THE FIRST SEARCH. 839 



further use to Mr. Melville in his search. The party 

 with Mr. Danenhower reached Yakutsk, a distance of 

 about twelve hundred and fifty miles, December 17th. 



When Mr. Melville started north from Bulim in 

 search of Captain De Long, he had made careful notes 

 of all the information which Nindemann and Noros 

 could give him. His intention was to return upon their 

 course as closely as the somewhat indefinite chart would 

 allow, and to continue as far as the point where Captain 

 De Long had landed. He was furnished with two dog 

 teams, two native drivers, and ten days' supplies of fish 

 for the men and clogs ; and immediately after confer- 

 ence with Lieutenant Danenhower at Bnrulak, he set 

 forth, and before night reached Ku Mark Surka. The 

 next day he came to Bulcour, the huts where Ninde- 

 mann and Noros had been found by the natives, but 

 was obliged to lie by there a day on account of a severe 

 storm which made further progress perilous. Mr. Mel- 

 ville had not yet recovered from the effect of the ex- 

 posure at landing when his feet were frozen, and had 

 again frozen his feet on the journey from Bulun to 

 Burulak. He remained, therefore, with his native 

 party at Bulcour until the morning of November 8th, 

 when the storm had cleared, and then proceeded on his 

 way. 



His course took him, point by point, over the track 

 of the two sailors. On the 8th he found the place 

 where they had burned the sleds for fuel, and pushed 

 on thence, making about forty miles that day, and 

 camping at night in the snow. On the 9th he found 

 the place known as the Two Crosses, where Nindemann 

 and Noros had slept after their long wandering upon 

 the river, and that night he camped at Mat Vai, the 

 name given by the natives to the hut where the sailors 



