Morris tribune., 1881-07-07
THE CRUISE OF THE PILOT'S BRIDE.
A New London Whalers Experience in Ant
arctic Waters.

A New London Whaler's Experience in Ant
arctic Waters.
New London Telegram.
The cruise in the vast solitudes of the
Southern ocean Just made by Captain
Fuller in the Pilots Bride has been q most
interesting one. As matter of fact we
believe that no whaler has been as far south
as GO 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 navigated 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 all active volcano, which
presented magnificent spectacle at night
The land trended 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-
haps landing might be made on the
Antarctic continent in December or jan
uary when the weather is more moderate,
but Capt Fuller is of the opinion that such
feat il almost impossible, as the coast is
hemmed in the year around by an ice bar
rier, against which the sen breaks even in
moderate weather with tremendous force.
Finding no chance of getting to the land,
Capt Fuller then skirted along the ice bar
rier to Sandwich Land, some eight degrees
further north. This island is 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 a good number killed for
their OIL of which valuable commodity $40
barrels were secured
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
| tolerable state of repair. The houses are
small wooden ones andwere put up in 1875.
The guide board left by II. M. S. Comus
about year ago was still standing in con-
spicous point overlooking Christmas harbor.
On thesboard was the announcement of the
captain of the Comus that he visited the
island in order to pick up any shipwrecked
mariners that nigh have been cast away.
| but there was not anything said about his
having found any at Kerguelen. s@'4i |!
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,
it 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 tothis brief account tn
forty pairs of rabbits and twelve goats were
taken from Cape Town to Kerguelen in
1876 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
4 duck, and stewed rabbit, and plenty OF
Kerguelen cabbage, Capt. Fuller's crew Of
twenty. eight men had very agreeable
change of diet while at Kerguelen.