The Voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe, Volume I and Volume IINordenskiöld, A. E. (Adolf Erik)
History
The Voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe, Volume I and Volume II
Nordenskiöld, A. E. (Adolf Erik)
Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration; Northeast Passage; Vega (Ship)
On the 24/14th July, Pet was in the neighbourhood of land in 70 deg. 26'. At
first he thought that the land was an island, and endeavoured to sail
round it, but as he did not succeed in doing so, he supposed it to be
Novaya Zemlya. Hence he sailed in different directions between S.W. and
S.E., and was on the 26/16th in 69 deg. 40' N.L. Next day there was
lightning with showers of rain. Pet believed himself now to be in
Petchora Bay, and after sighting, on the 28/18th July, the headland
which bounds the mouth of the river on the north-east, he sailed, it
would seem, between this headland and the Selenetz Islands into the
great bay east of Medinski Savorot. Here he made soundings on the
supposition that the sound between Vaygats Island and the mainland would
open out at this place, but the water was found to be too shallow, even
for a boat. Pet now sailed past Yugor Schar along the coast of Vaygats
towards Novaya Zemlya, to a bay on the west coast of Vaygats Island,
where he anchored between two small islands, which were supposed to be
Woronski Ostrov. _The entrance to an excellent haven was indicated on
both sides by two crosses._[122] On the islands there was abundance of
driftwood, and on one of them was found a cross, at the foot of which a
man was buried. Pet inscribed his name on the cross, and likewise on a
stone at the foot of the cross, "in order that Jackman, if he came
thither, might know that Pet had been there." In the afternoon Pet again
weighed anchor, doubled the western extremity of Vaygats Island, and
continued his voyage, following all along the coast of Vaygats, first to
the north and north-east, then to the south, between an ice-field and
the land, until the ice came so close to the shore that the vessel could
make no headway, when he anchored in a good haven by an island which lay
on the east side of Vaygats in the neighbourhood of the mainland. It was
perhaps the island which in recent maps is called Mestni Island. Pet was
thus now in the Kara Sea.[123] The latitude given--69 deg. 14'--shows even,
if it is correct, that he went far into the bay at the mouth of the Kara
river. Here Pet fell in with his comrade Jackman, from whom he had
parted on the coast of Kola, and of whose voyage during the interval we
know nothing. When the vessels met they were both damaged by ice. As,
in addition, the sea to the north and east was barred by compact masses
of ice, the captains, after deliberating with the inferior officers,
determined to return. They had, also, during the return voyage, to
contend with formidable ice obstacles, until, on the 25/15th August, in
Lat. 69 deg. 49' north, near the southeastern extremity of Vaygats they met
with open water. They sailed along the east coast of Vaygats through the
Kara Port, which was passed on the 27/17th August. Hence the course was
shaped for Kolgujev Island, on whose sandbanks both vessels ran aground,
but were soon got off again without loss. The latitude of the sandbanks
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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