NINDEIIMANN'S NARRATIVE. 451 



ing rifle, some ammunition, and a record. We took nothing 

 with us but the records and papers, the captain's private 

 journal, two rifles, and the clothes we wore. I suggested 

 that all the papers should be left there in the hut, and that 

 when we found people I would go back and fetch them; 

 whereupon the captain answered : 



' Nindermann, the papers go with me as long as I live.' 



When we left the hut we made a short cut across a sand- 

 pit, about southeast, then struck a river, went along on the 

 west bank of the river for some distance to the south, then, 

 as the river took a turn, we had to go southeast again, then 

 struck another small river where there was no water at all, 

 going south for a short time, then going to the east for a 

 short distance, when we struck the Lena, as the captain sup- 

 posed it to be at the time. That is the river he was found 

 on. The captain said, ' Nindermann, do you think the ice is 

 strong enough to bear us?' I said, 'I will try it.' I went 

 a short way on the river when I broke through, but was not 

 very wet. When I looked around me I saw the captain 

 quite near to me, and he had broken through up to his 

 shoulders. I helped him out and we went back to the bank, 

 made a fire, and dried our things. It was then midday, and 

 we made some alcohol and warm water to drink." 



On Sunday, October 9th, after divine service, Captain De 

 Long sent Nindermann and Noros southward, repeating the 

 instructions to Nindermann that he had given him the day 

 before Erickson's death. He also gave him a copy of his 

 small chart of the Lena River, and said : 



'That is all I can give you on your journey; information 

 about the land or the river I cannot give you, for you know 

 as much as I do myself. But go southward with Noros, who 

 is under your command, until you reach Kumak Surka, and 

 if you should not find any one there, then go on to Ajakit, 

 which is forty -five miles soulhward from Kumak Surka, and 

 should you fail to find people there, then go on to Bulun, 

 which is twenty-five miles southward from Ajakit, and if 

 there are no people there, go southward until you do find 



