410 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



after us on a sledge. At 2.45 p.m. we came to Nutschoitjin 

 (Coregonus Lake). During our journey we passed a river 

 which flows between Nutschoitjin and the mountain Hotsch- 

 keanranga about ten EngHsh miles south of this lake and falls 

 into the great lagoon south of Pitlekaj. Farther into the 

 interior this river, according; to Notti's statement, flows through 

 several lakes : he also informed us that in summer it abounds 

 very much in salmon {liennc). Some sandy hills formed the 

 watershed between it and Nutschoitjin. The only animal we 

 saw during our outward journey was a fox. On the other hand 

 we found traces of hares, ptarmigan, and a couple of lemmings. 

 After we had found a suitable camping-place, we began to build 

 a snow-house, which, however, we could not get ready till 

 next day. 



" On the 21st Brusewitz and I went out to view our nearest 

 surroundings. On a hill north of the lake, where Potentilla, 

 Carex, and Poa stuck up through the snow-covering, we saw a 

 large number of traces of the fox, the hare, and the jitarmigan. 

 We employed the 22nd in cutting some holes in the ice, which 

 was about one and a half metres thick, and in setting a net. For 

 I wished to ascertain what species of Coregonus it is which, 

 according to Notti's statement, occurs in abundance in this lake. 

 At the place where the net was set there was something more 

 than a metre of water under the ice. The bottom consisted of 

 mud. When we cut a hole in the middle of the lake in order to 

 get deeper water we found that the ice, one and a half metres 

 thick there, reached to the bottom. 



" Next morning we got in the net eleven Coregoni, of which 

 the largest were about thirty-five centimetres long. Although 

 the weather was grey and we could not see very far, we went the 

 same day to the hill Hotschkeanranga ; partly to determine its 

 height, and jDartly from its summit, which is visible for a great 

 distance, to get a view of the appearance of the surrounding 

 country. After crossing the river which flows between Nuts- 

 choitjin and Hotchkeanranga, we began to ascend the long slope 

 on whose summit Hotchkanrakenljeut (Hotchkeanranga's head) 

 rises with steep sides above the surrounding country. Over the 

 slope were scattered loose blocks of stone of an eruptive rock. 

 The crest of "the head" was also closely covered with loose 

 stones. On the north or wind side these stones were covered 

 with a hard beaten crust of snow nearly two feet thick; on the 

 south side most of them were bare. According to Brusewitz the 

 southern slopes are still steejier than the northern. South of 

 the hill he saw a large valley — probably a lake — through which 

 flows the river which we crossed. 



" As on the outward journey I went with Notti, he advised me 

 to offer a little food and brandy to the Spirit of the Lake, 



