336 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. VII. 
such as is to be met with north of Spitzbergen. In respect 
to the nature of the ice, there is a complete dissimilarity between 
the Kara Sea and the sea north and east of Spitzbergen. Another 
striking difference is the scarcity of warm-blooded animals 
which prevails in this region, hitherto exempted from all hunting. 
In the course of the day w^e had not seen a single bird—something 
which never before happened to me during a summer journey in 
the Arctic regions—and scarcely any seals. 
On the 19th August we continued to sail and steam along 
the coast, mostly in a very close fog, which only at intervals 
dispersed so much that the lie of the coast could be made out. 
In order that they might not be separated, both vessels had 
often to signal to each other with the steam-whistle. The sea 
was bright as a mirror. Drift-ice was seen now and then, but 
only in small quantity and very rotten; but in the course of the 
day we steamed past an extensive unbroken ice-field, fast to the 
land, which occupied a bay on the west side of the Chelyuskin 
peninsula. The ice, of which it consisted, appeared in the mist 
immensely rough and high, although in fact it was nearly as 
rotten as that of which the narrow belts of ice were formed 
which we now and then met with out at sea. 
The fog prevented all view far across the ice, and I already 
feared that the northernmost promontory of Asia would be so 
surrounded with ice that we could not land upon it. But soon a 
dark, ice-free cape peeped out of the mist in the north-east. A 
bay open to the north here cuts into the land, and. in this bay 
both the vessels anchored on the 19th August at 6 o’clock p.rn. 
We had now reached a great goal, which for centuries had 
been the object of unsuccessful struggles. For the first time a 
vessel lay at anchor off the northernmost cape of the old world. 
Ko wonder then that the occurrence was celebrated by a display 
of flags and the firing of salutes, and, when we returned from our 
excursion on land, by festivities on board, by wine and toasts. 
As on our arrival at the Yenisej, we were received here too by 
