382 Queries respecting ihe Probability of [May, 
answers, I take the liberty of transmitting to you, as I learn from 
conversation that the practicability of such a journey conducted in 
a similar manner is entertained by well-informed persons; and, be- 
fore a plan is put in execution, it is desirable to know what has 
been previously done on the same subject. If you should deem 
these queries worthy of a placé in your Annals, 1 shall be flattered 
by their insertion. ‘The 31st and 33d seem contradictory, probably 
from some error in translating the questions into Russ, or the an- 
swers into English. 
Tremain, my dear Sir, very sincerely yours, 
Mark BEAvFoY. 
—iiie 
1. Query.—How many settlements have the Russians on the 
Island of Spitzbergen, and which is the most northerly? 
Answer.~—There are neither settlements nor fixed inhabitants in 
Spitzerbergen, except those fishermen who go there in quest of 
fish, and likewise of those animals from Megen, Archangel, Onega, 
Rala, and other places bordering the White Sea, in vessels from 60 
to 160 tons. They sail from the above-mentioned places, those for 
the summer fishery in the beginning of June, and those for the 
winter in June and July. They arrive on the west side of Spitz- 
bergen, and commonly return home, the former some year in Sep- 
tember, and the latter the next year in August and September. 
They winter in the Gulphs of Devil Bay, Clock Bay, Ring Bay, 
Crus Bay, German Island, Magdalene Bay, and to the northward 
in Liefde Bay, and others. The furthest north our fishermen ever 
have sailed to is Liefde Bay, and from thence in small boats as far 
as Nordoster Island. ; ; 
2. Q.—At what time of the year does the winter commence? 
A.—the winter generally sets in about the latter end of September 
and beginning of October. 
3. Q.—Is it ushered in by storms? and is any one wind particu- 
larly productive of them ? 
A.—The winter sometimes sets in with winds from the N., 
N.N.W., and N.W.; and sometimes commences with calm wea- 
ther, hard frosts accompanied with snow. 
4. QO.—Is the weather generally speaking calm in winter, or are 
the winds high? 
A.—The winds are very high and frequent; so that two-thirds of 
the winter may be said to be boisterous. 
5. Q.—What quantity of snow do you suppose falls annually ; 
that is, to what depth on the ground? 
A.—On even places the snow is from three to five feet deep; but 
the winds drive it from place to place, so as sometimes to render all 
passage impracticable ; and on the coats between the hills there are 
mountains of ice, occasioned by the pressure of the waters and 
drift of snow. 
6. Q.—Are the storms of snow frequent, and of long duration? 
