KCvyi 
Tar RIVER Os. 
mT RIV GT Eee OD 8; 
At the northern end of the great Urallian chain, is the Waygatz ftreight, which 
cuts them from Nowyia Zewrlja, Nova Zembla, or the New Land. The paflage is 
narrow, obftruéted by iflands, and very frequently by ice. The flux and reflux is 
here uncertain, by reafon of the winds; but the tide has been obferved to rife only 
four feet *: the depth from ten to fourteen fathoms. It was difcovered by Stephen 
Boroughs, in 1556 and the navigation was often attempted by the Dutch, in hopes 
of a paflage that way to China. Continual obftructions from the floating ict 
baffled their defigns, and obliged them to return. 
Nova Zemlja confitts of five iflands; but the channels between them are always 
filled with ice +. It is quite uninhabited, but is occafionally frequented by the 
people of Adefen, who go there to kill Seals, Walrufes, Aré?ic Foxes, and White 
Bears, the fole animals of the place, excepting a few Rein Deer. Attempts have 
been made to find a way to the Ea/? Indies to the north of it; but with equal bad 
fuccefs as through the Waygatz. Barentz juft doubled the eaftern end in 15965 
fuffered fhipwreck there with his crew; and pafled there a moft miferable winter, 
continually befieged by the Polar Bears: feveral of the crew died of the feurvy or 
excefs of cold; the furvivors made a veflel of the remains of their fhip, and ar- 
rived fafe in Europe the following year; but their great pilot funk under the 
fatigue {. hk 
The fouthern coafts of thefe iflands are ina manner unknown. Between them 
and the continent is the Kara fea, which forms a deep bay to the fouth, in which 
the tide has been obferved to flow two feet nine inches. Fifhing people annually 
come here from the Peczora through the Waygatz, for the fake of a fmuggling trade 
in furs with the Samoieds of the government of Tobo//ki||. In the reign of the 
Emprefs Anne attempts were made to double the great cape ‘falmal, between the 
gulph of Kara and that of the Ob; one of which (in 1738) only fucceeded, and 
that after encountering the greateft difficulties §. Had the difcovery of Sibiria 
depended on its approach by fea, it might have fti]] remained unknown. 
The mouth of the Od lies in a deep bay, which opens into the Jcy Sea, in lat, 
73. 30+ This is the firft and greateft of the Sidirian rivers: it rifes from a large 
lake in Jat. 52, has a gentle courfe through eight hundred leagues of country, 
navigable almoft to its fource@: is augmented by the vaft river Jrti/ch, in lat, 
61, which again receives on each bank a multitude of vaft rivers in its extenfive pro- 
grefs. Tolol/fki, capital of Sibiria, lies on the forks, where it takes inthe Tool, The 
* Hackluyt. i. 282. + Doégtor Papas. } See this curious voyage, as related 
by De Veer. } PaLuas. § Coxe’s Ruffian Difcoveries, 306. G Gmelin Introd. Fil. Sib. 
vii. xxx. By Leuca he feems to mean a Verfl, of which 104% make a degree. See cxxiii. and 
Mr. Coxe’s Ruffian Difcoveries, Introd. xiii, 
5 banks 
