INTRODUCTION. 
17 
sea at the river mouth. On the 2nd September, just as the 
most advantageous season for navigation in these waters had 
begun, they returned, principally on account of the lateness of 
the season. 
There are, besides, two statements founded on actual observa¬ 
tions regarding the state of the ice on this coast. For Midden- 
dorff, the Academician, during his famous journey of exploration 
in North Siberia, reached from land the sea coast at Tajmur Bay 
(75° 40' N. L.), and found the sea on the 2^th August, 1843,/ree 
of ice as far as the eye eoidd reach from the chain of heights along 
the coast} Middendorff, besides, states that the Yakoot Fomin, 
the only person who had passed a winter at Tajmur Bay, declared 
that the ice loosens in the sea lying off it iii the first half of 
August, and that it is driven away from the beach by southerly 
winds, yet not further than that the edge of the ice can be 
seen from the heights along the coast. 
The land between the Tajmur and Cape Chelyuskin was 
mapped by means of sledge journeys along the coast by mate 
Chelyuskin in the year 1742. It is now completely established 
that the northernmost promontory of Asia was discovered by 
him in the month of May in the year already mentioned, 
aud at that time the sea in its neighbourhood was of course 
covered with ice. We have no observation as to the state of 
the ice during summer or autumn in the sea lying imme¬ 
diately to the west of Cape Chelyuskin; but, as the question 
relates to the possibility of navigating this sea, this is the 
place to draw attention to the fact that Prontschischev, on 
the 1st September, 1736, in an open sea, with coasting craft 
from the east, very nearly reached the north point of Asia, 
which is supposed to be situated in 77° 34' N. Lat. and 105° 
E. Long., and that the Norwegian walrus-hunters during 
late autumn have repeatedly sailed far to the eastward from 
the north point of Novaya Zemlya (77° N. Lat., and 68° E. 
Long.), without meeting ivith ary ice. 
From what has been already stated, it is evident that for the 
present we do not possess any complete knowledge, founded on 
actual observations, of the hydrography of the stretch of coast 
between the Yenisej and Cape Chelyuskin. I, however, consider 
that during September, and possibly the latter half of August, 
we ought to be able to reckon with complete certainty on having 
here ice-free water, or at least a broad, open channel along the 
^ Th. von Middendorff, Reise in dem dussersten Nordenund Osten Siheriens, 
vol. iv. I., pages 21 and 508 (1867). 
C 
