The international composition of the whaling fleets that sought Balaena mysticetus north of Canada before 1915 has long been a deterrent to the compilation of a complete set of voyage and catch data. Using unpublished whaling logbooks and journals, manuscript annual summaries of Dutch and British whaling, and other sources, the author assembles data annually for each of the whaling grounds of Davis Strait, Hudson Bay, and the Beaufort Sea, which indicate that more than 29,000 whales were secured. Considering gaps in the coverage and the mortality of wounded escaped whales, the total kill during the whaling period may have exceed 38,000. This reconstruction is considered preliminary; additional research could improve the completeness and accuracy of the information. RESUME. La composition internationale des flottes de baleinieres qui ont chasse la Balaena mysticetus dans le nord du Canada avant 1915 a toujours nui à la compilation des voyages et des prises. A l'aide de livres de bord et de journaux personels non-publits, et de rtsumts annuels hollandais et anglais concernant la chasse à la baleine, ainsi que d'autres sources, l'auteur a rassemblé des données année par annte pour chacun des territoires de chasse du detoit de Davis, de la baie d'Hudson, et de la mer de Beaufort. Ces donntes indiquent que le nombre de prises s'tleve à plus de 29,000. Considhnt la manque de donntes durant certaines ptriodes, ainsi que la mortalitt des baleines qui se sont échaptes aprks avoir tttc blesstes, le nombre total de prises durant la ptriode de chasse a vraisemblablement dtpasst 38,000. L'auteur considere ce travail préliminaire. Un examen plus approfondi devrait permettre de compltter et de prtciser les renseignments sur le sujet.
Forty-nine books and articles published during the last 140 years give two dozen different figures for the number of expeditions that participated in the search for Sir John Franklin (1847-59). The figures range widely, from 17 to more than 70. According to the classification of expeditions presented here, 20 search expeditions, 11 supply expeditions, and one relief expedition (a total of 32) were directly involved in the Arctic search, and four bi-purpose expeditions contributed in some way, making a total of 36. Three aborted search expeditions failed to reach the Arctic.
The search for Sir John Franklin (1847-59) coincided with a growing interest in mesmerism and modern spiritualism in Britain. Several clairvoyants, claiming to 'see' Franklin's ships and crews in the Arctic, made statements about the status and location of the overdue expedition, and at least three mediums described communications with Franklin's spirit. Although the Admiralty provided assistance to Dr Haddock, the mesmerist of Emma, the Bolton clairvoyant, they did not take any action on the basis of her statements, probably because the various accounts were contradictory and could not be verified, and because the Admiralty Lords were sceptical of paranormal phenomena. Lady Franklin, on the other hand, visited clairvoyants and altered the plans for her search expeditions under Forsyth and Kennedy on the basis of a revelation. Recently, an American medium has described more than two dozen conversations with the spirits of Sir John and Lady Franklin.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.