THE COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION. 15 



An Esquimau, Jacob Lynglie, accompanied the party 

 as an interpreter and coast pilot between Upernavik and 

 Cape Shackelton. Lieutenant De Long's report of the 

 expedition notes that he had before been charged by 

 Commander Braine with all the necessary preparations 

 for the expedition when the Juniata was at St. John's, 

 Newfoundland, where the launch had been specially 

 strengthened. 



The dimensions of the Little Juniata were : — 



Length over all, 32 feet 6 inches. Breadth, 8 feet 4 inches. 



Length of keel, 28 feet 3 inches. Depth, 4 feet 4 inches. 



She was sloop-rigged and carried a three-bladed pro- 

 peller. 



" On Saturday, August 2d, at 12.55 P. M.," the report pro- 

 ceeds, " the boat being in readiness, provisioned, and supplied 

 with four tons of anthracite coal, I received your final orders 

 and shoved off from the ship with the dingy, containing twelve 

 hundred and seventy-eight pounds of coal, in tow, and heartily 

 cheered by the ship's company, proceeded on our voyage to 

 the northward under steam, with a fine breeze from the south- 

 west. I immediately organized the party and divided them in 

 two watches : one in charge of Lieutenant Cliipp, and consist- 

 ing of himself, Mr. Dodge, Hamilton, and Street ; and the 

 other in my own charge, and composed of the remaining four 

 of the party, the Esquimau being for the present excluded. 

 This arrangement of watches was kept up during our entire 

 absence, the officers and men working alike, and turning in 

 and out with each other. 



*'At 3.30 the same afternoon we passed the small settle- 

 ment of Kingitok, about twelve miles to the northward, and 

 working our way among countless icebergs and through nar- 

 row passes between islands, arrived without accident at Tessi- 

 Ussak at eleven o'clock that night, and in obedience to your 

 orders left the dingy at that place to be brought back by a 

 Danish boat, landed six hundred pounds of coal from her for 

 our use on returning, took the remainder into the launch, and 

 were ready to depart at midnight. The weather, however. 



