74 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[cHAr. 



to visit svicli a place. But for a long time none of the Russians 

 who were present was willing to act as guide. At last how- 

 ever a young man offered to conduct me to a place on Vaygats 

 Island, where I could see what I wished. Accordingly the 

 following day, accompanied by Dr. Almquist, Lieutenant 

 Hovgaard, Captain Nilsson, and my Russian guide, I made 

 an excursion in one of the steam launches to the other shore 

 of Yugor Straits. 



The sacrificial eminence was situated on the highest point of 

 the south-western headland of Vaygats Island, and consisted 

 of a natural hillock which rose a c<niple of metres above the 







SACRIFICIAL EMINENCE ON VAYGATS ISLAND. 



After a drawing by A. Hovgaard. 



surrounding plain. The plain terminated towards the sea 

 with a steep escarpment. The land was even, but rose gradually 

 to a height of eighteen metres above the sea. The country 

 consisted of upright strata of Silurian limestone running ■ 

 from east to west, and at certain places containing fossils 

 resembling those of Gotland. Here and there were shallow 

 depressions in the plain, covered with a very rich and uniformly 

 green growth of grass. The high-lying dry parts again made a 

 gorgeous show, covered as they were with an exceedingly 

 luxuriant carpet of yellow and white saxifrages, blue EritricMa, 

 Polcmonia and Parrjicc, and yellow Clirtjsosplciiia, &c. The last 



