MELVILLE FINDS REMAINS OF DE LONG PARTY 347 



"September I9th, ordered preparations to be made for leaving 

 this place, and as a beginning, all sleeping bags are to be left behind. 

 Left in instrument box a record, portions of which read thus : 



"LENA DELTA, September 19, 1881. 



"Landed here on the evening of the i/th, and will proceed this 

 afternoon to try and reach, with God's help, a settlement, the nearest 

 of which I believe is ninety-five miles distant. We are all well, have 

 four days' provisions, arms and ammunition, and are carrying with 

 us only ship's books and papers, with blankets, tents, and some 

 medicines, therefore our chances of getting through seem good. 

 . . . At 2.45 went ahead, and at 4.30 stopped and camped. Loads 

 too heavy men used up Lee groaning and complaining, Erickson, 

 Boyd, and Sam, hobbling. Three rests of fifteen minutes each of 

 no use. Road bad. Breaking through thin crust; occasionally up 

 to the knees. Sent Nindemann back with Alexai and Dressier to 

 deposit log-books. . . . Every one of us seems to have lost all 

 feeling in his toes, and some of us even half way up the feet. That 

 terrible week in the boat has done us great injury ; opened our last 

 can of pemmican, and so cut it that it must suffice for four days' 

 food, then we are at the end of our provisions and must eat the dog 

 (the last of the forty) unless Providence sends something in our 



way. When the dog is eaten ? I was much impressed and 



derive great encouragement from an accident of last Sunday. Our 

 Bible got soaking wet, and I had to read the Epistle and Gospel 

 from my prayer-book. According to my rough calculation it must 

 have been the fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, and the Gospel con- 

 tained some promises which seemed peculiarly adapted to our con- 

 dition. (The passage is in Matthew v. 24.) 



"September 2ist, at 3.30, came to a bend in the river making 

 south, and to our surprise two huts, one seemingly new. At 9 P. M. 

 a knock outside the hut was heard and Alexai said, 'Captain, we 

 have got two reindeer/ and in he came bearing a hind quarter of 

 meat. September 24th, commenced preparations for departure from 



