15^ Russian Expedition alo7ig the Northern Shores (^Siberia, 
very prominent. Our travellers also saw other islands which 
they named New Siberia. The rout which they took to get to 
them may be seen upon the chart of the famous pedestrian 
traveller Cochrane, where it is traced with great fidelity. They 
made very extensive excursions in all directions, but saw no 
land. In their land-journeys they rode upon horses or rein- 
deer, but they preferred the former. With regard to sledge- 
travelling with reindeer, it is very convenient upon ice. They 
made use of a sort of large sledge called nai^ta^ drawn by twelve 
or thirteen dogs; these animals were always of great use to them, 
in defending them from the white and black bears, and wolves, 
as well as by their astonishing sagacity. Their instinct always 
led them to find the best road, and when the travellers thought 
themselves strayed, the dogs brought them back to the w^ay. 
The sagacity of these animals was such, that after having made 
a number of turns, they took the shortest way to return. The 
travellers passed several weeks upon the ice, sometimes upon 
enormous pieces covered with grey snow, sometimes upon thin- 
ner layers, which frequently separate from the mass, so as to be 
carried along by the current, and tossed about by the Avaves. In 
these critical moments, the dogs rendered them innumerable 
services; in the places where the ice was thick, they ran with ra- 
pidity upon the snow, barked, bit one another, and appeared 
intractable ; but as soon as the route became dangerous, they 
became gentle, circumspect and docile ; they often walked upon 
pieces of ice, which were not more than half an inch thick Avith 
the greatest precaution, and seemed to advance only according 
to the order of the person carried in the sledge. MM. Wran- 
gel and Matuchkin remained once for seventy days upon the ice, 
at a distance of several hundred versts from the shore. They 
were attended by several na^'tas laden with provisions ; they 
buried these provisions under the snow and ice, and continued 
their journey, carrying Avith them what was absolutely neces- 
sary ; and when their provisions were exhausted, they returned 
for what they had left. They did not fail to make astronomi- 
cal observations wherever they could, but the fogs often pre- 
vented them. These fogs were so thick, that our travellers, 
drawn in their sledge, sometimes could not see the dogs which 
drew them. Frequently snoAv-storms overwhelmed the tents 
