136 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



learned from Mr. Noros the following additional particulars 

 respecting Lieutenant DeLong and his men : 



The party made land at a point near the northernmost 

 branch of the Lena, but found it impossible to enter on 

 account of shoals. DeLong therefore determined to land 

 at a point whence they could sec this northerly outlet, but 

 more to the east. Two miles from the beach, the captain 

 ordered those of the men who could walk to get out and 

 drag the boat nearer in shore. The captain, the doctor, 

 Erickson and Boyd (both disabled) stayed in the boat, which 

 the others were then enabled to drag a mile further toward 

 the land, when they, too, waded to the shore. 



Collins had left the boat with the first lot and had made 

 a fire on the shore. This was on or about the 16th of 

 September, and the landing of articles was completed on the 

 17th. There the party stayed two days to recuperate, all 

 the men being badly frost-bitten ; the doctor alone was in 

 comparatively good condition. Noros and Nindermann were 

 the best conditioned among the men. 



The journey south was then commenced, the burdens 

 being equally distributed. The captain bore his own blanket 

 and some records. The burdens borne by some of the others 

 were heavy; some complained of taking them further, but 

 the captain insisted. The party then traveled south four 

 days. On the way two deer were shot by the Indian Alexai. 

 The party sat down and had a good feed, DeLong's motto 

 being, Noros says, to "feed well while they had it." 



Noros thinks they made twenty miles in the first ten days. 

 The four next days brought them to the extremity of a 

 peninsula, and after some delay, waiting for the river to 

 freeze, they crossed the river to the west bank on or about 

 the 1st of October. The width of the river was there about 

 five hundred yards. Before crossing they got another deer. 

 The captain's intention was to make for the place called 

 Sagasta on the map. Erickson died. His toes had been 

 amputated by the doctor during the retreat. After crossing 

 the river he one night pulled off his mittens, and one of his 



