INTRODUCTION. 1") 



105' E. Long., and tliat the Norwegian walrus-hunters during 

 late autumn have repeatedly sailed far to the eastward from 

 the north point of Novaya Zemlya (77^ N. Lat., and 68° E. 

 Long.), vHthout medbig loith any ice. 



From what has been already stated, it is evident that for the 

 present "we do not possess any complete knovvledge, founded on 

 actual observations, of the hydrography of the stretch of coast 

 between the Yenisej and Cape Chelyuskin. I, however, consider 

 that during September, and possibly the latter half of August, 

 we ought to be able to reckon with complete certainty on having 

 here ice-free water, or at least a broad, open channel along the 

 coast, from the enormous masses of warm water, which the rivers 

 Obi, Irtisch, and Yenisej, running up through the steppes of High 

 Asia, here pour into the ocean, after having received water from 

 a river territory, everywhere strongly heated during the month 

 of August, and more extensive than that of all the rivers put 

 together, which fall into the Mediterranean and the Black 

 Seas. 



Between Port Dickson and White Island, there runs therefore 

 a strong fresh- water current, at first in a northerly direction. 

 The influence which the rotation of the earth exercises, in these 

 high latitudes, on streams which run approximately in the 

 direction of the meridian, is, however, very considerable, and 

 gives to those coming from the south an easterly bend. In 

 consequence of this, the river water of the Obi and Yenisej 

 must be confined as in a proper river channel, at first along 

 the coast of the Tajmur country, until the current is allowed 

 beyond Cape Chelyuskin to flow unhindered towards the 

 north-east or east. Near the mouths of the large rivers I 

 have, during calm weather in this current, in about 74° 

 N. L., observed the temperature rising off the Yenisej to 

 + 9-4° C. (17th August, 1875), and off the Obi to+8°C. 

 (10th August of the same year). As is usually the case, this 

 current coming from the south produces both a cold under- 

 current, which in stormy weather readily mixes with the surface 

 water and cools it, and on the surface a northerly cold ice- 

 bestrewn counter-current, which, in consequence of the earth's 

 rotation, takes a bend to the west, and which evidently runs 

 from the opening between Cape Chelyuskin and the northern 

 extremity of Novaya Zemlya, towards the east side of this 

 island, and perhaps may be the cause why the large masses of 

 drift ice are pressed during summer against the east coast of 

 Novaya Zemlya. According to my own experience and the 

 uniform testimony of the walrus-hunters, this ice melts away 

 abnost comiJletely during autumn. 



In order to judge of the distance at which the current coming 

 from the Obi and the Yenisej can drive away the drift ice, we 



