324 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
Vega was off the mouth of the Lena, and the little 
steamer destined for service on that river parted company. 
The strong current from the river Lena sent the Vega 
70 miles to the north. It was observed that in all the 
islands on the Siberian coast the northern sides were 
quite precipitous, while those towards the coast were 
low, often sloping into sand-banks. Until September 3rd 
there was beautiful weather with little ice, and the Bear 
Islands, 35 miles from the mouth of the Kolyma, were 
reached. Here the four basaltic pillars, 44 feet high, 
reported by Wrangel, were sighted, looking exactly like 
four lighthouses. Here also the explorers had their first 
snow-fall, and the ship was stopped by heavy floes 
cemented together, so Palander again made for the land, 
and found a narrow channel. This eastern part of the 
voyage was by far the most difficult, and very slow 
progress was made in shallow water, with much drift 
ice and fog, the steam launch being constantly ahead 
sounding. From the 8th to the nth, when Cape Jakan 
was passed, the explorers were working through pack ice 
with a depth of only four fathoms. But fortune, which 
had hitherto been so propitious, now deserted them, and 
on the 28th September the Vega, when almost within 
reach of success, was forced to winter on the coast and 
remain for nearly ten months. Palander thought, how- 
ever, that 1878 was a bad ice year, and that generally 
a vessel with steam power could pass from Norway to 
Japan in one season. 
On the 18th of July, 1879, a strong south wind drifted 
the ice off the shore, and the Vega was free. On the 20th 
she passed East Cape, and Bering Strait was crossed 
several times for the purpose of taking soundings. They 
were at Bering Island on August 14th, and Yokohama 
was reached on the 2nd September, 1879. The hearty 
welcome that Nordenskiold received on his return from 
this famous voyage was worthy of the great explorer's 
well-established position in the world of science. 
The results of Nordenskiold 's famous voyage were the 
correction of the longitudes along the coast of Siberia, 
the numerous soundings (no less than 5000 casts of the 
lead having been token), the observations and collections, 
and not least, the lengthened study of the Tchuktchi 
