The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05
WHALES IN THE ARoucs.
How n Winter Is spent on Board an
Anchored vessel.
From the Chicago Record.

a voyage, not to exceed thirty-six months,
to the Arctic ocean, the understanding
being that the two winters were to be
spent in those bleak ATTITUDES
Under sail or steam we made our way
to the Aleutlan (or Fox Islands. and soon
after reached the land near the eastern
most point of Siberia, and for several
weeks we were trading and visiting with
the natives along that shore. The laws
regarding traffic in liquor or arms are
very strict in Russian and Canadian, as
well as Alaskan territory, yet l have re-
peatedly seen rum, generally of the poor
est quality, used $ q medium of exchange,
and hardly a native but has his Winches-
ter rifle, which is quickly hidden on the
approach of a government vessel.
In the beginning Of July the whalers
gather in Port Clarence. Alaska, to meet
the tender which brings supplies of food,
coal, etc, and the revenue cutter Bear
comes in at the same time, ostensbly TO
see that there are no infraotions of the
law. That season, while the Bear lay at
anchor close to the sandy beach, a party
of drunken natives made so much noise
as to attract our attention on board ship;
but the revenue officers, instead of inves-
tigaung and finding out who furnished the
liquor took no notice whatever From
row, in every native village we stopped
a che captain and officers were busy trad
ing skins and trafnckng with the native
women. These people are of a very low
standard of morality, and the great ma
jority of the whalers do all in their power
to lower that standard still further Hav-
ing nobody 60 interfere with them they
do as they please, and while the ship re-
mains in the Arctic the captain is little
king, with plenty of minions in the shape
of officers to do his bidding.
From Point Barrow east as far as Her
schel island no natives were seen and no
landings made, unless tying up TO the OBJ
structing ice can be called landing. At
the island which was to be our home port
for tho ensuing two years. we landed all
our extra supplies, dogs, etc. and went
out looking for whales, of which we Sc
cured four before the gathering OF young
ice and increased cold warned us Of the
approach OF the long winter.
Picking up deckload of firewood off the
beach, we steamed into the cove, and in
company with over a dozen other vessels.
prepared for our "hlbernation" by housing
the ship over and cutting a stock of fresh
water ice, The ships were frozen in oct
r. and from that date till July z 1895.
when we succeeded In making our way
out, the time was passed In sleeping a
little work. and much ball playing card
playing and sports Of various kinds Hav-
ing so much idle time on our hands, and
being confined in the dog kennel" OF a
forecastle by the inclemency of the
weather, a good deal of discomfort was en-
gendered, and the overbearing manner of
the officers did not tend to lessen this
condition.
During the winter nine men, at different
times. deserted and succeeded in reaching
the place they made for-the mining dis
trict on the Yukon river. However, the
long winter came to an end finally, and the
short, hot summer and long days were
on us again. For a perior Of forty-two
days the sun never sets, and any such
thing as darkness Is not thought Of
Our seasons work resulted in I'VE
whales that year, and In the fall we gath
cred again in Pauline cove with two or
our three chances for a big catch gone
and no big catch made. This thought of
the small chance that remained of our
making any money in the line of whaling
coupled with the talk of Alaskan gold
fields, which followed the receiving Of
news OF the successful trip made by the
nine deserters OF the previous winter, was
In a great measure to blame for what
happened afterward. Several occur
rences, perhaps unimportant In them
selves, helped fan the spirit of "growI'
which exists I'm every ships forecastle.
til 1t came near resulting in open rup-
ture in several cases Poor food was the
rule in some OF the ships, poor treatment
in nearly all of them.
This state of affairs had its natural
climax on Jan. IS, 1896, when a party OF
seven, of whom the writer was one de-
serted and set out I'm an attempt to get
msgivings on the part Of some friends
who were aware OF the attempt, as the
thermometer was down to IS degrees be-
low zero, and the wind blew gale from
the southwest We were poorly provided
with dogs. but four of the party had loot
ed a store house ashore on the island,
and so we had plenty of provisions. At
ter a hard pull we reached the banks OF
a small river. frozen to the bottom, which
wound It's way through a deep canyon,
the banks Of which afforded some shell
ter from the biting wind, and we made
our way up this river slouiy- intending
to head for an Indian village about 100
miles from the ships
on the road we were compelled 10 cache
part OF our profits as the travelling was
hard and everybody was tired out. and
finally we threw Off all but our bedding
and a few pounds Of flour and made des-
perate dash to reach the camp, which we
did on the tenth day. One mans foot
was so badly frozen that he could no
longer walk, and so remained in camp
with four Others while the other two
started on a return trip for the purpose
Of bring up the supplies left behind. on
the next day an armed party came up
unawares, and at the muzzle Of the rifle.
made prisoners Of the whole lot. AL
though this was Canadian territory. the
officers had pursued them the entire dis
lance and finally captured them. Three
Of our men escaped that night. and after
a long and terrible journey succeeded I'm
reaching Circle City. The other four were
taken to the ships, and there three men
were ironed and treated like convicts. The
fourth was so badly frozen that an ampu-
tation was necessary. and Capts. Leavitt
and Bodhsh performed this, doing a very
creditable piece Of work for amateurs.
OF course. this affair caused a great deal
OF excitement, and for awhile anyone who
walked away from the ships was at once
put down as a deserter. The captains had
a spy In each forecastle. and established
an armed patrol Of two officers. who kept
watch IN turns at night around the fleet.
Hardly q day passed without a rumor OF
another party setting out, and on March