Because such areas had been little surveyed, evidence of its presence came chiefly from whalers, explorers and the like 'who coasted along these inhospitable regions'.
He almost certainly got there on a whaler.
Some of the barques became involved in the whaling trade but never as whalers themselves because they were not as manoeuvrable as the steam whalers.
The next year eight whalers caught 800 whales.
Such vessels are often referred to in polar literature as 'whalers' or 'former whalers'.
Recorded oral interviews with former whalers.
He was also concerned with the tremendous waste in the early days when the whalers were interested only in the blubber, and he encouraged better utilisation of the carcasses.
Frithjof was used as a tug, towing whales from the whalers out at sea to the station ashore.
