National Republican., 1882-12-09
SEARCHING FOR De LONG.
Difficulties That Encountered the ResCuing
Party.
Terrible Experiences Of Melville and
His Companions.
Finding Of the Dead Bodies Of De Long, Amber, and
Others,
Burial OF the Bodies in the snow-No
Traces OF Chipp's Boat.

journeyingS, and made chart. Melville di-
rected the young pope to furnish provisions
for a search for Dc Longs party. On Novem-
Der Melville had everything ready to make
a start in search of De Longs party. Orders
what to do were left for Danenhower when he
should arrive at Belun. Melville took ma
tive who seemed to know all the huts visited
The next day Danenhower and the rest Ar
rangements were made to send all the party
south, except Bartlett 1t was impossible to
get transportation for everybody. November
12 Danenhower made arrangements to take
five men beside himself He asked witness if
he was fit to travel and Bartlett witness and
four others were left. That afternoon they
started for Yakutsk. About oath November
they lost sight of the sun. Melville had been
gone twenty days. Witness and Bartlett had
a talk with the commandant about Melville
WHO HAD BEEN GONE TWENTY DAYS.
The commandant thought Melville was all
right. The next day an officer arrived, who
said he was going north, and they thought In
that case there was no necessity for any of the
party to go in seach of Melville They gave the
officer some provisions for Melville in case he
should meet him. About midnight Novem-
ber 26 q native awohe them and informed
them of Melville's arrival. The next morn
ing Melville told witness that he had found
the cache they had left and that he brought
all the valuables found there, but the old
clothing, &c. he gave to the natives. He
found the records and rifles, but had found
none of the party, Before Melville started
witness had told him that he had no hopes of
his finding the party alive. Melville con-
cluded to wait for the return of the officer who
had gone north, and on his arrival for Yer
keransk he left with him about the LIST or Cd
of December, leaving orders to the rest to
start next day. The left Belun on the eye
nc
keransk December 10, after getting proyis-
ions left for Yakutsk where they found the
rest of the party Melville selected Bartlett
and witness TO accompany him. The natives
were celebrating their Christmas, and
THEY WOULD NOT WORK.
Danenhower and party left for the south JAN
uary 10, 1882, but the search party had to
delay until January II in order to get pro-
visions enough. Melville ordered witness and
Boubokoff to start January is for Verieransk,
thence to Bclun and there to await hts ar
rival. They left Yakutsk in the afternoon
and travelled day and night until they reached
Verkeransk, January 20. Here they stopped
couple of days to lay in supply of provis-
ions, and then proceeded toward Belun. Four
hundred versts from Belun the snow was
very deep and travelling very bad, They
killed number of wild deer before reaching
Belun. The provision train was left on the
road as the deer were tired out. Witness
succeeded in obtaining fresh deer to get to
Bulun, which was reached about February
10. 'Witncos reported his arrival to the com
mandant, and went into the same quarters
previously occupied. Melville arrived about
February 10. The provision train arrived the
next day. Melville and his interpreter LETT
Belun February 20 for Jamaralach, to bring
fish enough to last during the
SEARCH FOR DELoNG AND cHIPP.
They had trouble in getting the natives to
Gtart with the nrOViSiOn train hut finally
started on the 9th of February. They got
stuck in the snow several times, and by p.
M. the weather was so bad they could scarcely
see, and sometimes they found themselves
travelling on the river. They were compelled
to stop and wait until the snow stopped drift
ing. At 6 o'clock witness heard cry from
behald and ordered the driver to stop. Soon
native came up with n deer team and made
signs for witness to return. He went back
about ten versts to hut, and here he found
Iartlett who said they had lost some
Of their deer teams and they had
to stop and hunt them. The deer
were found, but the drivers refused to start
on account of bad weather The next morn
ing they started along the bank due north.
AT p. m. they came up to some deer teams
and witness recognized two of the natives.
Komark Surk was reached about p. N. Most
of the people had left the village, and there
were only two families there then. Here
they had to wait for the dog teams that Mel
vile was to send from Jamaraach.
A RECESS WAS THEN TAKEN.
After recess Nindemann continued, stating
that after reaching Verkeransk the sun was
visible daily. At Komark Suik the weather
was unfit for travelling, and they remained
there until March 6, when the dog-trains ar
rived. They left the next morning The
wind was blowing and the snow drifting, but
not enough to prevent travel. That day they
reached Bulcour and the next morning
started again. About noon they met man
who told them that Melville had run out of
provisions, having only fish. No hut was
reached that night, SO they camped on an
the next day, and after eating started
coming to a hut called Bilak that night, and
reached KaSkada in the afternoon of the next
day. Here they met Melville, Here they
waited some days, and Mr. Melville allowed
lspravrick to return to Verkeransk. Melville
witness, and interpreter started March 16 for
lstonda, where De Long had crossed. Before
reaching there witness recognized hut
The next day they went TO a point of land,
and followed up the bank for some time, and
one of the drivers said there was hut about
ten verstS to southeast which they visited.
THEY FOUND IT WAS NOT THE HUT
at which Erickson died. They then took up
their march again. The next day the
weather was too bad for travelling. Arrange
ments were made for Melville and witness to
go north and Bartlett to 60 To Matrei and
start from there to meet Melville and witness
about half way if possible. When witness
and Melville struck the large river again they
went to the south, They could find no hut
and camped during the night They reached
kowena about noon the next day. They had
seen nothing of Bartlett, aud reached Matre
about p. m., March %, On tho 23d
they started northwest and Gircled from
hcadland to headland until they were
going south. Witness recognized point
TO the eastward and in going east they found
place whore Il IRE had been built. Around
the fireplace they saw foot tracks. Witness
was going along the river bank to the north,
and saw the old scOw that he and Noros had
passed on the day they left the captain,
They proceeded about 1000 yards they saw
tripod with Il rifle on il about a foot out of the
snow. Witness went to the scow, and on re-
turning Melville told him he had found three
OF the party near the tripod-captain, doctor,
and All Sam-and wanted witness to help him
get them out Of the snow, Melville said he
hrst saw the cook pot on the bank and on
looking about saw
DE LONGS HAND STICKING OUT OF THE
SNOW.
Witness found five twenty dollar gold pieces
IN the captains pocket which he gave to Mel
vie. Everything found on the bodies was
TIED up. The bodies were placed together and
covered up with rags and pieces of the tent.
Ihey returned to the tripod, where the
natives had found two cases containing ships
paper. Melville told them 10 dig further,
and they soon laid bare two more bodies,
which they could not recognize. AS il was
iate, and the weather was bad, they returned
70 Matrei, taking only the ships papers, leav-