taken in the Straits. am satisfied
there are two run Of whales that pass through the
Straits. The first 60 through in June. These are
small whales and like those that l fell in with last
July. The others pass through in the middle of July;
and are larger whales and mostly cows. Many of
hem stop in the Straits, if the ships are not too
numerous. 1t requires something swifter than a
whale boat to catch them. When the wind came fair
The fleet of ships tried to follow them.
We heard of them passing East Cape, and now for
, cut of oil. Every one was expecting to have some
fun; the weather good but no whales-everybody
going where they expected to find whales, but they
we're not there. Main tacks. royals, jb topsails, but
( was no use, there were no fish. l went direct to
The barrier of ice, whers I expected to find them.
put did not. 1 got o raft of water from the ice; then
shaped my course for Cape North; and fell in a little
coast, about twenty miles distant, but no whales ap
,eared. 1 then shaped my course for Cape Lisburne.
9th, saw the land bearing s. E. distant twenty
saw one spout and called it a bowhead.
August 9th, saw two bowheads and about fifteen
hips, one of them cutting in. August 7th, took
ny first whale. Whales struck on very plenty.
here were ships whaling for the next fifteen days,
md no mistake; everybody was busy-gamming was
u u mOI SF
,oiling and driving. I never saw 30 hungry q set of
elbows in my life. The feet of ships averaged about
we whales.
August 3Oth, ~northerly winds set in, and I believe
II Of the ships have been driven out of the Arctic
ocean to the Fox Islands. never saw so bad
veather, not distressing but rugged, rainy, thick
Now l wish to ask, where did the whales
o when they passed Cape East!-Were any OF my
whalemen among them from the middle Of
uly to the 9Th of August 80 wheres Please to
eport. 1 can give no account of them. unless they
to Point Hope, and followed the shore North.
found the whales in the same place, and in the
month as I did last season. think they are
lrger whales this season than last, when got all
ul whales; this season they were oil coscs with the
RECEPTION Of one. In August were there any ships
the Westward on the Asiatic shore! We would
ke to know il we had all the whaling off Cape Lis