vii.J PREOBRASCHENIE ISLAND. 267 



Observed 

 Latitude. Longitude. 



Cape Chelyuskin ' 77'36-8' 103n7-2' 



On board the Vega' at noon of the 21st Aug. 77° 25' 109° 12' 



„ „ „ „ „ „ „ 22nd „ 76^53' 116° 9' 



„ „ „ „ „ „ „ 23rd „ 76=48' 115' 0' 



„ „ „ „ „ „ „ 24th „ 75= 0' 113=33' 



At the last mentioned point we had land to starboard of us 

 at an estimated distance of 4'. Preobraschenie Island lay 

 S. 21° W. 17" 5' off. It is on the ground of these data and of 

 the courses recorded in the log, that the track of the Vega 

 has been laid down on the map, and no doubt can arise that the 

 position of the east coast of Taimur peninsula, as indicated by 

 us, is in the main correct. 



Preobraschenie Island forms a pretty even grassy plain, lying 

 from thirty to sixty metres above the sea-level, which in the 

 north-west terminates tow^ards the sea with an almost per- 

 pendicular rocky wall, but to the south-east sinks gradually 

 down to two sand-banks which run far out to sea. At the 

 time of our visit the island was free of snow and covered with 

 a carpet of mosses mixed with grass, which was exceedingly 

 abundant, especially on the south-west slopes of the island, pro- 

 tected as they were from the north wdnds. Here we encountered 

 anew the Arctic animal world in all its profusion. The ledges 

 of the perpendicular shore-cliffs of the island formed the 

 breeding-place of numberless looms and kittiwakes, to which a 

 few black guillemots attached themselves. Along the farthest 

 margin of the beach waders ran busily backwards and forwards 

 in order to collect their food. At the summits of the cliffs 

 a flock of glaucous gulls w^ere breeding, and on the slopes 

 of the low land the white mountain owl was seen lying in wait 

 for its prey, quiet and motionless for hours, but as usual it was 

 w^ary and shy, so that it was only with difficulty that the hunter 

 could get within range of it. At some places there extended 

 between the foot of the " loomery " and the sea a stone-bestrewn 

 beach, which at high water was mostly covered by the sea, and 

 at low w^ater Avas full of shallow salt-water pools. Here had 

 settled two Polar bears that were soon killed, one by Lieutenant 

 Brusewitz, the other by Captain Johannesen. The bears had 

 evidently been on the hunt for looms, which along with their 

 young, large as rotges and already able to swim, were swimming 

 in the pools of water at the foot of the " loomery," and above all 

 perhaps they w^ere lying in wait for birds which by some accident 



^ According to an observation with an artificial horizon on land. 

 2 According to an observation on board. The observations for longitude 

 that were made some hours before or after noon, are reduced to noon. 



