862 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



ceeded to Geeomovialocke, where they found Bartlett. 

 They had, in their separate searches, outlined the en- 

 tire coast of the Delta, run up the mouths of all the 

 streams, held intercourse with natives in every direc- 

 tion, and the total absence of any evidence respecting 

 Lieutenant Chipp and his party left no room for doubt 

 in their minds as to the fate of the second cutter. 



They had been at Geeomovialocke one night only, 

 when word was brought them that there were Amer- 

 icans at a village near by. Mr. Melville at once drove 

 over and found Mr. Jackson and Noros. Mr. Jackson 

 was desirous of visiting the tomb of Captain De Long 

 and his party, and left them to go thither ; while Mr. 

 Melville, Nindemann, and Bartlett set out for Yakutsk, 

 taking, however, the route by the river Jana, not be- 

 fore traversed, that no possible stone should be left un- 

 turned in searching for Lieutenant Chipp. 



While at the mountain divide between Verkeransk 

 and Yakutsk, they were met by Lieutenant Berry and 

 Ensign Hunt, members of the relief expedition sent 

 out by the United States Government. This party had 

 left San Francisco in the U. S. S. Rodgers in June, 

 1881, and after cruising about Wrangel Island had 

 gone into winter quarters in St. Lawrence Bay, on 

 the northeast coast of Siberia. Here the steamer had 

 caught fire and burned at the end of December, and 

 while most of the party made their way to St. Michael's 

 and thence back to San Francisco in the following 

 spring, Colonel Gilder, Lieutenant Berry, and Ensign 

 Hunt, in pursuit of the main object of the Rodgers 

 expedition, travelled west, traversed Siberia and were 

 now in the Yakutsk district. They joined Mr. Melville, 

 who gave them the information which he had, and kept 

 on his way with them, arriving at Yakutsk about the 

 8th of June. 



