The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-03-01
AN OPEN POLAR SEA.
A Steamship Captain Who Said He
Could Have Crossed It.
Tia Voyages Of Captain CoIInson and Sir John franklin
Neutrality-suspicious. Of WhaIeE,

That steamers can pass through the Arctic
ocean in certain years is the opinion OF
Captain A H. McGregor, based upon his
experience in the polar region. Captain
McGregor has seen % years service in the
Arctic and 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 company's steamers and ships
reached Cape Bathurst, the furthest point
north and east ever reached by vessel of
any kind We had been whaling in Behr
ing sea, and having finished what is termed
the outside catch in July we started for
the Arctic to finish the season.
1--WE passed along the east shore, round |
ed Point Barrow, and then made the jour |
ney to the cape, which is near the Mcken-
zie river We cast anchor and whaled there
the rest of the season. The natives were
somewhat surprised at our appearance. but
as they had seen white men before they
soon overcame whatever fear they might
have felt and became very friendly. They
did not differ in the least from other Eski-
mos. We sounded the ocean near the Nc
Kenzie and found that boat drawing
more thar four feet of water could not APP
proach within 80 miles of the river. The
land on both sides was mountainous and
covered with snow. The oldest native told
lis that it was many winters since white
men came by boat which led me to believe
that no boat had reached the cape since
Captain CollinsOn was there in 1855. Cap
tain Collinson and his party visited the
place in small boats when they were max
Ing survey of the British possessions, but
they were compelled to remain there three
years before they could return.
Sir John Franklin passed the cape in
small boats on his famous expedition and
came rs far west as Franklin, or Return
reef. There he evidently became discour-
aged and disheartened and started on his
return trip. Had he known that he had u
clear sea before him he doubtless would
have continued on his way and lived to tell
future generations of the hardships con-
nected with arctic explorations. He could
have made what is called the northeast
passage and come out on the Pacific ocean
and forever settled the question whether
vessel could reach Alaska from Greenland
through the Arctic. But he saw nothing
} but 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 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.
I'VE could have made the trip from the
Pacific to the Atlantic last year if we had
so desired, but our business was whal-
, ing, not exploring. Natives at the CAPE
whom questioned, told me that the ocean
was fairly open three years out of four, and
| tln,,, -,
five. Last year was what they termed
, great big sea, and they said that the same
conditions prevailed in 1889. A large yes
sci could not pass through n fairly open
sea, so the chances of reaching Greenland
= through the Arctic sea are one in five.
e From this am inclined to the belief that
both Franklin and Collinson entered the
ocean when it was open"
When Captain McGregor was asked about
a his experience as a whaler he said: "Once
d in awhile we encounter some dangers such
h 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-
n fore it can be freed from the ice, and occa,
e sionally it is damaged by collision with gi.
4 gantic foes or by being caught between
them. Planks are sometimes stove in, but
e of the vessels being thoroughly saturated
q with oil very little attention is paid to such
accidents.
After working through the ice, which is
n generally about June |, the vessels try tC
'e get into Behring strait ahead of the whales
IA The strait is the narrowest point, and tn,
. object of the whaers is to get there first
- and take the whales as they come through
3. on their way to the Arctic. The vessels cruis,
n there until July l, when the tender arrive.
,g from San Francisco with coal, potatoes ant
o other supplies and takes the oil and whale
t. bone This is termed the outside catch
-" Then the whaers strike for the Arctic ant
g. finish the season there. They have com
y municatiOn with the natives all the TIM
and exchange some of their supplies TO
reindeer meat fish, ducks and ptarmigan
When the season is ended, some of the yes
sells put in at Port Clarence, the rendezvou
for the fleet"
Vi Captain McGregor said the Eskimos hav
ID made no advances to civilization. AN age,
r, native told me that there is tradition
n. handed down from father to son that tn
boats and weapons of the hunt and chase ar
10 the same today as they were 500 years age
The firearms and traps, tobacco and Gallo
q. were all introduced by white men. The Es
;f kimo is satisfied with everything as he find
it and makes no effort to effect any in
Oh provements. The native population is raj
a idly diminishing. They cannot withstan
no the march of civilization, unused rs the
are to its luXuries and vices.
ia -Four schools have been established fc
ap them in Alaska, and they are being taugt
st to read and write but it would be bette
90 for them if they were left alone In the
-, original state they got along well, but edl
iu cation is their moral ruin. When he learr
10 to read and write, the native thinks he
a the superior of his fellows and the equal ,
~. the white man, and he affects the whit
mans habits, whether moral or immora
er He goes to school simply for amusemen
in He wants to learn to read write and tai
to that he may trade with the whites and
.. regarded rs one of them. 1t cannot be sa
90 that the money expended on the schools hi
been ill spent or misapproprated. only TIL
nd the Eskimo is unlike the Indian, and Il
he same method of training cannot be apple
.lv to both
- 1.-The arctic is cold region but the fri
ie idity of the atmosphere cannot be fe
o. through the furs that serve us as clothe
an The mean temperature is "A degrees belo
,;o zero, but during the 81 days that the sun
in sight the mercury rises to so degrees
30 degrees. "-Portland Oregonian.
he ---
he "Ypsilanti."