Melville had finally found the bodies of…

Melville had finally found the bodies of DeLong and two of his companions on March 23, 1882.

He built a large cairn over the grave of his friends, a monument that will later be reproduced in granite and marble at the United States Naval Academy.

Before leaving Siberia, Melville had made an attempt to find the remains of Jeannette's third boat, even though the chance of survivors was slim.

He had returned disappointed to Irkutsk, the capital of Siberia, on July 5, 1882, almost three years since his departure from San Francisco in Jeannette.

The results of the expedition, both meteorological and geographic, are important.

Melville is rightly honored for his courage and tenacity, and the name of George Washington DeLong is considered among the ranks of the Navy's explorer heroes.