FATE OP LIEUTENANT CHIP1'. 89 



of operation he started to return north with two of his own 

 men, Russian, a Cossack, and some natives. 



Meantime Lieutenant Danenhower, the second officer of 

 1li<- Jeannette Expedition (who had been relieved of his com- 

 mand by DeLong on account of the bad condition of his 

 eyes), had arrived at Yakutsk with his eyes badly affected, 

 and acting under orders from the Secretary of the Navy, and 

 against his own wishes, had started homeward with nine of 

 his companions. 



It was apparent that DeLong and the balance of his boat's 

 party when last heard of, way back in October, were even 

 then in imminent danger of speedy death from cold and 

 starvation, and that one of their number had died from expo- 

 sure. Nothing had been heard of Lieutenant Chipp, and it 

 was supposed that his boat with all on board had gone down 

 in the gale which separated him from his commander, or 

 that a worse fate had befallen him if he reached the land. It 

 was just the time of year when the Arctic storms begin to 

 sweep down on the Siberian coast, and all living things move 

 toward the interior to escape their fury. It is no trifle to be 

 thrown on this coast without food and shelter or means of 

 transportation, even in summer. It is vastly worse in winter, 

 when the sea and river channels are closing with ice, and 

 when heavy storms and falling snow obscure the landscape. 



Months elapsed before a tolerably full, connected and intel- 

 ligible account of the voyage of the Jeannette, and of the 

 adventures and sufferings of the survivors of the expedition, 

 was received at home. Meantime the Lena became a familiar 

 word where it had never been spoken before, and its fatal 

 delta the subject of deep interest and scrutiny. During this 

 period of weary waiting the following verses were contrib- 

 uted to the Philadelphia Times : 



By Baikal's lake, on wild Siberia's plain, 

 Where howling blasts from Arctic's frozen mala 



Sweep over the ;irid wastes; 

 Where zero marks the mild degrees of cold, 

 And man to live must be of native mold, 



A shipwrecked boat's-crew rests. 



