Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-11-03
AN OPEN POLAR SEA.
A STEAMSHIP CAPTAIN WHO SAID HE
COULD HAVE CROSSED IT.

Efforts to CiyliIxe the Eskimos.
That steamers can pass through the Arctic
ocean IN certain years is the opinion Of
Captain A. IL. McGrcgor. based upon his
experience In the polar region. Captain
McGregor las seen - years service in the
Arctic aud commands the steamer Orca.
owned by the Pacific Whaling company OF
San Francisco. He was at the Hotel Per-
kins and talked Of his experience
last year" he said, mine OF the Pacific
Whaling eompany's steamers and ships
reached Cape Bathhurst. the furthest point
north aud east over reached by vessel OF
any Kind. We had been whaling ia Behr-
ing sen, and having finished what Is termed
the outside catch Ia July we started for
the Arctic to finish the season.
I've passed along the east shore, round.
ed Point Barrow, and then made the Jour.
neg to the cape, which Is near the McKen-
zle river We east anchor aud whaled there
the rest of the season. The natives were
somewhat surprised NJ our appearance but
rs they bad seen white men before they
soon Overcame whatever fenr they might
have felt and became very friendly They
did not dllier In the least from other Eski-
mos We sounded the ocean near the Nc.
kenzle aud found that boat drawing
NlNlt llhlN lplE lefL Nl water tOLll not
proHch within 30 miles OF tue river The
land ON both sides was mountainous aud
covered with snow The oldest native told
us that It was many winters since white
men came by boat. which led me TO believe
that no boat had reached tho cape since
Captain Collinson was there In 1855. Cap.
tain Colliuson and his party visited the
place In small boats wheu they were max.
ing a survey OF the British possessions. but
they were compelled to remain there three
years before they could return
"Slr John Franklin passed the cape IN
small boats on his famous expedition and
came as far west ns Franklin, or Return
reef There he evidently became discour-
aged and disheattened and started on his
return trip, Had lac known that he had u
clear sea before him he doubtless would
have continued Ola his way and lived to toll
future generations " the hnrdships con
nected with arctic explorations. fle could
have made what IL called the northeast
passage and come out on the Pacific ocean
and forever settled the question whether u
vessel could reach Alaska from Greenland
through the Arctic But he saw nothing
but monOtOuUus stretch OF land aud what
appeared to he n closed sea ahead Of him.
lie had kept in sight OF shore during his
entire expedition, aud 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.
I'VE could have made the trip from the
Pacific TO the Atlantic Inst year II we had
no desired, but our business was whal-
Ing, not exploring Natives ut the cane,
whom questioned, told me that the ocean
wns fairly open three years out OF four, and
that there was great big sea- one year in
live. Last year was what they termed
great big sea, and they said that thesan
conditions prevailed In 1899. A large YES
sci could not pass through fairly open
sea, so the chances OF reaching Greenland
through tue Arctic sea are one IN FIVE
From this ! am inclined to tho belief that
both Franklin and Colinson entered the
ocean when IL was open"
When Captain MoGregor was asked about
his experience ia u whEler, ho said. "Once
In awhile We encounter some dangers, such
as being caught In the ice, but such acct
dents are not frequent. A vessel will some.
times be stuck for three or four weeks be.
fore 1t can be freed from the leo, and occA.
sionallJ II is damaged by collision with Il.
gantio iloea or by being caught between
them. Plonks are sometimes stove In, but
as there Is no danger OF sinking on account
OF the vessels being thoroughly saturated
with oil very little attention Is paid TO such
accidents.
After working through the Ice, which ia
generally about June /, the vessels try TO
get into hchrng strnit ahead OF thewhales
The strait is the narrowest point, and the
object Of the whAlcrs is to get there first
and take the whales ~ they come through
on theirway to the Arctic. The vcsselscruise
there until July |, when the tender arrives
from san Francisco with coal, potatoes and
other supplies aud takes the oil aud whale
bone This Is termed the outsids catch
Then the Whalers strike for the Arctic and
finish the season thore. They have com.
munication with the natives all the time
and exchange some OF their supplies for
reindeer meat, llsh, ducks aud ptnrmlgau.
When the season 10 ended some Of the YES.
sells put nat Port Clarenee tine rendezvous
for the feet
Captain MeGregor said the Eskimos have
made no advances to civilization. An aged
native told me that there is tradition
handed down from father to son that tile
boats and weapons OF the hunt and chase ace
the same today Ms they were SO yeats ago.
The firearms and traps, tobacco and calico
were all introduced by white men. The rs.
kiuio Is satisfied with everything as he luds
IL and makes no effort to effect any inn.
prdrementa The native population Is ran.
IDLY Diminishing They cannot withstand
the march OF civilization, unused a, they
arr 20 It's Injuries aud yices
"four schools have been established for
them IN Alaska, aud they arc being taught
10 read and write, but It would he better
for them II they were left alone. In their
original state they got along we'll, bnt etu.
cation Is their moral ruin. When he learns
TO read aud WRITE the native thinks he is
the superior Of his fellows and the equal OF
the white man, and no affects the white
mans habits, whether moral or immoral.
lie goes TO school simply Tor amusement.
lie wants to learn to read write and talk
that he may trade with the whites and he
regarded ~ one OF them. 1t cannot be said
that the money expended on the schonls has
been w spent or misappruprinted, only that
the Eskimo is unlike the Indian, and the
same method OF training cannot be applied
to both
The arctic is a cold region, hut the frig.
ldity OF the atmosphere cannot be felt
through the furs that serve US as clothes
The mean temperaturo is ~ degrees below
zero, but during the 81 days that the sun IS
IN sight the mercury rises TO 81 degrees or
W degrees. Portland Oregunlan
"ypsiianu."
| have seen II stated that the name