Year: 1879

HIGH LATIrUDEs-rHE JEaNNErrE SIGHTED


The following extracts are taken from letter pub
lished in the New Bedford Mercury OF November Is
and written by First Officer John Thurman
or the bark Sea Breeze, which arrived at San
francisco on the 7th from whaling voyage in the
Behring Sea- At the time of the vessels arrival the
HERALD published a despatch from its San Francisco
correspondent, giving the more important points OF
the letter relating to the Jeannettes whereabouts:


AUGUST ~. 1s79.--We lay at anchor under Point
Hope in company with several other vessels,
count Of heavy gale from the north. While here
we got some wood. We left Point Hope on the 21st
with light south wind bound up along the eastern
shore. eleven sail being i'll sight. But
large body of ice extending across the
ocean aud making on the land at ley Cape
stopped our progress northeast toward Point
Barrow. There were several vessels northeast
OF Icy Cape that had been there for several days
Progress Pacific, Mount Wollaston, ]. Howland.
brig Hidalgo, schooners Alaska. Giovanni Apani and
Captain L. Williams steam launch Bouquet. We had
strong northeast winds for few days winch made no
impression toward clearing the eastern shore. We
lay between Icy Cape and Point Lay. sometimes at
anchor and sometimes under way, waiting the re-
suit to the vessels that were blockaded Finally,
about noon ON the 29th OF August saw them coming
south. The Vigant in beating up between Bios
som Shoals and Icy Cape ran ashore. They started
$50 barrels of water and got her OIL again.


AUGUST 30. z. M-Startcd for Herald Island. We
had to go Us tar south as % deg 20 min.
north latitude from Icy Cape. and longitude ia
deg. west, before We could haul up toward





north probably from the eastern ice and the west
ern pack 1t might have been TWENTY-FIVE or thirty
miles across. terminating in point Tor the bottom
OF the hole about fifty miles south uteast from
Herald Island. We saw sail to the west of us on
the I'd of September which appeared to be
her again, steering north-northwest and north,
and We We're following in her track. About
see her again Tor an hour About nine A. M.
we hauled up the starboard tack heading north
cast. wind east-southeast. About hali-past nine
A. MI. a q ,l q
could see her occasionally between fog squalls until
noon. when the wind lot 80 to calm and thick
fog, heading of to the south-southwest,
along the western ice. While clear in the
forenoon made her out distinctly to be steamer
under sail. with fore and maintopsal maintopgal-
liant sail. fore and aft sail, all the jbs and tri-
angular spanker, to all appearance bark rgged She
was distant about nine ten miles, bearing west
northwest from us when last seen. We held no com-
munication with her. On the 4th, p. H.. it cleared
up nicely. nothing i'll sight but ice far ana near


SEPT. 4.-Fine breeze from north-nortwest
Steered of under all SAIL till ten p.
M; shortened sail und lay aback; saw one sail to
the southeast of us. On the 5th four sails in
sight making mp from where we came trom the
Rainbow and Norman nearest to us; Herald Island
in sight Worked up to the head Of the hole then
lay aback. Spoke the Rainbow ana Norman. We
stopped up in that hole three or four days. About
all the fleet is here excepting the Viyilant brig Hi
dalgo and one schooner. On the Sth found the ice
closing in the western pack all of us had to start
ice tor safety to prevent us from being blocked in
the ice. In running out with double reefed top
sail breeze in narrow gut, the ice almost closed
in together


SEPT. 1O.--Two three vessels had their boats
down whaling. These the frst whales that have
been seen in the Arctic this season. There


show OF whales from the 18th up to the latter part
of September. Several ships did tolerably WELL
September appeared to be quite good month for
whaling. with the least gales and lghtest winds for
many years. August was very blowy month. We
took our whales OH the 18th and 14th and 10Th OF
September and 9Th and 9th Of October, making us
eight whales this


The Sea Breeze headed southwark the 7th
of October and after seventeen days of running
fore gales skir.ng around ice foes and heaving to
in fog and snow squalls. she once more riding
ON the clear water of the Pacific Ocean.


THE ARCTIC oCEAS-lTs TREAcHERoUs CUR
RENTs--oPINIoNs OF wHALERs AS TO THE
WHEREABOUTS OF THE JEANNETTE.


from the San Francisco Call. Nov 12l
The whaling barks Norman, Captain Campbell, and
Tleetwlng. Captain Heppington, arrived from the
Arctic Ocean yesterday morning. The Norman was
the last of the whaling fleet to arrive at this port
fall and Captain Campbell brought the news OF the
safety OF Professor Nordenskj0lds expedition which
he learned from the natives at St. Lawrence Bay. He
then supposed that the vessel reported by them as
fast in the ice Cape Serz Russian war
vessel which had passed up through Behring Strait,
not having hoard anything of the Swedish expe-
dition. This report OF Captain Campbell the
cause Of vessel being fitted out few months after
ward to GO to the rescue Of the Vega, and which
was lost on the Japan coast just before the Vega
arrived at Yokohama. When he went into the
Arctic. in June last. Captain Campbell learned
from the natives on East Cape that the Vega
was all safe, "two sleeps OFF, up the coast.
and tho crew were well. and that they ex-
pocted to get out rs the ice broke up.
Being asked his opinion to the whereabouts Of





got into Wrangel Land. but that he feared from
the position In which she last that
sho had been caught in the pack ice, and il so she
would have to stay there until next spring He does
not believe there Is any such thing open polar
sea. but is firmly of the opinion that the nearer the
Pole you get the more ice yon will hnd The conver
saton naturally turned to the whaling vessels which
were last in the Arctic in 1876.


"Were there any navigators among them who re-
mained IN the ships which abandoned OFF Point
Barrow that fall?" inquired the reporter.


eyes there was one; the steward Of the Onward
was an excellent navigator and smart fellow. 1t
ut his instigation that most of the men stayed
on board the ships after it had been decided to
able to winter board and get out in the
spring; and il they did they could claim salvage
the vessels. fourteen in number. which
with the oil and bone on board would have netted
them quite little sum. But with the exception
of two kanakas who were ON board the Acors Barnes
which drifted ashore to the westward of Point Bar
row. nothing was ever heard OF the ships or Crews
nearly fifty men in all Where they went to or how
they met their death only conjecture"
eyes," remarked the Captain. 1.-THE ice packs and
OF the Arctic Ocean treacherous things


ARCTIC CURRENTS.


In the course OF interview with Captain Lew
Williams. of the brig Hdalgo. yesterday. Call
reporter gathered some interesting information
concerning the currents OF the Arctic Ocean
Captain Williams says that on the 3Oth of Sep
tcnber lie passed to the north OF Herald Island
and saw ice to the southwark, about the
island. There visible along Wrangel
Land either. In going over the course he had
passed along where four weeks before Captain
Barnes reports heavy pack ice to tho southward
well as to the northward. After cruising about
Herald island for % week more in company with
the Eanbow, Dawn aud Helen Mar. he found tLat
the pack ice had drifed up from the southward and
across their track. so that to get back to the
longitude where the rest of the fleet and which
they left tho last of September. they compelled
to work to tho southward and beat around the pack
a distance of nifty miles Captain Williams says
that the season has been unusually ia
vorable for the Jeannctte. IL Captain De
Long has been fortunate enough to avail himself
of the opportunities. III he had waited until tho
ghth n September bcfore the Arctic his