AUTHOR'S PEEFACE. 



This popular account of the voyage of the Vega round Asia 

 and Europe is herewith presented to the friends of geographical 

 research in an English translation. Along with the sketch 

 of the voyage itself, of the natural conditions on the north 

 coast of Siberia, of the animal aad vegetable life prevailing- 

 there, and of the races with whom we ca.me in contact in 

 the course of the voyage, the work contains a review, as com- 

 plete as space permitted, of jDreceding exploratory voyages 

 to the Polar Sea of Europe and Asia, from King Alfred's 

 account of the first North-East voyage under the Northman. 

 Othere, down to the expeditions for sport and hunting of 

 the past decade. For it would have been too ungrateful, in 

 an account of the voyage of the Vega, not to have referred 

 at some length to our predecessors, who, with indescribable 

 struggles and difficulties, and generally with the sacrifice of 

 health and life, paved the way along which we advanced, 

 made possible the victory we achieved. In this way, besides, 

 the work itself has gained a much-needed variety, for nearly 

 all the narratives of the older North-East voyages contain 

 in abundance what a sketch of our own adventures has not 

 to offer, but what many readers, perhaps, will expect to find 

 in a book such as this — accounts of dangers and misfortunes 

 of a thousand sorts by land and sea. 



May the prominent part which England and America have 

 played in the history of Polar Exploration, and the lively 

 interest that everywhere in these countries has been taken in 

 the voyage of the Vega, secure for this work a friendly recejj- 

 tion ; and, above all, may the voyage of the Vega conduce to 

 maintain the desire for Arctic Research till the veil which still 

 conceals the lands round the North and South Poles be com- 

 pletely removed. Many a problem of great importance to 

 mankind still waits for a solution from the ice-deserts of the 

 Polar Seas and the Polar Lauds ; many a splendid victory in 

 the service of science is still to be won in those distant 

 regions. 



A. E. NORDENSKIOLD. 



LoxDOX, Xovcmhcr, 18S1. 



