The morning call., 1893-03-08
WHALERS AT WAR.
A Quarrel That Began in
the Arctic Seas.
LEFT To sTARvE IN THE ICE.
All About a Dead Whale That Was
Found in the Ice by Cap
tain Bayne.

Two veteran Arctic sea captains are war
ring in Judge LEWIS court.
They are battling over a whalebone, to
which they both lay claim.
Captain Peter Bayne hacked it from the
carcass of dead whale imbedded in the
shore ice on the Arctic coast, and sent it TO
Captain James McKenna, who is trying TO
convince the jury that it belongs to him.
The story reminds one Of the weird tales
Of Arctic explorers, and is cold enough to
bring on the chiIls.
In March, 1890, Captain Bayne left San
Francisco bound for the Arctic seas in the
schooner Silver Wave, one of the smallest
vessels ever used for whaling purposes,
being manned by only seven men.
He was under cont Tact with Captain Nc
Kenna to spend three years in the Arctic
Ocean, in the neighbOrhood Of the mouth of
the Mackenzie River the most northerly
point reached by whales, there TO establish
whaling station. which was to be the gen.
eral headquarters of McKenna's fleet, He
was to take as many whales as possible and
send the bone TO Mckenna at San Fran
cisco.
On leaving the city he had provisions suf-
hclent only TO take him TO Port Clarence in
the Boring Sea. it being understood that Me-
Kenna was to meet him there with his other
OIL y anu give iilLl tLuit Di UNloiuuS
He met Mchenna in the neighborho0d Of
Bering Straits. ana together they sailed north
and east till they reached the Mackenzie
River. McKenna did not deem it advisable
TO reprOyision Bayne at that point, but
upon separating with Bayne told him lie
would leave the supplies at the United
States refuge station at Port Smith, some
distance to the west.
When Bayne arrived at the station he
was given the message that the supplies
I h, 1afE ut al oh
to the west.
Arriving at Port Belcher the Indians
handed him letter from Mckenua inform
ing him that it had been impossible to land
the stores, and instructiBg him to terminate
the voyage and return to San Francisco.
This cool intelligence fell like thunder
bolt on Bayne and his poor crew. They
were almost out OF provisions and winter
was approaching.
Nothing remained but to return to the
station and ask for provisions.
Arrived a the station, the crew mutinted
and refused to make the home voyage. Ice
was already forming. and the captain him
self was forced to admit that the trip would
be extremely hazardous.
On the advice of Superintendent Borden
OF the refuge station, he determined to go
into winter quarters, taking the schooner
for this purpose in protected inlet, dis
tant eighty or ninety miles from Cape
Smith.
III elueaFOTlnE 10 avoid Inc Ice, winch
was now flowing in from the opsn sea, the
schooner ran aground. They succeeded in
getting their outfit on shore. and the crew
travelled in sleighs back TO the station, the
captain remaining with the Indians during
the entire winter, living meanwhile in a
tent.
As shipwrecked mariners the crew were
allowed to remain at the station, but Cap
tain Bayne purchased his provisions from
CAPTAIN Borden and engaged in hunting
with the Indians.
Besides securing some bear and fox skins,
be found whale embedded in the ice some
distance of shore which yielded 1900 pounds
OF bone.
When the feet arrived the following Au.
gust he purchased provisions, aud with
them paid his Indians for their assistance,
ard then shipped the bone to McKenna, who
sold it for something like $1,000
When Captain Bayne returned TO San
Francisco and got well thawed out he called
upon Mckenna and asked for the proceeds
of his whalebOne.
But tie latter had not grown less cool
with his return to more genial cimes. He
claimed that the money belonged 10 him
under the old contract by which Bayne was
employed to catch whales for his account.
Captain Bayne says it is bad enough to be
left to starve in the Arctic seas, but to
lose the property which chance had flung in
his lap-wel. he puts it mildly by saying
that 1t IS adding insult to injury.