202 THK JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



* Dan, the order is to get knapsacks.' 



It seems that he had stepped below and found water in 

 the wardroom, which he reported to the captain, and the or- 

 der was then given to abandon the ship. The national ensign 

 was hoisted at the mizzen, and Captain DeLong was on the 

 bridge directing the work. 



Lieutenant Cbipp was confined to his bed. I threw my 

 knapsack over the starboard rail and returned for clothes, 

 but on stepping into water, when half way down the ward- 

 room ladder, I realized that the ship was filling rapidly. 

 The doctor and I then carried Chipp's belongings out, and 

 I was told to take charge of the medical stores, especially 

 the liquor. The ship in this condition was like a broken 

 basket, and only kept from sinking by the pressure of the 

 ice, which at any moment might relax and let her go to the 

 bottom. 



The crew worked well, and Edward Star, seaman, espe- 

 cially distinguished himself. He was doing duty at the time 

 as paymaster's yeoman, or ' Jack o' the Dust.' The order 

 was given to get up more Remington ammunition, and he went 

 into the magazine when the ship was filling rapidly and suc- 

 ceeded in getting two cases out. This man was in Lieuten- 

 ant Chipp's boat afterward. We always thought him a 

 Russian, but he spoke English very well and never would 

 speak of his nationality ; but during his dreams he talked in 

 a language that was neither English, French, German, Swed- 

 ish, Spanish nor Italian, and most of the men thought it was 

 Russian. He was an excellent man and a giant in strength. 

 The captain thought a great deal of him, for he served 

 him faithfully in every responsible position. 



When the order was given to abandon the ship her hold 

 was full of water, and as she was heeling twenty-three de- 

 grees to starboard, at the time the water was on the lower 

 side of the spar deck. We had a large quantity of provis- 

 ions on the ice about a hundred yards from the ship, but 

 Mr. Dunbar, who was alive to the occasion, advised the shift- 

 ing of these to an adjacent and more favorable floe-piece. It 



