VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 157 



and grass-grown above. The sea grew shallower as we 

 neared it. Not far from us, small icebergs lay aground. 

 The lead showed steadily less and less water; by 11.30 

 A.M. there were only some 8 fathoms ; then, to our sur- 

 prise, the bottom suddenly fell to 20 fathoms, and after 

 that we found steadily increasing depth. Between the 

 land and the blocks of stranded ice on our lee there ap- 

 peared to be a channel with rather deeper water and not 

 so much ice aground in it. It seemed difificult to conceive 

 that there should be undiscovered land here, where both 

 Nordenskiold and Edward Johansen, and possibly sever- 

 al Russians, had passed without seeing anything. Our 

 observations, however, were incontestable, and we imme- 

 diately named the land Sverdrup s Island, after its dis- 

 coverer. 



As there was still a great deal of ice to windward, we 

 continued our southwesterly course, keeping as close to 

 the wind as possible. The weather was clear, and at 8 

 o'clock we sighted the mainland, with Dickson's Island 

 ahead. It had been our intention to run in and anchor 

 here, in order to put letters for home under a cairn. 

 Captain Wiggins having promised to pick them up on his 

 way to the Yenisei. But in the meantime the wind had 

 fallen : it was a favorable chance, and time was precious. 

 So gave up sending our post, and continued our course 

 along the coast. 



The country here was quite different from Yalmal. 

 Though not very high, it was a hilly country, with 



