IN THE ROSS SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 61, 14 March 1927, Page 5

IN THE ROSS SEA

QUEST FOR WHALES PROFITABLE .ADVENTURES (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVEBCAEGILL, This Day. The first detachment of the Boss Sea Whaling Company's fleet, the Sir James Clark Boss and five chasers returned to Paterspn's Inlet, Stewart Island yesterday morning. The 13,000-ton factory ship had been, forced to leave the Boss Sea earlier than was expected owing to shortage of coal. Her catch consisted of 254 whales yielding 22,734 barrels of oil. ■ • The second factory ship and fleet belonging to the Boss Sea Company consisting of the C. v A. Larsen, three Star chasers, and*the Karrakatta and Pagodroma is still inside the ice barrier. . She has already taken over 40,000 barrels and proposes to remain inside the ice until the 50,000 mark is reached. The value of a jarrel of' Toil is approximately £6, so, that the intrepid Norwegians hope to take nearly £500,000 worth of oil away with them. Last year the cr npany reaped a clear profit of 40 per cent, on the return of the oil during the cruise.-A whaling fleet belonging to a rival company, which has its base at Hobart was encountered inside the Boss *Sea. This vessel, the N. t! Neilsen Alonzo, commanded by Captain 6. Jertsen, a veteran ice pilot and polar explorer, also had a satisfactory season,: and on one occasion had 4jS whales tied alongside. When the Sir James Clark'Boss left it was estimated thVit the rival vessel had about 27,00 C barrels of oil;on board, j The Sir James Clark. Boss left Pat-J erson's Inlet for the Boss; Sea on 3rd November, and experienced weather until the pack ice surrounding the Polar Cape was' reached. Navigation became slow, and icebergs were sighted continually. On one occasion 41 enormous bergs,:some of them, miles long and all a magnificent prussian/blue colour, cruised ""slowly down t^e ice lanes past the fleet in the space of an hour. The smaller chasers had a rather eventful trip through the ice. On one occasion a chaser ran herself almost high and dry on the floe, and another little vessel smashed every blade of her propeller on the ice. Twenty-one days after entering the ice .open water was reached near Coulman Island, off* the desolate coast of Victoria Land. The total distance traversed througH the ice was 1157 miles. .■ : ~~

-.umerous whales which had swum down from the Tropics came up to blow at the edge of the ice barrier, and the chasers scattered out, hunting- -in all directions. Shortly afterwards Star 6 returned with her flag flying triumphantly and towing the first fish of the season, a 90ft blue whale.' The following day was'fine and w.ann, and four more whales were captured. Next morning while one of the mammals was being cut up on the vmeat deck, flames were seen, issuing from v between the double vqv? of huge digesters. The- fire spread ' rapidly along the oil-soaked decking, and it was not until half an hour later that the flames .were subdued by means of hoses. The only damage done was the burning q'f the wooden planking which the iron decks were sheathed.

■ During the night the wind increased in violence ai^d all the whales were,torn from their moorings. Spare propellors and other heavy gear broke from their lashings and slid about the-deck. As the Sir James JjJlark Eoss wallowed, tremendous seas broke over the ship's bows from time to time, and her waist was deluged with swirling seas. The little whale catchers, had .an unenviable experience and were half submerged under green water most of the time. vAt intervals the officers of the mother ship would anxiously scan the horizon to see that none were missing. Early in the next afternoon, wljen the gale had moderated, Star 1 steamed up with; empty bunkers and four whales in tow. During the blizzard she had salvaged five of the lost whales, but one had subsequently been carried away again. The ship was considerably Battered both her port and starboard battered, being stove in when the whales rolled 'alongside. Three more Star boats turned up later, each towing fish. | After the whales had been flonsed, cut up, and boiled down, the fleet sailed for Coulman Island, and anchored close to I the inaccessible coast of Victoria Land.

On one occasion the catchers . were unable to deliver their catches owing to a violent westerly roll, and biting wind which rose to a blizzard. Tremendous seas carried away one of the whales from its moorings alongside the mother ship.

Next day marked the delivery of the first mail in thp Ross So*. The mail was brought down by the C. A; Larsen, which left Paterson's Inlet'over a fortnight after the Sir James Clark Jtoss. The same day the wireless operators succeeded in putting up what is probably a record for any ship by communicating with far-off Norway. Over 140 Christinas were transmitted from the crew. After that the ordinary routine of the cruiso was carried out uneventfully for several weeks.