Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-11-20

If to the present time whale fishing in the
Arctic Ocean has been Unsuccessful. Fifty
one whales have been taken by the fleet,
against thirty-two at the sane time last
year, and the whales have runlarge, avcrag-
ing about one hundred barrels of oil, and,
say, eighty thousand pounds of whalebone
in all also about eleven thousand walruses,
against twelve thousand last year the wal
ruses making less oil than usual, asfewerfe-
males are killed, and a larger proportion of
male walruses than in years past. Not a
whale has been taken in the strait or the
Arctic ocean, and only one whale has been
seen. and that by the Helen Mar. Four
ships and several brigs and schooners got to
the eastward and missed the chance. A
great many whales were seen, and more
than usual were struck and lost The Helen
Mar struck fifteen and saved seven; the Pro-
gress five, and saved two. Not whale has
been taken by the natives of the whole
coast, and the whaling party, with their
rocket guns, which wintered at Plover bay
got nothing. The natives on Diomede is
lands report seeing large numbers of whales
going north in May and early June last, east
of tina islands, and they struck over to Cape
Thompson and Point Hope, where the ma
tives took five Zone one-hundred-bar
whale-one Of about forty barrels, and three
small ones, without whalebone). There is
more ice, and further south this year, than
usual. Ships havelbecn in 69.4O, and re-
Gently four or five ships were thirty-fve
miles east Of Cape Lisburne, stopped by ice
Capt. Tom Williams started some days ago
with his little steamer, the Bouquet, toreach
-, H. s,,ln -. D.I
Barrow, if possible; he will trace the shore
around his steamer draws only three and
half feet Of water, and can steam one hun
bred miles day. The trading g-vessels have
about six thousand pounds of whalebone
and small quantity of ivory compared with
former years. About half the fleet are in
the West; the other half are all over to
Cape Seege and West walrusing, de-
stroying them by the thousand about eleven
thousand have been taken, and thirty or
forty thousand destroyed this year. An
other year, or perhaps two years, will finish
them; there will hardly be one left, and |
advise all natural history societies and mu-
seums to get a specimen while they can.
Fully One-third of the population south Of
st. Lawrence bay perish the past winter for
want of food, and half the natives of st.
Lawrence island died; one village of two
hundred inhabitants all died excepting one
man. Mothers took their starving children
to the burying- grounds, stripped the cloth
ing from their little emaciated bodies, and
then strangled them or let the intense cold
end their misery. 1t is heartrendering to
hear them tell how they suffered. Capt.
Cogan has taken very few walruses, he says
that for every one hundred walruses taken
family is starved, and l concur in his
opinion. The season, or rather the ice,
does not look favorable to the success of the
Bennett expedition, for they can not pene-
trate the pack with that or any other steam
er, as it is now packed by the constant
strong south winds; but before long the
whole ice-pack may be pushed north or
east