Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-09-26
N0rdenskj0ld in the Attic.

banda, . journal published ct Stockholm,
q private letter has been received in the
latter part OF June overland from Lieu
tenant Palsnder, the commander of the
Vega, stating that all was we'll on board
OF the steamer. The mouth Of the Lena
River was passed on the 9th of August
last. In the beginning everything was
favorable, although the Arctic explorers
had to contend with ice and shallow
water. They succeeded in reaching
Cape Jakan, but here for three days
further progress was stopped. That
point was left on the 18th of September,
and after many difficulties they arrived,
on the 18th, at Cape North, where they
were shut up in ice until the 18th.
After that the Arctic voyagers were only
able now and then to advance, owing to
the compact ice. On the 28th of Sep
TENDER they arrived at their present
position in latitude CT deg. 6 min. north
and longitude 173 deg. 80 min. west.
Had that point been reached two days
earlier the steamer would have been
able to pass through Behring Strait.
The Vega is not anchored in any har-
Dor, but near o very shallow sand
beach, and moored to solid ice. All
hands are we'll and provisions plenty !;
coal sufficient for 1900 mile cruise.
One or two villages of Tschutsches
had been passed. These natives were
believed to originate from Greenland,
and, judging from their appearance,
appeared to be related to the Esqui-
maux. Their complexion is brownish
yellow, hair and eyes jet black. They
are dressed in reindeer robes, dwell in
tents OF hides and live on the fat of the
seal. They are, moreover, friendly
disposed and accommodating. The
women's faces are tattooed, the mems
not. Their language is very difficult
to understand. but the Swedish explor-
ers have nevertheless acquired it and
compiled Q Swedish Tschutschean die
tionary, embracing over three hundred
words. Three camps of Tschutsches
are on the shore in the vicinity of the
Vegas anchorage.
During September the temperature
was never below degrees, and 5 de-
grees Celsius was the coolest at any
time. On the 21st December, the dark.
est day of the year, the sun was still
above the horizon. The letters had
been sent from the Vega by a visiting
native chief residing in the neighbor-
heod of Anadyrsk. The Polar explor-
ers calculated to extricate themselves
by the LIST of July, and to reach Japan
by the 18th of August.
We are enabled also to lay before our
readers the following extract from the
famous Arctic explorers last letter to
his family, which Mrs. NordenskjoId
has had the politeness to place at our
disposal. The letter is dated =" On
board the Vega, icebound on the north
coast of Siberia, just east of Koljuschin
Bay, latitude CT deg. min.. longitude
173 deg. Is min. west of Greenwich,
the 9Th Of October, 1S7S.-Since last
wrote from the mouth Of the Lena
River the Vega has pressed forward,
though with no little difficulty, to the
vicinity of Behring Strait. g., to a
part of the Polar Sea which is every
year visited by whalers from the Pacific
Ocean and trading vessels have fire.
quently left these waters as late as the
middle of October. As result from
the northern and northwesterly winds
blowing in these regions during the
whole of September, it appears, how
ever. that this year la most unfavorable
condition If the ice has prevailed in
the Polar Sea, near Behring Strait. The
ice free channel which in the proximity
of the coast facilitated our progress as
far as beyond the (mouth of the LENA
River ended at the Basanow Islands,
which we passed on the Sd of Septem-
Der. Since then we have gone forward
through dense masses of floating ice so
slowly that we did not reach the eastern
coast of Koljuschin Bay until the 9th
OF September.
"The night of the 2Sth the ocean
was covered between the glacial .frag-
ments with new formed ice, 80 that We
were forced to abandon further at
tempts to proceed, but temporarily lay
to, alongside some large foes of solid
ice about half mile from the beach.
Three days later we were able to walk
ashore on the the new formed ice. Con-
sequently everything is as satisfactory as
possible, in the event of our being
obliged to spend the winter here. The
coast is inhabited by Tschutsches, with
whom we are in communication on
most friendly terms. although, as these
natives do not understand or speak
Russian, We have some difficulty in
making ourselves mutually Ineligible.
Lieutenant Nordgvist, however, has
made a good beginning in learning
their language. They declare unani-
mously that the ice will again break up;
but in the event their prediction should
fail I send this letter by Tschutsch
chief, who happened to visit the village
near our place Of anchorage. 1t is
most uncertain whether we will sue
coed in making him understand the
meaning of the papers We hand him,
and it is doubtful whether they ever
will reach their destination. All hands
are we'll, the vessel in perfect condition
and the supplies of coal and provisions
abundant. The Tschutsch chief, who
has appointed me to be the Isprasnik in
Ochotsk, was pulled to the vessel, when
he paid us his state visit, in sleigh
drawn by two of his dwarfed subjects"
~ Y. Herald.
There are few women who, if they
have exhibited the Judgment and tact