The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-07
THE CRUISE OF THEPlLOT'S BRIDE.

~ New London Whaler's Experience in Ant
arctic Waters.
New London Telegram.
The cruise in the vast solitudes of the
Southern ocean inst made by Captain
Fuller in the Pilots Bride has been a most
interesting one. Asa matter Of fact we
believe that no whaler has been as far south
as IS deg. before. The Challenger, in her
famous cruise, went further south than that.
having found opening in the ice through
which she could steam, but no merchant
man had ever before nayigated that almost
unknown region.
Leaving the South Shetland Islands in
September last, Capt. Fuller took his ship
down to the ice packs, and there saw high,
mountainous land extending like coast
line for miles and miles. One Of these
mountains was an active volcano, which
presented a magnificent spectacle at night
The land hended to the northwest and south
east. Many Intellectual efforts were made
to reach the shore, but all in vain, the ice
barrier proving impenetrable and it was i'm
possible to land party on the ice and thus,
reach the coast, owing to the tremendous
sea running all the time, caused BY the
almost constant gales Of wind blowing in
that inhospitable part Of the globe. Per
5haps landing might be made on the
Antarctic continent December. OF Jan
uary when the wealthy is more moderate,
but Capt Fuller is of e opinion that kuch
a feat is almost imposS ble, as the COAST is
hemmed in the year ar nd by an ice bar
rler against which the breaks even I'm
moderate weather with emendous forcA.
Finding no chance Of cd ing to the landA
Capt. Fuller then skirteg long the ice bar
rier to Sandwich Iand, sp9Ae eight degrees
further north. This islaad9is of volcanic
organ and Of no great extent A landing
was made here, and some seals were Sc:
cured, but these amphibious animals have
in great part been hunted away from this
place. Sea elephants were also found at
this island and good number killed for
their oil, of which valuable commodity $40
barrels We're secured. H
From Sandwich land the Pilots Bride
sailed northwest to Kerguelen, via the Cir
cumcision Islands (two small islets) No
one was at Kerguelen when Capt. Fuller
visited that place in January last, but he
found the houses left by the British, Ger
man and American Transit of Venus expe-
ditions still standing, and some of them in
a tolerable state of repair. The houses are
The guide board left by Fl. NJ. s.. Comus
about year ago was still standing in q CON
spicous point overlooking Christmas harbor.
On the board was the announcement of the
captain Of the Comus that he visited the
island in order to pick up any shipwrecked
mariners that might have been cast away,
but there was not anything said about his
having found any at KergueleE
On this island there are millions of
penguin eggs, which go to waste every
year, but there is no guano owing to the
precipitous nature Of the mountains, and
the quantity of rain and snow that falls,
washing the guano into the sea. From
Kerguelen the Piolot's Bride left for Table
bay. where she is now lying ready for sea.
il. being the intention of Capt Fuller to
make another cruise to the southwark of a
similar character to that just completed.
It is well to add to this brief account that
forty pairs Of rabbits and twelve goats were
taken from Cape Town to Kerguelen in.
1875 and have thrived wonderfully, the is
land fairly swarming with rabbits, while
the goats number some hundreds Teal
duck are found about the island in large
quantities, and what with roast kid and
duck, and stewed rabbit, and plenty Of
Kerguelen cabbage, Capt. Fuller's crew of
twenty eight men had very agreeable
change Of diet whilea Kerguelen.