396 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



exhausted. One horse, too, was lost in crossing the quick- 

 sands of the Lena near the city. 



On reaching Yakutsk, Mr. Melville learned that Lieutenant 

 Giles B. Harber and Master W. H. Scheutze two naval 

 officers who had been sent out by the Secretary of the Navy 

 to search for Lieutenant Chipp had arrived at Vitimsk, a 

 town at the junction of the Lena and Vitim rivers. These 

 gentlemen left New York early in February by steamer, and 

 proceeded via London and Paris to St. Petersburg, where 

 they arrived February 20th. Here they consulted with Mr. 

 Hoffman, General Ignatieff, the Governor-general of Siberia, 

 and other officials, all of whom were particularly kind and 

 anxious to render assistance. Special traveling passes and 

 very valuable charts and books were furnished them. 



At Moscow the travelers were cordially received by the 

 French Consul, who entertained them at dinner, introduced 

 them to the governor, and saw them started on their journey. 

 On their way to Irkutsk, at Nijni Ujinsk, Messrs. Harber 

 and Scheutze met Lieutenant Danenhower's party going 

 home; and by permission of Secretary Hunt, Leach, Wilson, 

 Mansen, Lauderback, and Anequin cheerfully turned back 

 with Harber and Scheutze to assist them in the search for 

 Chipp. Mr. Noros had previously gone back with Mr. Jack- 

 son. 



It was supposed that the steamer Lena would be chartered 

 for the use of the search-party, as her owner, Mr. Sibiriakoff, 

 had kindly tendered her to Mr. Bennett for that purpose; 

 but on arriving at Irkutsk, Lieutenant Harber found that 

 she had been sold, and that her new owner demanded an 

 exorbitant price for her use during the summer. He accord- 

 ingly chartered (subject, however, to inspection) another 

 steamer, the General Simlinikoff, which was then lying in 

 the Vitim River, some distance above Vitimsk. 



Meantime Mr. Scheutze and four of the seamen had gone 

 on to Vitimsk; and Mr. Harber, with Mr. Mansen and an 

 interpreter, started from Irkutsk, April 13th, to rejoin them. 

 The snow had gone from the ground and the rivers were 



