9b THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



mystery to darkness and solitude, then the Siberian tundra 

 not only becomes inexpressibly lonely and desolate, but 

 takes on a strange, half terrible unearthliness which awes 

 and yet fascinates the imagination." 



In the region of the Lower Lena, and to the westward, 

 have been found specimens of a huge rhinoceros, and of an 

 elephant larger than that now existing popularly called the 

 mammoth. It is so named from the Russian mamont, or Tar- 

 tar mamma (the earth), because the heathen Yakutes be- 



SIBERIAN RHINOCEROS HORN. 



lieved that this animal always lived in the earth, and worked 

 its way around like a mole, however hard the ground was 

 frozen. They also believed that it died on coming in contact 

 with the outer air. As for the rhinoceros, the natives sup- 



