The New York herald., 1879-11-09
AMERICAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
wHALERs REPORT SEEING THE JEANETTE AT
HERALD IsLAND-PRoBABILITY THAT LIEU
TENANT DE LONG is AT wRANGEL LAND
ONLY TWELVE HOURS FROM IT WHEN LAST
TELEGRAPH To THE HERALD

BY TELEGRAPH To THE HERALD.
SAN Francisco. Nov s. 1879.
The whaling feet from the Arctic seas is beginning
to arrive. The Sea Breeze arrived evening, the
Dawn this morning and the Rainbow is signalled as
now coming in Captain W. II. Kelly, of the Dawn.
makes the following report .-"Sailed from San
francisco March 16. Reached ice in Behring Sea
on April "a There was a heavy pack in Anadir
Sea. Whales were numerous, but owing to
the drifting ice pack We could not keep
on the ground. We drifted $50 miles in the
pack, southwest Of where fell in with the whales
We found the ice in immense iow south Of
Behring Strait. the largest in my experience out
side Of the Arctic Ocean We passed through Behring
Strait June 81. During July We took $50 walrus.
though four great quantities of ice coming the
south of the strait made business very difficult.
The walrus very wild and scarce; ships are
doing rather poorly catching walrus. In August we
reached Icy Cape. found the ice solid and hope of
reaching Point Barrow. Stayed there several days,
in company with the Aeet. then started for Herald
Island.
THE JEANNETTE HERALD ISLAND.
Found much ice on the way; but III latitude ia
deg. 80 mn found space of open water,
and got to within twenty-five miles of Herald Island,
where we saw smoke issuing from steamer 3
smokestaek in the direction of tho island. We sup
postu tue VeSSol 10 DC ArctlC
but could not her. The ice began to close
together. and the feet to the south, narrowly
escaping being shut il. Several days after
the first whales in the Arctic in longitude 173 deg
80 min west and latitude 60 deg. 80 min. north This
September IL. From this time out we were
engaged with tho rest of the fleet in chasing, meet
ing with rather poor success. losing several whales
in the ice and in other ways. About September 25
the ice began to open up rapidly to the north. We
Herald Island, and in October we could 20 all
around it,
wRANGEL LAND SIGHTED.
ION October we saw wrangel Land. distant less
than twenty-five miles. The coast line showed very
little snow. but the mountains in the interior
covered with it. We could not any ice between
us and Wrangel Land. and we were much
prised to see it at ALL the outlook was very dis
couragng during the first part Of September.
now think that the exploring vessel Jeannette will
reach Wrangel Land, and we may expect to hear
from her next year. We had strong gales and the
season was late. so we did not think it prudent to
venture too near. indications Of heavy
body of ice across the south of Bad Weather
and ice warned to get out of the
Arctic Sea possible, which did.
passing the strait October 49, We passed to the east
of a heavy body Of ice to the north of the straits
which, with the usual northerly winds. would have
southery gale for several days. which kept it open
We made good passage down from Behring
Strait.
"cATcH" OF THE WHALING FLEET.
"Our catch $50 barrels OF oil. 1000 pounds Of
whalebone and 1000 pounds of ivory. The whaling
ships. when last spoken. reported:-The Norman,
eight whales; the Rainbow. ten; the Coral. eight;
the John Rowland. nine; the Hunter, seven tho
Eliza, six; the Abraham Barker. nine; the Thomas
Pope. eight; the Mount Wollaston. two the Fleet
wing. six; the Pacific. six; the Helen Mar eight;
the schooner Alaska, three; the Progress. six the
Northern Light. three; the Frank Palmer. two; the
Mercury two; tho Sea Breeze. six; the brig Tropic
Bird. two, and the schooner Newton Booth, clean"
oUTsAuEp by THE JEANETTE.
Captain William NJ. Barnes. OF the whaler Sea
Breeze. which arrived last evening, reports seeing
the Jeannettc the I'd and Sd of September. about
fifty miles to the southwark OF Herald Island. The
brig Tropic Bird had not been seen by the Sea
Breeze after the fleet had left Icy Cape at tho first
sight Of the steamers masts it was supposed to be
the brig. but next morning the outlook reported .
steamer ahead. which proved to be the Jeannetto
under sail only about six miles distant and
to the leeward. The Sea Breeze sailing ut the
rate Of seven knots an hour and expected to
take the Jeanette. but to Barnes astonshmont the
steamer got further ahead In that latitude fogs
CLOUDS arc frequently very oeuse Ut one point 3uu
only at few hours distance the weather may be
perfectly clear. 1t was this occasion. They
saw the Jeannette from four to o'clock the
morning OF September 8. then lost her; got q
glimpse Of her again in the forenoon.
DE LONG PROBABLY AT wnANGEL LAND.
In the afternoon. when the weather cleared, the
Jeanette was out Of sight. Her course from Beh-
ring Strait had evidently been northwesterly. till
pack ice through the westerly channel had forced
her to take course northeasterly toward Herald
Island. Captain Barnes sailing in the
direction before southery wind. keeping
clear Of the easterly ice that had not yet
packed. There was quito an open channel north
ward of the steamer and the whaler when the
Jeanette was sighted. but as they sailed further
northward the passage narrowed. and the captain
afraid of its closing he concluded to turn back.
while the Jeannette kept onward and must have
had open water. When last the JeAnnette was
tacking east and west. directly south OF Herald
Island. making. II anything. little to east. Cap
tain Barnes could not say whether Lieutenant De
Long would find open water to effect q land
ing Wrangel Land, but with open water
he could in twelve hours later have reached
it. As the whaling fleet was pretty well scattered
some captains say the smoke was from the JEAN
nottes smokestsck only and not the vessels galley
but Captain Barnes distinctly the steamer for
hours. and was greatly disappointed when he found
he could not overtake her.
ANOTHER REPORT.
Captain Nye, of the bark Mount wollaston thinks
he saw smoke in the offng. thirty miles from Herald
Island. He says ice has been moving in tho Arctic
in large quantities all through the summer and
vessels have got further north or east than Icy
Cape.
THE WHALING FLEET NOT DESTROYED.
NEw BEDFORD. Mass, Nov. 4, 1879.
The rumors that tho entire Arctic feet was de-
stroyed by ice are denied by tho Captain Of the
Breeze. from San Francisco which reports that tho
feet eighteen vessels have taken sixty whales since
the traders lett the ocean.
MInNIGIIT WEApHER REpORT