95 
THE SO-CALLED '‘JEANNETTE RELICS'^ 
brief, to the effect tliat tlie presence of Jeannette survivors on the 
relief expedition liad sut^gested to some one the possiljility of 
producing a sensation in the fleet which for some time followed 
the foremost vessels; that in a spirit of boyish levity this hoax 
W'as conceived and carried out, with no intention of serious de- 
ception or thought of the possible consequences. No names were 
mentioned and the evidence was to the effect that a general im- 
I)re.ssion prevailed among the men that some such })rank had 
been played rather than that any particular man questioned was 
personally cognizant of the act. Dr Bessels gathered an amount 
of evidence tending to support this hypothesis, which he showed 
me and which covered forty or fifty pages of foolscap. This 
record was afterward burned, tvith his library and other papers, 
in a fire which destroyed his residence at Glendale, D. C. In 
consequence Dr Bessels communicated to his Euro]iean corre- 
spondents his belief that the relics were fictitious and the result 
of a hoax. I stated to Dr Rink and others who inquired of me 
the same conclusions. 
6. In 1888 Dr Nansen made his celebrated journey across 
Greenland and presumaldy heard of the relics there. Before his 
return, Dr Bessels died in Germany, where he had taken up his 
residence. Up to this time either the doul)ts which had been 
thrown on the authenticity of the relics, or some other reason, 
had lu’evented them from exciting much interest, and the owner 
seems to have resisted any attempt to verify their authenticity 
by sending photogra|)hs or originals of the i)apers to America 
when requested. The ])aj)ers and other objects were placed in 
a box in a garret and, after the death of the owner, were burned 
as worthless, with the ac({uiescence of the widow. As Herr 
Uytzen had published an account of them (Geogr. Tidskr., viii, 
188 o-’ 88, j)p. 4h-.51 j and the finder and possessor alike acted in 
]»erfect good faith throughout, it is probable that after Dr Bes- 
sels’ opinion was communicated to him. the owner attached no 
great value to the oljects, otherwise his wife could hardly have 
been ignoi-ant of it. 
When Dr Nansen endeavored to examine these objects with 
a view of determining their authenticity, tlu>y were no longer in 
existence.* One of his friends, whost; name has slipped my 
memory and whose letter is temporarily inaccessible, wrote to 
me on Nansen's behalf, as he explained, asking my ojiinion, 
* Sf!C Ui)y. Oeo«. So<!. l’ro<;., Nov. 11, I8ii2, in .lunniul, .Ian., 18!).'l, pp. l-.TJ. 
