The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-12-15
Annual Review
NORTH PACIFIC WILLING FLEET.

In August. 1920. ~fortv-Six wears ago. our respect
ed town-nan. Capt Meek. now haTbor master of
this port. visited the Arctic in the brig Peddler. Of
New York. aud traded with the Indians which in
haLited the shores Of BheIing Straits and the ocean
beyond While anchored in Kotsbue Sound. two
Russian discovery ships arrived there, and Capt.
VI. had the honor OF saluting them with the two
twelye-pOunders with which his little vessel was
armed. The Russians returned the compliment.
and on visiting the brig. the captain Of the eXpedi-
ton remarked. - There isn't an ocean on the globe
where we don't find the American flag in advance
of US Arctic whaling. from this ocean at least.
was then unknown, and although bone and oil were
obtained from the natives by Capt. VI. and other
traders who went north in later years. attention
was not turned to the Arctic "a u field for prosecut-
ing the whale-fshery till the year 1877.
1t was principally through the representations
Of Capt. Meek that Captains Roys and Walker
visited that ocean in ls47, and came away with
their ships full, each having obtained 5000 barrels.
Captain Roys' only regret was that his ship was so
small. it could not hold half the oil he might have
taken. The whales were so tame. to quote his own
expression. that they came alongside the ship,
about as fast a. the sailors could capture them and
boil down. Since that year. the Arctic has to this
day been the best whaling ground ever known. and
from the fact that the whales find an open passage
through the Arctic Ocean to Greenland and Spitz-
bergen, it must always remain good 50 long a. these
fish exist anywhere at the north.
We are able in this issue to present our annual
report Of the ships which have arrived at these Isl
ands during the fall. numbering 30. Early in the
season We estimated there would be 50 ships 10 re-
cruit here. This estimate included three which have
been lost Uhe Pacific, O5ttdriO and Victoria. the
particulars Of whose loss have been published. and
the janus, which has gone to Margarita Bay, hop
ing to improve its catch before coming into port.
Had these ships ONE in, there would have been so
at this port.
The early advices from the Arctic, as also those
received from the Ochotsk, inspired the hope that
the season would prove to be an unusually favora-
BILE one but it has not resulted so. The weather
in the Arctic during the summer was good, but the
fish unusually scarce. In September a seyere north
west storm set in, which closed the fishing season,
drove most Of the ships out of that ocean. and dam
aged several. The cold during this storm was in
tense, the mercury falling To $50. The decks and
rigging of the ships were covered with SHOW and
ice. while on the bows and foTecastlcs Of some the
ice formed fifteen inches III thickness. NOtwith-
standing this, a number remained there through
the storm, and after it found smooth water and good
weather, but 50 intensely cold, a. to renl.E-il
Utmost impJ>I59<ro cut in. Whalcs had now be-
come very abundant. and the vessels remaining
each took a number. but found il difficult to save
them on account of the cold. Three fine large
whales, which would have yielded five hundred
barrels. were. after being killed. abandoned solely
on this account. The gallant ~whalcmrn turned
their backs reluctantly on the captured and l~ifeless
prey which they had waited so long to find, but
there was no alternative. The Indians may dis
cover and secure these dead fish, as they frequently
do.
The Ochotsk in former years has been the favorite
cruising ground with many of our oldest ship-mas-
tiers. and we have. in 1856, : and 8, reported as high
as / 200 barrels average taken there. But this sea-
son. though the weather has been a. good as in
former years. whales have been scarce and small.
and the average will fall below that of the Arctic.
The large whales appear TO have forsakcn their old
haunts in the OchOtsk. or been killed off. That
they are still abundant in the Arctic. we have the
statement Of several ship-masters, that during Octo-
Der the ocean was alive with them. apparently mil
lions in number, and extending as far as the eye
could reach either way.
OF the feet which has arrived this fall, 81 yes
sells have cruised in the Arctic Ocean, and brought
into port 1909 barrels of oil, and 7l6.54I pounds
of bone, or 7Oj barrels Of oil and IL ,746 pounds Of
bone to each.
Fifteen vessels have cruised in the Ochotsk,
bringing into port $500 barrels of oil. and liz. $50
pounds Of bone. or GIL barrels of oil and 7,i97
pounds of bone to each vessel.
The total feet of 80 vessels report 81. 699 barrels
Of oil aud S2S.99l pounds of bone, or ESQ barrels
Of oil and lO,90S pounds of bone to each.
The following table. prepared by us, will ex-
hibit the number of ships, the total catch and the
average 80 each vessel for the past 10 years:
=.