110 



THE JEANNETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



ously and devoutly swung an immense censer. The odor 

 from it was at first not particularly pleasant, but it soon be- 

 came so strong and disagreeable that I, who had my place in 

 front of the audience, was like to choke, though the ceremony 

 was performed in the open air. Soon the clerk was com- 

 pletely concealed in a dense cloud of smoke, and it was now 

 observed that his skin cloak had been set fire to at the same 

 time as the incense. The service, however, was not inter- 

 rupted by this incident, but the fire was merely extinguished 

 by a bucket of water being thrown, to the amusement of all, 

 over the clerk." 



At nine in the morning the Lena continued her voyage up 

 the river, with the priest and the Crown officials on board, 

 but they had soon to be landed, because in their joy they had 

 become dead drunk. On the 13th, Schigansk was reached, 

 and samples of the coal found there were taken on board. 

 On the 21st the Lena reached Yakutsk. The first vessel 

 which, coming from the ocean, reached the heart of Siberia, 

 was received with great good-will and hospitality, both by 

 the authorities and the common people. Johannessen con- 

 tinued his voyage up the river until, on the 8th of Octo- 

 ber, he came to the village Njaskaja. Here he turned back to 

 Yakutsk, and laid up the steamer in winter-quarters a little 

 to the south of that town. 



U'lMTEH VdKT. 



