The Nome nugget., 1920-03-13
NATIVE cAsTAWAYs RETURNED TO HOMES BY BUREAU
 OF EDUCATION

The three Yukon castaways who ar- rived in Nome Last week, after drifting for fifteen days on a floating ice cake in Boring Sea, with no other shelter than a flinsy tent and with no susten- ance aside from small quantity of raw seal flesh. were started on their way home Wednesday morning, after being fitted out for the homeward trip by the Bureau of Education superin- tendant. Mfr Dyfed Evans.
 As related in last weeks issue of the Nugget, the natives belong at a vil- lase situated on the coast near the lower mouth of the Yukon. They arc believed to have drifted fully 1o5 miles from the time they were carried away on the ice floe near their village until they reached Nome. Capt Thos. A. Ross of the Coast Guard. who cared for the men until they were taken un- der the care of the Bureau of Educa- tion during the afternoon of the day following their arrival. says he was told by the castaways that the ice cake on which they were carried away drifted over a very circuitous course when in motion. They report ed seeing Stewart Island near St Michael some days after they were fDs .1f-tf drifting in a southeasterly direction Later they apparently drifted deep in- to Norton sound as they reported sighting Cape Denbeigh. situated near the entrance to Norton Bay They were so far off. however, that landing Was out ofthe question. After sighting Cape Denbeish. they apparently float ed out to sea. in the direction of St Lawrence Island until wind or curren, brought them toward the Nome shore 1 end enabled their landing on solil ice The natives said for eleven of the fifteen days of their journey the ice cake moved very little. Landing on the solid ice, the party was four days in reaching Nome according to their story. and apparently travelled about 65 miles to reach shore.
 They told Capt. Ross they killed no seal during the fifteen days journey, the seal on which they subsisted hay- hnt l,,,.
 the ice carried them away. One of them said that after landing on tho shore ice they found their dogs badly debilitated through lack of food and
 were going to kill them. but finally decided to bring them through The animals managed to pull the sled and bout through to within about four miles from Nome before one of the sled runners broke and caused them to abandon the boat. Later 1t was SC. cured for them by Nome native The party possessed a total ot thirteen matches with which they managed to make fire of seal blubbe.. and melted enough snow for drinking water en- route. thus avoiding suffering from thirst. All three Of thc men are mar ricd. one of them captain Jack, hay. i three children oni the others two each.
 Following their appearance lt the Coast Guard station Friday morni,:s Capt. Ross provided thesmen with ia. cilities for warm bath and change of clothes and also sat them down to the first real meal they had enjoyed since leaving their homes. Neatly the entire party was suffering from swol-
 en joints and displayed many indica
 tons of physical exhaustion, but af-
 ter bathing. eating and rubbing thei
 inflamed joints with liniment, they ex-
 pressed themselves as feeling pretty
 good" Saturday afternoon they were
 turned over to Mir Evans. who provid
 ed them with supplies for their jour
 ney home and also arranged for their
 shelter enroute. The natives had
 their own dog team and sled. brough.
 from the Yukon homes.
 I