THE FINAL SEARCH. 861 



ter and of the whaleboat. No sign had ever been 

 given of the second cutter after she was lost to sight, 

 and there could scarcely be a doubt that she went 

 down in the gale, an end barely avoided by the other 

 boats. But Mr. Melville and his companions could not 

 leave the Delta until every possible search had been 

 made. 



Mr. Melville now withdrew the whole of his force 

 to Kas Karta, to make that the starting point of his 

 search. He provided himself with dog-drivers and 

 guides who were well acquainted with the east and 

 north coasts of the Delta, established depots of sup- 

 plies at convenient points, and then divided his force 

 into three search parties. He sent Nindemann and 

 Bartlett with four dog sleds and drivers up the main 

 river to Barkin, where they were to separate, Bartlett 

 to take the southern track, the east coast of the Delta, 

 and visit all the headlands, running up rivers as far as 

 provisions would allow, and continuing until he came 

 to Geeomovialocke. Nindemann, after he parted com- 

 pany with Bartlett at Barkin, was to follow along the 

 north coast of the Delta in the same manner as far as 

 the river Osoktok, and finally to return to Kas Karta, 

 there to wait Mr. Melville's arrival. 



Mr. Melville himself started to the northward and 

 westward, followed the coast in the same manner, and 

 returned finally to Kas Karta about the 21st of April. 

 As an illustration of the imperfect communication be- 

 tween parts of the Delta, it may be noticed that Mr. 

 Melville found natives who were entirely ignorant of 

 the landing of any Americans on the coast, or of the 

 various searches which had been made back and forth 

 across the country. 



He found Nindemann at Kas Karta, and both pro- 



