DISCOVERY OF DE LONG'S RECORDS. 119 



versts, visiting the huts at the two crosses, the shoal at Asto- 

 lira, and reaching Mot Vai after midnight. 



The next morning I found in the hut a waist-belt that 

 had been made on board the Jeannette, and there were good 

 indications that one or two of Lieutenant DeLong's party 

 had slept in the hut. On November 10th, our provisions 

 running short, I decided to go to Upper Bulun, a distance of 

 120 versts to the northwest, in order to renew them. 

 Reached Upper Bulun about midnight on the llth, having 

 stopped at the deserted hunting-station of Cath Conta on the 

 llth, and also having visited eight huts on the route. Con- 

 siderable stale fish and deer-meat were found at Oath Conta, 

 but no signs of it or the huts having been visited by De- 

 Long's party. 



On my arrival at Upper Bulun the natives brought in 

 Lieutenant DeLong's record, dated October 1st, and I learned 

 that others had been found. I sent to a neighboring village 

 for them, and the next morning records dated September 

 22d and 26th, with a Winchester rifle, were brought to me. 

 On November 12th, we were weather-bound. The only pro- 

 visions to be obtained were deer-meat and fish, there being a 

 scarcity of the latter, the natives having to send 250 versts 

 for their own supply. 



On November 13th I obtained four days' supply of fish, 

 and with fresh dog-teams and natives started for Ballock, a 

 hut in which record No. 3 and the Winchester rifle were 

 found. Slept there that night ; found both huts 'filled with 

 snow. On November 14th I followed the east bank of the 

 Lena to the coast ; followed the coast about three miles to 

 the east, and found the cache that had been made by Lieu- 

 tenant DeLong on September 19th, 1881. I made a thorough 

 search and gathered up everything. The sleighs being too 

 heavily laden to carry it, 1 searched for the boat both east 

 and west of the cache for a distance of five miles each way, 

 and to a distance of one mile and a half off shore, and saw 

 no signs of it. The ice was very much broken, and was 

 shoved up in masses to within twenty-five feet of the cache. 



