The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-21
TOLD BY CAPT. "A. N. BABER
Explains How the Natives of the
Siberian Coast Hunt Whales and
Other Thrilling Tales of Naviga.
ton in Distant Sea.

pioners are the stories Of Captain A.
NJ. Baker, OF the schooner Sophia
Johnson, which left last week for the
Siberian Coast, and other far north.
ern points says the Railway and Ma
rine News. The Johnson is a craft
OF about 25 tons and has been recent
" purchased by Messrs, Baber and
Compbell from Port Angeles party.
She has been fitted ont with an Auto
matte engine from the Hallidie Ma
chinery Company, and installed by
C. H. Markey & Co. Captain Baber
formerly owned the schooner Evie
and has been engaged for a number
OF years in trading on the northern
coast. On this passage out the little
schooner will carry everything to
delight the heart Of the native of the
northern land. Among her cargo is
much bright colored cloth for the wo-
men folks and many guns and am
munition for the men. Speaking of
his work, Captain Baber says
There is nothing like this life for
me. We leave Seattle and go down
the straits and out into the broad Pa
cihc. There is that sense of freedom
that the folks at home can never feel.
We have our hardships and the taste
OF danger, but at the same time we
do not care much wether school keeps
or not, and we do not look every
morning for the daily paper. From
Puget Sound we will go to Pribioff
Island. Here I have permission from
Secretary Strauss to stop and secure
pictures of the seal herds. These are
for moving picture concerns and win
be the first ever taken. From here we
head off in northwesternly direction
and bring up on the Siberian Coast
at the Admir- River, where ! meet the
governor and secure my permit for
trading there. Next we work along
the coast and probably across to
Nome, sometimes in July, and then
back to the Siberian Coast again. /
hardly thing this coast suitable for
the American trapper or hunter, be-
cause the natives can sell so much
cheaper. The coast here is like that
of Nome. For several hundred miles
back it is treeless and with sparse
vegetation. Then the country gets
mountainous and heavily wooded.
Here is the home of the cinnamon
bear, while along the coast is the fox
and many other fur bearing animals.
The coast natives go whale hunting,
too, and secure the whale as they
swim down the narrow channels among
the ice foes. They use the whale gun
for getting them. This gun is practi-
cally thrown at the whale and is ar
ranged so when the whale is struck
the charge in the gun is fired by a |
spring trigger This is turn sets off
the heavy bomb loaded with "tonite"
This may be, perhaps, six or eight |
feet in the body Of the whale If the
shot strikes in the back OF the neck |
it means the death Of the whale, as
the destruction wrought by this bomb |
is trrihc. The whale will turn over
and float bottom up and is soon in |
the hands Of his captors. If the shot
is not effective a dozen may be fired |
into him before he is killed. | have
seen twelve shots fired into one Of
them. The bone is a good source Of
revenue, though last year | lost some
money on it. When / reached Seattle
] was made an offer for my bone, but
as the market was shy ! thought /
could do better in San Francisco. On
the way down on the President I re-
ceived wireless message which stat
ed that the whaling feet had reached
San Francisco with a record cargo Of
whale bone and the price had taken
a big drop. As this was just before
luncheon it rather took my appetite,
but | have laughed about it since.
1--WE have some heavy weather in
the north, and ! must say / have seen
the wind blow there. | remember
one instnce when the wind blew so
hard that the seas were fairly smash
ed fat When the wind died down
there was a swell that made one sigh
Tor green fields. In this storm we had
to cue and run before the gale and
the schooner seemed to jump from
one swell to the other, and ! thought
she would pound herself to pieces
Again we have the ice and sometimes
It picks boat up and we drift along