Introduction. 31 



have to travel a long distance over the open sea before it 

 would get so far, but it would not be so bad a sea-boat as 

 to be unable to get along, even though sea-sick passengers 

 might have to offer sacrifices to the gods of the sea. 



" With such a ship and a crew of ten, or at the most 

 twelve, able-bodied and carefully picked men, with a full 

 equipment for five years, in every respect as good as 

 modern appliances permit of, I am of opinion that the 

 undertaking' w r ould be well secured against risk. With 

 this ship we should sail up through Bering Strait and 

 westward aloncr the north coast of Siberia towards the 



O 



New Siberian Islands* as early in the summer as the ice 

 would permit. 



" Arrived at the New Siberian Islands, it will be 

 advisable to employ the time to the best advantage in 

 examining the conditions of currents and ice, and to wait 

 for the most opportune moment to advance as far as 

 possible in ice-free water, which, judging by the accounts 

 of the ice conditions north of Bering Strait given by 

 American whalers, will probably be in August or the 

 beginning of September. 



"When the right time has arrived, then we shall 

 plough our way in amongst the ice as far as we can. We 



* I first thought of choosing the route through Bering Strait, because 

 I imagined that I could reach the New Siberian Islands safer and earlier 

 jiv the year from that side. On further investigation I found that this 

 was doubtful, and I decided on the shorter route through the Kara Sea 

 and north of Cape Chelyuskin. 



