THE LENA DELTA. 



i (o 



no doubt saved a mile more, making along the river a 

 distance of four and one half miles. Here, seeing lots 

 of wood, and more beyond, and knowing how exhausted 

 we were from want of sleep last night and our having 

 loads to-day, I called a halt, ordered supper (nine pounds 

 neck, seven pounds fried ribs), and made preparations 

 for rigging our tents against the bank as a kind of 

 shelter to crawl under. 



We had had S. E. winds all day and thick snow, but 

 upon halting the wind seemed to back to the east and 

 grow very light. The river here seems to make a long 

 stretch southwest. According to my reckoning we are 

 only four and a half miles from a point opposite Sagas- 

 tyr. To-morrow will show whether I am right and 

 whether Sagastyr is a settlement. May God grant it is. 



To our astonishment upon halting we found a moc- 

 casin print in the snow, extending from the water to 

 the bluff. Alexey says it is about two days old. 

 From the bluff w r e can see across the river three things 

 which look like huts. 



September 28th, Wednesday. — Called cook at five. 

 All hands at 5.55. Breakfast, soup (neck ten pounds), 

 ribs fourteen pounds, tea. Though last night was not 

 so uncomfortable, for we were under the lee of a bank, 

 and had our tents laid over us, we did not get much 

 sleep. For a few hours we lay stupid from sheer ex- 

 haustion, and the rest of the night we were kept awake 

 by the cold, and the shift of wind right along the beach. 

 Our breakfast was warm and refreshing, and we got 

 under way at eight. At 8.45, when I ordered the first 

 rest, I was sure we had made a mile ; and my surprise 

 was great to find everybody fall asleep, myself included. 

 We were evidently worn and jaded, and for every 

 twenty minutes' march I rested ten minutes thereafter. 



