Summary

De Long’s ship was battered throughout the night. The mainsail was ripped in two. His crew rode it out as best they could. Nindemann crafted a device that served to balance the ship through the punishing gale. They had to constantly bail out the water or they’d sink. De Long and crew came to the conclusion that the other two boats had capsized and that all 19 men had perished. The 14 men on De Long’s boat were apparently the only survivors. Sleep was impossible in the tossing and turning boat. By the next morning, the seas and winds had calmed and De Long and crew proceeded to the coast of Siberia.

Nindemann spotted a small gray patch in the difference. It was not an illusion – it was Siberia! They looked for a delta into the...