136 General Notes. [ February, 
midnight sun hung low over the horizon, and to the south the 
Taimyr land glittered fiery red in its rays, while the cliffs and 
castles of ice stood colored blue, purple, crimson, and silver-white. 
Over this scene lay a stillness which sent a man’s voice miles and 
miles away, and the scratch of the bears walking over the ice- 
blocks was heard afar off. Waiting for clear weather, they lay at 
anchor, from the 14th to the 18th, in a small bay in the sound 
between the island of Taimyrand the continent. This haven was 
named Actinia Port, and would be a favorable position for one o 
Weyprecht’s proposed meteorological stations. The land here 
was free from snow, and covered with a gray-green carpet of 
grass, mosses, and lichens. On the 18th, the fog still continuing, 
they set sail, and in spite of fog and some large masses of ice, 
passed Cape Chelyuskin on the 1gth, with flags waving and guns 
ring a salute. Cape Chelyuskin is a low promontory, divided 
into two parts by the bay in which the vessels anchored. The 
west cape is in 77° 30 37” N. lat. and 103° 25’ 5” E. long and 
the east cape is in- N: lat. 77° 41’ and E. long. 104° r°. Inland 
the coast gradually rises to about 1,000 feet. This hill, as well 
as the lowland, was almost free from ice. The ground appeared to 
be mainly clay, curiously cracked, and covered with moss, lichens, 
etc. The formation here were perpendicular strata of slate, with 
no fossils, but rich in crystals of sulphide of iron, and at one point — 
traversed by large veins of quartz. Both animal and vegetable life 
were exceedingly poor and the former very tame. In the sea also 
weighed anchor, when drift ice was soon met with. After being 
obliged to sail in a northern and north-western direction they 
escaped, and the north-eastern 1 extremity of the Taimyr peninsula 
(76° 30’ N. lat. and about 113° E. long.) was sighted. The coast 
3 g) g 
is about fifty miles more to the west than noted on the charts. 
Here they found almost open water. It was observed that the 
bergs encountered were of fresh-water formation, indicating the 
existence of hilly islands to the north. Mountains of 2,000 to 
3,000 feet in height were seen some distance away from the coast. 
There was now a great increase in marine animal life, all of pure 
arctic types. The island of Preobashenskoi was reached on the 
24th, and found to have been laid down sixty miles too far west. 
From here — to the Lena an ice-free and comparatively 
warm sea was met w 
Arriving at the eae of the Lena the two vessels parted com- 
pany, and the Vega continued on her way, while the Lena © 
ascended the river to Yakutsk, arriving there on the 21st of Sep- 
tember. 
As no further account of the former has been received, she is 
no doubt passing the winter in the ice, perhaps near the East 
cape, where Captain Campbell, of the steamer Norman, from 
fae as 
