Voyage through the Kara Sea. 203 



edge of the ice, long and compact, shining through the 

 fog. I had a strong inclination to go eastward, on 

 the possibility of there being land in that direction ; 

 but it looked as if the ice extended farther south there, 

 and there was the probability of being able to reach a 

 higher latitude if we kept west ; so we headed that 

 way. The sun broke through for a moment just now, 

 so we took an observation, which showed us to be in 

 about 77 44' north latitude." 



We now held north-west along the edge of the ice. 

 It seemed to me as if there might be land at no great 

 distance, we saw such a remarkable number of birds of 

 various kinds. A flock of snipe or wading birds met us, 

 followed us for a time, and then took their way south. 

 They were probably on their passage from some land to 

 the north of us. We could see nothing, as the fog lay 

 persistently over the ice. Again, later, we saw flocks of 

 small snipe, indicating the possible proximity of land. 

 Next day the weather was clearer, but still there was no 

 land in sight. We were now a good way north of the 

 spot where Baron von Toll has mapped the south coast of 

 Sannikoff Land, but in about the same longitude. So it 

 is probably only a small island, and in any case cannot 

 extend far north. 



On September 2ist we had thick fog again, and when 

 we had sailed north to the head of a bay in the ice. and 

 could get no farther, I decided to wait here for clear 

 weather to see if progress farther north were possible. 



