INTRODUCTION. 
9 
the expedition of the Vega, to fit out^ also on Mr. Sibiriakoff’s 
account, two other vessels, the steamer Fraser, and the sailing 
vessel Express, in order to bring to Europe from the mouth 
of the Yenisej a cargo of grain, and to carry thither a quantity 
of European goods. This was so much the more advantageous, 
as, according to the plan of the expedition, the Vega and the 
Lena were first to separate from the Fraser and the Express at 
the mouth of the Yenisej. The first-named vessels had thus 
an opportunity of taking on board at that place as much coal 
as there was room for. 
I intend further on to give an account of the voyages of the 
other three vessels, each of which deserves a place in the 
history of navigation. To avoid details I shall only mention 
here that, at the beginning of the voyage which is to be 
described here, the following four vessels were at my disposal:— 
1 . The Vega, commanded by Lieutenant L. Palander, of the 
Swedish Navy; circumnavigated Asia and Europe. 
2. The Lena, commanded by the walrus-hunting captain, 
Christian Johannesen; the first vessel that reached the river 
Lena from the Atlantic. 
3. The Fraser, commanded by the merchant captain, Emil 
Nilsson. 
4. The Express, commanded by the merchant captain, 
Gundersen ; the first which brought cargoes of grain from the 
Yenisej to Europe.^ 
When the Vega was bought for the expedition it was de¬ 
scribed by the sellers as follows :— 
'^The steamer Vega was built at Bremerhaven in 1872-73, 
of the best oak, for the share-company ‘ Ishafvet,’ and under 
special inspection. It has twelve years’ first class Ys I-1- Veritas, 
1 The first cargo of goods from Europe to the Yenisej was taken thither 
by me in the Ymer in 1876. The first vessel that sailed from the Yenisej 
to the Atlantic was a sloop, The Dawn, built at Yeniseisk, commanded by 
the Russian merchant captain, Schwanenberg, in 1877. 
