276 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEBGEJY. 
surface of the water and some covered, nearly midway 
between the continent and Waigatz Island. They 
found good anchoring ground through the Strait, but 
subject to disturbance in the fair channel from drifting 
ice, more or less dangerous according to its size and 
the velocity of the tide. 
On the 1st of August they completed the passage of 
the Strait by the South of Waigatz Island. ‘‘This 
day/' says Linschoten, “ we entered the Sea of 
Tartary.” 
From the Strait they sailed at first along the coast 
of the continent, the wind being from the S.W. ; and 
at the distance of a quarter of a league from land had 
depth from 7 to 10 fathoms. In the evening the wind 
changed to easterly, and caused them to stand off 
shore, which in a league and a half sailing brought 
them into 80 fathoms depth. The sea was also of an 
azure blue; and these two circumstances were regarded 
as indications of a large and open sea. The next day, 
however, they fell in with much ice, but the wind 
changed again to the S.W., and they were able to 
follow the continental coast, which Linschoten’s chart 
lays down in a direction E.S.E. true, from the East 
entrance of the Strait. At the same time it is related, 
that on the 2nd of August the ships had sailed by the 
reckoning 17 or 18 leagues along the coast from the 
