HORRORS OF THE "JEANNETTE" EXPEDITION 327 



having on them the word "Stockholm." This confirmed the istory 

 of the natives, for it was sure that no other Swedish vessel had been 

 in that locality, and DeLong, this part of his mission fulfilled, headed 

 the "Jeannette" for Wrangell Land. As it proved, the delay of 

 the "Jeannette" in this search prevented their reaching Wrangell 

 Land before the ice-pack closed in upon them, a fact which led to 

 disastrous results. On September 6th DeLong made in his journal 

 the following entry: 



"I am hoping and praying to get the ship into Herald Island 

 (a small island east of Wrangell Land) to make winter quarters. As 

 far as the eye can range is ice, and not only does it look as if it never 

 had broken up, but it also looks as if it never would. Yesterday, I 

 hoped that to-day would make an opening for us into the land; 

 to-day I hope that to-morrow will do it. I suppose a gale of wind 

 would break up the pack, but the pack might break us up. This 

 morning shows some pools of thin ice and water, but as they are 

 disconnected and we cannot jump the ship over obstructions; they 

 are of no use yet to us." 



On the 8th he again wrote: "I consider it an exceptional state 

 of the ice that we are having just now, and count upon the Septem- 

 ber gales to break up the pack, and perhaps open leads to Herald 

 Island. I want the ship to be in condition to move without delay. 

 Besides, I am told that in the latter part of September and early 

 part of October there is experienced in these latitudes quite an 

 Indian summer, and I shall not begin to expect wintering in the 

 pack until this Indian summer is given a chance to liberate us." 



The liberation, as is too well known, was not to come. Yet 

 DeLong at this very point did, in the judgment of the Naval Court 

 of Inquiry, the best that could be effected. "Either he had to return 

 to some port to the southward, and pass the winter there in idleness, 

 thus sacrificing all chances of pushing his researches to the north- 

 ward until the following summer, or else he must endeavor to force 

 the vessel through to Wrangell Island, then erroneously supposed 



