334 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



with great difficulty among the closely packed masses of drift 

 ice. Here the vessel was anchored in the lee of a ground-ice, 

 which had stranded near the northernmost spur of Irkaipij, 

 until a strong tidal current began to carry large pieces of drift- 

 ice past the vessel's anchorage. She was now removed and 

 anchored anew in a little bay open to the north, which was 

 formed by two rocky points jutting out from the mainland. 

 Unfortunately we were detained here, waiting for a better state 

 of the ice, until the 18th September. It was this involuntary 

 delay which must be considered the main cause of our 

 wintering. 



Irkaipij is the northernmost promontory in that part of Asia, 

 which was seen by Cook in 1778. It was, therefore, called by 

 him Cape North, a name which has since been adopted in most 



REMAINS OF AN ONKILON HOUSE. 



a. Seen from the side. b. From above. 



(After a drawing by O. Nordquist.) 



maps, although it is apt to lead to confusion from capes similarly 

 named being found in most countries. It is also incorrect, 

 because the cape does not form the northernmost promontory 

 either of the whole of Siberia, or of any considerable portion of 

 it. For the northernmost point of the mainland of Siberia is 

 Cape Chelyuskin, the northernmost in the land east of the Lena 

 Svjatoinos, the northernmost in the stretch of coast east of 

 Chaun Bay, Cape Chelagskoj, and so on. Cape North ought, 

 therefore, to be replaced by the original name Irkaipij, which is 

 well known to all the natives between Chaun Bay and Behring's 

 Straits. 



On the neck of land which connects Irkaipij with the main- 

 land, there was at the time of our visit a village consisting of 

 sixteen tents. We saw here also ruins, viz. the remains of a large 



