VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE (1881) 157 



Preparations were now made to take tidal observations, 

 make sketches, collect natural history specimens, and 

 hunt for game, etc. Large quantities of driftwood were 

 scattered about the shore, and Melville found a vein of 

 bituminous coal. The face of the cliff's was alive with 

 dovekies, of which they obtained a fair number. 



Bennett Island was left on 6th August, after a record 

 had been deposited in a cairn. Ten of the poorest dogs 

 were shot, leaving twelve. On the 7th the party were able 

 to take to their boats, and the men were distributed as 

 follows : — In first cutter, De Long, Ambler, Collins, 

 Nindemanu, Ericksen, Kaack, Boyd, Alexey, Lee, Noros, 

 Dressier, Gortz, Iversen. In second cutter, Chipp, 

 Dunbar, Sweetman, Sharvell, Kuehne, Starr, Manson, 

 Warren, Johnson, Ah Sam. In whale-boat, Melville, 

 Danenhower, Newcomb, Cole, Bartlett, Aneguin, Wilson, 

 Lauterbach, Tong Sing, Leach. 



Soon after the boats started, four of the dogs jumped 

 out and were lost. Two St. Michael's sledges and four 

 McClintock sledges had been left behind. On the 8th 

 August other four dogs jumped from the boats, and two 

 dogs were shot, leaving only two. 



A good deal of ice was still met with, and the boats 

 had frequently to be hauled on the ice and dragged across 

 until open water was again found. A seal was shot and 

 secured on the 11th August. On this date they calculated 

 that they had advanced about 20 miles. Another seal 

 was obtained on the 15th, and as provisions were now 

 running low, it was very acceptable. The last ration of 

 bread was served out on the 18th. On the 19th the 

 ice closed on the second cutter and stove a hole in the 

 bow. Chipp repaired it with a piece of Liebig box. On 

 the 20th August land was seen to the south-west. Pre- 

 parations were now made for sea. Snow was melted for 

 water, and the boats overhauled, etc. On the 21st, how- 



