272 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



Dickson. On the 15ch August they anchored in a good haven 

 at Saostrovskoj, a simovie lying 100 kilometres farther up the 

 river at the limit of trees, where the goods were to be discharged 

 and another cargo taken on board. After a jetty had been 

 constructed on the 16th, the landing of the goods began on the 

 17th, and was finished on the 20th. The Fraser went still farther 

 up the river to Dudino, in order to load various goods laid up 

 there — tallow, wheat, rye, and oats. On the 2nd September 

 the steamer returned to Saostrovskoj, where in the meantime 

 the Express had taken on board her cargo. 



Dudino is a church village, situated at the point where the 

 river Dudinka flows into the Yenisej. Here live two priests, a 

 smotritel (a police official), a couple of exiles, some Russian 

 workmen, and a number of natives, as well as the owner of the 

 place, the influential merchant Sotnikoff. This active and 

 able man is in an economical point of view ruler over the whole 

 of the surrounding region, all whose inhabitants are in one way 

 or other dependent upon him. He exchanges grain, brandy, 

 sugar, tea, iron goods, powder and lead, cloth and leather, for 

 furs, fish, mammoth-ivory, &c. ; and these goods are sent by 

 steamer to Yenisej sk to be forwarded from thence to China, 

 Moscow, St. Petersburg, &c. Among other things he is also the 

 owner of very thick coal-seams in the Noril Mountains lying 

 about 60 kilometres from Dudino. This simple and unostenta- 

 tious man has been very obliging to all the scientific men who 

 have visited the region. His dwelling, situated in the neighbour- 

 hood of the limit of trees, is probably the stateliest palace of 

 the Siberian tundra, admired by natives from far and near. It 

 is built of large logs, consists of two stories, has a roof painted 

 green, many windows with decorated frames painted white and 

 blue ; the rooms are warm, provided with carpets of furs, pot- 

 flowers in the windows, numerous sacred pictures, photographs, 

 and copper engravings. 



On the 7th September all was ready for departure. The 

 Fraser and Express weighed anchor to commence the return 

 voyage down the river. At Tolstojnos two days after they met 

 the steamer 3foshva'^ of Bremen, Captain Dallmann, having on 



^ The Moslva was the first steamer which penetrated from the AtLantic to 

 the town of Yenisejsk. The principal dates of this voyage may therefore 

 be quoted here. 



Baron Knoop, along with several Russian merchants, had chartered in 

 1878 a steamer, the Lcmhe ; but this vessel stranded on the coast of Nor- 

 way. The Zaritza, another Norwegian steamer, was chartered instead to 

 carry the Louise's goods to their destination. But this vessel too stranded 

 at the mouth of the Yenisej, and vvas abandoned by the crew, who were 

 rescued by a small steamer, the MosJaoa, which accompanied the Zaritza. In 

 this steamer Captain Dallmann, the Bremen merchant Helwig Schmidt, and 

 Ehlertz, an official in the Russian finance office, now travelled up the river. 

 The Mosttm had a successful voyage, arriving on the 4th September at 



