G18 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [phap. 



with two openings. From tliese on our arrival tliey flew in 

 large flocks to the neighbouring sea and back. Their number 

 was nearly equal to that of looms in the Arctic loomeries. The 

 black guillemots and cormorants kept to the cliffs near the 

 shore. 



" The number of the evertebrate land animals amounted to 

 about thirty species. The most numerous were Machilis, 

 Vitrina, Lithobius, Talitrus, some Diptera and beetles. They 

 all lived on the inner belt of the shore, where the ground 

 was uncommonly damp." 



Behring Island might without difficulty feed large herds of 

 cattle, perhaps as numerous as the herds of sea-cows that 

 formerly pastured on its shores. The sea-cow besides had chosen 

 its pasture with discrimination, the sea there being, according to 

 Dr. Kjellman, one of the richest in algae in the world. The 

 sea-bottom is covered at favourably situated places by forests of 

 seaweed from twenty to thirty metres high, which are so dense 

 that the dredge could with difficulty force its way down into 

 them, a circumstance which was much against the dredging. 

 Certain of the algae are used by the natives as food. 



In the course of our journey to the hunting place we had an 

 opportunity, during a rest about halfway between it and the 

 village, of taking part in a very peculiar sort of fishing. The 

 place where we rested was in an even grassy plain, resembling a 

 natural meadow at home, crossed by a large number of small 

 rivulets. They abounded in several different kinds of fish, 

 among them a Coregonus, a small trout, a middle-sized long 

 salmon with almost white flesh, though the colour of its skin 

 was a purplish-red, another salmon of about the same length, 

 but thick and hump-backed. These fish were easily caught. 

 They were taken v/ith the hand, were harjjooned with common 

 unshod sticks, were stabbed with knives, caught with the insect 

 net, &c. Other kinds of salmon with deep red flesh are to be 

 found in the large rivers of the island. We obtained here for 

 a trifle a welcome change from the preserved provisions of which 

 we had long ago become quite tired. The Expedition was also 

 presented by the Alaska Company with a fine fat ox, milk, and 

 various other provisions, and I cannot sufficiently value the 

 goodwill shown to us not only by the Russian official, N. Greb- 

 NITSKI, a zealous and skilful naturalist, but also by the officials 

 of the Alaska Company and all others living on the island with 

 whom we came into contact. 



It was my original intention to sail from Behring Island to 

 Petropaulovsk, in order from thence to put a stop to ^the under- 

 takings which were possibly in contemplation for our relief. 

 This however became unnecessary, because a steamer, which 



