VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE (1881) 169 



the records left in the huts, he failed to find the bodies. 

 Winter had now set in severely, and the search had to 

 be given up. 



No news had yet been heard of Chipp's party, and it 

 may here be mentioned that no trace of them was ever 

 found. It is probable that the boat went down in the 

 gale. 



Early in the year of 1882, Melville began preparations 

 to renew the search in the spring. He received instruc- 

 tions from the American Government to spare no expense. 

 Food and clothing were transported from Yakutsk to the 

 Lena Delta, a distance of over 1500 miles. Melville had 

 Nindemann and Bartlett to assist him when he started 

 for his second search on the 16th March. On the 23rd 

 March the bodies were found. De Long, Dr. Ambler, 

 and, Ah Sam, the three who lived longest, were found 

 lying together. 



Melville ascertained that the whole of this district, at 

 certain seasons of the year, was under water, and he 

 therefore had the bodies removed some distance to the 

 south, where he had them buried on a rock about 300 or 

 400 feet high. 



A long search was now made for Chipp and his party, 

 but, as already mentioned, no trace of them was found. 



During 1883 the American Government appropriated 

 the sum of 25,000 dollars for the purpose of having the 

 bodies conveyed from the Lena Delta to America and 

 for a further search to be made for the missing boat. 

 This was carried out by Lieutenant Harber, of the U.S.N. 



The fate of this expedition was one of the saddest in 

 the history of Arctic exploration. It achieved little in 

 the way of discovery, but yet, as will be hereafter ex- 

 plained, the loss of the Jcannette had an important 

 bearing on a future expedition which was destined to 

 add greatly to our knowledge of the Arctic regions. 



