104 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



month. June came in with light and variable winds and foggy weather ; 

 but the ice opening somewhat, the ships pushed through in sight of Cape 

 Navarine, where they took five or six whales, and for a short time heard 

 many more spouting among the ice. About the middle of June the ice 

 opened still more, and the fleet passed on through Anadir Sea, taking a 

 few whales as they went. By the 30th of June the vessels had passed 

 through Behring's Straits, preceded by the whales. Waiting the further 

 breaking up of the ice, they commenced catching walruses, but with com- 

 paratively poor success. During the latter part of July, the ice disap- 

 pearing from the east shore south of Cape Lisburne, the fleet pushed on 

 to the eastward, following the ice, the principal portion of which was in 

 latitude 09° 10'. A clear strip of water appearing on the east shore, 

 leading along the land to the northeast, they worked along through it to 

 within a few miles of Icy Cape. Here some of the vessels anchored, un- 

 able to proceed farther on account of the ice lying on Blossom Shoals. 



About the Cth of August the ice on the shoals started, and several 

 ships got under way. In a few days most of the fleet was north of the 

 shoals, and, aided by favorable Aveather, they worked to the northeast as 

 far as VVaiuwright Inlet, eight vessels reaching there on the 7th. Here 

 the ships either anchored or made fast to the ice, which was very heavy 

 and densely packed, and whaling was carried on briskly for several days, 

 and every encouragement was given for a favorable catch. On the 11 th 

 of August a sudden change of wind set the ice inshore, catching a large 

 number of boats which were cruising for whales in the open ice, and 

 forcing the ships to get under way to avoid being crushed. The vessels 

 worked inshore under the lee of the ground ice, and succeeded, despite 

 the difficulties of the situation, in saving their boats by hauling them 

 for long distances over the ice, some of them, however, being badly 

 stoven. On the 13th the ice grounded, leaving a narrow strip of water 

 along the land up to Point Belcher. In this open water lay the fleet 

 anchored or fast to the ice, waiting for the expected northeast wind that 



those seas. Tiio locality iucludes the water between the Asiatic and American coasts 

 north of 50^ north latitude: 



Year. 



No. of 

 ships. 



183'J 

 1840 

 1841 

 1842 

 1843 

 1844 

 1845 

 184() 

 1847 

 1848 

 1840 

 1850 

 1851 

 1852 

 1853 

 1854 

 1855 

 1856 

 1857 



20 

 29 

 108 

 170 

 2H3 

 2!)2 

 177 

 150 

 155 

 144 

 138 

 278 

 238 

 232 

 217 

 178 

 143 



Tear. 



1858 

 1859. 

 1860 

 1861. 

 IH02. 

 1863. 

 1864 

 1865. 

 1866. 

 1867. 

 1868. 

 1869. 

 1(!<70. 

 1871. 

 1872. 

 1873. 

 1874. 

 1875. 

 1876. 



Total 

 barrels. 



121, 6.50 

 94,160 

 62, 678 

 55, 024 

 19, 526 

 36, 010 



35, 490 



36, 415 

 5ti, 925 

 57, 620 

 43, 230 

 38, 275 

 49, 205 

 15, 000 

 19, 680 



19, 300 



20, 120 



21, 980 

 5, 250 



