The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-09
Northern Asia.

Northern Asia.
In a recent communication to the
Royal Swedish Academy, Prof Norden-
skiold gives an account of the voyages
which have been made during the past
season along the trade route through the
Siberian Arctic seas which he first
opened out a few years ago. Four ex-
i peditions have crossed to Kara Sea this
season on their way to and from Siberia,
two Of these being combinations of voy-
ages which began last year. The first
OF these was that of Capt, Virgins, who
started in 1876, purposing to explore
the southern narrow part of the Yalmal
or Samoiede Peninsula, with view to
ascertaining whether this isthmus could
be cut through by canal which would
connect the Kara Bay with the Gulf of
Obi. After inspecting the isthmus,
Capt. Virgins went north round Cape
Golovin; but, being prevented by con-
trary winds from entering the Obi Gulf,
he sailed to the Yenisei, and, ascending
it for nearly 700 miles, left his ship for
the winter in the Kureaka River, a trib-
utary of the Yenisei, not far from the
Arctic Circle. He thence travelled south
ashore to one of the Russian settle
ments, and returning in the spring
found his vessel frozen in and buried in
snow. After hard work he succeeded in
getting the ship afloat, but she went
aground in the Yenisei and had to be
| abandoned.
M. Boiling, Swedish merchant, had
| undertaken to remove the cargo of wares
| left by Prof. Nordenskiold last year at
| korepovSk, Russian settlement on the
right bank of the Yenisei in II deg. Il
min. north, and to take them up the river
to Yeniseisk, and had built small YES
sci fol. that purpose. Having come to
an agreement with the owners of the
Yenisei steamers, however, for the trans
port of the goods, he sold his vessel to
Mr.. Seebohm, an English ornithologist.
Mr.. Seebohm set out up stream in BOZ
lings ship, and met Mr. Virgins, as
well as M. Svanenberg, Russian Cap
tain, who was engaged by the Siberian
merchant M. Sidoroff for cruise from
Siberia to Europe, and who was in
charge of a ship built purposely at Yen
iseisk, and loaded with Siberian graph
lite. This ship, named the Northern
Light, had descended the Yenisei for a
distance of about 1900 miles, and
reached the Bryukoy Islands in the
estuary of the river GO deg. 40 min.
north), but there M. Svanenberg found
| it necessary to leave the vessel and re-
turn overland to St. Petersburg, to OBJ
tain the means of fitting out a more
efficient expedition. During his absence
| tha Nnrthn,.,, I ,orbt Il
scurvy attacked the crew, so that, when
he returned, about the end of winter,
with a new crew, one man alone re-
manned alive of the five he had left
As already stated, Messrs. Virgins
and Seebohm, together with their crews,
were now on board Bojlings small ship,
and Capt. Virgins urged that, however
unseaworthy the vessel was, it would be
best to try to make their way through
the Kara Sea to Norway, but the crew
formally refused, and, M. Svanenberg
arriving at that time, the ship was sold
to him. Svanenberg in turn tried to
put Capt. Virgins idea into practice,
and, remaining the little vessel the Morn
| ing Dawn, sailed northward. Never
before had such a wretched boat vent
ured into the Arctic seas; still, the voy-
age ended happily, and in September
M. Svanenberg reached Vardo, in Nor
way. On leaving the Yenisei, Svanen-
berg met the steamer Fraser, which left
Bremen with cargo of sugar, tobacco,
etc, July 25. She had passed the
Yugor Strait, between Waigatz Island
and the mainland, and thence went
direct to the White Island without
meeting ice, and from that straight to
Golchikha, the most northern settlement
on the banks of the Yenisei.
The Fraser left the Yenisei again on
Sept IA, and Capt. Dallman took the
more northern route through the Ma
totschin Shar the strait separating the
large islands of Novaia Zemlia), and on
this line also met with no ice except in
the strait, and soon reached Norway.
Deductng some short delays, the whole
voyage from the Yenisei to Norway was
made in six days and eight hours. The
Importance of the short communication
is shown by the great difference in price
between wheat, rye, and barley in ST.
IBERIA and in Norway.
A fourth expedition, sent by M. Trap
eznikoh, Moscow merchant, in the
steamer Louise, left England some time
before the departure of the Fraser,
reached the mouth of the Obi, and
steamed thence up that river and the
Irish to Tobolsk, distance of over a
thousand miles by river. Thus the Kara
Sea proves to be very practicable
highway, the Importance of which will
be better understood if we take into ac-
count that the Siberian rivers are navi-
gable for sea-going ships as far south,
for instance, as Tobolsk, in So deg,
north, and that they all flow through
the fertile tracts of Southern Siberia
. LOndOn Acnden1M