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Obituary.

Details of the Death of the Late Major Robert Kennicott.

The Cleveland Herald publishes the following extract from a private letter giving the details of the sad death of Major Robert Kennicott, the young naturalist. The facts will be read with mournful interest by the many friends of the deceased in this city and State. The writer says: 

Fort St. Michaels, August 19, 1866. 
My Dear Wife and Parents: Poor Kennicott is no longer with us. He died suddenly at Nulato, a Russian port on the Yonkon River, the 13th of last May. The facts are these: He had many disappointments and failures since our arrival at St. Michaels, which, though it has been impossible to remedy, had taken a severe hold on him, and seemed to have entirely broken him down. He complained much of dizziness and a strange sensation in the head. On the morning of the 13th of May, we had a late breakfast and not seeing Major Kennicott around, concluded he had gone out for a walk as he very often did early in the morning. I sent one of our Indians to look for him. Lebarge, one of our part, and I took a walk down the river bank and had not gone over two hundred yards from the fort when I saw Kennicott lying on his back; I ran up to him and saw in an instant that he was dead. I sent Lebarge back for assistance which immediately came and conveyed the body to the fort. An open compass was lying by his side. It is supposed he was taking bearings, and after leaning over and making marks on the sand, raised up and then fell over dead. I cannot describe the feelings of our party. There were six of us at Nulato at the time of Major Kennicott's death, waiting for the ice in the river to break up so that we could start in boats for Fort Yonkon, a distance of six hundred miles. 
Mr. Ketchum, the oldest one of the party, takes command. He appointed me second in command, and desired me to do with the remains of Major Kennicott as I thought proper. I employed a Russian to make a coffin, which was rendered perfectly tight with spruce pitch procured from the Indians. We placed the remains in the coffin and kept it open for three days, when we took our last look, and the deposited it in a vault, as I decided to take the remains to St. Michaels, a distance of five hundred miles by river, and eighty miles from the mouth of the river by sea. In the winter we cross over the mountains with our dogs and sleds; by that route it is only two hundred and fifty miles, but it was then too late for the latter route, as the mountain streams were fast breaking up, so I decided to start down the river as soon as the ice broke up. We had two Esquimaux boats make of seal skins, that we had intended to have gone to Fort Yonkon in. I took the largest one, which is thirty-three feet long and six feet wide, and rigged with a large sail. On the 23rd of May the ice broke up; on the morning of the 25th we loaded the boat with things necessary for the trip, and then placed the Major's remains on board. We bade good-bye to Messrs. Ketchum and Lebarge who started the next day for Fort Yonkon. Accompanying me were Messrs. Smith, Adams and Dyer. For a crew I had three Indians. After sailing down the river a few miles from Nulato we overtook the ice and drift wood and found a very rapid current and it seemed every moment as though the boat would swamp, but we managed to land on an island and while there had a heavy thunder shower. About 3 p. m. we started again and ran about twenty miles when we camped for the night. Next day we made about fifty miles, passed an Indian village called Khottoz, stopped there a few minutes and bought some fish of the Indians. At night camped on an island; 27th, travelled about thirteen miles, came to an Indian village containing about one hundred Indians. Engaged one to go with Dyer, who left us there and went across to Unalakleat, where the other party has been stopping. 28th, left at one a. m., had fair wind all day, stopped once, then continued until twelve at night. The current was very rapid, with large quantities of drift wood, but little ice. We made about seventy-seven miles. 29th, left camp early in the morning - passed an Indian village. They fired guns for us to stop, but we were a mile from shore and kept on our course. Shortly after we met about fifty Esquimaux with their boats going up the river on a trading expedition. We stopped a short time and had a talk with them. I had seen many of them in the winter at Unalakleat. I informed them of Major Kennicott's death, which affected them very much, as he had been a great favorite with them all. 
June 8th, started with fair wind and tide, stood out to sea about six miles to clear some long points, sailed forty miles and at evening put into a small river and took tea, started out again and at four in the morning entered the channel leading direct to Fort St. Michaels. Early in the morning of the 15th, we were within sight of the fort but the channel was very shallow and rocky and we were obliged to proceed very slow. When near the fort we fired a gun which brought all the party to the beach to meet us. Dyer went to Unalakleat and informed the party that we were on the way down with the remains of Major Kennicott, and they came here. In the afternoon we had funeral service, and deposited the remains in a vault where they will remain until the arrival of the ship, when I hope they will be sent home. I shall do all in my power to have them forwarded.