The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-04-05

WAsHrSeroS. March 24.-Secreta-
~ Hunt has received from Passed
assistant Engineer George w. Mel
vile. under date Of Yakoutsk, East
ern Siberia, January Sd, copy of
letter of instructions sent by him
(Melville) TO the 1srrawick local
govemoral] of yerkhoyansa as fol.
lows
at is nv desire, and the wish Of
the government Of the United States
of America, and of the projectors of
the American expedition, that a
diligent and constant search be
made for my missing comrades Of
both boats. Lieutenant De Long
and his party. consisting Of twelve
persons. will he found near the west
bank of the Lena river. They are
south of the small hunting station
which is west of the house known
among the Yakouts as Gu Vina.
They could not possibly have march
ed as far south as Bulcom. There
fore, be they dead or alive, they are
between Gu Vina and Bulcom. |
have already travelled over this
ground, but / followed the river
bank: therefore it is necessary that
a more careful search be made on
the high ground back from the river
a short distance, as well as along
the river bank. examined many
huts and small houses, but could
not Of couse examine all Of them.
Therefore, it is necessary that every
house, large and small, shall be ex-
amined for books and papers or the
persons of the party. Men without
food and with but little clothing
would naturally seek shelter in hu.s
along the line of march. and, if ex-
hausted might die in one Of the huts.
They would leave their books and
papers in a hut, if unable to carry
them farther. Ii they carried their
books and papers south of that sec
ton of the country, between Mot
Bulcom, they will BE- found piled up
in heap and some prominent OBJ
ject erected near them, if not on top
them. In case books and papers
are found, they are to be sent to the
American minister resident at st.
Petersburg. If they are found in
time and can be forwarded to me
before l leave Russia forward them
to me. The persons Of the dead |
wish to have carried to central
portion most convenient Of access to
Bolun; all placed inside of a small
house, arranged side !by side for fu-
ture recognition, the hut then Sc
curely closed and banked up with
snow and earth, and to remain SO
until a proper person arrives from
America to make final disposition
of the bodies. In banking up the
hut have it done in such a manner
that animals cannot get in and de-
stroy the bodies. Search for the
small boat, containing eight persons,
should be made from the west
mouth of the Lena to and beyond
the east mouth of the Jana river.
After the separation of the three
boats. No information has been
received concerning the small boat,
but as all three boats were destined
to Barkin and then to go to the
mouth of the Lena River, it is nat
ural to suppose that Lieutenant
Chipp directed his boat to Barkin if
he managed to weather the gale, but
if from any cause he could not find
a Lena mouth, he would continue
along the coast from Barkin west
for north mouth of the Lena, or
south for an eastern entrance or
mouth of the Lena river. If still
unsuccessful in getting into the
Lena river, he might from stress of
weather, or other cause be forced
along the coast toward the Ajana
river. Diligent and constant search
Is commence at once and to contin-
ue till the people, books and papt-s
are found, care being taken that
vigilant and careful examination of
that section of the country where
Lieutenant De Long and his party
are known to be is made in early
spring, when the snow begins to
leave the ground and before the
spring floods commence to overflow
the river banks. One or more
American officers will, in all proba-
bility, be in Belun in time to assist
in the search, but the search men
toned in these instructions is to be
carried ON independent of any other
party, and to be entirely under the
control of competent authority Of
Russia.
[Signed]
GEORGE w. MELVILLE.