The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-21

all day on sand spit, at night coming
to open water, aud we had to retTace
our steps; this completely discouraged |
broke down. We were starving, having
for food only one ounce of alcohol per
dsy.
On the 10 DeLong decided to send
N Ii emann RnI l In search Of hl'p
instructing us TO go south to a small
Russian settlement, which he believed
TO be only fifteen miles aw8y. II we
found no ole we were to go tO second
and even third settlement, forty miles
distant; he expected us to get help and
return in three days at the most, and
told US not 10 come back without help
OF game. He gave us riffs and forty
rounds of ammunition, and two ounces
of alcohol, our share Of all that was left,
then divine services were held, and we
said farewell-they looked and acted as
as If they never expected to see us again
in this world As we climbed up the
bank DeLoDg called for three cheers,
aud they were given; but such dlsheart-
ening cheers They watched us until
we passed around the bend Of the
river and were lost to sight to them for
eVer In this life! The first day Ninde-
man shot bird, which we stripped of
feathers and roasted over drift wood
fire, eating it all without further clean
ing. The third day there was terrible
gale, and WithOu! being able to help
ourselves, we We're blown about over the
ice in an opposite direction from that
which we we're intending to travel. That
night we scOOped out hole In snow
drift for shelter, but did not dare to
sleep, through fear of freezing. 1t took
several days to get back to where we had
been before the gale, and all the time
We were without fOld. Then we came
across q hut and found some bones
burned to oinder, which we eagerly
ate; now we got so weak that every five
minutes we had to stop, aud lie down
on the ice to rest; the plngs of hunger
we're such that we ate the sOles Of our
boots, and the legs Of our seal
ska trousers, which we're made
of tanned seal skin. We wan
dered on and on, and at length
reached a hut where we found some fish
covered with mold; we ate heartily, and
became very sick. While there we
heard noise the second day, and think
ing it was deer Nndemann got his
rifle, and was creeping to the door, When
| in stepped q native, who at sight of
NindemAnn and the rifle, fell on his
knees from fright, and began j1boeriDg
away for dear life. We finally made
him understand that we were not going
to kill him, but were hungry, WheTeup-
on he went off and returned with two
other natives, with raw, sliced fish and
warm clothing. We were taken to their
camp aud 1 sstOnished the natives by
eating big dish Of deer meat, and Min
demann the same. They were part of a
caravan going into winter quarters, and
only visited the hut for net that had
been left there by accident"-a mighty
lucky accident for US.
I'VE tried every way to make them un'
| deTstaDd about our comrades to the
north, but all to no purpose. When we
got to the settlement q Russian exile
came, and we thought he understood US,
but instead of De Long and his ten un-
fortunate companions, he thought we
meant Melville and his party, which
numbered Just elC ven, and were all right
below US. He consented to carry let
ter from US to get through by some
means to the government, but, as we af-
terWaTd learned, miscOnstrUed our
meaning, and carried 1t to Melville,
whom we then thought dead. Then we
wrote long letter TO the minister at
St. Petersburg, and gave 1t to the com
mandant at the settlement for delivery,
aud he, also thinking. we meant ii for
Melville, carried 1t down to him. Mel
vile, greatly to our surprise, walked In
on US soon afteFWsTd, and after eXplana-
tions, prepared to go In search of De
Long | ffeTed to go as guide, although
very weak then, but he declined my ser
vices and started. He was gone twenty
eight days, bat failed to 6ud the party
This was in October, and nothing
further could be done until the follow
ing March, when he started again, with
INindemann in the party. They were
riding along the river bank one day
when they saw three sticks, arranged
like a tripod, sticking up with rifle at
tache1. Then they saw an arm sticking
up out of the snow, and clearing away
the snow found the body of De Long
near by we're the bodies of DR.. Amber
and the Chinese cook, and the note
book of De Long, containing in
formation of the whereabouts oi
the rest of the party. The bodies of the
remaining seven we're found within q
radius of four or five hundred yards; the
body of the Indian hunter was not re-
covered, he having been one of the first
to die. How the bodies were cared fol
and finally brought to America fOI
burial, together with our own return
are facts too we'll known to require go
ing into details AL! l have got to add
further Is, that have had all the Arctic
experience | want"
NorOs met Lieutenant Hsrber, whC
brought back the bodies Of DeLOng and
his comrades, in New York.