12 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



having for its object to penetrate far to the eastward in this 

 sea. Yugor Sound and the Kara Port are early free of fast 

 ice, but instead, are long rendered difficult to navigate by con- 

 siderable masses of drift ice, which are carried backwards and 

 forwards in the bays on both sides of the sound by the cur- 

 rents which here alternate with the ebb and flow of the tide. 

 Besides, at least in Yugor Sound, there are no good harbours, 

 in consequence of which the drifting masses of ice may greatly 

 inconvenience the vessels, which by these routes attempt to 

 enter the Kara Sea. Matotschkin Sound, again, forms a 

 channel nearly 100 kilometres long, deep and clear, with the 

 exception of a couple of shoals, the position of which is known, 

 which indeed is not usually free from fast ice until the latter 

 half of July, but, on the other hand, in consequence of the 

 configuration of the coast, is less subject to be obstructed by 

 drift ice than the southern straits. There are good harbours 

 at the eastern mouth of the sound. In 1875 and 187G both 

 the sound and the sea lying off it were completely open in 

 the end of August, but the ice was much earlier broken up 

 also on the eastern side, so that a vessel could without 

 danger make its way among the scattered pieces of drift ice. 

 The part of Novaya Zemlya which is first visited by the 

 walrus-hunters in spring is usually just the west coast off 

 Matotschkin. 



In case unusual weather does not prevail in the regions 

 in question during the course of early and mid-summer, 1878 — 

 for instance, very steady southerly winds, which would early 

 drive the drift ice away from the coast of the mainland — I 

 consider, on the grounds which I have stated above, that it 

 will be safest for the expedition to choose the course by 

 Matotschkin Sound. 



We cannot, however, reckon on having, so early as the begin- 

 ning of August, open water direct to Port Dickson at the 

 mouth of the Yenisej, but must be prepared to make a con- 

 siderable detour towards the south in order to avoid the masses 

 of drift ice, which are to be met with in the Kara Sea up to the 

 beginning of September. The few days' delay which may be 

 caused by the state of the ice here, will afford, besides, to the 

 expedition an opportunity for valuable work in examining the 

 natural history and hydrography of the channel, about 200 

 fathoms deep, which runs along the east coast of Novaya 

 Zemlya. The Kara Sea is, in the other parts of it, not deep, but 

 evenly shallow (ten to thirty fathoms), yet without being fouled 

 by shoals or rocks. The most abundant animal life is found in 

 the before-mentioned deep channel along the east coast, and 

 it was from it that our two foregoing expeditions brought 

 home several animal types, very peculiar and interesting in a 



