ch. xx] Russian Arctic Discoveries 183 
there was high land in that direction. But again, after 
travelling for many days through ranges of hummocks, 
showing there must have been heavy ice pressure during 
the winter, he came to weak unsafe ice at a distance of 
170 miles from the land. He was away 55 days and went 
over 900 miles, a little over 16 miles a day. May 5th 
saw them back at Nijni Kolymsk. 
The fourth journey was begun on March 14th, 1823. 
At Cape Chelagskoi a Tchuktche chief told Wrangell 
that, on a clear summer's day, snow-covered mountains 
might be descried at a great distance to the north, and 
that herds of reindeer sometimes came across the ice, 
probably from thence. The natives concurred in stating 
that Cape Jakan was the nearest point to this northern 
land. Wrangell struck off to the north when he had 
gone a little way beyond Cape Chelagskoi. A violent 
gale came on, and cracked and broke up the ice, placing 
the party in considerable danger. They only succeeded 
in crossing the cracks owing to the incredibly swift pace 
of the dogs. Wrangell was obliged to turn back at 
a distance of only 70 miles from the land. Even then 
the men had to ferry themselves across many cracks 
on pieces of ice, the dogs swimming and towing, the 
temperature of the sea being + 28 0 Fahr. This was in the 
end of March. Lanes of water were opening in all 
directions and, without a boat, the little party was 
placed in a position of extreme danger. The gale dashed 
the pieces of ice together with a loud crashing noise, 
and broke some of the floes into fragments. The dogs 
alone saved them. Land was reached on the 27th March, 
and Wrangell continued the coast survey for some time 
longer, returning to Nijni Kolymsk on May 10th, after 
an absence of 78 days, having travelled over 1530 miles. 
The unknown land sighted from Cape Jakan was seen 
by Captain Kellett in 1849, and by Captain Long, an 
American whaler. Captain Kellett landed on an islet 
near it in 71 0 18' N., 175 0 24' W., in 1849, which he found 
to be a solid mass of granite, almost inaccessible on all sides, 
about 4| miles long by 2\ across. It was named Herald 
Isle. But it was not until 1881 that Lieutenant Berry, 
U.S.N. , landed on and explored the land seen from Cape 
Jakan. It is in 70 0 57' N. and 178 0 10' W., and is 
