SEPARATION OF THE BOATS. 57 



to tlie coast of Siberia. Tliey had five sledges and boats 

 which carried nearly seven thousand pounds of provisions, 

 besides lire-arms, clothing, etc. There being only twenty-two 

 dogs, each man was obliged to assist in hauling the heavily 

 laden sledges. As the party proceeded southward, openings 

 in the ice became frequent, ^vhich had to be bridged over 

 with blocks of ice. This tedious work employed more than 

 one half their time. 



As summer advanced, the floes became more broken, and 

 piled so as to form huge mounds which were often thirty feet 

 high. The dragging of the heavy sledges over this uneven 

 surface was a work of infinite danger and exhaustion, and 

 great was the rejoicing on July 29th when land was sighted. 

 It proved to be an island of considerable size and possessing 

 many valuable products. This land was named Bennett 

 Island. Game was found in abundance, and here the party 

 remained till August 7th, when open sea was discovered 

 southward. As the weather was favorable, De Long thought 

 it expedient to abandon the island and take to the sea in 

 boats. 



The provisions were equally distributed among the three 

 boats. De Long appointed Melville to take command of the 

 whale boat, and placed the second cutter in charge of Lieut. 

 Chipp. De Long himself remained in the first cutter. He 

 then instructed them to keep as near him as possible, and in 

 case of separation to make for the Lena Delta. After a week 

 of fearful battling with the waves and heavy floes, they had 

 only gained forty miles, and starvation stared them in the 

 face if the Siberian coast could not soon be reached. 



On the 12th of September the boats were caught in a ter- 

 rific storm in which they were separated. De Long reached 

 the Lena Delta seven days later with hardly sufiicient food to 

 last the party two days, and set out to find the nearest Rus- 

 sian settlement. 



They were able to find game occasionally; but, owing to the 



