New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-06-06


the neighborhOod of Fishers IsloSd 1nes Wel0
soon driven from that locality, and about iol- YES
sells began to be fitted for whaling OIL braz III TUG
Sonth Atlantic. The war brougb that enterprise !"
an end. and IL was not resumed TIL 1879 "nen 'no
New-London shipping houses took hold OF the ousi-
ness with renewed energy, aud IL was lol
very prosperous and profitable. uraduHiS 'no
Rrazil fishing grounds we're worked OUT ana
about the year 1882 they were ooSerVe"
and the whaling fleets followed their prey up ineo
the Indian Ocean, working eastward 10 o. Aauis'
sometimes called Amsterdam Island. Ihence TUG
whales were driven to the neighborhoOd of New
Zealand and further east, and about leA2 OF 1910
whaling having ceased to be profitable there inc
feet began doubling Cape Horn and making the
Northern Pacific or the Norwest coast their
limiting and harpooning grounds. The business
was at the hight of its prosperity about lSi when
there were some 10 or 10 shipping firms in New
London. with feet of about 80 vessels. They iOi-
lowed the whale into the high northern ATTITUDES
among the ice the number percephbly diminishing
and the difficulties and uncertainties of the voyage
GRADUALLY increasing, until that ground seemed
pretty much exhausted. Then many of the old firms
having gone out Of business and the feet fallen OH
TO very few vessels they turned their attention TO
Hudson,s Bay and the coast of Greenland, where
what little whaling is done at all is now carried on
met in this long pursuit that they fitted for
the work that the Arctic explorations required and
il is only JUST in giving the credit which belongs to
the brave men who have taken their lives in their
hands in these perlous explorations of the Northern
seas that we award some of the same TO the
New-London whaiers, who, as body, have done
more than any other set of men TO give the world in
formation of the geography the climatic conditions
and all the phenomenal features of the Polar regions
II should not be forgotten that we are indebted TO
whaling captains for the best charts In use of the
japan and Okhotsk Seas, and the information they
have brough down from their voyages among the
iceoes has been of incaculabe service TO the sclen
tifc expeditions that have followed them. The
direction Of the whaling fleets to HudsOns Bay was
given by New-LondOn enterprise in 1878, when
ships were fitted out which made voyages of sim
gle season. pursuing the whale in the open water
between the ice-felds and the shore.
II was on one Of these voyages in the George
Henry that Capt Hall made his first essay in North
ern waters as has been related The captain of the
George Henry on this voyage was the same Capt.
Buddington who commanded the Polaris on the late
expedition He was the first man TO Winter vessel
in Cumberland Inlet, which he did in 1858, when he
sailed the Georgiana for Williams q Haven. On his
second voyage TO that region he was very untortu-
nate he was frozen in, and during the season lost
fourteen men by DEATH and brought home no OIL
Can't Hall knew Buddington well, of course. having
sailed with him on his first voyage in the George
Henry. and so selected him to command the present
expedition with some knowledge of the kind Of man
be was On Halls first voyage in the George Henry,
he left the ship at Cumberland Inlet, and, with his
sledges boats dogs and TatiOns, started northward
He had at that time great expectations of finding
the remains Of Sir John Franklin, and hoped by
going directly north from Cumberland Inlet on the
main land of the peninsula to reach the localities
where some tidings of Franklin could be obtained.
lie only Brought back some relics Of former
expeditions hut nothing VI any account. lie re-
turned to New-London in 1862, and from that time
till 1854 was engaged in lecturing and publishing
a book. In 1854 he started North again, this time
in the Monticello. Capt. Chapen owned by Williams
& Haven When the ship reached the high lati-
tudes ne left her and gave himself TO the work OF
exploration He remained four years, and returned
only 10 take for another and more thorough
effort in the direction. The secret of bis en-
durance and his capacity for Drawing priyatons and
bardships, which would kill any ordinary white man,
seems TO have been in the fact that while he in
the country he did just as the natives did. If the
Fsauimaux ate whale blubber and oil and worse
things. he did the same. The whaling captains say
he had the stomach of ostrich. He lived in snow
huts or under ground or anywhere they did, and
inst left civilization and all that pertained 1t be-
hind him. and was an Esquimaux among the Es-
oumaux He said one human being could live up there
as well as another if he only went at it in the right
way and that was his right way. He was of a wiry,
tough FIBER and. the sailors say, could stand the
climate better than the natives themselves
The application Of Hall for Government aid 10
the expedition was Endorsed by several leading bust
ness firms in New-London who, upon close question
ing admit that they had no expectation of any i'm
portant results from it. but it was represented
that the vessel would be fitted in New-LOndon,
they thought il would be a good thing for the town
and make little business
The general impression Of Hall in this place
was that though he was q very persistent and en-
thusiastic man. nothing would come of his enter
prise and so the failure is no disappointment TO
them. Indeed, the expedition did reach higher
Latitude than anybody in New-London supposed it
would When the Polaris went into that harbor just
before she started North, there was trouble among
the officers and crew, and some of the crew deserted
while she lay there. subsequently, as Is vel
known there was difficulty at Disco, which was set
tied or partially settled by the MEDIATION OF the
eaptain OF the frgate Congress. The position OF
Capt Tyson on board was somewhat ihaenni!e, as nS
there was a strong probability OF falling out In
e. aid nv ali the old sea-captains that there was
no unity OF harmony any prospect OF any, on Ihe
PoIaTis from the time she started. Opinions differ
a. "a Giants BuddingtOn and Tyson, though the best
Evidence attainable forbids the belief that the
former deliberately deserted Tyson and his compan
ions on the ice foe, as some of the accounts have
represented Capt. Buddington had the reputation
~ bejng kind-hearted man and treating his crews
with Kindness so that almost invariably crews mat
had sailed with him once desired TO go Wltn nun a
again The belief is general that lie VIII pIlng VIC
PoIaris home though that depends, of course upon
the condition in which she was after escaping tle
ice The steamer was filed with eyerylnnK qua, and
was needed or could be asked for such Voyage' aut