The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-27
IN OPEN POLAR SEA.
oTeAMsHlP CAPTAIN WHO SAID He
COULD HAVE CROSSED IT.
- Voyages 81 Captain coiiinson and Sir
1ehn Franklin neutrality-suspicious. Of
vvhnlers--An Opinion ~ to the Results OF
xNorts to Civiifzs shs Eskimos.


vhalsrs--An Opinion ss TO the Results OF
&5 HGorts to Civiiizs she Eskimos.
That steamers can pass through the Arctic
@r>ean fn certain years In the opinion OF
|Inpfain A. II. McGregor. based upon his
|>xperience In the polar region. Captain
<fcGrecor has scen % years service in the
rcfic. and commands the steamer Orca,
|<wned by the Pacific Whaling company OF
San Francisco. He was ~ the Hotel Per
lns axd talked OF his experience.
'IAst year" he said. mine OF the Pacific
whaling company's steamers and ships
|Heached Cape Bathurst, the furthest point
|horth ana east ever reached by vessel Of
INV kind. We had been whaling in Behr-
|1nc sea. and having finished what is termed
Ire outside catch in July we started for
|ahe Arctic TO finish the season.
awe passed along the east shore, round
la Point Barrow. and then made the jour
|ncv TO the cape which is near the McKen-
|ric liver. We cast anchor and whaled there
|khe rest of the season. The natives were
nomewhAt surprised at our appearance. but
q thev had seen white men before they
loon overcsme whatever fear they might
have felt and became very friendly They
|nos We sounded the ocean near the Nc
|Kenzie and found that boat drawing
more than four feet OF water could not ap-
kroach within 80 miles of the river. The
[ond ON both sides was mountainous and
lowered with snow. The Oldest native told
hs that it was many winters since white
men came by boat, which led me 10 believe
khat no boat had reached tho cape since
r-ff L. g.
hahn Collinson and his party visited the
place in small boats when they were max
Ing survey OF the British possessions, but
*hcy were compelled TO remain there three
tears before they could return.
"S!r John Franklin passed the cape in
mail boats on his famous expedition and
lame as fsr west as franklin, or Return
reef. There he evidently became discour-
heed and disheartened and started on his
returr trip. Had he known that he had -
blear sen before him he doubtless would
have continued on his way and lived TO tell
<uture generations Of the hardships con-
hected with arctic explorations. He could
have made what is called the northeast
bassage and como out on the Pacific ocean
Ind forever settled the question whether
vessel could reach Alaska from Greenland
through the Arctic. But he saw nothing
bat monotonous stretch OF land and what
appeared to be closed sea ahead of him.
He had kept In sight of shore during his
|Entire expedition, and seeing nothing ahead
but land probably thought it was endless.
When Return reef was reached, he turned
back, and that is the last known Of him.
1--WE could have made the trip from the
Pacific TO the Atlantic last year II we had
- desired. but our business was whal-
he, not exploring. Natives at the cape,
whom questioned, told me that the ocean
|vas fairly oper ..aree years out of four, and
hat there was great big sea- one year in
Iva Last year was what they termed
|xrea& big sea- and they said that thesa
Sonditions prevailed in 1850. A large ves-
III could not pass through q fairly open
&oa, 90 the chances of reaching Greenland
hrough the Arctic sea are one in five.
from this am inclined to the belief that
both Franklin and Collinson entered the
Dcean when Il was 'open.'"
When Captain McGregor was asked about
Ms experience as a whaler, he said: "Once
Ia awhile we encounter some dangers, such
- being caught in the fee. but such acci-
Ionts are not frequent. A vessel will some
Hines be stuck for three or four weeks be-
lore IL can be freed from the ice, and occa-
&fonally IL II damaged by collision with gi-
|rantic foes or by being caught between
<bcm. Planks are sometimes stove in, but
- there is no danger OF sinking on account
~ the vessels being thoroughly saturated
With oil very little attention is paid to such
academia
AFTER working through the ice. which is
|Eenerally about June 1, the vessels try TO
kct into Behring strait ahead OF the whales.
The strait is the narrowest point, and the
bbject of the whoiers is to get there first
Ind take the whales as they come through
|cn their way to the Arctic. The vessels cruise
therc until July I, when the tender arrives
from San Francisco with coal, potatoes and
|Dtber supplies and takes the oil and whale
Zone. This In termed the outside catch.
Then the whalers strike for the Arctic and
1nish the season there. They have com
munication with the natives all the time
md exchange some OF their supplies for
feindeer meat. fish. ducks and ptarmigan.
When the season IL ended, acme OF the YES
|Dels put in at Port Clarence. the rendezvous
|10r the feet"
Captain McGregor said the Eskimos have
made no advances TO civilization. San aged
notive told me that there Is a tradition
handed down from father to son that the
boats and weapons OF the hunt and chase ara
HE same today as they were 500 years ago
Ehe flrearms and traps. tobacco and calico
vore all introduced by white men. The Es-
limo Is satisfied with everything as he finds
g and makes no effort to effect any inn
provements The native population is rnp-
dly diminishing. They cannot Withstand
Ehe march OF civilization. unused as they
|nse to its luxuries aud vices
-Four schools have been established for
Ehem in Alaska. and they arc being taught
powTead and write, but II would be bcNer
|Dbl them II they were left alone In their
|DFfginal state they got along well, but edu-
cation is their moral ruin. When he learns
10 read and write. the native thinks he is
|ehe superior Of his fellows and the equal Of
|khe white man, and he affects the white
mans habits. whether moral or immoral.
|He goes to school simply for amusement
he wants TO learn 70 read, write and talk
|1hat he may trade with the whites and be
|reZarded n one Of them. II cannot be saii
|chat the money expended OF the schools has
bcen III spent or misappropristed only that
|ohe Eskimo is unlike the Indian, and the
Dame method Of training cannot be applied