140 



Chapter V. 



It is a strange, flat country. Nothing but sand, sand 

 everywhere. Still flatter, still more desolate than the 

 country about Yugor Strait, with a still wider horizon. 

 Over the plain lay a green carpet of grass and moss, 

 here and there spoiled by the wind having torn it up and 

 swept sand over it. But trudge as we might, and search 

 as we might, we found no Samoyede camp. We saw 



IN THE KARA SEA. 



three men in the far distance, but they went off as fast 

 as they could the moment they caught sight of us. 

 There was little game just a few ptarmigan, golden 

 plovers, and long-tailed ducks. Our chief gain was 

 another collection of plants, and a few geological and 

 geographical notes. Our observations showed that the 

 land at this place was charted not less than half a degree 

 or 36 to 38 minutes too far west. 



