812 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[cHAr. 



which Hedenstrom brought home from the rock strata on 

 Kotehioj Island, hold out inducement to further researches, 

 which ought to yield the geologist valuable information as to the 

 former climate and the former distribution of land and sea on 

 the surface of the globe. The knowledge of the hydrography 

 of this region is besides an indispensable condition for judging 

 of tlie state of the ice in the sea which washes the north coast 

 of Asia. Here lies the single available starting-point for the 

 exploration of the yet altogether unknown sea farther to the north, 

 and from hills on the two northernmost islands Hedenstrom 

 thougfht that across the sea to the north-west and north-east he 





STOLBOVUJ ISLAND. 



After a drawing by O. Nordqnist. 



saw obscure outlines of new land, on which no man had yet set 

 his foot. All these circumstances confer on this group of islands 

 an uncommon interest in a scientific and geographical respect, 

 and therefore no long time can elapse until a scientific ex- 

 pedition be sent to these regions. Just for this reason I now 

 desired, as a preparation for a future voyage, to wander about 

 here for a coviple of days, partly on foot, partly by boat. 



The air was calm, but for the most part clouded, the 

 temperature as high as -1- 4°, the sea clear of ice, the salinity of 

 the water 1 "8 per cent, with a temperature of -F 2° to -f 3°. At 

 first we made rapid progress, but after having in the after- 

 noon of the 28th August sighted the westernmost islands, 



