370 THE JE ANNETTE AKCTIC EXPEDITION. 



On the same day, March 24th, Mr. Melville wrote to the 

 Secretary of the Xavy as follows : 



" I have the honor of informing yon of my successful 

 search for the party of Lieutenant DeLong, with its books, 

 records, &c., <fec. After several unsuccessful attempts to 

 follow DeLong's track from the northward, I tried the re- 

 tracing of Nindermann's track from the southward ; and 

 after visiting every point of land projecting into the great 

 bay at the junction of the Lena branches, from Mot Yai, 

 around from the west, to a point bearing E.N.E., and form- 

 ing one of the banks of the River Kugoasastak, on ascend- 

 ing the bank, I found where a large fire had been made, and 

 Nindermann recognized it as the river down which he came. 

 I turned the point to go north, and about one thousand 

 yards from the point I noticed the points of four poles lash- 

 ed together and projecting two feet out of the snow drift, 

 under the bank. I dropped from the sled, and on going up 

 to the poles saw the muzzle of a Remington rifle standing 

 eight inches out of the snow, and the gun strap hitched over 

 the poles. 



I set the natives digging out the bank, and Nindermann 

 and myself commenced to search the bank and high ground. 

 I walked south, Nindermann walking north. I had gone 

 about five hundred yards, when I saw the camp kettle stand- 

 ing out of the snow and, close by, three bodies partially 

 buried in snow. I examined them, and found them to be 

 Lieutenant DeLong, Dr. Ambler, and Ah Sam, the cook. 



I found DeLong's note book alongside of him, a copy of 

 which please find enclosed, dating from October 1st, when 

 at Usterda, until the end. Under the poles were found the 

 books, records, &c., and two men. The rest of the people 

 lie between the place where DeLong was found and the 

 wreck of a flat-boat, a distance of 500 yards. The snow 

 bank will have to be dug out. It has a base of thirty feet 

 and a height of twenty feet, with a natural slope. 



The point on which the people lie, although high, is cover- 

 ed with driftwood, evidence that it is flooded during some 



