Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-03-24
AM0NH THE ICEBERGS.
Lieut.. Melville one OF the Officers or
the Jeanette Makes Report TO
the Secretary of the Navy

The lieutenant says: We made land
at the mouth of the Lena river, Sept
10th, four days after the dispersion OF
the Jeannette's three boats, and
reached a settlement called Bakoff
September 26th. The ice was making
in the river. On the next day I made
an effort to get up the river, with three
native pilots, but after grounding very
often the pilots insisted on returning,
and the condition of the party did not
warrant me in advancing, for most of
us were very exhausted, suffering from
frozen feet and legs and lack of food, a
majority being unable to walk. The
natives gave us quarters and a limited
quantity OF fish and decayed geese.
On Oct. 10th, Russian exile named
Koosmah Guymayeff discovered us ac-
cidentally. He gaue us salt and all the
food his scanty supply allowed, and
agreed to go to Belun to inform the
| commandant at that place of our pres
ence and obtain food and transporta-
ton. He started Oct. 10Th, and was to
return in five days, but he did not re-
turn until Oct. 10Th, when he brought a
small supply of food and reported the
commandant would be a Bukoff Nov.
L. with deer and sleds to carry
the whole party to Belun. On his
way back, Oct. 26, Koosmah met two of
the first cutters crew at Kumouk
Snake, and they gave him brief note.
1 started Immediately with dog sleds
for Belur hoping to intercept the COM
| mandant on the way. but he had
reindeer, and travelled by different
route. Mr.. John w. Danenhower, hav-
ing recovered the use of his eyes, was
placed in charge of my party, with or
ders to follow me to Belun as soon as
transportation could be obtained. l
arrived at Belun Nov. =, and found the
two men in a very exhausted condi-
ton.
From them l learned the following
particulars of what transpired subse-
quently to Oct. l, the date of the latest
of Lieut.. belongs records: The party
crossed the Lena to the west bank Oct.
l, at summer hunting lodge, called
Usterda. The toes of Seaman Erick-
son having been amputated, he was
placed on an improyised sled. which
was hauled by his comrades, several of
whom were hardly able to stand, owing
to frozen feet and legs. They proceed
ed south slowly for two days and cross
ed small branch of the Lena, which
they had to wade. On Oct. 6 they
stopped at small hut, where Erickson
died next day, and was buried in the
Lena.
After fourteen days of intense suffer
ing and slow progress they reached
Bulcour, and were found by three ma
tives who supplied them with food and
transported them to Belun by deer
sleds, arriving at that place Sept. "a
The commandant at Belun took good
care of them, but was unable to under
stand them. He gave them material
and they wrote a long dispatch ad-
dressed to the American minister at St.
Petersburg, whichthe commandant took
to Bukoff. On Nov. IA, ! followed the
east bank of the Lena to the coast; fol-
lowed the coast about three miles to
the east and found a cache that had
been made by DeLong, Sept. 10 1881.
| made thorough search and gathered
up everything, the sleds being too heavy
laden to carry it. l searched for the
boat both east and west of the cache
for distance of five miles each way,
and to distance of Que and one-half
miles off shore, and saw no signs of it.
The ice was very much broken, and
was showed up in masses to within
twenty-five feet Of the cache. return
ed about midnight to Ballacka, and to
Upper Belun next day. Nov. 15, dur
ing heavy storm, | was obliged to
wait there two days to rest and feed the
dogs. During this time / overhauled
everything in the cache, and the fol-
lowing is correct list, viz: One box
containing refuse medical stores, one
box of small articles of mess gear, one
box for navigation books and sextant,
one box chronometer, two tin cases
containing four log books, two cook
stoves. seven old sleeping bags, con-
desaned, one lot of old clothing, worn
out, one Winchester rifle. one repeat
ing rifle and other articles. There
was no list of articles found in the
cache, but the following record was
found in the navigation box:
Arctic exploring steamer jean
nette, Lena Delta, Monday, 10Th, Sep
tember, 18S1.-The following named
fourteen persons belong to the Jean
nette, which was sunk by ice June II,
1881, in latitude n. 7715 longitude los
degrees, landed here on the evening of
the 18th inst, and will proceed on foot
this afternoon to try 70 reach a settle
ment on the Lena river.
GEORGE w. DE LONG,
Lieut.. Commander.
l. Lieut.. De Long; 2. Surgeon Am
bier; 3. Mr.. Collins; 4. W. F. C. MIN
derman; 5. A. Gartz; 6. All Sam; z.
Ale1y; s. III. III. Erickson; 8. H. HI.
Koch; 10. G. w. Boyd; IL. III. w. Lee;
Il. n. Juerson; 13. L. p. Morris; "A. A.
Dreseler."
Whoever finds this paper is request
ed to forward it to the secretary of the
navy, with note of time and place at
which found"
Copy of record No. 4, found in hut
by Yokut, hunter, and given to me at
Upper Belun.
GEO. NJ. MELVILLE, P. A. Engr. q. S. N.
Saturday, Oct. /, 1S81-Fourteen
of the officers and men of the United
States arctic steamer Jeannette.reached
this hut Wednesday, September 2S,
and, having been forced to wait for the
IlNOI W ncSZc OfGI, are pTOC66ulDS 10
cross to the west side this morning, on
their journey to reach some settlement
on the Lena river. We have two days
provisions; but. having been fortunate
enough, thus far, to get game in our
pressing needs, we have no fear for the
future. Our party are all well, except
one man, Erickson, whose toes have
been amputated in consequence of
frost bite. Other records will be found
in several huts on the east side of this
river, along which we have come from
! the northward." Here follow the sig
natures of the party.
Enclosure
UNITED STATES ARrIc EXPEDITION.
CAPE EMMA, BENNETT ISLAND, Lat. 76
deg. 3S min, Long 14S deg. 20 min. 20
E, Aug. 5. 1SS1.-To p. A. ENGINEER
GEo. MELVILLE, U. s. N.-Sr- We
shall leave this island to- morrow, steer
ing course lover ice or through the
water as the case may bel south, mag
netic. In the event of our embarkins
In our boats At any time afer the start,
you are hereby ordered to take COM
mand of the whale boat until such
time as ]. relieve you from that duty
or assign you to some other. Every