764 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



were the doctor and Nindemann ; and I had a prelimi- 

 nary conversation with the former on the subject, giv- 

 ing him my views. He is to push on until he does come 

 to a settlement, and can get back relief to us. And we 

 are to remain here and try to eke out an existence with 

 two days' rations drawn out to their fullest extent, and 

 such chance game as may offer. Though loth to do 

 anything which seems like abandoning us, he is willing 

 enough to do anything that may give a chance for re- 

 lief, and by to-morrow morning I shall have his orders 

 perfected and my plans made. Go on w T e cannot just 

 now, and here we can have at least heat and shelter. 

 Seeing something across the river and farther down that 

 looked like a signal-post or a fish-frame, I sent Ninde- 

 mann along to look at it ; and some hut-like objects to 

 the eastward being seen, I sent Alexey over to look 

 at them. This was at four p. m. A flock of five small 

 ducks had been swimming around in the river, and sev- 

 eral rifle shots had been fired without effect. I had 

 caused a strict search to be made around both huts for 

 food of any kind, but nothing could be found. At six 

 Nindemann returned. He found a gull in a trap and 

 brought it in, but alas ! it was rotten. The trap had 

 been set for a fox or a goose, and baited with fish. We 

 ate our supper and crawled under our blankets. Two 

 good berths in the new hut gave bedsteads to the doc- 

 tor, Collins, Nindemann, and myself ; and ordering the 

 fire to be thrown outside, and the house shut up to keep 

 the heat in, I consigned myself to sleep. At 8.30 

 Alexey had not yet returned, and though I was anxious 

 to have no one away from me, I could not doubt he 

 would safely return. At nine p. m. a knock was heard 

 outside, and Alexey's voice asking, " All asleep inside ? " 

 and in an instant I was up. Sticking his head in the 



