Year: 1878

The Swedish traveller proposes 10
start from Gothenburg in the beginning
of next July. The first part of his
voyage, round the North Cape and past
the entrance to the White sea as far as
Kola, Is now safely accomplished by
thousands Of vessels every year,
although 1t was on this very peninsula
Of KOla that Willoughby perlshed three
centuries ago. With the knowledge,
moreover, now possessed regarding the
ice conditions Of the gulf between the
last named coast and Nova Zembla, you
may sail without the least hindrance in
the latter half of summer from the
White sea to the MatOtshkin strait,
which bisects the Zembla island. In
deed, an active seaman may now with
an ordinary vessel effect more in these
waters during single season than the
Russia Government expedition, sent
out half century ago, cOntrived to &C.
complish In four. From the Murman
gulf, as the expanse between KOla and
Nova Zembla is called on the old maps,
there are four ways of reaching the
Kara sea, the best of which seems to be
the above named strait, narrow but
deep channel some thirty miles in
length, and usually free from ice in the
second half of July. This is the route
which the Swedish navigator means ~
follow, and although he expects to be
detained for some days by floating
ice masses in the Kara basin, there is no
reason to place his arrival at Dickson
Harbor-the entrance to the Yenisei-
later than the middle of August. In
1875 lie reached this point on the 10Th of
the month with sailing ship and
might have gained fortnight with a
steamer. In 1876 the ice conditions
were less favorable in consequence of a
cold summer and protracted northeast
wind; but, having the advantage Of a
steam vessel on this trip, he came to
auShOt Oh IiiC uuOuJu vi OllScl ny Jn6
10Th. In Dickson harbor Prof. Nor
denskiold will probably tarry a few
hours in order to leave a package of
letters on one of the neighboring islands
in case he should have no opportunity,
as is possible in the present inchoate
state of Siberian trade, to send a report
of progress by homeward. bound
ship.


Thenceforward the explorer must
shape his course according to his own
Judgement, in the almost total dearth
of useful observations regarding hydro
graphical conditions between the mouth
of the Yenisel and Cape Tcheljuskin.
AS above stated, no vessel of consider
able size has ever preceded him in
these waters. Ofthe Russian beat jour
neys conducted by Wrangel and others
very little is known, and no trustworthy
conclusions can be drawn from their
detached researches and incomplete re-
ports as to the navigability at certains
seasons of the year of the boundless sea
to the northeast. AS for the great
Russian expeditions successfully de
spatohed between the years 1734-43,
their efforts were almost wholly fruit
less. But our knowledge of the seasons
and conditions essential to a prosperous
voyage has been signally augmented
during the last ten years, mainly
through the contributions of Prof. Nor
denskiold himself; and there is good
reason to hope that navigator be able
to reach Dickson Harbor the beginning
of August may succeed in traversing
no small part of the unknown eastean
ocean, and perhaps come forth through
Behring's Straits.