niTH'KRS AND MKX. 19 



The following letter was written by Lieutenant DeLong 

 just before the expedition started: 



AIM TIC STKA.MER JEANNETTE, 

 SAX FKAXCISCO. CAL., JULY 8th, 1879. 



Hon. R. W. THOMPSON, Secretary of the Navy : 



SIR, I have the honor to inform you that the Jeaiiueite. 

 being in all respects ready for sea, will sail at three o'clock 

 this afternoon on her cruise to the Arctic regions. 



I have also the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your 

 orders of the Istli of .June in relation to the movements of 

 the Arctic expedition under my command; and while I 

 appreciate the grave responsibility intrusted to my care, I 

 beg leave to assure you that I will endeavor to perform this 

 important duty in a manner calculated to reflect credit upon 

 the ship, the navy, and the country at large. 



I beg leave to return thanks for the confidence expressed 

 in my ability to satisfactorily conduct such a hazardous 

 expedition, and 1 desire to place upon record my conviction 

 that nothing ha* been left unprovided which the enterprise 

 and liberality of Mr. .lames (Jordon Heimetf and the experi- 

 ences of our Arctic predecessors could suggest. 

 Your obedient servant, 



GEORGE W. DELONG, 



Lieutenant United States Navy, commanding Arctic steamer 

 Jeannette. 



The officers and crew of the Jeannette were as follows : 



Lieutenant George W. DeLong, U. S. N., Commander. 



Lieutenant Charles W. Chipp, I". S. N., Executive Ollieer. 



Lieutenant John W. Danenhower, U. S. N., Navigator. 



George W. Melville, Chief Engineer. J. M. Ambler, Surgeon. 



Jerome J. Collins, Meteorologist. Raymond L. Newcomb, Naturalist. 



William M. Duubar, Ice Pilot. James H. Harriett, First-class Fire- 

 man. John Cole, Boatswain. Walter Lee. Machinist. Alfred Sw< > -\ 

 man, Carpenter. George Laudcrback, Walter Sliarvell, Firemen. 



George W. Boyd, Adolf Dressier, Hans H. Erickson, Carl A. Gortz, 

 Nelse Iverson, Peter E. Johnson, George H. Kuchne, Henry H. Kaack, 

 Herbert W. Leach, Frank Mansen, Win. F. C. Nindermann, Louis J. 

 Noros, Edward Star, Henry D. Warren, Henry Wilson, Seamen. 



Ah Sam, and Charles Tong Sing (Chinese). Cook and Cabin Stewards. 



