JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 181 meat; for extra dinner and -supper; some grumbling among men at delay on this island, as we have a fair wind and open sea, and are only 96 miles from Barkin. This
is our 90th day from the ship, and for the sake of a feed of meat we are delaying or losing two good days.
12th, Sunday.Camped on south end of island; parties sent out hunting but nothing got except a few ptarmigan.
13th, Monday.Started at 7.30 a. m. and by 9 a. m. were at end of second island. Fair but brisk wind. Went along well together until noon when stopping for dinner by an ice floe. After dinner went on. W. boat stove by running on floe during the difficult navigation of the floating ice. Hauled her out and repaired her temporarily. Patch and grease. Went on, wind freshening to very strong. Sea very rough and threatening at about 3; W. boat run ahead and we lost sight of her. Second cutter astern and out of sight at about 4 p. m. From that forward we saw neither of these boats. About the time the second cutter disappeared the sea was running mountains, and we shipped one sea which nearly swamped us, filling our boat to the thwarts; bailed her and had her hardly clear when she gibed and nearly capsized, breaking mast step and disabling her. Then the C. O. had the alcohol keg hove over as a sea anchor; then the oars, the sail and yard, and an old sail or sled cover tied bagwise. The boat would not come up and ride to it, but lay in the trough of the sea all night and most of next day. I never experienced anything and hope never to know of a similar case of utter misery. Wet by every sea, trembling with cold, hopeless except in the mercy of Almighty God, we sat, jammed together, for nearly 72 hours. I make no attempt to describe what we experienced. Fortunately, the surgeon served out small doses of brandy during 1st 36 hours, and that helped to warm us for a little while; bailing continually. All the hair fairly washed off my parky as I sat under every sea that came over. Finally, through the mercy of God, the sea and wind moderated, and though wet, we had a respite from the utter misery of the storm. Baffling winds now kept us afloat, so that when we sighted the low coast of the Lena Delta we were five nights and six days in the boat, cold and wet. Even now a new trial of endurance had to be met. The water on the coast was so shallow that the boat could not come within one and a half miles of land. We therefore lay all Friday and most of Saturday, the 17th and 18th, aground by a piece of shingle ice ; and in the afternoon all hands, except the commanding officer, surgeon, Boyd, and Erichsen had to go overboard and walk the boat towards the land. We got within a mile when she grounded again, and we had to back our sleeping gear ashore in a snow storm. Subsequently the rest of the men made several trips back to boat, and C. O., surgeon, and two sick men had to foot it ashore. I remained with cook, who was very sick. My own feet were almost frozen, the big toe of right foot being black and blue and feelingless. Got a big fire going and dried out somewhat. Boyd and Erichsen's feet in an awful condition. Co's hands bandaged up; all broken out. Cook almost useless.
Sunday, 19th.Remained in camp. Men brought in everything from boat and she was abandoned. Alexy shot a gull, which made soup for 14 of us. When fortified with a little pemican grease it was excellent. Made a fire near camp, as we had plenty of driftwood, and dried out clothes. Everything on me was saturated.
Monday, 19th.Left camp about 1 p. m., after abandoning everything but two tents, 1 stove, } blanket for each man, some rubber bottles of alcohol, and a lot of truck, log-books, &c., &c., which weighted down the men beyond their strength. We were not long under way when we came to water which gave us all wet feet. Camped about 6 p.m., about S. SW. of landing-place. Turned in and slept [I] 7 in a tent, so miserably that I would rather be out in the open air. The ground was saturated with water.
Tuesday, 20th.Started from camp and made slow way, as Erichseu was completely broken down, and lay on the ground saying he would die, but could not go on. Co. and surgeon went back and boosted him along. Deer tracks seen by all hands. After dinner Alexy and Nindemann went after a small herd, but could not get up with them. Later, and before supper, Alexy, Nindemann, and myself went out after the deer, but could only find fresh tracks leading about S. W. We abandoned the No. 1 tent at last evening's camp, so had to cut No. 6 in two and sleep [t] ou hurdles with a wind-guard [g] of a log at our heads and the half tent as a coverlid. The results were awful. The cold was horrible, and the jam worse. A more miserable night it would be difficult to experience, and could not be out of the place we were in. We had a big fire, plenty of wood, but the general plan of running the machine that has
been our bane so long, still holds like a horse-leech and sucks our chances of escape away.
Wednesday, 31st.Up and away about 7.30 a. m., and made very good way until dinner, which we had in a blinding snow squall by the bank of a river, which is an out-fall of the Lena. The sick are getting along very well. After dinner, followed river bank left southward until we reached two huts on low bluff. One of the reappears to be quite new; the other perhaps a few years old; wooden skeleton covered with sods. We camped in these. Alexy started out to examine some huts he saw. He remained