Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1882-04-04

conviction lie gives an account of his
search for the missing commander on
the east side Of the river. 1t is difficult
to understand why he should have
pushed his explorations in that direction
even to the very coast and along the icy
shore, over territory which twas known
that DeLong had already traversed, and
to which there was no evident reason
for supposing that he would return.
When Norros and Ninderman were
sent on ahead by DeLong he and the re-
mining ten men were to follow their
trail up the river at such speed M they
could make with the luggage and the
partly disabled members of the party.
This was on Oct. 9th, and nothing has
been heard of them since. 1t is not
probable that they would leave the river
bank, near which settlements and game
would be more likely to be found tlian
on the unbroken plains. The limits of
the search are therefore pretty well
understood, and very little time and
strength will be wasted in haphazard
exploration. Lieut.. Harbcr, who is now
on his way to Siberia to aid in the work,
will probably not be able TO reach the
lower Lena In time to take part in the
search for DeLong, unless the parties
led by Engineer Melville, Nmderman
and Bartlett shall have been strangely
baffled In their efforts to get upon the
Trail. 1t seems TO be already understood
therefore, that Lieut.. Harbcr will wait
at irkutsk for the breaking mp Of the ice
in the Lena in May or June, and then
sail down the river in NJ Sibiniakoif's
thn IN nyY,Inrn thn
to the east OF the delta in sea- eli of the
missing crew Of the second boat, COM
manded by Lieut.. Chipp, of which
nothing has been heard since she scpa-
rated from her companions on the night
Of Sept. 18th, to the south Of Simoutki
Island. Secretary Hunt has tclegraphed
him permission to take with him five of
the seamcn who had set out for home
with Lieut.. Danenhowcr. 1t must be
confessed that the prospect Of finding
Lieut.. Chipp and his seven men alive Is
disc0uragigly slight, but II is still pos
sible that they may have found aid and
shelter at some fishing station on the
coast.
The chief grounds for hope IN respect
TO DcLong aud his men are furnished in
the accounts Of the terrible hardships
which were endured without serious
injury by those of the crew Of whose
adventures and present safety we are
Informed. Engineer Melville was ten
days IN n furious storm, and passed two
nights IN snow bank without shelter Of
amy Kind. Norros writes TO his father
that he and Nindcrman walked l2O miles
Without anything to eat, going six days
without moulhiul Of food. These
marvellous stories of endurance natural
ly suggest the reflection that Lieut., De-
Long and his companions would meet
the pcris Of their journey with similar
tUrlilulc and powers of endurance not
materially less than those which brought
Melville aud the others safely through
the bleak wilderness. The fear that
they may have been unable TO obtain
food supplies Is somewhat disquletlng,
hut there is game along the Lcna--all
travellers say llat--nnd only II few days
before Norros and NindCrman left De
Long two reindeer were shot. There is,
moreover, 4 possibility that some wan
dcling hunters or other natives may have
met the party and led them TO n settle
mrnt out of the range OF the eXploN-
ti0us thus far made. II this is the ease,
our first news Of them will be- apt to
come quite unexpectedly. and perhaps
not through any Of The search parties.
Norros and some of the other men late
" at lrkulSk are evidently of The opin-
ion that the missing men have already
perlshcd, aud this fear Is probably wide
" shared here. But the history of
arctic exploration nbounds IN narratives
of happy dclivcrHnce from situations
quite as full Of hardship and danger.
There Is yet unqucstlonably n living
chance for the commander Of the
JcunutttC,