Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-07-22

New York, July l2.-Mr. Jackson, tho
writes from Yali!tsk Fate seemed
against De Long. Had he landed thirty
miles further west, he would have struck
Il village of natives. lie also passed
by within thirteen miles Of u hut where
twenty reindeer carcasscs were hanging
for winter food. lie had, unfortunately,
no shotgun, from It's having been left,
by his orders, on the lee when the Jean
nette went down, and, though deer was
rare, there was no lack Of ptarinigan.
Ie Long is constantly recording numcr-
Gus ptarmigan tracks, but for their capt
nre Alexa had only n rifle, and, though
a good shot, only succeeded in obtaining
very few. On the day Non os and Ninder-
man were sent away by De Long, a large
flock Of two hundred ptarmigan settled
within a quarter Of a mile Of the party.
but none were shot. With a single shot
gun IN Alexa's hands all might have
been saved. The sun was too late for
deer. \ strange incident also came to
my knowlegc ut Gemovialk. Some
Tongtiesc natives, travelling from the
north to Bekoff, saw the footprints of
the party two days old, and picked up
tne Remington which De LONG had left
in 4 hut half way from the landing place
to the bluff. The natives were rrighten.
ed, and thought that the footprints were
those OF smugglers or robbers, and left
The ground without following. On ar.
irving at Temovialek. they heard Of the
presence of the Melville party of three
IL the loss Of the captains party, and
they, fearing to be punished for not fol
lowing the footsteps, kept their informa-
ton ~ themselves for su,I,e weeks. upiii
too late.
he Long made mistakes in endcsvor.
ing to secure the safety Of his own pri-
sate logs, which were bulky. as wei. ms
the scientific documents and other use
less impediments-a heavy burden for
the men. These could have been left in
the cache near the place where they
landed; but they had to been borne by
the mcn through all the days of their
weary march. These things filed one
dog.sled when found near the
bluff.
After Noros and Nindcrman left the |
party dId not make more than eighteen
miles from Oct. 8 to the Both. De Longs
last effort was to carry his private logs
charts NJ from the place under the
bun, where Mr.. Collins and the others |
died, and where they would have been
swept away By the spring foods, to the
.op of the bluff, where the doctor and
IN s'iin persisted but he only succeed.
"a IN carrying the chart case up. Even
before Noros end Nindcrman lcft. De
song was very weak. lie used to walk
minutes and then lie down to rest.
aging to the men, Don't mind me: 90
N rs Tar as you can. | will follow,
'ufing his wanderings on the delta. De
.ong built a large bonfire as high AZ
hirty feet every night, the last one
eng a few hundred yards from the
'iuf where they all persisted, in the
lope OF attracting the attention Of par.
Ies who. he kept saying, wouid certain.
J be out looking for him. But there
ias not 4 lslinan being, at the time or
'ieir death, within a hundred miles. /,
Arrangements have been tnade nv !
10Y. Tchernieff, OF Yakutsk. to have ,hc
'mos OF de Long and party covered
nth a deep layer OF earth. TO nrcva,,
ne possioi'ity Of the sun tl,awiny the
odies. ifthis be do,e promptly dorh,.
rss the bodies will remain -unto,.,,., 6
decay forever, MS The ground rona;ns o
rozen on the delta all the year rorna -,
dept Of two nd. The bodies can
be removed at a later date 70
esired. Gen. 1~AchernieF has AFRO c,,s
Russian inscription to be placed on
ne tombs, and has given orders TO the /
fiiclals north that every care shall be
TO preserve the tombs and the
'onument In good condition.
y - thought that Arab Pasha viii
Aa 4 - sLLA ~