08 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. I. 
confines of Russia. The people of Vardoe can thus in a few 
hours get accounts of what has happened not only in Paris or 
London, but also in New York, the Indies, the Cape, Australia, 
Brazil, &c., while a hundred years ago the post came thither only 
once a year. It was then that a journah loving commandant took 
the step, giving evidence of strong self-command, of not “ devour¬ 
ing ” the post at once, but reading the newspapers day by day 
a year after they were published. All this is now different, and 
yet men are not satisfied. The interests of commerce and the 
fisheries require railway communication with the rest of Europe. 
That will certainly come in a few years, nor will it be long 
before the telegraph has spun its net, and regular steam 
communication has commenced along the coast of the Arctic 
Ocean far beyond the sea which was opened by Chancelor to 
the commerce of the world. 
