CHAPTER X. 
Wintering becomes necessary—The position of the Vega —The ice round 
the vessel—American ship in the neighbourhood of the Vega when 
frozen in—The nature of the neighbouring country—The Vega is prepared 
for wintering—Provision-depot and observatories established on land 
—The winter dress—Temperature on board—Health and dietary—Cold, 
wind, and snow—The Chukches on board—Menka’s visit—Letters sent 
home—Nordquist and Hovgaard’s excursion to Menka’s encampment— 
Another visit of Menka—The fate of the letters—Nordquist’s journey 
to Pidlin— Find of a Chukch grave—Hunting—Scientihc work—Life 
on board—Christmas Eve. 
Assueed that a few hours’ southerly wind would be sufficient 
to break up the belt of ice, scarcely a Swedish mile ^ in breadth, 
that barred our way, and rendered confident by the above- 
quoted communications from experts in America concerning the 
state of the ice in the sea north of Behring’s Straits, I was not 
at first very uneasy at the delay, of which we took advantage 
by making short excursions on land and holding converse with 
the inhabitants. First, when day after day passed without any 
change taking place, it became clear to me that we must make 
preparations for wintering just on the threshold between the 
Arctic and the Pacific Oceans. It was an unexpected dis¬ 
appointment, which it was more difficult to bear with equanimity, 
as it was evident that we would have avoided it if we had come 
some hours earlier to the eastern side of Kolyutschin Bay. 
There were numerous occasions during the preceding part of our 
voyage on which these hours might have been saved : the Vega 
1 Equal to 6*64 English miles. 
