THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 557 



42 lbs. bread, 2 rifles, 



1 cooking-stove and mess gear, 2 shot-guns, 

 sextant, artificial horizon, prismatic compass, opera-glass, en- 

 sign, medicine, etc. 



We all assembled on the ice, and of course cheers 

 were exchanged. Away they went merrily enough 

 until they came to an ice opening, where they were 

 obliged to make a ferriage. Here some of their clogs 

 ran away and returned to the ship, but I sent them 

 back at once, and followed up the sled until they made 

 a new departure. I watched them frequently from the 

 crow's-nest, and at six p. m. I saw them about five miles 

 from the ship, evidently halting for a rest. Of course 

 I sent lime juice, and moreover I started them with 

 eleven gallons fresh water; and besides having Dr. 

 Ambler prepare medical advice and suggestions, I di- 

 rected Melville frequently to rest his party, to look out 

 for snow-blindness, and to avoid using surface snow and 

 floe ice. Should the distilled water give out during the 

 trip to the island, he was directed to scrape the broken- 

 down crystals from the tops of old hummocks. From 

 the moment of his departure, a large black flag eleven 

 feet six inches square was to be kept flying at the 

 main, and he was frequently to take bearings of it. 

 Should it shut in thick after he had been away forty- 

 eight hours, one of the whale guns or the brass piece 

 will be fired every four hours ; and in clear, bright 

 weather, from and after the third noon from his depar- 

 ture, a fire of some material, giving plenty of smoke, 

 will be made at meridian. He is not to remain at the 

 island more than twenty-four hours, and is to do as 

 much as he can in carrying out my written orders. 



Of course there is some risk in this trip. But the 

 weather remains good, light northerly winds prevail, 



