352 
THE VOYAGE OE THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
Observed 
Latitude. 
Long 
itude 
Cape Chelyuskin h 
77° 36-8' 
103° 
17'2' 
On board the Vega‘S 
at noon of the 21st Aug. 
, 77° 25' 
109° 
12' 
„ „ „ „ 22nd „ 
76° 53' 
116° 
9' 
)> 
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 23rd ,, 
76° 48' 
115° 
0^ 
33 33 33 33 24th ,, 
o 
O 
113° 
33' 
At the last mentioned point we had land to starboard of us 
at an estimated distance of 4'. Preobraschenie Island lay 
S. 21° W. 17'5' off. It is on the ground of these data and of 
the courses recorded in the log, that the track of the Vega 
has been laid down on the map, and no doubt can arise that the 
position of the east coast of Taimur peninsula, as indicated by 
us, is in the main correct. 
Preobraschenie Island forms a pretty even grassy plain, lying 
from thirty to sixty metres above the sea-level, which in the 
north-west terminates towards the sea with an almost per¬ 
pendicular rocky wall, but to the south-east sinks gradually 
down to two sand-banks which run far out to sea. At the 
time of our visit the island was free of snow and covered with 
a carpet of mosses mixed with grass, which was exceedingly 
abundant, especially on the south-west slopes of the island, pro¬ 
tected as they were from the north winds. Here we encountered 
anew the Arctic animal world in all its profusion. The ledges 
of the perpendicular shore-cliffs of the island formed the 
breeding-place of numberless looms and kittiwakes, to which a 
few black guillemots attached themselves. Along the farthest 
margin of the beach waders ran busily backwards and forwards 
in order to collect their food. At the summits of the cliffs 
a flock of glaucous gulls were breeding, and on the slopes 
of the low land the white mountain owl was seen lyiug in wait 
^ According to an observation witli an artificial horizon on land. 
According to an observation on board. The observations for longitude 
that were made some hours before or after noon, are reduced to noon. 
