Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18
AN OPEN POLAR SEA.
Capt. McGreEor Could Have Cro..eA
| Ii, but He Was Not Exploring.

From the Portland oreronian.
mat steamers can pass through the Arc
nc ocean In certain years is the opinion M
capt. n II. McGregor, based upon his ex
perience in the polar region. Cant No.
Gregor has seen twenty-three wears. serv-
Ice N the Arctic, and commands the steam-
er orca. owned by the Pacific Whaling Conn
pany of San Francisco. He was at the Ho-
tel Perkins few days last week and talked
of his experience
Last year." he said, mine of the Pacific
Whaling Company's steamers and ships
reached Cape Bathurst, the furthest point
hortn ana east ever reached by a vessel of
any kind. We had been whaling in Boring
sea, and. having finished what is termed
he outside catch in July, we Started for
the Arctic to finish the season. We masses
along the east shore. rounded Point Barrow
and then made the journey to the cane.
which Is near the Mackenzie river We
cast anchor and whaled there the rest of
the Sc ason. The natives were somewhat
surprised at our appearance but as they
mad seen white men before they soon over
came whatever fear they might have felt
ana became very friendly They did NOT
diner In the least from other Esouimauy.
we sounded the ocean near the Mackenzie
ana found that a boat drawing more than
four feet Of water could not approach with
IN thirty miles Of the river. The land on
ootn SIDES was noun infamous and covered
with snow. The oldest native told ms thai
II was many winters since white men came
by boat, which led me TO believe that no
poat had reached the cape since Capt Col
inson was there in 1855. Capt. CoIIinson
ana his party visited the place in small
boats when they were making a survey
OF the British possessions. but they were
compelled TO remain there three wears he
In ,-l-rs-
passed the cape in small boats on his "a
nous expedition, and came as far west as
FRANKLIN, or Return Reef. There he evil
dentiy became discouraged and disheart-
ened, and started on his return trim Had
he known that he had a clear sea before
MIN he doubtless would have continued on
ms way ana lived TO tell future generations
OF the hardships connected with Arctic exc
plorations. He could have made what in
called the northeast passage and come out
on the Pacific ocean and forever settled the
questcn whether vessel could reach Alas
ka from Greenland through the Arctic Fut
ne saw nothing but a monotonous stretch
of land and what appeared TO be a closed
sea ahead OF him. He had kept in sight OF
shore during his entire expedition and Sec
ing nothing ahead but land probably
thought IL was endless. When Return Reef
was reached he turned back, ana that IN
the last known of him.
we could have made the trip from the
Pacific to the Atlantic last year II we had
so desired, but our business was whaling.
hot capturing. NATIVES at the cane whom 4
questioned told me that the ocean was fair-
ly open three years out of four. and that
there was great big sea- one year in five.
Last year was what they termed great
big sea- and they said that the same 'con.
ditions prevailed in 1889. A large vessel
could not pass through a fairly open sea 40
the chances OF reaching Greenland through
tne Areuc sea are one in five. From this
am inclined to the belief that both Frank
lin and Collinson entered the ocean when
1t was open"