The Voyage Of The Vega Round Asia And Europe Part 24

On the two occasions on which the vessel was anch.o.r.ed to ice-floes the trawl-net was used, and the hempen tangles. The net was drawn forward slowly with the ice which was drifting to the north-west before a fresh S.E. breeze which was blowing at the time. The yield of the trawling was extraordinarily abundant; large asterids, crinoids, sponges, holothuria, a gigantic sea-spider (Pycnogonid), ma.s.ses of worms, crustacea, &c. _It was the most abundant yield that the trawl-net at any one time brought up during the whole of our voyage round the coast of Asia_, and this from the sea off the northern extremity of that continent.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SEA SPIDER (PYCNOGONID) FROM THE SEA EAST OF CAPE CHELYUSKIN. Half the normal size. ]

Among the forms collected here we may specially refer to the large sea-spider, of which a drawing is given (p. 349); and three specimens of small stalked crinoids. The depth varied between 60 and 100 metres. The temperature of the water was at the surface +0 to--0.6; at the bottom--1.4 to 1.6; its salinity was considerable, both at the bottom, where it was very nearly equal to that of the other great oceans, and at the surface, where it was indeed about a fifth-part less, but yet much greater than that of the surface-water in the Kara Sea.

It is singular that a temperature under the freezing-point of pure water should be advantageous for the development of an animal life so extremely rich as that which is found here, and that this animal life should not suffer any harm from the complete darkness, which during the greater portion of the year prevails at the bottom of the ice-covered sea.

When we got out of the ice we steamed towards the land, which was sighted on the 23rd at 8.45 p.m. The land was low and free from snow; the depth of the sea at a distance of ten kilometres from the coast varied between thirteen and fifteen metres. The coast here stretched from north to south. We followed it at a distance of seven to ten kilometres. A north-westerly breeze here carried the vessel, without the help of steam, rapidly forward over a completely smooth sea.

On the 24th August we still sailed along the land towards the south.

The depth of the sea now increased to thirty-three metres at a distance of ten kilometres from land. The land rose gradually, and some distance from the coast beautiful mountain chains were seen, which, judging by the eye, rose to a height of from 600 to 900 metres. They were, like the plains along the coast, quite free from snow. Only in the clefts of the mountains there remained some few collections of snow or ice, which at two places appeared to form true glaciers, which however terminated at a considerable height above the sea. The snow-free slopes between the foot of the mountain and the sh.o.r.e bank, thirty to sixty metres high, formed an even plain, covered by a brownish-green turf, probably of the same nature as that we saw on Taimur Island.

During the forenoon we had splendid clear weather, and often we could see from the vessel no trace of ice. We saw a large number of walruses, and to judge by the fire which this sight kindled in the eyes of our hunters, it will not be long till the Norwegian hunting voyages are extended to the sea north and east of the north point of Asia. We saw besides a large number of looms and black guillemots, the former accompanied by young of the year, as large as rotges.

About noon we sighted "land ahead to larboard." It was evidently Preobraschenie Island. I determined to land on it for a few hours to carry on researches in natural history, and to fix the position of the place by astronomical observations, if the weather should permit. The distance of this high-lying island was however greater than we expected. So that it was not until six o'clock in the evening that we could anchor off its south-west side, near the almost perpendicular face of cliffs abounding in sea-fowl.

During the last two days we had been sailing over a region, which on recent maps is marked as land. This shows that a considerable change must be made on the map of North Siberia, and I shall therefore quote here the observations on which the determination of our course is grounded.

Lat.i.tude. Longitude Cape Chelyuskin[196]................. 77 36.8' 103 17.2'

On board the _Vega_[197] at noon of the 21st Aug. 77 25' 109 12'

,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 22nd Aug. 76 33' 116 9'

,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 23rd Aug. 76 48' 115 0'

,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 24th Aug. 73 0' 113 33'

At the last mentioned point we had laud to starboard of us at an estimated distance of 4'. Preobraschenie Island lay S. 21 W.

17.5' off. It is on the ground of these data and of the courses recorded in the log, that the track of the _Vega_ has been laid down on the map, and no doubt can arise that the position of the east coast of Taimur peninsula, as indicated by us, is in the main correct.

Preobraschenie Island forms a pretty even gra.s.sy plain, lying from thirty to sixty metres above the sea-level, which in the north-west terminates towards the sea with an almost perpendicular rocky wall, but to the south-east sinks gradually down to two sand-banks which run far out to sea. At the time of our visit the island was free of snow and covered with a carpet of mosses mixed with gra.s.s, which was exceedingly abundant, especially on the south-west slopes of the island, protected as they were from the north winds. Here we encountered anew the Arctic animal world in all its profusion. The ledges of the perpendicular sh.o.r.e-cliffs of the island formed the breeding-place of numberless looms and kittiwakes, to which a few black guillemots attached themselves. Along the farthest margin of the beach waders ran busily backwards and forwards in order to collect their food. At the summits of the cliffs a flock of glaucous gulls were breeding, and on the slopes of the low land the white mountain owl was seen lying in wait for its prey, quiet and motionless for hours, but as usual it was wary and shy, so that it was only with difficulty that the hunter could get within range of it. At some places there extended between the foot of the "loomery"

and the sea a stone-bestrewn beach, which at high water was mostly covered by the sea, and at low water was full of shallow salt-water pools. Here had settled two Polar bears that were soon killed, one by Lieutenant Brusewitz, the other by Captain Johannesen. The bears had evidently been on the hunt for looms, which along with their young, large as rotges and already able to swim, were swimming in the pools of water at the foot of the "loomery," and above all perhaps they were lying in wait for birds which by some accident happened to fall down from the breeding-place. In the sea no small number of seals were seen, and but a few hours before our arrival at the island we had sailed past herds of walrus.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PREOBRASCHENIE ISLAND. (After a sketch by O. Nordquist.) ]

Vegetation was much more luxuriant and richer in species than at Cape Chelyuskin, and naturally bore a more southern stamp, not only in consequence of the more southerly position of the island, but also on account of its sh.o.r.es being washed by the water of the Chatanga river, which is warm during summer.[198]

Unfortunately, on account of the advanced season of the year I could only allow the _Vega_ to remain a few hours off this interesting island, and at 10.30 p.m. accordingly the anchor was weighed and our voyage along the coast resumed.

On the 25th, 26th and 27th August we had for the most part calm, fine weather, and the sea was completely free of ice. The temperature of the water again rose to +5.8, and its salinity diminished considerably. But the depth now decreased so much, that, for instance, on the night before the 26th we had great difficulty in getting past some shoals lying west of the delta of the Lena, off the mouth of the Olonek.

It had originally been my intention to let the _Vega_ separate from the _Lena_ at some anchorage in one of the mouth-arms of the Lena river. But on account of the shallowness of the water, the favourable wind and the ice-free sea, that now lay before us to the eastward, I determined to part from the _Lena_ in the open sea off Tumat Island. This parting took place on the night between the 27th and 28th August, after Captain Johannesen had been signalled to come on board the _Vega_, to receive orders, pa.s.sport,[199] and letters for home. As a parting salute to our trusty little attendant during our voyage round the north point of Asia some rockets were fired, on which we steamed or sailed on, each to his destination.

During our pa.s.sage from Norway to the Lena we had been much troubled with fog, but it was only when we left the navigable water along the coast to the east of Cape Chelyuskin that we fell in with ice in such quant.i.ty that it was an obstacle to our voyage. If the coast had been followed the whole time, if the weather had been clear and the navigable water sufficiently surveyed, so that it had been possible to keep the course of the vessel near the land, the voyage of the _Vega_ to the mouth of the Lena _would never have been obstructed by ice_, and I am convinced that this will happen year after year during the close of August, at least between the Yenisej and the Lena. For I believe that the place where ice-obstacles will perhaps be met with most frequently will not be the north point of Asia, but the region east of the entrance to the Kara Sea.

[Footnote 189: Namely, according to Dr. Kjellman's determination, the following:

Saxifraga oppositifolia L.

Saxifraga rivularis L.

Saxifraga caespitosa L.

Cardamine bellidifolia L.

Cochlearia fenestrata R. BR.

Ranunculus hyperboreus ROTTB.

Stellaria Edwardsii R. BR.

Cerastium alpinum L.

Alsine macrocarpa FENZL.

Sagina nivalis FR.

Salix polaris WG.

Glyceria vilfoidea (ANDS.) TH. FR.

Catabrosa algida (SOL.) FR.

Aira caespitosa L.

Juncus biglumis L. ]

[Footnote 190: I can remember only one other instance of finding self-dead vertebrate animals, viz. when in 1873, as has already been stated (p. 110), I found a large number of dead rotges on the ice at the mouth of Hinloopen Strait. ]

[Footnote 191: I use this name because the ash-rain of March 1875 was first observed at Haga palace near Stockholm, and thus at the outer limit of the known area of distribution of the dust. It was first through the request which in consequence of this observation was published in the newspapers, that communications regarding singular observations in other quarters should be sent to the Swedish Academy of Sciences, that it became known that a similar rain had about the same time taken place over a very large part of middle Sweden and Norway. The dust however did not fall evenly, but distributed in spots, and at several different times. The distance from Stockholm of the volcanoes, where the outbreak took place, is nearly 2000 kilometres. ]

[Footnote 192: Namely, by showing that the princ.i.p.al material of the plutonic and volcanic rocks is of cosmic origin, and that the phenomena of heat, which occur in these layers, depend on chemical changes to which the cosmic sediment, after being covered by thick terrestrial formations, is subjected. ]

[Footnote 193: Dr. Kjellman has given the following list of the flowering plants collected by him in this region:--

Cineraria frigida RICHARDS.

Potentilla emarginata PURSH.

Saxifraga stellaris L. f. comosa.

Saxifraga nivalis L.

Saxifraga cernua L.

Saxifraga rivularis L.

Chrysosplenium alternifolium L.

Cardamine bellidifolia L.

Draba corymbosa R. BR.

Papaver nudicaule L.

Ranunculus pygmaeus WG.

Ranunculus hyperboreus ROTTB.

Ranunculus sulphureus SOL.

Stellaria Edwardsii R. BR.

Cerastium alpinum L.

Alsine macrocarpa FENZL.

Salix polaris WG.

Poa arctica R. BR.

Arctophila peudulina (LAEST.) ANDS.

Catabrosa algida (Sol.) FR.

Colpodium latifolium R. BR.

Dupontia Fisheri R. BR.

Pleuropogon Sabini R. BR.

Aira caespitosa L.

Hierochloa pauciflora R. BR.

Calamagrostis lapponica (WG.) HN.

Alopecurus alpinus SM.

Eriophorum angustifolium ROTH.

Eriophorum Scheuchzeri HOPPE.

Carex aquatilis WG.