Cruise to Russian Lapland. 201 



part of Novaya Zeralya, being 120 miles distant. During 

 the 17th and 18th of June we worked along the edge of the 

 ice in a south-easterly direction^ every likely bight in the 

 pack was entered, and in some places these indentations were 

 followed up for 20 or 30 miles, but invariably they ended in 

 blind leads, and we were brought up by impenetrable ice. 

 On the morning of the 17th June we reached our nearest 

 position to Novaya Zemlya, on the 71st parallel, Soutli 

 Goose Cape being 80 miles distant. Still working south, and 

 hugging the edge of the pack, we found ourselves at mid- 

 day of the 18th June in lat. 70° N., but the trend of the 

 pack had forced us to the westward some 120 miles from 

 the shores of Novaya Zemlya. 



At this stage of our voyage we were confronted with the 

 difficulty always hanging over us, but which we had hoped 

 against hope to escape — the paucity of our coal supply. The 

 little ' Saxon ^ at this juncture had only enough fuel left to 

 take her back to Vardd, whilst no dependence could be placed 

 on her sail-power. Our first attempt to reach Novaya 

 Zemlya had to be abandoned, the ship's course was shaped 

 for the Murman coast of Russian Lapland, and on the morning 

 of June 20th the beacon on Sviatoi Nos was sighted. 

 We steamed into Sviatonoskia Bay, on the west side of 

 Sviatoi Nos, and worked our way up the Ukanskoe River, 

 which flows into the south-west angle of the bay, and 

 anchored about three miles up the river close to a Lapp 

 summer settlement, the village of Lutni. Here the members 

 of the expedition went into camp and prosecuted their 

 researches. In the meantime the 'Saxon' proceeded to 

 Vardo for a further supply of coals. A very pleasant week 

 was passed in the vicinity of Lutni, and the neighbouring 

 country was explored for several miles around camp. But 

 the want of some means of locomotion other than walking 

 was a serious hindrance. There are no ponies amongst the 

 Lapps, and the reindeer are not available for travelling 

 when the snow is off the ground. Above Lutni the Ukanskoe 

 River is so beset with rapids that it is not navigable, even 

 for the boats of the natives. However active and willinsr 



