274 THE SEA. 



the snow had concealed. Payer himself might have come to grief had not he had presence 

 of mind enough to cut the harness by which he was attached to the sledge. For a time 

 the case looked very bad, as they were unable to extricate the unfortunate explorer. Payer, 

 however, with that quickness which is one of his distinguishing characteristics, immediately 

 ran back some twelve miles to the other party, and obtained assistance. They had eventually 

 the happiness of rescuing the man, &c., by means of ropes. After many perils in the journey 

 over the rotten ice they succeeded in joining the anxious little band on the vessel. Alas ! 

 the Tegethoff, which had passed unscathed so many dangers, had to be abandoned in the ice, 

 and a journey by boat and sledge commenced, very similar to that of Barents, made three 

 centuries before. After mournfully nailing the flags to the ship's mast, on May 20th they 

 started on their doubtful and adventurous trip. It took them over three months (ninety- 

 six days) to reach the Bay of Downs, in lat 72 4', where they happily met a Russian 

 schooner, and their troubles were over. 



And now to the Arctic expedition which stands out pre-eminently above almost any other 

 whatever. Professor Nordenskjold may be congratulated on having performed the most intrepid 

 and daring feat of the present century, speaking in a geographical point of view. The North-East 

 Passage has been accomplished. "The splendid success," said a leading journal, "has been 

 splendidly deserved. It was no lucky accident of exploration that found the Tega a way round 

 the northernmost point of Asia, or chance good fortune that carried her through new seas to 

 the Behrings Straits. Professor Nordenskjold has fought it out fairly with Nature. The 

 combat has been a long one, and round after round had to be toughly contested befoi-e the 

 Professor closed with his opponent, the Arctic Ocean, and floored the grim old tyrant. Six 

 times he has gone northward to do battle with ice and snow, and each time, though returning, 

 he has brought back such knowledge of the enemy's weakness that assured him of ultimate 

 success." Unfortunately the details as yet at hand are meagre, and only the bare outlines 

 of the story can be presented. Some of the important scientific results of the expedition 

 will be referred to in future pages. 



The Vega, a tough, teak-built steam whaler, left Gothenburg on July 4th, 1878, sighted 

 Nova Zembla on the 28th, and anchored that day off a village on the Samoyede peninsula 

 at the entrance of the Kara Sea, once known as the Ice Cave, but which of late has lost 

 its terrors for even the hardy Norwegian fisherman. Nordenskjold knew the right season 

 to attempt its passage, and it was surprised when almost free of ice. On August 

 1st, after making many scientific observations of importance, the Vega proceeded slowly 

 eastward, nothing but rotten ice, which in no way impeded the vessel, being met. In a 

 few days they were safely anchored in Dickson's Haven, Siberia, a spot perhaps destined 

 to become an important exporting point. Bears and reindeer were found to be numerous, 

 and the vegetation extremely rich. On the 10th the Teg a again proceeded, and threading 

 her way through unknown islands, reached a fine harbour situated in the strait that separates 

 Taimyr Island and the mainland, where they dredged for marine specimens with great 

 success. Again resuming the voyage, they, on the evening of the 19th, anchored in a 

 bay round Cape Chelyuskin, the most northerly point of the Asiatic continent. This, 

 the once unconquerable cape, had now been conquered, and that fact alone would have 

 constituted, a splendid triumph, although it now only forms an episode in this grand 



