New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-22
HOW THEY NAY return.

eNp would
when the Polar Sea may be open sufficiently to adj
NIT of such voyage.
HOW THEY MAY RETURN.
TIE ROUTES FROM THE LENA RIVER BY WHICH
AMERICA MAY BIZ REACHED-PossIBLE ARRIVAL
BY APRIL NEXT.
WASHINGTON. Dec 21.-Gcorge Kennan, of this
city, who has had long and widely extended ex-
pericnce as traveller and explorer in Northeastern
ASIA sent to the Secretary Of State tod1y the fol-
lowing letter with regard to measures of the relief
and transporatio TO America of the survivors OF
WASHINGTON Dec. q, 1881.
As travelled some years AGO over each of the al
tentative routes which may be taken by the sur
yiyOrs Of the Jeanette in making their way Duck
from the Lena River in Eastern Siberia to America,
beg leave respectfully to offer for your consdera-
ton the following suggestions with regard 10 tle
return of ACCOMPLISHMENTS DE Long ana MS
men 10 their homes:
A board of naval officers has am told, had under
discussion to-day tho question OF sending vessel
around through Behring Strait to he mouth oil me
Lena to bring back the survivors Of the Jcahhetic
by sea / would respectfully urge that this plan -
utterly npracticable. first, because II ~ py no
means certair that n vessel could reach the mouth
of the Lena either from the east or from the west on
account Of lee and second. because II vessel shoud
succeed in doing 50, il would no. arrive az MS dc'I
nation until la'o next summer or carly III tl' il
and would almost certainly fail 10 ct back that
year In the meantime the survivors OF the jean
nr;ie would bee cOmpelled 10 live at the mouth ol
the Lena and endure eight or nine months more oI
harl.Lip and pgyat0u.
II seems to Dee clear beyond even the necessity OF
discussion that the survivors of th" Jeanneti' must
d, brought I'D the Lena River thl9 winter on dog
.r Ir. ~ The ~ of Yaloutsk. II "a in the HIGHEST
degree probable that the Russian Governor OF th'
Purmou~,oi nh'a-t. or >"neoL@t pfoNi9ce "lllL
who's Jurisdiction Li"utr1ani-' ou'nnnler l'r long
and h, mon now are, viii make or has already maze
arrangements Cor the importation 10 1aNuutN",
without any Instructions from the HON" Govern
l.rr rf of
order. .AoIld Dee trrHaphcI from st. Petersburg I'D
IN, Govern r-',rJrmi oi Eastern SI1.fia' ana
money e. jrtriy the expenses oi carving mem Ih,'
execution sent by tclygraph.c transfer to lr"9gl'N x.
Tn, survivor, ol the Jcauuctte on4ht to b. aDe 10
reach NaboutsS nom t4" mouth oil ~" Lrt2 IN
month OF six weeks. 81 they are physically aNl' 10
endure tire hlrashlrs of an Arctic -l,dgc Journey.
THREE ROUTES FROM YAKoUTsK.
From Y.loui-k 10 America they may take any one
of lr.c different routes First they may 90 over
IardtoS ST. Petersburg bv the Imperial Russian
posi-. via Irkuu'sk. Tomsh, Omsk, Esatcrnc'urg
and Moscow; second, they may be sent eastward
asr,,, the Stauayo Mountai.s on ruIrrr 5lcIgcs,
IN the seaport of Okhot-k ON the OEhoisk sea, and
tbrrr hr ,il'ci for next summer hy vessel from
America OF, ihird they may 90 up the Iona RIVER
hy pos this winter, Or 10y steamer an the srhH ana
tLnucr bv post OF steamer down ihr Amo't 10
Niknllry4, whore th,y may De called Tor rs
.onr gs nav ,qtiou opens IN the summer by ono of
our .hips from the ASiatic station.
IN. frs oi these routes, taking them Ia the order
I.rt or.d ~ thr longest md involves most expense
for transportation. but ON the other haHd II - by lar
The most esp .diIod- iu point Of time. II Lleuieu-
anti commander De Long and hIs mcuor any part OF
them shuut be- brought up the Lena kycr tins
winter i'm time to leave lakouisk py posi- on the Isl
Of February they could reach 81 Petersburg before
the end of Mar,h and Ice ia America before tho end
oi April $3.50
thu. country earlier than mI5uihmer. came by
mos. from Iaaout.k TO 81. Petersburg in tic winter
of l967-S in fory-fvc travelling daysand Liruten-
ant commander De Long and his men, if not broken
dawn, u health could do the same.
Tie Imperial Russian Post has stations and re-
lays of fresh hurct every twenty or thirty mllrs
aud the Eastern Railway trrmluu, OF European Rus
sl1 aud travellers have no dihcui'y IN making
from 100 to 10 mule, every i"yE,i i.',tur IouE'
Petersburg Nv This route ! estimate at $500 Tor
each man including Subsistence.
The second route mentioned that from l2kouisk
10 fine Okhutsn Sea across the St4uayol Mountains
l. th. shortest as regards actual distance, bins travel
over II involves great deal OF hiIl5hlp ana am
NOT sure that the transportation facilities Whch II
affords would meet the requirements Ol ~ large
marty ~ that of Loutcuani-C commander DE Long.
| The Russian Government relies, for the trans
pnratiOu OF It's mails over TINS routc, upon Inc
wandering bands of Ionguosr who inhablt tho
mountains and who carry courierS and travellers
from one OF their cncampmcns 10 another On rem
deer .Iclccs The distance from NakOuisk 70 the
Okhotsk sracoast il about 600 miles and made il
in the autumn of 1867, with very bad roads, in
tycut v-onc days.
m, third alternative route, viz, mp the Lena to
Irtoutsk and down the AmOor 10 NikoarvslI is
tfrely
slcighs or IN steamers The distance following tho
winnings of the RIVER, Ia 1000 miles more, but
lour-hfths at IL can he made IN summer by the
steamers If the Lena and Amoor River Navigation
Companies.
Tnking INTO consideration the advantages and
disadvantages OF the above outlined routes all of
which have travelled, wholly or in part, it seems
To me that the first and the last those from
which a choice should be made.
II the survivors of the Jeanette arrive at
Yatouts< early enough in the winter if they are
physically in a fit condition to undertake an over
land Journey, and If tins Government or Mr.. Bon
nett will furnish the necessary means, u Is my judg
mcnt tlat Lieutenant Commander DE Long and his
men should come home through Asia by the Impe-
rial Russian Post.
A RETURN by STEAMER
If on the other hand they do not reach Yakoutsb
by February or if their health and strength are not
such as to make the overland journey safe and
practicable they should wait at Yakoutsk until the
opening of the season of navigation and then 20
up the Lena TO IrkOutsk and down the AmOor 10
NikoacrsI by steamers.
From Nikolaorski they can be brought TO America
hy ships detailed for the purpose. Tho expense of
| transporting the party to America by tins route
will not he half great rs that involved m an
| land trip o st. Petersburg, and the men, ii they
take this course will not De called upon to suffer the
hardships OF auothe! "InGr Journey IN "a climate OF
extraordinary scyei ty. Should it be necessary,
| il doubtless viii be, to communicate with IIeuteu-
| anti Commander DE Long after his arrival at
Yakoutsk a dispatch can be sent him by telegraph
rs lar as lrkOutsS and by courier from there, and
| will reach him in about twenty days.
| Until the shlpwrccked party arrive ut YakOutsk
there will be some ground for anxiety with regard
| to them on account OF the physical condition TO
which they have doubtless been reduced by the ter
| Tiblc hardships they have undergone At lakOutsk
! however, they will lind ever thing which hey noed
| TO restore them to health and strength and their
journey honey ward from there VIII be one OF perfect
| safety and of comparative ease and comfort
! have taken tho liberty OF Offering hesc SUCCESS
! tons and OF furnishing this information because
| hardly ANYTHING Is known America of the zion