At the present time land stations are operated at Kekerten and Blacklead, in Cumberland gulf and at Cape Haven, all on the east side of Davis strait. At the mouth of Ponds inlet in Baffin bay a small ketch is stationed; in Repulse bay a similar vessel is used as a whaling station. With the exception of Cape Haven these are owned in Scotland, the Cape Haven station belonging to a firm in Boston, U.S.
Only one or two white men are employed at each, and the whaling is altogether in the hands of the natives.
None of these stations are making great profits, and some of them are being maintained at a loss. They are of great assistance to the natives, and it is to be hoped that nothing will be done to discourage the owners, who according to present returns should be helped rather than hindered in their work.
The natives have for years looked for assistance to the whalers both on Baffin island and Hudson bay. They have quite given up the use of their primitive weapons, and there is no doubt that a withdrawal of the whalers would lead to great hardship and many deaths among these people if the Government did not in some manner take their place and supply the Eskimos with the necessary guns and ammunition.
The influence of the whalers upon the natives does not appear to have been as bad as in the western part of the Arctics. The excessive use of alcohol has never been practised, and has now been totally stopped. Disease due to sexual intercourse has been introduced and has, no doubt, led to many deaths. Other diseases introduced have carried away numbers of these people. It is doubtful if the morals of the Eskimo, which are of a different standard from those of Europeans, have deteriorated through sexual intercourse with the sailors.
The future of the whaling industry appears to be very gloomy. The annual catch is decreasing regularly, and only the high price of whalebone makes it at all profitable. No certainty of a single whale can be had, and the enterprise is reduced to almost a gambling chance. During the past season the following returns were collected from the various ships and stations visited:—
Era.—One small whale taken at Southampton up to the 20th July. To this must be added the bone of a large and small whale taken by natives before the Era’s arrival in 1903.
Balaena.—One medium whale, three-quarters of a ton of whalebone, to 23rd August.
Diana.—Three whales, two and a quarter tons of whalebone to 23rd August.
Eclipse.—Two whales, one and a half tons of whalebone, to 23rd August.