THE JEANETTE AND HER SURVIVORS. 43 



and finally a bill was presented and passed Congress for the fitting out of an 

 Arctic expedition in search of the Jeannette. The Rogers was purchased and 

 started out last summer in its search. Its plan was to proceed along the coast of 

 Siberia, which was a correct theory, but recent dispatches give information of her 

 destruction by fire. Five other expeditions have attempted to gain some inform- 

 ation concerning the Jeannette, but without success. They were fitted out by 

 private persons and had other objects as well as searching for the Jeannette. 



It appears that the Jeannette, after passing through Behring Strait, took a 

 northeasterly course, passing through an unexplored region. 



Several letters from different members of the party have been published but 

 none differ from the official report of Chief Engineer Melville, except in minor 

 points. He says: ''We arrived in the Harbor of Lutke, Bay of St. Lawrence 

 on the 25th day of August, and on the 27th completed our supply of stores from 

 the schooner and sailed for the Arctic Ocean, to visit Koliutschin Bay to search 

 for Nordenskiold, and then to continue our voyage of discovery. We arrived at 

 Koliutschin Bay on August 31st, and having found satisfactory proof of the safe- 

 ty of Nordenskiold we continued our voyage to the northward. 



"On September 3rd came up with the ice and on the 4th sighted Herald 

 Island. Continued to work through the ice until the 6th day of September when 

 we became firmly fixed in the ice. On September 13th an attempt was made 

 to land on Herald Island, but it was unsuccessful, and the traveling party re- 

 turned to the ship on the 14th. We continued to drift with the ice toward the 

 northwest, and on October 21st sighted Wrangell Land, bearing south. We con- 

 tinued fast in close packed ice until November 25th, when, after several days 

 severe crushing of the ice and nipping of the ship, she was forced into open water 

 and drifted northwest without control until the evening of the same day, when 

 we brought up against a solid floe piece and made fast, where we again froze in 

 and remained until the vessel was eventually destroyed. 



" Long and dreary months of close confinement to the ship and anxiety for 

 her safety continued until May 17, 1881, when we were enlivened by our first 

 sight of land since March, 1880, when we lost sight of Wrangell Land, and as no 

 land was laid down in any chart in our possession, we concluded it to be a new 

 island. This island was seen when we were in latitude 76° 43' 20" north, longi- 

 tude 161° east. The island was named Jeannette Island, though not landed 

 upon. Its position was latitude 76° 47' north, longitude 158° 56' east. 



The ship and ice continued to drift to the west and northwest, the whole ice 

 field being broken up in all directions. On the night of June loth several severe 

 shocks were felt and the ship was found to have raised several inches in her bed. 

 There was evidence of an approaching break-up of our friendly floe piece. At 

 ten minutes past twelve A. M., June nth, the ice suddenly opened alongside 

 the ship, completely freeing her, and she floated on an even keel for the first 

 time in many months. 



"The ice continued in motion, but no serious injury occurred to the ship 

 until the morning of the 12th, when the ice commenced to pack together, bring- 



