Russian Expedition along the Northern Shores of Siberia. 153 
which served for their abode, and it was with much difficulty, 
when the storm abated, that they got themselves extricated. 
During the months of November, December, and January, when 
the intensity of the cold became insupportable, our travellers 
took refuge in felt cabins or tents, where the water froze upon 
the floor, and the ice rose to the height of upwards of two feet. 
A mass of ice, abont five inches thick, served them for a window. 
In this icy region, the earth produced only heath and a sort of 
plant peculiar to the country ; in summer, the sun did not leave 
the horizon for two months, and in winter, it did not appear for 
the same period of time. The maximum heat, in the middle of 
summer, is above fifteen degrees of Reaumur’s thermometer ; it 
freezes at night or when the sun is upon the decline. The 
dazzling whiteness of the snow produced diseases of the eyes ; 
the natives wear a sort of mask formed of the bark of trees, in 
which very- narrow slits are made for the eyes. The Russian 
officers wore a piece of crape folded four times; at the beginning 
they neglected to avail themselves of this contrivance, and were 
rendered nearly blind ; they learned, however, to cure this ma- 
lady, by introducing tobacco oil into the eyes, a remedy which, 
although effectual, has the disadvantage of exciting acute pain. 
Their ordinary food consisted of fish,, and reindeer, and bear’s 
flesh ; this last had the property of strengthening them, but it 
also produced violent agitation in the blood, and prevented them 
from sleeping. The natives are poor, do not practise any trade, 
and have no other occupation than that of fishing and hunting; 
yet there are Russian merchants who go to these countries for 
trade *. — Revue Encyc. Oct. 1824. 
5 . — Captain LyorCs Voyage. 
Captain Lyon has been forced back to England by stress of 
weather, and the badness of his vessel. He found Sir Thomas 
Roe’s Welcome much narrower than laid down in the charts, and 
full of shoals, but saw no ice in it. Southampton Island is 
broader than it was thought to be, or perhaps consists of several 
islands. Corrections have been made in the positions of some of 
the capes in Hudson’s Straits. Captain Lyon’s Narrative, in 
small octavo, with plates, comes out shortly : it will, we doubt 
not, like his former work, prove interesting. 
