IX.] 
RATE OF SAILING. 
429 
exploits of a Tamerlane or a Ghiiigis Khan up here in the 
high north. 
The north side of the hill-tops was powdered with new-fallen 
snow, but the rest of the land was clear of snow. The distance 
between the south point of LjachofF’s Island and the Bear 
Islands is 360'. This distance we had traversed in three days, 
having thus made 120" in the twenty-four hours, or 5' per hour. 
Jf we consider the time lost in dredging, sounding, and determin¬ 
ing the temperature and salinity of the water, and the caution 
which the navigator must observe during a voyage in quite 
unknown waters, this speed shows that during this part of our 
voyage we were hindered by ice only to a slight extent. Cape 
Baranov was passed on the night before the 5th September, the 
mouth of Chaun Bay on the night before the 6th September, 
and Cape Chelagskoj was reached on the 6th at 4 o’clock p.m. 
The distance in a right line between this headland and the Bear 
Islands is 180". In consequence of the many detours in the ice 
we had required 2i days to traverse this distance, which cor¬ 
responds to 72' per day, or 3' per hour, a speed which in a 
voyage in unknown, and for the most part ice-bestrewed waters, 
must yet be considered very satisfactory. But after this our 
progress began to be much slower. At midnight the sun was 
already 12° to 13° below the horizon, and the nights were now 
so dark that at that time of day we were compelled to lie still 
anchored to some large ground-ice. A further loss of time was 
caused by the dense fog which often prevailed by day, and which 
in the unknown shallow water next the land compelled Captain 
Palander to advance with extreme caution. The navigation 
along the north coast of Asia began to get somewhat monotonous. 
Even the most zealous Polar traveller may tire at last of mere 
ice, shallow water and fog; and mere fog, shallow water and ice. 
Now, however, a pleasant change began, by our coming at 
last in contact with natives. In the whole stretch from Yugor 
Schar to Cape Chelagskoj we had seen neither men nor human 
