CHAPTER XII. 



EXPERIENCES OF NINDERMANN, NOROS, AND LEACH. 



IN Engineer Melville's narrative he refers to a letter, ad, 

 dressed to the American Minister at St. Petersburg, 

 which Mr. Nindermaun (who is a German) wrote at Bulun 

 after he and Noros had arrived there in an exhausted condi- 

 tion. The following is a verbatim copy thereof : 



" BULUN, October 29 To the American Minister St Peters- 

 burg 



Please inform the Secretary of U. S. Navy of the loss of 

 the Jeannette 



Arctic steamer Jeannette 



Crused in the ice June llth 1881 in lat 77 deg. 22 min. N., 

 longitude 157 deg. 55 min. E or thareabout, saved three 

 Boats, also from three to four mounths provisions, with sleds, 

 travilled S. W to to reach the New Siberian Islands, travilled 

 two weeks or thareabouts then sighted an Island, the Captain 

 determined reach it, and landed in about two weeks on the 

 southern end and planted the Americkcn Flag and called it 

 Bennett Island, Lieutenant Chipp was sent on the west side 

 to determin the size with a Boats crew, Ice Pilot Dinbar with 

 the two Natives on the East side, returned in three days, 

 remained one week on the Island, took to the boats and 

 started South, made the New Siberian Islands and camped 

 on a couple of them, set our course from the most Southern 

 Island to strike the North side of Siberia, to enter one of the 

 email rivers to the Leana, on our passage a gale of wind set 

 in, a sea running, lost sight of the Boats, one in charge of 

 Lieut Chipp, the other Engr Melville, know not what has be- 

 come of them, our boat almost swamped carry cd away the 

 mast lost the sail, hove too under a. drag one night and a 



(130) 



