452 THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



people. But I think you will find people at Kumak Surka. 

 If you should shoot reindeer not farther away than one or 

 two days' journey from us, come back and let us know.' 



He gave me, says Nmdermann, orders not to leave the 

 western bank of the stream, because, he said, on the eastern 

 bank I should find neither people nor drift-wood. He told 

 me that he could not give me any written instructions, be- 

 cause if he did the people would not be able to read them, 

 but I should do the best I could, and use my own judgment. 

 He gave me strict orders that we should not wade through 

 the water. He then said adieu to us, and that as soon as he 

 was ready he would follow in our footsteps as rapidlv as 

 possible. Then all gave us three cheers, and my comrade 

 and I left them. They were all in good hopes that we would 

 be able soon to bring back assistance. My hopes, however, 

 were not so bright, for I knew that it was very late in the 

 fall and that in all probability the people had gone away to 

 the south." 



" We did not follow the river round, says Noros, but 

 took a straight cut across the land. The mountains were 

 ahead of us, and we knew that the river ran near them. Ifc 

 was an island we were on. There was a river on the other 

 side of it. Nindermann and I reached the river and walked 

 along it about five or six miles. We stopped before noon 

 and had a little alcohol. After that we walked on till wo 

 came to a little canoe on the top of the bluff, and perched on 

 the canoe we saw a ptarmigan. Nindermann shot at it with 

 his rifle, and though he took out some tail feathers, the bird 

 got away. We went down to the beach, where it was easier 

 walking than on the bluff. We walked there about a mile, 

 when we again took to the bluff, principally to look around 

 us and to see if we could see any game. 



Nindermann happened to get up on the bluff first, and 

 exclaimed, ' They are deer give me the gun.' We could 

 8ee them ; they were not more than half a mile away, but 

 partly to the windward. So Nindermann took off his heavy 

 clothes and lightened himself up, and then crawled along in 



