CHAP. X.] THE POSITION OF THE VEGA. 349 



CHAPTER X. 



"Wintering becomes necessary — The position of the Vega — The ice round, 

 the vessel — American ship in the neighbourhood of the Vega when 

 frozen in — The nature of the neighbouring country — The Vega is prepared 

 for wintering — Provision-depot and observatories established on land 

 — Tlie winter dress — Temperature on board — Health and dietary — Cold, 

 wind, and snow — The Chukches on board — Menka's visit — Letters sent 

 home — Nordquist and Hovgaard's excursion to Menka's encampment — 

 Another visit of Menka — -The fate of the letters — Nordquist's journey 

 to Pidlin — Find of a Chukch grave — Hunting — Scientific work — Life 

 on board — Christmas Eve. 



Assured that a few hours' southerly wind would be sufficient 

 to break up the belt of ice, scarcely a Swedish mile ^ in breadth, 

 that barred our way, and rendered confident by the above- 

 quoted communications from experts in America concerning the 

 state of the ice in the sea north of Behring's Straits, I was not 

 at first very uneasy at the delay, of which we took advantage 

 by making short excursions on land and holding converse with 

 the inhabitants. First, when day after day passed without any 

 change taking place, it became clear to me that we must make 

 preparations for wintering just on the threshold between the 

 Arctic and the Pacific Oceans. It was an unexj)ected dis- 

 appointment, which it was more difficult to bear with equanimity, 

 as it was evident that we would have avoided it if we had come 

 some hours earlier to the eastern side of Kolyutschin Bay. 

 There were numerous occasions during the preceding part of our 

 voyage on which these hours might have been saved : the Vega 

 did not require to stay so long at Port Dickson, we might have 

 saved a day at Taimur Island, have dredged somewhat less west 

 of the New Siberian Islands, and so on ; and above all, our long 

 stay at Irkaipij waiting for an improvement in the state of the 

 ice, was fatal, because at least three days were lost there without 

 any change for the better taking place. 



The position of the vessel was by no means very secure. For 

 the Ver/a, when frozen in, as apj)ears from the sketch map to be 

 found further on, did not lie at anchor in any haven, but was 

 only, in the expectation of finding a favourable opportunity to 

 steam on, anchored behind a ground-ice, which had stranded 

 in a depth of 9^ metres, 1,400 metres from land, in a road 

 which was quite open from true N, 74° W. by north to east. 

 The vessel had here no other protection against the violent ice- 

 |)ressure which winter storms are wont to cause in the Polar 

 seas, than a rock of ice stranded at high water, and therefore 

 also at high water not very securely fixed. Fortunately the tide 



^ Equal to 6 -64 English miles. 



