202 FARTHEST NORTH 



business in despair. The loss of that rifle saved the life 

 of many a seal ; and, alas! it had cost me ^28. 



We took the boat again next day and rowed eastward, 

 to find out if there really was a passage for us through 

 this strait. It had turned cold during the night and 

 snow had fallen, so the sea round the Frani was covered 

 with tolerably thick snow-ice, and it cost us a good deal 

 of exertion to break through it into open water with the 

 boat. I thought it possible that the land farther in on 

 the north side of the strait might be that in the neigh- 

 borhood of Actinia Bay, where the Vega had lain ; but 

 I sought in vain for the cairn erected there by Norden- 

 skiold, and presently discovered to my astonishment that 

 it was only a small island, and that this island lay on the 

 south side of the principal entrance to Taimur Strait. 

 The strait was very broad here, and I felt pretty certain 

 that I saw where the real Actinia Bay cut into the land 

 far to the north. 



We were hungry now, and were preparing to take a 

 meal before we rowed on from the island, when we 

 discovered to our disappointment that the butter had 

 been forgotten. We crammed down the dry biscuits as 

 best we could, and worked our jaws till they were stiff 

 on the pieces we managed to hack off a hard dried rein- 

 deer chine. When we were tired of eating, though any- 

 thing but satisfied, we set off, giving this point the name 

 of " Cape Butterless." We rowed far in through the 

 strait, and it seemed to us to be a good passage for ships 



