242 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



did not stop to get at them. About eleven we saw two hut* 

 on the west bank and in a good situation for landing ; so I 

 recommended that we should get ashore and dry out every- 

 thing. 



It was Sunday, September 18th, and was the first real day 

 of rest that we had taken for a long time. We found two very 

 nice summer hunting dwellings, built with sloping sides and 

 shaped like the frustrum of a pyramid, the sloping sides 

 forming the cover for the occupants and the aperture at the 

 top being the chimney. This was what the Russians call a 

 polotka and the Tunguses an orasso. The sun was bright 

 and beautiful. We opened out everything to dry and passed 

 a delightful Sunday, being sure that rescue was not far off. 

 Newcomb made a good warm jacket out of his sleeping bag. 

 We also wrote a notice to the effect that the whale-boat had 

 landed at this point, and stuck up a flag to mark the place 

 of the record. There were lots of fish bones in the hut, 

 some refuse fish, and a piece of black bread, all of which our 

 Indian ate with avidity. There were also frames for nets 

 and for drying fish. 



At eight A. M., on Monday, September 19th, we got under 

 way again and stood up the river. I was at the helm and 

 Bartlett on the bows, and the crew, divided in two watches 

 of four each, taking two-hour tricks at the oars. Melville 

 was in the stern sheets in command of the boat. We stood 

 south for two hours with light wind and oars. All was going 

 well, and we were in strong hopes of reaching a settlement 

 marked on the chart before night ; but we soon began to be 

 headed off by mud flats and sand banks. About one A. M. 

 we were more than a mile from the west bank, which we 

 were following because the village was marked as on that 

 side. We then saw a point of land, and I proposed to go 

 ashore to set up the prismatic compass and get some bear- 

 ings, as well as to prepare dinner. 



After two hours' work against a strong current we suc- 

 ceeded in reaching the shore, and the cook had set about 

 getting fire when, to our surprise and delight, we saw three 



