12 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



Nantasket and ordered for the same duty to the Frohc, 

 stationed in New York Bay. 



At the close of January, 1873, Lieutenant De Long 

 was ordered to the Juniata, which was attached to the 

 North Atlantic squadron. While at New York, in May 

 of the same year, news came that Captain Tyson, sea- 

 man Nindemann, and seventeen others of the crew of 

 the Arctic exploring steamer Polaris, had been picked 

 up by a whaler, while floating south on an ice-floe. 

 The report which they gave of the condition of the 

 Polaris induced the United States Government to send 

 a man-of-war to the relief of that vessel, and the 

 Juniata was selected for the duty. She was slightly 

 strengthened for her special work, and dispatched to 

 the coast of Greenland. Lieutenant De Lono; entered 

 into the plans of the voyage with alacrity, and though 

 separating from his wife and child, he announced his 

 intention of volunteering for any unusual duty which 

 might arise. Something of the spirit in which he en- 

 gaged in the enterprise may be gathered from a letter 

 which he sent home while on the cruise. Writing from 

 Sukkertoppen, Greenland, July 16th, he says : — 



" Thus far the trip has been a very monotonous one to me, 

 and I don't suppose I shall begin to see any excitement in it 

 till our boat expedition leaves the ship at Upernavik. Then 

 to me the desirable portion of this trip will begin ; and if with 

 the blessing of Providence we are so fortunate as to find the 

 Polaris and her people, I shall consider our trip to Greenland 

 and its icy mountains as one well worth remembering." 



The Juniata reached Upernavik, Greenland, without 

 coming upon any further intelligence of the Polaris, 

 and it was not deemed prudent to take her further to 

 the north. Instead, it was thought best to send a boat 

 expedition to make a search along the coast, and Lieu- 



