The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-22

accompanies an involuntary solitude, these peo-
pie, having thus by their ingenuity so far over
come their wants, might have had reason to be
contented with what providence had done for
them in their distressful situation. But that
melancholy reflection, to which each of these
forlorn persons could not help giving way, that
perhaps he might survive his companions, and
then perish from want of subsistence, or be-
come prey to the wild beasts, necessarily dis
turbed their minds. The mate, Alexis Himkof,
more particularly suffered; who having left
wife and three children behind, sorely repined
at his being separated from them; they were,
as be told me, constantly in his mind and the
thought of never more seeing them made him
very unhappy.
When our four mariners had passed nearly
six years in this dismal place, Feodor Weregin,
whose illness we had occasion to mention above,
and who all along had been in languid con-
dition, died, after having, in the latter part of
his life, suffered most excruciating pains.
Though they were thus freed from the trouble
of attending him, and the grief of being wit
nesses to his misery, without being able to af-
ford him any relief, yet his death affected them
not little. They saw their number lessened,
and every one wished to be the first that should
follow him. As he died in winter, they dug a
grave in the snow, as deep as they could, in
which they laid the corpse, and then covered
bears might not get at it.
Now at the time when the melancholy re-
Elections Occasioned by the death of their com
rade were fresh in their minds, when each ex-
pected to pay his last duty to the remaining
companions of his misfortunes, or to receive it
from them, they unexpectedly got sight of
Russian ship; this happened on the fifteenth of
August, 1749.
The vessel belonged to trader of the sect
| LII Ia. Il - 1t
| The Old Faith, who had come with it to Arch
angel, proposing it should winter in Nova
Hembla; but, fortunately for our poor exiles,
Mr.. Vernezobre proposed to the merchant to
| let his vessel winter In the West Spitzber-
| gen, which he at last, after many objections,
agreed to.
The contrary winds they met with on their
passage made it impossible for them to reach
the place of their destination. The vessel was
driven towards East Spitzbergen, directly oppo-
site to the residence Of our mariners, who, as
soon as they perceived her, FASTENED to light
| fires upon the hills nearest their habitation,
and then ran to the beach, waving a flag IN ade
of q reindeer's hide, fastened to pole. The
people on board seeing these signals, concluded
| that there were men on the island who implored
their assistance, and, therefore, came to an an
chor near the shore.
1t would be in vain to attempt describing the
joy of these poor people at seeing the mo-
ment of their deliverance so near. They soon
agreed with the master of the ship to work for
him on the voyage, and to pay him eighty
rubles on their arrival for taking them on board,
with all their riches, which consisted in fifty
pud, or two thousand pound weight of rein
deer fat, in many hides of these animals, and
| skins Of the blue and white foxes, together
with those of the ten white bears they had
killed. They took care not to forget their bow