The New York herald., 1877-12-24
castcrly winds prevailing. Blu, even IN that year
reached the mouth oi the Jenscy on tho 18th OF

u RUSSIAN IDEA
s.At Dickson's Port intend stopping Tor lew hours
for tho purpose OF dcposlting letters on any OF the
neighboring sles In case should not happen 10 meet
any vessel sent down from Jcuscsk, by which in0r-
nation about tho expedition might be sent home we
without any real observations on the hydro-
conditions between tho mouth Of the Jcu,
sey Cape rscheluskn, larger vessel having ever
attempted TO sail that way. Tho Russian boat voy,
ages along tho coast are known very liste o. anu
II they failed by means proves that this sea
Is not navigabe during certain Periods OF the ycaS
That this assertion entitled 10 consideration - easy
understand, IT. knowing tho present means Of siberia
for lifting out expeditions at sea- We 10 an 'aea
OF those Russian expeditions which, with such cxtraor-
o; siberia IN l73t-l743 Its certainly 70 be expected
that well appointed steamer Will be able 10 penetrate
far beyond tho place where these little boats went
These boats were small TOO fral Tor tho ce useless
in the high seas very often scwcd together with
wihcs and carried large crews.
are known in THIS part Of Tho Karan sca. all uuder
tho direction Of the mates MinIn and Storcson ine
nrst attempt was made IN 1888, IN double sioop
20 feet long, II icet wide und ieet deep, built IN
Tobolsk thence carried 20 the Jsnisey ny Lieu
tenant owzyn Mimi sailed In this vessel down 1hc
was then farther toward the north, but Was
obliged 10 return on account Of lack
Of SS,s nss wheat
have named Dckson's Port In the following year
another attempt was made with the same result In
l74o tho said double sloop' succeeded IN reaching
10 deg. l5 min moth latitude, having encountered
great dangers during heavy gale at the mouth OF tho
river. They returned on the I'd oil september, just
when tho mos, favorable season for sailing IN these
waters had begun. principally account OF It's late
ness We have, however, some further information
concerning tho leo this coast founded upon real
observations. Middendorn the acadcmican, during
his celebrated exploring journey IN the north oi 81
IBERIA on August 25, 1S43 came overland 10 the sea
coast at the Bay OF ra,mur rs deg ~ min. north
Inude) and found tho free from ice rs Tar as the
ss9 States iuIber ha. romp Yaxu the only
one who has spent winter at the Bay oil Tnimur,
declared tnat the ice breaks up IN the sea outside IN
the rst half OF Augusi, and carried on the const Dy
the southcrly wnds not further, however, than that
the eage OF tho icc may be seen from tho hills on
shore.
.srhe country between raimur and Capc Tsche uskn
mapped out by rscheuuskin In l742, during jour
neys sieghs along tho coast. II Is now an cstAD.
sned tact that the most northern cape oil Asia was
discovered Dy him 10 the month OF May, l142 and
then. OF course, tho was covered with ice There
obsery ations concerning tho Ice during summer
and autumn In tho west OF Cape rscheuskin,
but whom the navigabty Of this sea is questioned u
may BE- necessary 20 point out tina. on september
coasng vessels from tho east very nearly reached tho
most northern point Of ASIA supposed 70 DO situated
at II deg. "a min. north latitude and los deg. east
longitude, and that Norwegian fishermen, lato in Inc
FALL repeatedly have sailed far eastward from the
northern point Of Nova Zembla II deg north latitude
ana IS deg. eust longitude without meeting any Ice.
PHOTOGRAPHIC KSowLEDGE TO BE OBTAINED.
s'From the foregoing y is clear that We have at
present no complete real observations founded on
knowledge OF tho photographed conditions along the
coast between tho Jonissy and Cape Tschcljuskin.
consider however, that during September aud posi-
bly, tho latter half OF August ihcrc is an absolute
anty OF finding the water free from ice, or az least
broad channel along the coast, on account OF the i'm
mense volumes OF warm water tho great rvers-Obi,
lrtsch aud Jcnisey-pour out into the soa. These
rivers, having thcr sources the steppes Of Asia.
receive, during August, water everywhere greatly
heated from river basin larger than all the basins
together OF all the rivers running into the Mediter-
ranean and tho Euxne: There s, therefore, between
Dlckson's PORT and White Island powerful fresh
water current running northward Tho influence OF
the earths rotation ia these high attudcs upon rivers
running the direction Of the meridian is. however,
very considerable, and imparts 10 the rivers coming
from the south eastery inclination. The waters Of
obi-Jenscy arc thus at first, we may say, confined
within current OF tboir along the shore OF the
Tainur country until this current beyond Capo
Tschejuskin IS allowed 10 run without obstruction
northeast and rast. have In calm weather,
the outlets OF the largo rivers, observed tenn
peraturc OF Plus "a degrees Gels august II, $780,
outside OF the Jeniscy ana outside OBI OF plus
Gels lAugnst TO- 1851 This current coming
the South, produces US usual, first cold UNDER
which, during gale easily with the
cold, icc-sprnkled counter current which, IRON the
rotation Of the earth, receives westerly inclination
and evidently runs from the opening between Cape
Tschsius IN and the north point Of Nova Zemba 10.
the eastern side OF that Island, and might be the
OF tho large masses OF DRIFT Ice thot IN summer
pressed against the east coast OF Nova Zemba
According my experience aDd tho unanimous state
nenis oi tue fishermen this Ice mclts almost COM
pletsly away in the autumn.
WATER IRON RivEKs MELTs tn. IcH.
To determine the distance the current coming from
OBJ, enisey may be able carry of drift Ice II Is
well to remember that even very feeble current Will
influence the position OF the ice. and that Tor III
stance the current OF the river La Plata the volume
IL quito percepue at distance Of 500 Kilometres
from the mouth OF The river-that TO say, aDout
three times us far US the distance from Dcksons Fort
To Cape Tschcuuskin. Tho Mexican Gull alone Gun be
COM pared with the Karan Sea as to The size OF area
crossed by the rivers running into the gulf The
river currents from that gull considered TO largely
coutr ibute to the Gull Stream. The winds also blow
ing these regions during the autumnal months
from tho beast contribute somewhat toward tho
keeping OF a broad toeraby Ice FREQ channel along
the above mentioned coast
MODERN APPLIANCES
The knowledge have OF the east OF Cape
Tschcuuskin toward the Lena is principally founded
on observations made by expeditions sent out
before The middle OF tue last century by the
Russian government Tor survey OF the most
northern part OF Asia. For correct judgment
OF the results thus won II Is necessary ~ bear in
mind that these expeditions were carried out small
craft, OF build which IN our days would bo consd-
cred quite nappcable to vessels intended Tor sailing
IN the high seas and too fragile to resist tho Ice At
the same time the great courage the extraordinary
perseverance,. endurance OF hardshps aud tolls which
always distinguished the Russian polar traveller,
may well be admitted. They not 0niy lacked steam,
the powerful auxiliary OF our day, but they
had not common sailing rig suitable
tor real man1uvring, and were principally manned
by crews from the rivers of Siberia, who mad
seen the nor experienced sail among ocean ice.
Considering these circumstances II appears 10 that
The voyages will now mention necessarily prove that
also here navigablc sea may, In tho autumn, be ex
pected."
WHAT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED.
After recting the accounts ot these early cxplora.
tions the Professor ontinues:-"Erom what have
stated Is evident that the scalying north o the
DOrtncTn coast OF SOcriu petWcen tue mouth ol tnc
Jenisey aud Tschanbay, has never been ploughod by
tho keel ot q really scaworthy vessel still less by
steamer especially fitted out tor sailing among ice
the small vessels with which attempts have been
made IN this part Of the ocean have never vcnturcd
very lar from shore; that an open sea IN moderate
gale has been TO thcm dangerous, in TACT
dangerous than covered with
drit icc tnat almost always they put into
winter pori Just at that time OF the year when the
sea becomes most tree from ce-that is In the latter
part of summer or In tho avtumu; that ncverthe-
less, the sea between. Capo lschcuuskn and tho
Straits OF Behring been repeatedly navigacd, a
though no one has succeeded IN making tho whole
distance In single season; thns the Ice covering
formed IN winter along tho coast bat probably not
the open sea, Is evory summer broken up, creating
extensive fields OF drift ice, which sometimes by a
wind toward land arc carried coastwnrd, and some
times by southerly winds out toward the sea, although
never furtner than fcw days OF northerly winds Will
carry them back ngaInby Nil which II appears prob
able tho Siberian Sea is. wa may say of IRON the
.ca Polar Sea by series OF isianus OF which We at
present only know Wraneel's Land aud the four large
islands constituting New Siberia
FfrTEo STEAMER NEEDED.
.srhcse facts induce me 10 believe that steamer
properly fitted out Tor the purpose. ght In a yerv
lew days in the autumn be able TO push through upon
this route without cncountcriDg too many difficulties
lat nny rate not bc prevented by tccl and therehv