692 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



Acer, Prunus, Tilia, &c., resembling leaves of recent types 

 from the forests of Japan, from the forest flora of America, 

 or from the temperate flora of the Himalayas. But as the 

 place where they were found is situated at the sea-shore, 

 quite close to the southern extremity of Japan, it is singular 

 that the tropical or sub-tropical elements of the flora of Japan 

 are here wanting. From this Dr. Nathorst draws the con- 

 clusion that these are not, as has been hitherto supposed, the 

 remains of a flora originating in Japan, but that they have since 

 migrated thither from a former continent situated further to the 

 south, which has since disappeared. Dr. Nathorst's examination 

 is not yet completed, but even if this were the case, want of 

 space would not permit me to treat of this point at greater 



length. I cannot, however, omit to 

 mention that it was highly agreeable 

 to be able to connect with the memory 

 of the Vega expedition at least 

 a small contribution from more 

 southerly lands to vegetable palgeon- 

 tology, a branch of knowledge to 

 which our preceding Arctic expe- 

 ditions yielded new additions of 

 such importance through the fossil 

 herbaria from luxuriant ancient 

 forests which they brought to light 

 from the ice-covered cliffs of Spitz- 

 bergen and from the basalt-covered 

 sandstones and schists of the Nour- 

 soak Peninsula in Greenland, now 

 so bleak. 



After our return from Mogi I 



made an excursion to the coal-mine 



at Takasami, situated on an island 



kilometres from the town. 



toofether some further 



FOSSIL PLANT FROM MOOI. 



Leaf of Zelkova Keakii, Sieb., var. 

 pliocena, Nalh. 



some 

 Even here I succeeded in bringing 

 contributions to the former flora of the region. 



After the inhabitants of Nagasaki, too, had given ns a grand 

 parting feast, at which speeches were spoken in Japanese, 

 Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, 

 Danish, and Swedish, a proof of the mixture of nationalities 

 which prevailed there, the Vega again weighed anchor on the 

 27th October, in order to continue her vo3^age. We now left 

 Japan to commence in earnest our return, and on our departure 

 we were saluted by the crews of two English gun-boats anchored 

 in the harbour, the Hornet and the Sylvia, manning the yards 

 and bulwarks. It was natural that the hour of departure, after 

 fifteen months' absence from home, should be looked forward to 



