page_title: Russian rescue expedition of 1903
section_title: Expedition
hierarchical_section_title: Russian rescue expedition of 1903 / Expedition
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Первая страница рукописи А.В. Колчака "Дневник перехода с Михайлова стана на остров Беннета и обратно"
context_page_description: The Russian rescue expedition of 1903 was commissioned by the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences to rescue the groups of Baron Eduard Toll and Alexei Byalynitsky-Birulya that were left near New Siberian Islands by the Russian polar expedition of 1900–1902. The expedition was organized and led by Alexander Kolchak, then a young researcher and lieutenant of the Russian Navy, and later a ruler of Russia.
context_section_description: In early may, the expedition reached Adzhergaydahe, the northernmost settlement of the continent, and on 5 May began its journey to the New Siberian Islands. The expedition included 17 people and was equipped with 10 sleds, each dragged by 13 dogs. The boat was transported by two sledges and 30 dogs, who were helped by people, yet they refused to pull for longer than six hours. Transportation was carried at night, when the ice was strong enough to support the sleds.
  On 23 May the expedition members reached Kotelny Island, where they engaged in hunting and fitting of the boat while waiting for the ice to melt for navigation. By 18 July, the waters were cleared from ice, and the team split in two groups: seven men sailed ahead on the whaleboat and helped the others to find a path through the icefields.
  On 26 July the expedition met Sergei Tolstov, a sailor from the 1900–1902 expedition who was left on Faddeyevsky Peninsula to wait for Toll, whose traces were not found anywhere. Further on Cape Vysoky they met Brusnev, who was also left by the previous expedition to assist Toll, and rested at his camp for a day. From Cape Vysoky, the team traveled through open waters, using sail and oars, and on 4 August reached the Bennett Island. There, on Cape Emma, Kolchak found a bottle with a note from Toll and map of the island.
  Using the map, Kolchak, Begichev and Inkov went to the other side of the island, where Toll made a camp. While crossing cracks in the ice, Kolchak miscalculated a jump and disappeared under icy water. He was rescued and re-dressed by Begichev and continued the journey.
  In the camp, Kolchak found samples collected by Toll, some of his geodesic instruments, and a diary, which contained a summary of his exploration of the island. Toll wrote that the island has an area of about 230 square kilometers and is elevated 457 meters above mean sea level. He described its fauna and geological structure and noted the presence of bones of mammoth and other quaternary animals. The fauna included bears, walruses and a herd of 30 reindeer, with bird flocks flying over from north to south. Toll concluded that they are heading south, all are healthy, and provision will suffice for 14–20 days.
  Toll's group built a shelter from driftwood, which could also be used for fuel. For unknown reasons it did not store food and abandoned the remains of killed bears and reindeer.
  Toll arrived at Bennett Island on 21 July 1902 facing a dilemma: set a basecamp and engage in hunting to replenish his food supplies, or rely on the arrival of Zarya and proceed with explorations. Following his penchant for risk-taking, Toll chose the latter. When it became clear that Zarya will not come, the group was already low on ammunition, with only 30 shotgun rounds found at the shelter, and the reindeer had already left the island. On 26 October 1902, the Toll's group headed south.
  Kolchak spent three days searching for traces of Toll all over the island. Its north-eastern tip was named after Emmeline Toll, and south-eastern tip after Academician Chernyshev. Two hills were named as De Long Mountain and Mount Toll, and glaciers on their top were called after Frederick Seeberg, astronomer and magnetologist who joined Toll in his last voyage. Kolchak wanted to measure the height of the glaciers, but his aneroid was damaged by his fall in icy water.
  Kolchak's expedition also surveyed all New Siberian Islands, but found no traces of Toll and decided that he vanished while navigating in between them.
  With the autumn approaching, Kolchak decided to return to the continent with the first favorable wind. On 7 August the whaleboat departed from Bennett, and by 14 August reached the camp of Brusnev on New Siberia, where Kolchak made a three-day stop. On 27 August, the expedition landed on Kotelnikov Island, where it spent two months waiting for the waters to freeze to continue on sleds.
  On 7 December Kolchak met his bride in Kazachye village, where the outdoors temperature was −55 °C at the time. Omirova told him that the Academy lost its hopes in a favorable outcome 
caption: First page of Kolchak's "Diary of travel from Mikhailov camp to Bennett Island and back"
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