The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-07-02

and far out extended the great icy bar
rier. Cutting in was out Of the question,
and equally impossible was it TO lie Will
the whale alongside Of the ship. So his
nukes were unjointed and slowly he
drifted astern, and with him, to our
great chagrin, one hundred and seventy
barrels Of oil and three thousand pounds
Of bone. But we had no time 10 grum-
/ BILE; our topsails were TO be close.rcefed
/ and stormsails set. With watchful at.
tention we cleared the land and ice and
rode out the storm.
Thencxt whale was captured and cut
in; everything favored us and the con.
trast was delightful. Not cloud OBJ
scured the bright, blue sky. The rug.
gea cliffs Of Kamtchatka were far of in
B the western hOrizon-mountains tower.
ing above mountains until they pierced
the arch Of heaven. The scene was
glorious, but quickly passed away. The
cold northwest winds swept down from
| the mountains and a meridian sun could
not arrest the continual formation Of ice.
We cruised along the icy barrier from
ST. Paul'a Island to Cape Thaddcns. The
ice in places was masthead high. Some
points were covered with walruses. We
often captured them, some weighing
fifteen hundrc. pounds, large one
llording us three or four barrels Of oil,
as well as 81 irty pounds Of ivory.
began to t. ink that we should not
he able to get through the ice that sea-
son. A large number Of ships were wait
ing for an opening to go through. On
the 1st Of June we had n very hard
southwest gale, witli rain and snow. II
increased curing the night to almost Il
hurricane, moicrating in the morning.
although still heavy fog. We stood in
for the ice. After running about twelve
hours and not seing any, made up my
mind that the ice had sunk, as is often
the case IN high ATTITUDES when ice has
became old and rotten. The water was
somewhat dlscOlOred. We hove over
the lead aud found thirty fathoms. The
fog clearing somewhat Mt the same time
we saw Cape Thadleus towering high
above our heads and whales in great
numbers. We went 10 work, cutting in,
trying olb and slowing down oil. For
eighteen days we captured whale nj
most every day. Still II remained foggy
most 81 the time. We did not know orr
position, nor did we much care, MS long
m3 We had plenty Of whales.
At last we had slowed down fifteen
hundred barrels Of oil and everybody
was well tagged ont. We bad Just got.
ten through with our slowing, il being
calm, when the mate reported plenty ol
whales around the ship. Although the
fog was very thick | ordered him TO
lower away the boats and we would use
the big signal gun every fifteen minutes,
no they should not get too far from ihc
ship. Each boat was supplied with ia
horns, 80 there was little danger Of get
ting lost. Suddenly the fog lifted and
the land was in full view. We had
drifted five hundred miles, most Of the
time through n thick fog, without one
observation Of the sun. We were at the
mouth OF Behring's Straits. n number OF
ships in sight, all Of them boiling and IA
all appearances had been taking oil ran
idly. Our boats were fortunate enough
to capture whale about the time the
fog lit mp. We soon had him alongside
and commenced cutting in. So far We
had been very successful in taking oil.
l now concluded to pass through the
straits into the Arctic Ocean,
We kept along close to the Asiatio
shore, having frequent visits from the
natives. The Straits are only about
forty miles across from the Asiatic TO
American shore. Tho Damcde Islands
being in the middle of the Straits it is
not difficult for the natives to pass from
one continent to the other. In passing
along We were surprised to see boat
approaching the ship from the shore.
Soon lieutenant of oneof her Maiesty's
ships, tho Plover, was alongside and on
board. We saw the ship at anchor in
st. Lawrence Bay, where We had passed
the winter. She belonged to the fleet
that was in search Of Sir John Franklin.
The officer expressed great surprise Mt
seeing III there and was moro surprised
still when we informed him that there
would be at least fifty whalers in the
Arctic that season.
"Well," said he, 'if Sir John Frank
lin is over found You whalcrs will bo the
ones TO find him."
After remaining on board some time,
giving mo full account Of the winter no
had passed there, he returned to his
ship, got hor under way and went North. |
We were visited by the natives every |
day, they bringing Ms ducks and nil
kinds of wild fowl and we giving them
in return needles, tobacco and tho like,
For ono needle we could get pair of
,anvas-back ducks. We often secured
Is many rs hundred at time. We
anded Mt ono OF those native Villages
lear East Cape. 1t was summer vii
age, tho people remaining there during
no fishing season. Whales at that time
'as so plenty and tame that tho natives
ad no trouble in getting their winter
npply OF twelve or fourteen whales to
40 village. They had captured one the
ny we made them visit. W. watched
lem with q good deal of interest. They
reserved all parts Of the whale. The
lubber was stripped from the carcass.
large hole dug in tho ground twenty
oct deep and ten feet across, stoned mn
Ike well, and into this the blubber was
icely stored. The flesh was all cut up
nd stored away in another like com
'nrtment The entrails were preserved.
them with oil clothing. The
atives were very friendly and very fond
y tobacco and whisky. They had furs
II different kinds, salmon, ducks and
eindeer, but were unwilling to sell only
or whisky. Their food consisted nj
lost entirely of fish, fowl, reindeer, seal
nd walrus. never having tasted bread.
heir boats had frames of wood covered
lth walrus hides. Some of these boats
ould carry thirty or more people. We
united about n hundred and fifty lodges
that village. Through the natives we
stained II good deal of information
out the Arctic Ocean We took our
parture from East Cape, the most
stern land of Asia, and steered across {
G straits to Cape Prince of Wales !
'rking along tho American shore, pass. /
. Kotsibu Sound. rs far as 70. 80 north ,