Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-22

couId reach Alaska from Greenland
through the Arctic. But he saw nothing
hut n monoionous stretch OF land. ana
what appeared 10 be ciosed sea ahead
OF him. lie had kept In sight OK shore
Daring his entire expedition. and seeing
nothing ahead but land, probably thought
Il was endless. When Return Reef was
reached he turned back, and that Is the
last known 'of him.
COULD HAVE CROSSED.
I'VE could have made the trip from
the Pacific 70 the Atlantic last year IL We
had SO desired. but our business was
whaling. not exploring. We found what
Ia called the breeding-ground OF the
whales. which lies between Cape Bath
hurst and tn Mckenzie river. We left
four vessels. the Norwalk. Baiaeva.
Grampus, and Newport to winter there
while the others finished the season on
the Siberian coast. Those that wintered
I'm the Arctic have been whaling all the
summer, but we have had no report
from them and do not know II the ocean Is
open again this year. Natives at the cape.
whom questioned. told me that the
ocean was fairly open three years out
OF four. and that there was q great big
sea- one year In five. Last year was what
they termed great big sen and they SAID
that the same conditions prevailed IN 1917.
A large vessel could not pass through
a fairly open sea. so the chances OF reach
ing Greenland through the Arctic sea are
one I'm five. From this am inclined to
believe that both Franklin and Coilinson
entered the ocean when II was open.
When Captain McGregor was asked
ebout his experience as a whaler he said:
"Once In a while we encounter some dan-
gers. such as being caught in the Ice, but
such accidents are not frequent. A vessel
will sometimes be stuck for three or -FOUR
weeks before Il can be freed from the Ice
and occasionally IL Is damaged by COLL
sion with gigantic foes. or by being
caught between them. Planks are some
times stove in, but as there is no danger
OF sinking, on account or the Vesseis
being thoroughly saturated with oil, very
little attention is paid TO such accldents'
After working through the ice, whlch N
generally about June lst, the vessels try
TO get into Behrlng Strait ahead OF the
whales. The staff Is the narrowest point,
md the object of the whalers IL to get
there first and take the whales as they
come through on their way to the Arctic.
The vessels cruise there until July list,
when the tender arrives from san FRAN
cisco whit COAL potatoes, and other sup
plies. and takes the oil and whalebone.
This Is termed the outside catch. Then
the whalers strike for the Arctic anu
finish the season there. They have COM
munication with the natives all the time,
and exchange some of their supplies Tor
reindeer meat. fish, ducks and ptarmigan.
When the season is ended some or the
| vessels put in at Port Clarnce, the rem
devious for the fleet. Last winter many
wIntered at Cape Bathurst. where hhe
wood house for the storage OF provisions
and coal has been erected. a large eaten
| Is expected this year, but IL IL impossIp'e
| TO estimate it, The outside eaten was
small during June and July, but no re-
| mort was received from the vessels at the
cane. II is thought that these vessels VIII
make a big haul, as they are right IN the
breeding grounds and have been whaling
all season. One vessel took sixteen
whales last season. another got only one
| and another caught none at all. The
average value OF whales is $1,000. From
50 to $50 barrels Of OIL and from l.SOo TO S'oo-
mounds of bone is obtained from each
whale The oil is old IS or 40 cents
gallon and the bone for Sc n pound
NO ADVANCES.
CAPTAIN McGregor said the Eskimos
have made no advances TO CIVILIZATION
| IAN aged native told me that there Is
a tradition handed down from father 10
| son that boats and weapons OF the hun'
| and chase are the same to-day as they
were 800 years ago. The firearms and
| trans. tobacco and calico were all intro
| duced by white men. The Eskimo is
| satisfied with everything as he mas IT.
and makes no effort to effect any I'M
provements. The native population is
rapidly diminishing. They cannot with.
stand the march OF civilization, unused
| as they are to It's luxuries and vices
"F'our schools have been established for
| them I'm Alaska. and they are being
| taught TO read and write but 1t would
| he better for them II they were left alone
| In their original state they got along well
| lint education Is their moral ruin. Wher
| he learns to read and write, the native
thinks he Is superior 10 his fellows ano
the equal OF the white man. and he anects
| the white mans habits. whether moral oil
immoral. He goes 10 school simply foi
| amusement He wants TO learn 10 reau
write. and talk. that he may trade WITH
80 whites and be regarded as one o'
them. 1t cannot be said that the money
expended on the schools has been u
spent or mlsappropriated, only that the
Eskimo is unlike the Indian, and the same
method Of training cannot be applied &c
| both.
"The Arctic is cold region. hyt the
] frigtdity Of the atmosphere cannot b'
| felt through the furs that serve us a.
| clothes The imean temperature IL y
| degrees below zero, but during the hity
seven days that the sun Is In sigh'
the mercury rises to 80 or 30 degrees.