204 
which Hedenstrém brought home from the rock strata on 
Kotelnoj Island, hold out inducement to further researches, 
which ought to yield the geologist valuable information as 
to the former climate and the former distribution of land 
and sea on the surface of the globe.” 
In connection with the state of the ice and the sea here, 
and the absence of glaciers on the coast, Baron Nor- 
denskiéld gives a classified account of what he deems 
the various forms of ice. We can only here give a list of 
the various forms, referring the reader to the book itself 
for details. We have (1) icebergs, (2) glacier ice-blocks, 
(3) pieces of ice from the ice-foot ; (4) river-ice ; (5) bog- 
ice; (6) sea-ice or heavy ice. After passing Cape Chel- 
gaskoi, on the east of Chaun Bay, on September 6, progress 
became much slower, and they had become heartily tired 
of “new ice, shallow water, and fog, and fog, shallow 
water, and new ice.” Here for the first time since leaving 
Yugor Schar, signs of humanity were seen in the shape 
of some Chukchi natives who came out to the ship in 
their boats. A detention of six days at Cape Irkaipi 
(180° east longitude) afforded an opportunity for examining 
the games of the race known as Onkilon, who formerly 
inhabited these regions, and some centuries ago were 
driven by the Chukchis, according to tradition, to some 
remote islands in the polar sea. Kolyuchin Bay, just at 
the north entrance to Behring Strait, was reached on 
September 28, and just beyond it, and a mile from the 
shore, the Vega was caught in the ice and detained for 
ten months, till July 18, 1880. It was only after the lapse 
of some time that the expedition realised that they were 
caught at Jast, and serious preparations made for spending 
the winter. Meteorological and astronomical observatories 
were erected on shore, and a well-arranged method 
adopted for carrying out observations of various kinds. 
To some of the specially scientific results we shall prob- 
ably refer in separate articles, and particularly to the 
interesting auroral observations both here and during 
other expeditions under the guidance of Baron Norden- 
skjéld. Some accurate notes as to ice-measuremenfs are 
given in the neighbourhood of the Vega’s winter quarters, 
which we give here, as statements on the subject are 
sometimes so vague. 
“When it had become evident that we could make no 
further advance before next year, Lieut. Brusewitz occa- 
sionally measured the thickness of the newly formed ice, 
with the following results : 
THICKNESS OF THE ICE. 
1 Dec. 56 centimetres. 1 May, 154 centimetres. 
_iJan. 92 ” I5_» 162 4 
1 Feb. 108 - I June, 154 . 
15 5, 120 ” ER 5, I5t ” 
I Mar. 123 > I July, 104 = 
1 April 128 of Thr oy 07, », (full of holes). 
Thine 130 a 18 ,, The ice broke up.” 
“The exact position of the Vega was 67° 4’ 49" north 
latitude, and 173° 23’ 2" west longitude. The dietary and 
hygienic arrangements were such that no trace of scurvy 
occurred during the whole winter, and no illness to 
speak of. 
“The greatest cold which was observed during the dif- 
ferent months was in 
Oct. the 24th—20°8 March the 29th—39"8 
Nov. the 30th—27°'2 April the 15th—38°0 
Dec. the 23rd—37°'1 May the 3rd—26°8 
Jan. the 25th—45°7 June the 3rd—14°3 
Feb. the 2nd—4378 July the 2znd—1°o 
“‘ Twice we had the barometer uncommonly high, viz.: 
On the 22nd December 6 A.M. 782'0 (0°) mm. 
On the 17th February 6 A.M. 788°1 (0°) mm. 
“(The lowest atmospheric pressure, 728°8 (0°) mm., 
occurred on the 31st December at two o’clock P.M.” 
NATURE 
[ Dec. 29, 1881 
The ship was beset in the neighbourhood of a number 
of Chukchi encampments, and with the natives the most 
friendly intercourse was kept up during the whole year. 
Chukchi trading parties from a distance passing on to 
trade in one of the islands in the strait, made the Vegaa 
regular place of call, and thus a great amount of informa- 
tion was gathered from these people of much ethnological 
value. They have evidently no connection with the 
Eskimo, whose origin must be sought within the American 
continent itself. “The Chukchis would seem to have been 
driven up to their present inhospitable abodes a few 
centuries ago, by commotions in Central Asia; and when 
the Russians first came into contact with them they were 
found to be a brave and warlike race whom it was very 
difficult to subdue. At present they are quiet, harmless, 
good-natured, and dirty, some having flocks of reindeer 
and living inland, while the coast Chukchis live largely by 
fishing. Lieutenant N ordquist learned the language of the 
people, and was thus able to have important intercourse 
with them. Large collections were made of their clothing, - 
implements, weapons, utensils, &c., as also of their 
drawings, for like the Eskimo they have a wonderful 
capacity for art of a rude and elementary but genuine 
kind. We give on the preceding page the portraits of a 
Chukchi and his wife, of such portraits the volume con- 
tains many (Fig. 9). Animal lifewas not specially abundant 
in the land; no bears, an occasional wolf, with a number 
of foxes, white, red, and black, and hares. 
“On our arrival most of the birds had already left these 
regions, so inhospitable in winter, or were seen high up in 
the air in collected flocks, flying towards the south 
entrance of Behring’s Straits. Still on the 19th October 
an endless procession of birds was seen drawing towards 
this region, but by the 3rd November it was noted, as 
something uncommon, that a gull settled on the refuse 
heaps in the neighbourhood of the vessel. It. resembled 
the ivory gull, but had a black head. Perhaps it was the 
rare Larus Sabinit, of which a drawing has been given 
above. All the birds which passed us came from the 
north-west, that is, from the north coast of Siberia, the 
New Siberian Islands or Wrangel Land. Only the 
mountain owl, a species of raven and the ptarmigan 
wintered in the region, the last named being occasionally 
snowed up.” 
Additional observatories were built during the winter, 
so that there was a regular collection of them on 
shore. And so with regular work and amusement, and 
occasional visits to the Chukchis, the winter passed 
happily; and on April 23, returning spring brought with 
it the birds in their migration northward, beginning with 
the snow-bunting, the ‘‘ sparrow of the north.” The bird 
and mammal fauna of the Chukch Peninsula and north- 
east Siberia generally, we may say, Baron Nordenskjéld 
found to be markedly different from those which prevail 
in other parts of the Arctic Regions. On July 18, 1880 
the Vega was as suddenly released from the ice as she 
was caught, and all at once found herself free to pass 
through Behring Straits, and thus accomplished the 
North-east Passage. Space prevents us from following 
the Expedition in their cruise round the rest of the coast 
of the Old World. The members of the expedition con- 
tinued their observations up to the last, and even in Japan, 
China, Ceylon, and other places were able to add some- 
thing to our existing knowledge. Considerable time was 
spent in visiting the north-east coast of Asia, the north- 
west coast of America, and the islands between. The 
results are much important information on the natural 
history and geology of those regions, and along account of 
our knowledge of the north coast of Asia from the earliest 
time including the extensive series of Russian voyages of 
discovery with which the names of Behring, Steller, and 
others are associated. Of Steller, Baron Nordenskjéld 
has the highest opinion, as well as of the value of his 
work in natural history on Behring Island, and his death 
