IX.] 



LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND. 



323 



The Bear Islands lying off the mouth of the Kolyma are, 

 for the most part, formed of a plutonic rock, whose upper part 

 has weathered away, leaving gigantic isolated pillars. Four 

 such pillars have given to the easternmost of the islands the 

 name Lighthouse Island (Fyrpelaron). Similar ruin-like form- 

 ations are found not only on Cape Baranov, which lies right 

 opposite, but also at a great number of other places in that 

 portion of the north coast of Siberia which lies farther to the 

 east. Generally these cliff-ruins are collected together over 

 considerable areas in groups or regular rows. They have thus, 

 when seen from the sea, so bewildering a resemblance to the 

 ruins of a gigantic city which had once been surrounded by 

 strong walls and been full of temples and splendid buildings, 



LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND. 



After a drawing by O. Nordquist. 



that one is almost tempted to see in them memorials of the 

 exploits of a Tamerlane or a Chingis Khan up here in the 

 high north. 



The north side of the hill-tops was powdered with new-fallen 

 snow, but the rest of the land was clear of snow. The distance 

 between the south point of Ljachoffs Island and the Bear 

 Islands is 360'. This distance we had traversed in three days, 

 having thus made 120' in the twenty-four hours, or 5' per hour. 

 If we consider the time lost in dredging, sounding, and determin- 

 ing the temperature and salinity of the water, and the caution 

 which the navigator must observe during a voyage in quite 

 unknown waters, this speed shows that during this part of our 



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