224 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



hereby authorized to undertake), and such other vessels as may be found to need 

 assistance during said cruise, one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars : 

 Provided, That said vessel shall be wholly manned by volunteers from the Navy. 



As soon as practicable after the passage of this act, the Secretary of the 

 Navy convened a board of naval officers to consider the directions of the search, 

 the means best adapted for it, and the details of the search expedition when 

 ordered. 



The following is the report of the board: 



Washington, March 26, 1881. 

 Hon. William H. Hunt, Secretary of the Navy: 



Sir, — The "Jeannette" Relief Board has the honor to .make the following 

 report in regard to the matters embraced in your instructions of the loth inst. 

 You refer three main objects to the consideration of the Board. 



First, The direction of the search. To ascertain the direction of the search 

 it is proper to find where the "Jeannette" proposed to go. The captain, in a 

 letter to his wife, written at sea, August 17, 1879, said that he proposed to pro- 

 ceed north by the way of the eastern coast of Wrangel Land, touching at Herald 

 island, where he should build a cairn and leave records, thence landing on 

 Wrangel Land and leaving records on the eastern coast under cairns at about 

 twenty-five miles apart. 



While in pursuance of this plan apparently he was seen by the whaler " Sea 

 Breeze" on the 2d of September, 1879. Captain Barnes, in command of the 

 " Sea Breeze," said she was about fifty miles south of Herald Island. The ves- 

 sels were only about six miles apart. The sea was comparatively clear of ice 

 where the " Sea Breeze " was, but the " Jeannette" was seen entering a lead or 

 channel through thick ice, steering up toward Herald Island. Next day thick, 

 black smoke was seen to be issuing from her smoke-stack, but the hull was invis- 

 ible below the horizon. The "Jeannette" left San Francisco with anthracite 

 coal, but at Ounalaska took in 150 tons of bituminous coal. 



The whalers "Vigilant" and "Mount Wollaston " were last seen October 

 10, 1879, about eighty miles northeast by east from the spot where the ''Jean- 

 nette " was seen on October 2 and 3, 1879. The "Mount Wollaston" and 

 " Vigilant " were together. The " Mercury " and the " Helen Mar " were near 

 them. 



The two first named vessels sailed off to the northwest; the other two did 

 not change their place. In a few hours the ice, under the influence of a sudden 

 change of temperature, owing to a northwest breeze, began making and grew so 

 fast that in twelve hours it had become some six inches in thickness. The " Mer- 

 cury " and " Helen Mar " recognized their danger. The crew of the " Mercury " 

 abandoned their vessel and went on board the " Helen Mar" as the newer and 

 more able vessel, and in her the crews escaped to clear water, after saihng some 

 sixty miles through ice. The " Mercury" has not since been seen. 



