RETURN OP THE EXILE. 257 



land and to the northward. But both old men insisted that 

 this would be impossible. 



The next morning, to satisfy me, they started toward the 

 island, the two old men and myself going in advance, to test 

 the young ice. About a mile off shore the ice was black and 

 treacherous, and so unsafe that the old men refused to go 

 any further. So we had to turn back and return from a 

 fruitless search. It demonstrated, however, that what the 

 natives said was true that the ice was not strong enough 

 for traveling. The second night we slept at Kusrnah's, and 

 then returned to Geemovialocke. 



At the end of five days Kusmah had not returned, and it 

 was not until October 29th that he put in an appearance, 

 after an absence of thirteen days. On his way back, at Ku- 

 mak Surka, he had, however, met with the two men of the 

 captain's party, Noros and Nindermann, who had written a 

 brief statement about the condition of the captain's party. 

 They gave it to Kusmah, and he hastened to bring it to us. 

 He told us that the men were to have reached Bulun the 

 previous day (October 28th) ; so Melville immediately start- 

 ed with old Wassili and dog teams, to find the men and learn 

 the position of the captain's party and carry food to them. 

 He gave me orders, which he afterward put in writing, to 

 take charge of the party and get it to Bulun as soon as pos- 

 sible. 



On November 1st, the Bulun commandant, a Cossack, 

 named Gregory Miketereff Baishoff, came to us with a good 

 supply of bread, deer-meat, and lea. He handed me a long 

 document addressed to the American Minister at St. Peters- 

 burg, and signed by Noros and Nindermann. It contained 

 some details of the captain's position, but was not definite 

 enough to allow me to start immediately to their relief. Be- 

 sides, I knew that Kumak Surka was nearer to Bulun than 

 to us, and that Melville, after seeing the men, could get to 

 the captain much quicker than we could ; so I immediately 

 despatched the document to Melville, by special courier 

 James H. Bartlett, fireman, who was the best man of the 



