25r. THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. vii. 



which never before happened to me during a summer journey in 

 the Ai'ctic regions — and scarcely any seals. 



On the 19th August we continued to sail and steam along 

 the coast, mostly in a very close fog, which only at intervals 

 dispersed so much that the lie of the coast could be made out. 

 In order that they might not be separated, both vessels had 

 often to signal to each other with the steam-whistle. The sea 

 was bright as a mirror. Drift-ice was seen now and then, but 

 only in small quantity and very rotten ; but in the course of the 

 day we steamed past an extensive unbroken ice-field, fast to the 

 land, which occupied a bay on the west side of the Chelyuskin 

 peninsula. The ice, of which it consisted, appeared in the mist 

 immensely rough and high, although in fact it was nearly as 

 rotten as that of which the narrow belts of ice were formed 

 which we now and then met with out at sea. 



The fog prevented all view far across the ice, and I already 

 feared that the northernmost promontory of Asia would be so 

 surrounded with ice that we could not land upon it. But soon a 

 dark, ice-free cape peeped out of the mist in the north-east. A 

 bay open to the north here cuts into the land, and in this bay 

 both the vessels anchored on the 19th August at 6 o'clock p.m. 



We had now reached a great goal, which for centuries had 

 been the object of unsuccessful struggles. For the first time a 

 vessel lay at anchor off the northernmost cape of the old world. 

 No wonder then that the occurrence was celebrated by a display 

 of flags and the firing of salutes, and, when we returned from our 

 excursion on land, by festivities on board, by ^\ine and toasts. 



As on our arrival at the Yenisej, we were received here too by 

 a large Polar bear, who, even before the vessel anchored, was 

 seen to go backwards and forwards on the beach, now and then 

 turning his glance and his nose uneasily out to sea in order to 

 investigate Avhat remarkable ouests had now for the first time 

 come to his kingdom. A boat was put off to kill him. Bruse- 

 witz wasthe chosen shot; but on this occasion the bear took care 

 not to form any closer acquaintance with our guns. The firing 

 of the salute put him so thoroughly to flight, that he did not, as 

 bears are wont, return the following day. 



The north point of Asia forms a low promontory, Avhich a bay 

 divides into two, the eastern arm projecting a little farther to 

 the north than the western. A ridge of hills with gently slop- 

 ing sides runs into the land from the eastern point, and appears 

 within sight of the western to reach a height of 300 metres. 

 Like the plains lying below, the summits of this range were 

 nearly free of snow. Only on the hill-sides or in deep furrows 

 excavated by the streams of melted snow, and in dales in the 

 plains, were large white snow-fields to be seen. A low ice-foot 

 still remained at most places along the shore. But no glacier 



