1 66 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



over one hundred head of deer were harnessed to twenty- 

 seven sleighs loaded with reindeer meat, skins, and fish, 

 and driven oyer the mountains to the southward. About 

 the end of the second day they came to a collection of 

 huts, Ku Mark Surka, where there was a great crowd of 

 people feasting. On the following day, the 25th October, 

 Nindemann made another desperate attempt to make 

 himself understood. A model of a boat was produced, 

 and using sticks, Nindemann showed that the ship had 

 masts and yards, and that it was a steamer. He then 

 made models of the ship's boats. Obtaining two pieces 

 of ice, he showed how the ship had been crushed. He 

 next put in each little boat so many sticks to represent 

 the men in each boat. He then showed a chart of the 

 ocean and coast-line, and tried to explain how the boats 

 were separated in a gale. He showed the way they had 

 walked along the river, and by putting his head down 

 and closing his eyes he tried to explain how many days 

 the rest of the party had been left. Sometimes they 

 seemed to be able to follow him, but no assistance was 

 offered. 



Next day an incessant but fruitless attempt to make 

 themselves understood was made. On the 27th October, 

 Nindemann could contain himself no longer, and broke 

 into sobs and groans. A woman in the hut took pity on 

 him, and began talking earnestly to one of the men, who 

 came to Nindemann and said something about a com- 

 mandant. Late in the evening, a tall Russian, whom 

 Nindemann took to be the commandant, arrived, but he 

 understood neither English nor German. He evidently, 

 however, knew something of affairs, for he uttered two 

 words, " Jeannette, 1 ' " Americansk." Noros, meanwhile, 

 was in the hut writing out an explanatory note which 

 Nindemann and he had composed, and the Russian picked 

 this up and put it in his pocket, and refused to return it. 



