The morning call., 1893-11-19

other voyager has ever set out to reach
that goal by exactly the same route. DR..
Nansen sailed from Chrlstiania and passed
into the Thurman Sea over pretty much the
same route as that taken by the Vega ex-
petition. under command OF bis famous
cOuntryman and predecessor, A. Z. Nor
deDskjold. There are four ways of pass
ing from the Thurman Sea to the Sea of
Kara. TIE first IS through JugOr Sound
the Fretum Nassnvicum of the OLD
Observation-Disclosures Vaygats Island and
the Russian main. Tbs second route is
via Kara Port or the Straits of Knra, be-
tween Vaygats Island and Nova Zembla.
The third is by going through Matatschkin
Sound, which in latitude "a degrees north
divides the island of Nova Zembla. The
last is the most northerly course, by round
ing the northern end of the double island
Jugor Sound and the Kara Port are early
free of fast ice. out are long rendered diff
cult to navigate By considerable masses Of
drift ice, which are carried backward ana
forward in the bays on each side Of the
SOUND by the currents, which alternate
with the ebb and flow OF the tides. Nor
are there any good barbors In Jugor Sound,
and their lack makes 1t very perilous to
vessels which attempt to enter the Kara
Sea by this route.
Nevertheless, this was the route chosen
by Nordenskjold in 1878. and this is the
route through which II is to be hoped the
uds
reached the Kara Sea. Each of the three
other routes already cited IS in one way or
another more feasible of passage, but the
JugOr Sound Is the most southeriv route,
and It's point of entrance into the Kara Sea
is especially advantageous for that very
reason. Enormous masses of drift ice are
met with IN the Kara Sea, and in order 10
avoid them Nordenskjold foresaw thai it
won d be necessary t0 make considerable
detour toward tue south and then sail east
ward along the Russian coast.
Probably the same considerations in
duced Nansen to take this route; and that
he has been as successful in his passage
through the Kara Sea as was the Vega
expedition is by no means certain. though
when last heard Of the Fran was entering
upon her perl"us passage under the most
favorable conditions.
The voyage OF the Vega was to prove
the existence of a northeast passage be-
Jul IN It's undertaking. and during the voy-
age vast amount OF very valuable geo.
Rraphical, Typographical and natural
history data was collected by the eminent
specialists who accOmpa"i led Nordenskjold.
What makes Nordenskjold's voyage OF
peculiar interest at this time Is that he
was the first and the only voyager to
traverse the path chosen by DR.. Nansen.
His description of the Kara Sea is as ELL
pertaining as 1t Is interesting and valuable
from scientific ront of view. In his
subsequent report to King Oscar Ii of
Sweden. NordeDskjnld wrote:
In the afternoon Of the let of August
(this is the same month in which DR.. Nan
sens party Is said to have entered Kara
Seal we passed through the sound and
| steamed into the sea lying to the east If
1t, which had been the object of so many
speculations. expectations and conclusions
OF SO many cautious Governments. mer-
chants eager for gain. and learned cosmo-
graphers. from the sixteenth and SEVEN
teenth centuries. and which even to the
| geographer and man Of science of the
| present has been mere incOanitum do wn
to the most recent date.
1T is just this sea that formed the turn
| ing point of all the foregoing northeast
voyagers. With the exception OF the little
newly discovered island En>amheten the
Kara Sea is open to the northeast. 1t is
bounded on the west by Nova Zembla and
the Vaygats Island; on the east by the
| Pjaesna and the Yenisej and Yalmal,
and on the south by the DorthernmOst por-
| ton of European Russia, Bell Ostrov and
| the large estuaries Of the Obi and the
Yenisei. The coast between Cape Chelyu-
skin consists Of low, rocky heights, formed
OF crystalline schists, gneiss and erup I've
rocks; from the Yenisei to beyond the
most southrrly part of the Kara Sea, of
| the Gyda and Yalmal beds of sand, and at
| Vaygats island and the southern , art of
Nova Zpmbla of limestone and beds of
| schist. North of Is deg. the west coast of
Kara Sea is occupied by mountains"
Most of the ice formed in the winter in
| the Kara Sea and perhaps same of til al
| which drifts down from the polar basin is
heaped by the marine currents against the
| east coast OF Nova Zembla, whore during