The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-10-31
AN OPEN POLAR SEA.
A STEAMSHIP CAPTAIN WHO SAID He
COULD HAVE CROSSED IT.

The Voyages Of Captnia Collinson aud Sir .
John Franklin RecaIlcd-ESpcricnee oi .
whaIsrs-An Opinion a. 10 the Results Of .
Inorts to Civilize the Eskimos.
That steamers can pass through the Arctic .
| ocean In certain years Is the opinion Of .
| Captain A. ~ 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 u
| san Francisco. lie was Mt the Hotel Per |
| kius aud talked of his experience.
| "Iast 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, aud having finished what is termed
the outside catch in July we started for
the Arctic 10 finish the season.
ave passed along the east shore, round
| ed Point Barrow, and then made the jour
ney TO the cape, which Is near the McKen.
lie 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 u boat drawing
more than four feet Of water could not APP
proach within 30 miles of the river The
land on both sides was mountainous and
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 the cape since
Captain COliinson was there in 1850 Cap
tain Collinson and his party visited the
place in small boats when they were max
ing a 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 AS far west as Franklin, or Return
reef. There he evidently became discour-
aged and dishenrtened and started on his
| return trip. Had he known that he had
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 a
vessel could reach Alaska from Greenland
through the Arctic. But he saw nothing
but "A monotonous stretch Of land and what
appeared to be n 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-
D ing, not exploring. Natives at the cape,
whom questioned, told me that the ocean
was 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 the same
conditions prevailed in 1850. A large yes
sci could not pass through fairly open
v sea, SC the chances Of reaching Greenland
through the Arctic sea are one in five
:, From this am inclined to the belief tina,
both Franklin and Collinson entered tn,
ocean when IL was OPEN"
When Captain McGregor was asked about
his experience MS a whaler he said: "Onc,
in awhile we encounter some dangers, sucl
as being caught in the ice, but such acci
dents are not frequent. A vessel will some
er times be stuck for three or four weeks be
fore it can be freed from the ice, and occa
r sionally it is damaged by collision with II
gantic foes or by being caught between
10 them. Planks are sometimes stove in, bu
as there is no danger Of sinking on account
of the vessels being thoroughly saturate,
with oil very little attention is paid to sucl
accidents.
after working through the ice, which 4
generally about June |, the vessels try t,
get into Behring strait ahead of the whales
The strait is the narrowest point, and tn
object of the whalers is to get there frs
faly hale a.
on their way to the Arctic The vessels cruis
there until July l, when the tender arrive
from San Francisco with coal, potatoes an,
other supplies and takes the oil and whale
bone. This is termed the outside catch
W. Then the whalers strike for the Arctic AM
finish the season there. They have com
munication with the natives all the tim
and exchange some of their supplies 70
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"
Captain McGregor said the Eskimos hav
u. made no advances to civilization. AN age
native told me that there is tradition
handed down from father to son that tn
boats and weapons of the hunt and chase ar
the same today as they were 500 years ago
The firearms and traps, tobacco and Gallo
"tit ny Mhiit Ht I4k
kimo is satisfied with everything as he find
it and makes no effort to effect any i'm
provements The native population is rap
idly diminishing. They cannot withstan,
the march Of civilization, unused rs the
q are to its luxuries and vices.
-Four schools have been established 70
H. them in Alaska, and they are being laugh
o. to read and write, but it would be bette
for them IL they were left alone. In thei
original state they got along well, but edu
cation is their moral ruin. When he learn
to read and write, the native thinks he |
the superior of his fellows and the equal @
%, the white man, and he affects the whit
mans habits, whether moral or immoral
He goes to school simply for amusement
He wants to learn to read, write and tall
that he may trade with the whites and b
regarded as one of them. 1t cannot be sal,
that the money expended on the schools ha
been ill spent or Incorporated. only tina
the Eskimo is unlike the Indian, and tn
ry same method of training cannot be apple,
to both.
"The arctic is cold region, but the frs
N: idity of the atmosphere cannot be fel
IA through the furs that serve us as clothe.
The mean temperature is A degrees belo'
zero, but during the 81 days that the sun
In sight the mercury rises to 80 degrees {