CHAr. VII.] DEPARTUKE FROM PORT DICKSON. 243 



CHAPTER VII. 



Departure from Port Dickson — Landing on a rocky island east of tha 

 Yenisej — Self-dead animals — Discovery of crystals on the surface of 

 the drift-ice — Cosmic dust — Stay in Actinia Bay — Joliannesen's dis- 

 covery of the island Ensamheten — Arrival at Cape Chelyuskin — The 

 natural state of the land and sea there — Attempt to penetrate riglit 

 eastwards to the New Siberian Islands — The effect of the mist — 

 Abundant dredging-yield — Preobrasehenie Island — Separation from the 

 Lena at the mouth of the river Lena, 



When on the morning of the 9th August the Frascr and 

 Express sailed for the point higher up the river where their 

 cargo was lying, the Vega and the Lena were also ready to sail. 

 I, however, permitted the vessels to remain at Port Dickson a 

 day longer, in order to allow Lieutenant Bove to finish his 

 survey, and for the purpose of determining astronomically, if 

 possible, the position of this important place. In consequence 

 of a continuous fog, however, I had as little opportunity of 

 doing so on this occasion as during the voyage of 1875, which 

 serves to show of what sort the weather is during summer at 

 the place where the warm water of the Yenisej is poured into 

 the Arctic Ocean. It was thus not until the morning of the 

 lOtli August that the Vega and the Lena weighed anchor in 

 order to continue their voyage. The course was shaped for the 

 most westerly of the islands, which old maps place off the 

 estuary-bay of the Pjasina, and name Kammenni Ostrova 

 (Stone Islands), a name which seems to indicate that in their 

 natural state they correspond to the rocky islands about Port 

 Dickson. The sky was hid by mist, the temperature of the air 

 rose to + 10°"4 C. ; that of the water was at first -f 10°, after- 

 wards -f 8° ; its salinity at the surface of the sea was inconsider- 

 able. No ice was seen during the course of the day. Favoured 

 by a fresh breeze from the south-east, the Vega could thus 

 begin her voyage with all sail set. Small rocky islands, which 

 are not to be found on the chart, soon reminded us of the 

 untrustworthiness of the maps. This, together with the pre- 

 vailing fog, compelled Captain Palander to sail forward with 

 great caution, keeping a good outlook and sounding constantly. 

 Warm weather and an open sea were also favourable for the 

 next day's voyage. But the fog now became so dense, that the 

 Vega had to lie-to in the morning at one of the many small 

 islands which we still met with on our way. 



Dr. Kjellman, Dr. Almquist, Lieutenant Nordquist, and I, 

 lauded here. The bare and utterly desolate island consisted of 

 a low gneiss rock, rising here and there into cliffs, which were 



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