1735. THE RUSSIAN NAVIGATORS. 351 



he passed through the strait of Waigatz into the 

 sea of Kara, along the western coast of which he 

 navigated as high as latitude 72"^ 30', hut did not 

 succeed in doubling the Cape Olenei, which 

 separates Kara from these a of Obe. But in 1738 

 Lieutenants Malgyn and Skurakof doubled 

 that promontory, though not without great diffi- 

 culty, and entered the bay of Obe. In the same 

 year, two vessels under the Lieutenants Offzin 

 and KosKELEF passed round Cape Matzol, from 

 the Bay of Obe to the mouth of the Yenisei, 

 which had been frequently attempted without 

 success ; and in that year also the pilot, Feodor 

 Menin, sailed from the mouth of the Yenisei 

 towards the Lena, but being stopped by the ice 

 at the mouth of the Piasida or Piacini, through 

 which he was unable to find a passage, he returned 

 to the Yenisei. 



Lieutenant Prontshistshef had attempted, in 

 the year 1735, to proceed the contrary way from 

 the Lena to the Yenisei. He found great diffi- 

 culty in passing through the archipelago of islands 

 lying at the mouth of the Lena, on account of the 

 ice. Proceeding to the north-west, he observed 

 many ice-islands, from twertty-four to sixty feet 

 in height. He passed through narrow channels 

 between fields of ice, and damaged his vessel so 

 much, that on the 2d September he was compelled 

 to seek shelter in the mouth of tlie Olenek or 

 Olensk, where he passed the winter. He again 



