CHAPTER XXXV. 



GILDER'S TRAVELS IN SIBERIA. 



EARLY in January, 1881, Mr. W. H. Gilder, an experi- 

 enced Arctic overland traveler, and the special corre- 

 spondent of the New York Herald accompanying Berry's 

 search expedition, left the extreme northeastern coast of 

 Siberia to carry to Irkutsk, and from thence to send home 

 by telegraph, tidings of the burning of the Rodgers. His mis- 

 sion was an important one, for on its successful and prompt 

 execution depended in a large degree the early rescue of the 

 Rodgers crew. The following condensed account of his 

 journey to Sredne Kolymsk, is compiled from his letters to 

 the Herald. 



" The sun was above the horizon less than two hours a day 

 at the time I left Eeteetlan for the Kolyma River, on my 

 way to the telegraph station in Eastern Siberia. This gave 

 very short days and very long nights, which is one of the 

 inconveniences of winter journeys within the Arctic circle. 



The natives here, also, have a very inconvenient habit of 

 starting long before daylight, even when they have only a 

 short distance to go and could easily accomplish it by day- 

 light. They will do this also when daylight is followed by 

 a bright moon, and the mornings are as dark as Egypt. 

 They have no idea of time, and often mistake the northern 

 light for approaching sunrise. There seems to be some one 

 up and moving around in camp at any hour of the day or 

 night. 



The day of Captain Berry's arrival at Eeteetlan, there also 

 came from Nishni Kolymsk a Russian named Wanker, who 

 agreed to take me to that city for the sum of fifty rubles. I 

 did not like the fellow's appearance. His eyes were too 



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