The New York herald., 1879-09-05
FROM EUROPE TO ASIA.
TRIUMPHANT SUCCESS
A Danish Geographers Account Of Previous
Attempts to Make the Voyage.
lDY CABLE TO THE HERALD

5es4l YOKOHAMA, Japan, Sept A, 1879.
The Swedish exploring steamer Vega, be-
longing to the Nordenskjold expedition,
arrived at this port Tuesday evening, having
successfully accomplished the Northeast
Passage. The health of the entire ships
company is excellent have just seen
Professor Nordenskj6ld, who says that dur
ing the latter part of February he sent a
letter to Dr.. o. Dickson, of Gothen burg,
from the winter quarters of the Vega, but
he has no intimation that his patron has re-
ceiyed it. The Professor says:-s'W sailed
from Gothenburg on July 4, 1873, and four
days sail brought us to Troms6e "a Nor
wegian port on an island of the same
nancy, where our outfit of furs and neces-
saries for the high latitudes was oom-
pleted. Here we were joined by the COM
panion steamer, the Lena. On July 25
both vessels sailed from Troms6e, passed
through the Yugor Strait (south of Nova
Zembla) on August 5. There was not
particle of ice to be seen between Wal
gatsch (vaigatz, a Russian island) and the
Continent. The Kara Sea, hitherto dreaded
by all sailors in the Arctic regions, was
equally free from ice, and anchor was
cast at Port Dickson, near the mouth of the
Yenessi, on August 6.
~ sTEERINa NORTHEAST.
''After three days delay there the two
steamers of our expedition steered northeast
toward the dreaded Taimur land and the
North Cape. The ice arrested our passage
and we were compelled to remain at Tajoyr
(Cape !TaimurO four days. On August 10,
Tsejdekin, the extreme northern point of
Asia, was reached, where q short rest was
taken. The Vega coasted the peninsula,
very little ice being encountered, and an
ehored at the mouth Of the Lena River ON
August 26. To the northeastward woro
the islands of New Siberia, which we
soon sighted, but were unable to ex-
plore because of the great field of ice
that girt their shores. The mouth Of the
Kolwya River latitude go deg. 80 min.
longitude 161 deg. 30 min. }, q broad estuary,
was found open, and we hasten ed to make all
possible progress eastward. Our difficulties
soon began, however, and increased daily.
We were delayed much by the ice between
Cape Cook and Van Karema. We crossed
Kolintsehm Bay on september ~ with
comparative ease, but were imprisoned on
the 28th near Tchuktchi settlement (lati-
tude 67 deg. min. north, Longitude 1T deg
"a min. west).
THE WINTER IN THE ICE.
1--WE wintered in the pack ice at this
point, one mile from land. The entire
ship's company maintained the best of
health and spirits. Not a single case of
scurvy occurred on board. During the
shortest day the sun was above the horizon
less than three hours. and then only the
upper limb was visible. At this point
much time was devoted to interesting
scientific and ethrographic studies. There
we're 1000 inhabitants in the sev-
'ral villages near by, who subsisted
by fishing and sealing. They are
called the Tchuktchi and are very agree
able class of people for an exploring party
to meet. They supplied the expedition
With bear and reindeer meat. The cold
was intense, averaging SO centigrade (32.
degrees below Fahrenheit). The game was
= This letter to DIR. Dickson was printed in tho
HknALp OF August ~, 1917.