274 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



Afonasii Feodoroff Winokuroff, have concluded the follow- 

 ing contract with Ivan Platonowitsch Kolesoff, merchant 

 of the second guild in the town of Yakutsk, 



1. I, Winokuroff bind myself as pilot to carry the vessel of 

 Professor Nordenskiold's expedition up the river Lena from the 

 village Tas-Ary, which lies about 150 versts below the village 

 Bulun. From Tumat Island, which is situated ia the north- 

 eastern part of the Lena delta, I bind myself for the piloting of 

 the same vessel to procure at my own cost among the inhabitants 

 of the place a pilot who knows well the deepest channel of the 

 Lena river as far as the village Tas-Ary. This pilot the chief 

 of the expedition shall discharge at the village Tas-Ary. 



2. As I am not master of the Russian language I bind my- 

 self to bring along with me a Yakut interpreter, who knows the 

 Russian language and is able to write. In May of this year, I, 

 Winokuroff, with the interpreter shall travel from the town 

 of Yakutsk down the Lena river to Tumat Island and there 

 along with the interpreter wait for the expedition. 



3. During the passage down the river I am bound to hire 

 among the inhabitants of the regions a competent guide, who 

 shall accompany us in my own boats to the island by the 

 deepest channel in the Lena delta. During the passage from 

 the village Tas-Ary I shall take soundings and record the depth 

 of the fairway. 



4. Between the village Bulun and Tumat Island, I bind 

 myself to seek for two places for the wintering of the vessel, 

 which are quite suitable for the purpose, and protected from ice. 

 I shall further lay before the commander of the expedition a 

 journal containing everything which I can find that it would be 

 advantageous to know for the safety of navigation and for the 

 wintering of the vessels, also accounts of the places which are 

 dangerous or unsuitable for navigation. 



5. On my arrival at Tumat Island I shall make it my first 

 duty to find a deep and convenient haven for the seagoing vessels 

 on the western side of the island. For this purpose I bind myself 

 to have with me two boats, which, if necessary, shall be given 

 over to the expedition. At the haven when found I bind myself 

 to erect on some eminence near the shore of the island, which 

 can be seen from Cape Olonek, a signal tower of driftwood or 

 earth, like a Cossack mound, not lower than seven feet. On 

 this foundation I shall raise a pyramidal frame of three or more 

 thick logs, on the top of which I shall fix a flagstaff with a 

 pulley block for the flag. The flag is to be flown at least 42 

 feet from the ground, I shall guard the landmark thus erected 

 until the river freezes. For this purpose Herr Kolesoff has 

 provided me with a ready-made flag, a pulley block and a line. 

 And when the nicrhts become dark I shall light two or three 



