The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-20
A wHALER'S RETURN.

Some Results of Life in High Lati-
tudes.
The steam whaler Thrasher arrived
at San Francisco from the Arctic, with
about 5000 pounds Of whalebone. She
sent down 5000 pounds earlier in the
year, and her total harvest for the sea-
son, 5000 pounds, will mean neat
balnce for the captain and officers.
The foremost hands and green mem
bers of the crew will have had long
ride and their share may be large
enough to leave them few dollars af-
ter their Indebtedness to the ship Is
settled.
The Thrasher went far to the north,
but saw little ice there, and not many
whales. The bone she brought down
was obtained from five bowheads. She
had some experience in the early ice
and was detained in a pack for three
weeks. This detention lost for the
Thrashers officers a golden oppor-
tunity for trading with the natives.
The other boats of the fleet escaped
the ice and had cleaned out the barter
market when the Thrasher came to
hand.
The Thrasher's office made several
attempts to trade with the natives on
the Siberian coast, but found the vigil
lance of the Russian concessionaires
too much for even Yankee ingenuity
Gold in paying quantities has been
discovered some ten miles inland from
East Cape. The Thrasher people were
shown some of the nuggets and listen
81 fo cfn ,,nc of tho Iyny1darf11I
richness of the newly found mines.
| All the trading privileges on the ST.
| berian coast have been conceded to
Russians, who guard their rights most
religiously They are working these
mines and many of the holders of con-
cessions are making considerable
money.
Oscar Whelstrom, a. Swedish sailor
on the Thrasher. went insane during
| the early part Of the cruise and was
sent home ON the steamship Portland
He was ent ashore in irons at Dutch
Harbor. So peacefully did he behave
that his custodians ashore removed the
restraining handouts and leg irons and
accorded the demented sailor large
measure of freedom. He took advan-
tage of this one stormy night, escaped
from the jail, launched a small boat,
and with only one oar attempted to
reach the Thrasher, anchored a mile
| from the beach. His absence was dis
covered and lifeboat left the beach in
chase In spite of the crankiness OF
| his craft and the fact that he had but
one oar, Oscar gave his Dursuers a
| long chase, and was within few hun
bred yards of the whaler when over
| taken.
| James Allen, another member Of the
Thrasher's crew, was left at Port Hope
at his own request. He will remain
Their until next year and will put in the
winter hunting whales and fur game
from the ice foes.
Steamer Jeanette at San Francisco
reports speaking steamers Belvidere
and Bowhead in Boring Sea October 16
Herman Mailman, sailor on the
whaler Jeanette. attempted to escape
over the ice July 1 to the Alaskan
coast, but when he had covered a mile
of the journey to the shore, the fifth
mate and party of Eskimos went af-
| ter him with rifles.
| Two other sailors, John Murphy anC
John Drew, sent a letter ashore at st
Miohaels, claiming to have been sihang.
haied and expressing preference for two
years in prison to continuing on the
whaler. They continued on the Jean.
nette.-New Bedford Standard.