The intrepid George Melville and his party…

The intrepid George Melville and his party had meanwhile found a native village on the other side of the delta and had been rescued.

Melville had then started for Belun, a Russian outpost, where he had found the two survivors of DeLong's boat, Nindemann and Noros, and had induced a group of natives to go with him in search of his commander.

He had succeeded in finding their landing place on the Lena and had recovered Jeannette's log and other important records, but had returned to Belun on November 27 without locating the DeLong group.

Keeping only two of his party, Melville now turns northward once more.