34: 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



Bathkei Kr., of Acanthostephia Malmgreni Goes, and Liparis 

 gelatinosus Pallas, but little else. On the steep slopes of the 

 north side of Irkaipij a species of cormorant had settled in so 

 large numbers that the cliff there might be called a true fowl- 

 fell. A large number of seals were visible among the ice, and 

 along with the cormorant a few other birds, principally phala- 

 ropes. Fish were now seen only in exceedingly small numbers. 

 Even in the summer, fishing here does not appear to be specially 

 abundant, to judge from the fact that the Chukches had not 

 collected any stock for the winter. We were offered, however, 

 a salmon or two of small size. 



COBJIORANT FROM IRKAIPIJ. 



Gmculus hicristatus (Pallas). 



On the 18th September '^ the state of the ice was quite 

 unchanged. If a wintering was to be avoided, it was, however, 



^ Irkaipij lies in 180° long, from Greenwich. To bring our day-reckoning 

 into agreement with that ot the New World, we ought tlius to have here 

 lessened our date by one day, and have written the 17th for the 18th 

 September. But as, with the exception of the short excursion to Port 

 Clarence and St. Edward Island, we always followed the coasts of the Old 

 World, and during our stay in the new hemisphere did not visit any place 

 inliabited by Europeans, we retained during the whole of our voyage our 

 European day-reckoning unaltered. If we had met with an American 

 wlialer, we would have been before him one day, our 27th September would 

 tlnis have corresponded to his 26th. The same would have been the case 

 oa our coming to an American port. 



