NORDENSKIOLD AND THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE 323 



reached. Here the little "Lena" parted company with its consort 

 and steamed away up the great Siberian river, reaching Yakutsk, 

 its destination, on the 2ist of September. 



The region in which they now were, that since known as 

 Nordenskiold Sea, is that of the New Siberian Islands, a group 

 famous for containing great quantities of mammoth ivory and other 

 remains of the mammoths which once evidently were very numer- 

 ous in this region. These islands were reached on the 26th. Ice 

 was now forming fast and the "Vega" met with much obstruction, 

 being detained at North Cape for a week. The opportunity was 

 taken to make several land excursions, which led to some interest- 

 ing discoveries, among them the finding of ruins of habitations like 

 those of the Eskimos, indicating that a similar people had dwelt 

 here in the past. 



As the "Vega" went on much trouble and delay were caused by 

 fogs and ice, it being the 227th of September before the east side of 

 Kolintschin Bay was reached and the anchor dropped. They were 

 now in the vicinity of Bering Strait and warm hopes of completing 

 their journey before the season ended were entertained, it being 

 fully expected that the voyage could be resumed on the next day. 



But nature decided otherwise, the night proved bitterly cold, 

 and the floes were frozen so firmly together that on the next day 

 the "Vega" found it impossible to break through them. It was 

 hoped that the ice would soon break up, but north winds prevailed, 

 packing heavy masses along the coast, while the growing chill 

 formed new ice with great rapidity. Before November ended all 

 chance of escaping vanished and the explorers were forced to admit 

 that they were frozen in for the winter. Thus, by what Norden- 

 skiold regarded as a most unfortunate accident, their hopeful expec- 

 tation of completing the voyage in one season was defeated and 

 nature clasped them in her wintry fetters for another year. 



It was certainly unfortunate. Had they reached and left that 

 point one day earlier they would undoubtedly have entered the strait 



