122 THE LENA DELTA 



map had been drawn in the snow took Nindemann to 

 where he could show him a prominent landmark, and 

 asked by signs if that was where he had left his 

 friends. And on learning by signs that it was further 

 to the north, he shook his head as if sorry, and resumed 

 his journey to the south. During the next day they 

 reached Ku Mark Surka, where there were a number of 

 natives who were much interested in the new-comers, 

 and again the sailors used every effort to deliver their 



message. 



Immediately after breakfast on the morning of the 

 25th, Nindemann began talking to these people in 

 signs and pantomime. Soon one of them showed that 

 he had an idea of where the sailors came from, for 

 he spoke to one of the boys, who ran off and returned 

 with a model of a Yakutsk boat. Then they gathered 

 round and evidently asked if the ship was anything 

 like it. And in answer, Nindemann took up some 

 sticks and placed three of them in the boat to show 

 that his ship had three masts, and then he fastened 

 smaller sticks across to show that she had yards, which 

 seemed to surprise them greatly. Then he made a 

 funnel out of wood and put it in position, and pointed 

 to the fire and smoke to show that she was a steamer, 

 and then he cut out a propeller with his knife and put 

 it where the rudder was to show that she was a screw. 

 Continuing his work he soon chipped out so many 

 small boats to show how many she had ; and then, 

 signing to one of the men to get him two pieces of ice, 

 he showed them how the ship had been crushed. 

 Pointing to the northward he tried to tell them that 

 the ship had been crushed up there ; and then he put 



