144 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



appears to sail in clay mud. We a.ve evidently in the area of 

 the Ob-Yenisej current. The ice we sailed through yesterday 

 probably came from the Gulf of Obi, Yenisej or Pjiisina. Its 

 surface was dirty, not clean and white like the surface of 

 glacier-ice or the sea-ice that has never come in contact with 

 land or with muddy river-water. Off the large rivers the ice, 

 when the snow has melted, is generally covered with a yellow 

 layer of clay. This clay evidently consists of mud, which had 

 been washed down by the river-water and been afterwards 

 thrown up by the swell on the snow-covered ice. The layer of 

 snow acts as a filter and separates the mud from the water. 

 The former, therefore, after the melting of the snow may form 

 upon true sea-ice a layer of dirt, containing a large number of 

 minute organisms which live only in fresh water. 



SECTION FROM THE SOUTH COAST OF MATOTSCHKIN SOUND, 



Showing the origin of Stone-ramparts at the beach. 



August 5fli. Still under sail in the Kara Sea, in which a 

 few pieces of ice are floating about. The ice completely dis- 

 appeared when we came north-west of Beli Ostrov. We were 

 several times in the course of the day in only nine metres of 

 water, which, however, in consequence of the evenness of the 

 bottom, is not dangerous. Fog, a heavy sea, and an intermittent 

 but pretty fresh breeze delayed our progress. 



August Gth. At three o'clock in the morning we bad land 

 in sight. In the fog we had gone a little way up the Gulf 

 of Yenisej, and so had to turn in order to reach our destination. 

 Port Dickson. The mast -tops of the Express were seen pro- 

 jecting over islands to the north, and both vessels soon anchored 

 south of an island which was supposed to be Dickson's Island, 



