WIND AND FOG IN BERING SEA 61 



hundred miles west of us and nearly as far north. A 

 week later the ''Taimyr" found a new small island 

 northeast of New Siberia. 



Both vessels were at Cape Chelyuskin, the most 

 northerly projection of Asia, on September 1st, but 

 unbroken ice barred further progress westward. To 

 find a passage they steamed northeast for thirty miles 

 until a new, long, narrow island was sighted. i\jound 

 the eastern side of this they went and steered north- 

 west. Thirty miles farther north they discovered new, 

 high land containing glaciers. Landing parties surveyed 

 twenty miles of the eastern coast and hoisted the Russian 

 colors on its northern shore at a point 80° 4' north lati- 

 tude, 90° 12' east longitude. In an effort to find a way 

 around the new island the ice-breakers pushed beyond 

 sight of the land to 81° N., 96° E., but were compelled 

 by very heavy ice to return to Cape Chelyuskin. 



Here it was foimd that the ice-pack, at least forty 

 miles broad and three to four feet thick, was an im- 

 passable barrier. Commander Vilkitsky therefore ordered 

 the expedition to return eastward. 



They surveyed Bennet Island and recovered the 

 collections of Baron von Toll, who had perished in the 

 Arctic many years before, after rounding Cape Chel- 

 yuskin, and started south September 22d. New ice 

 was now occasionally found and the navigation became 

 difficult, but the water was open after 70° N. and 180° E. 



Fierce storms obhged even these stout ships to seek 

 shelter at times, but they reached St. Michael October 

 9th and thence went to Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka. 



At 1.30 A.M. the "Abler" weighed anchor and passed 

 out into the dense fog which lay like a layer of wool 

 over all the waters of Providence Bay. The fog remained 



