WORLD'S WONDERS. 751) 



loading and unloading of the boats, so that in a week after 

 leaving the island they had progressed barely forty miles; . This 

 gave DeLong much anxiety, for he had now subsistence for only 

 thirty-eight days, and at the rate he was then traveling starvation 

 promised to overtake the party before they could reach Siberia, 

 unless they should be more fortunate in finding game than they 

 had been since the Jeannelte sank. 



Good fortune drove them upon the Siberian islands, where a 

 small quantity of game was obtained, but pushing ahead to 

 Semenooski island, they were still more fortunate, killing a num- 

 ber of deer and ptarmigan, upon which they feasted several days 

 most bountifully. 



On the 12th of September the boats were caught in a terrible 

 gale, which threatened to swamp them, and would have done so 

 but for unremitting bailing and pumping, which barely kept them 

 afloat. Being at the mercy of the waves r the boats separated, 

 and when the gale subsided each boat was alone, and they did 

 not meet again. DeLong reached the Lena Delta September 

 19th, with scarcely two days' provisions (full rations) left, and 

 set out to find a Russian settlement, the nearest being, as he 

 supposed, about ninety-five miles. His boat grounded nearly a 

 mile from shore, so that the men were forced to w!Me through 

 the icy water and carry their things, thus subjecting them to the 

 most dreadful exposure. There was plenty of drift-wood along 

 the shore, however, and a large fire soon dried their clothes and 

 served to give them new hope. 



September 21st, DeLong's party started up the Lena river, 

 but owing to the extreme illness of three of the men, Ericksen, 

 Boyd, and Ah Sam, it was impossible to make more than five 

 miles per day, for there were no means at hand for hauling the 

 sick. After thus traveling for two days they came to two log 

 huts, one of which was new, but there were no signs of life 

 about them. DeLong took possession of these, and decided to 

 remain there while Noros and Nindemann were sent out to find 

 relief. At this time provisions for only two days remained, so 

 that the gravest fears were excited lest starvation should overtake 



