1879.] | Geography and Travels. 135 
Habarowa, a Russian hunting-place in the Yugor hap on the 
30th. She was accompanied by a small steamer, the and 
also by the steamer Fraser, having a sailing vessel, the Beihai 
oo employed by M. Sibeirakoff, to open maritime commerce with 
eria. During their short stay here collections were made of 
thie fauna of the sea and the flora of the land. any specimens 
of fish were obtained, and special attention devoted to the morph- 
ology and development of the phenogamous plants. Habarowa 
is inhabited in the summer by nine Russians, who live in wooden, 
turf-covered cabins, while the native Samceides have tents of rein- 
deer skin. Dr. Nordenskiöld purchased some of the native cos- 
tumes, and, after some difficulty, specimens of their “gods.” 
These objects of veneration resemble the rude rag dolls of chil- 
dren, and are of stone or wood, dressed in fur and fine rags, with 
pear! ornaments. Sacrifices of bears, reindeers, etc., are made. 
The island of Waigatz is a plateau about go kilometres long by 
40 broad. The Silurian and limestone beds contain many fossils. 
Leaving Habarowa on the first of August, the Vega sailed slowly 
(to allow time for dredging) across the Karian sea, while the Lena 
was sent to examine the Beli strait, which separates White island 
from the Yalmal peninsula. Some fields of rotten ice were en- 
countered but fog proved the only hindrance, and they reached 
Dickson Harbor on the 6th of August. Prof. Nordenskiold 
speaks of this harbor as safe and commodious, and as promising 
to become the chief port for the export of Siberian products. In 
geological formation, the land resembles Spitzbergen. 
quence of the inferior saltness of the water, there is little aiiinal 
life. Three white bears were shot.? 
After a careful survey of Dickson Harbor, and adding to her 
supplies the coal and provisions brought so far by the Express, the 
Vega, still accompanied by the Zena, continued her voyage on the 
1oth. Further information of the expedition i is given ina letter 
of Prof. Nordenskidld’s in the New York Herald, and in accounts 
in various European journals. On the rith ‘of August they 
passed Cape Sterlegoff, the furthest point ever reached by a vessel. 
They soon perceived the charts to be entirely wrong, the coast 
being far more to the west than supposed, and numerous islands 
not given were met. The fog caused much embarrassment, but 
the ice did not often give them much trouble. The saltness of 
the water increased and the temperature fell, while the organic 
life at the sea-bottom became richer, an d fine specimens of the 
remarkable crinoid Alecto eschrichtit, error’ and large ocean 
Algz were obtained. On shore the higher fauna and flora were 
very poor. Snow sparrows, several species of wading birds, and 
some varieties of geese were found. Occasionally scenes of great 
beauty were presented when the sea was smooth and clear; the _ 
1 See Prof. on prer from Dickson’s Harbor in Petermann’s Mi send : : 
ungen, 1878, P. i, p. 430. ieut. Hovgaard’s, from w 
Ver. pase Sac a Gesellschaft fär Erdkunde zu Berlin, alee p. Eee 
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