VII.] PARTING OF THE VEGA AND THE LENA. 259 



Unfortunately, on account of the advanced season of the year 

 I could only allow the Vega to remain a few hours off this 

 interesting" island, and at 10.30 p.m. accordingly the anchor was 

 weighed and our voyage along the coast resumed. 



On the 25th, 26th and 27th August we had for the most 

 part calm, fine weather, and the sea was completely free of ice. 

 The temperature of the water again rose to H-5°'8, and its 

 salinity diminished considerably. But the depth now decreased 

 so much, that, for instance, on the night before the 26th we had 

 great difficulty in getting past some shoals lying west of the 

 delta of the Lena, off the mouth of the Olonek. 



It had originally been my intention to let the Vega separate 

 from the Lena at some anchorage in one of the mouth-arms of 

 the Lena river. But on account of the shallowness of the 

 water, the favourable wind and the ice-free sea, that now lay 

 before us to the eastward, I determined to part from the Lena, 

 in the open sea off Tumat Island. This parting took place on 

 the night between the 27th and 28th August, after Captain 

 Johannesen had been signalled to come on board the Vega, to 

 receive orders, passport,^ and letters for home. As a parting 

 salute to our trusty little attendant during our voyage round 

 the north point of Asia some rockets were fired, on which we 

 steamed or sailed on, each to his destination. 



During our passage from Norway to the Lena Ave had been 

 much troubled with fog, but it was only when we left the 

 navigable water along the coast to the east of Cape Chelyuskin 

 that we fell in with ice in such quantity that it was an obstacle 



Ranunculus pygmaeus Wo. Glyceria angustata R. Br. 



„ hyperboreus RoTTB. ,, vilfoidea (Ands.) Th. Fr. 



„ nivalis L. Arctophila pendulina (L/EST.) And. 



„ sulphureus SOL. Catabrosa algida (SoL.) Fr. 



Caltha palustris L. Colpodium latifolium R. Br. 



Wahlbergella apetala (L.) Fr. Dupontia Fisheri R. Br. 



Stellaria humifusa RoTTB. Aira caespitosa L. 



,, Edwardsii R. Br. Hierochloa pauciflora R. Br. 



Cerastium alpinum L. Alopecurus alpinus Sm. 



Alsine macrocarpa Fenzl. Eriopliorum angustifolium Roth. 



„ rubella Wg. ,, russeolum Fr. 



Sagina nivalis Fr. ,, Scheuclizeri Hoppe. 



Oxyria digyua (L.) Hill. Carex ursina Desv, 



Polygonum viviparum L. „ aquatilis Wg, 



Salix arctica Pall. Juncus bigluniis L. 



,, reticulata L. Luzula hyperborea E. Br. 



., polaris Wg. „ arctica Bl. 



Poa arctica R. Br. Lloydia serotina (L.) Reichenb. 



,, pratensis L. 



1 Before our departure, I had through the Swedish Foreign Office obtauied 

 from the Russian Government letters patent in which the Russian authorities 

 with whom we might come in contact were instructed to give us all the 

 assistance that circumstances might call for. 



