Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-06-06
OFF FOR LONG CRUISE
FROM TROPlC SEAS
TO ARCTIC FLOtS
v. 8. REVENUE CUTTER BEAR
LEAVES FOR THE ICY NORTH.
MAY FIND NORWEGIAN
EXPLORER.

Bound on a voyage of thousands OF
miles from the tropics to the Arctic,
the revenue cutter Bear steamed out Of
the harbor at 1915 o'clock this morn.
Ing. Many caps anJ handkerchiefs
fluttered from her decks as the vessel,
shining white in new coat of paint
and every spar polished, swung out
from her moorings and started her
long trip. 1t will be months before
the cutter comes back from the frozen
seas, perhaps years before she is in
this port again.
The Bear is going to the Arctic to
keep the usual patrol of those seas
and to lend any assistance that may
be necessary to the whaling fleet there.
But back of this duty, eventful as 1t
is likely to prove, there is more
spectacular and romantic mission. Cap
tain Hamlet has received orders to
keep shart lookout for the Norwe.
gian sloop Gjoa. and for the eight
men aboard the little craft.
The Gjoa is a acton sloop on as dar-
ing an exploration as any in the annals
of maritime history. Three years ago.
on June II, 1902, the little whaling
sloop, commanded by Capt Ammund.
sen, and having on board several men
interested in Arctic exploration, sailed
from Christiania, Norway. Captain
Ammundsen called his mission the
Magnetic North Pole Expedition, and
xtyitIa hn ItI all 10. oh
the North Pole, he felt sure of discov.
eriRg the true magnetic pole. Since
then several vague and unsatisfactory
rumors Of success or failure have from
time to time reached the world. Cap.
tain Ammundsen's plan was to take
route never before tried, reach the
northwest passage when the channel
was free of ice, and steer boldly into
the unknown. IL was reported in
American papers several months ago
that the expedition had succeeded; an.
other rumor was that the party were
Imprisoned In ice.fioes.
At any rate, the revenue cutter Bear
has been instructed TO watch for the
little whaling sloop and II the vessel
is found to re.provision her II neces.
cary, or to take the expedition back
down the coast in the fall. IL the
Gjoa should have become damaged dur.
Ing her years in the ice-seas.
Captain Hamlet of the Bear this
morning expressed some doubt as to
whether he would find the vessel.
I'VE shall not look for It any farther
north than Point Barrow" he said.
81 really doubt II we get any news Of
1t until next year, unless the news Is
brought by whaling ships. or course
II We hear that the Gjoa is In dis.
tress we will go to its aid, but will
make no special search for il north Of
the point mentioned. II will probably
be further into the Arctic than we go.
But the whalers are expected to have
had some news Of the expedition.
"As to our cruise In the Arctic wa
tiers, we will do as we always have
lend assistance to the whaling ships
or any vessels in distress, and patrol
the ice'floes. We will return In late
October, or II the winter closes early.
possibly in September"
The Arctic cruise is not a new ono
for the Bear. Her name Is classical in
the service for the trip north several
years ago to rescue starving whalers
Imprisoned by the Arctic ice-noes far