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)
[Footnote 103: The Russian chronicles state that the land between
the Dwina and the Petchora (Savolotskaja Tchud) was made tributary
under the Slavs in Novgorod during the first half of the ninth
century. A monastery is spoken of in the beginning of the twelfth
century at the mouth of the Dwina, whence we may conclude that the
land was even then partly peopled by Russians, but we want
trustworthy information as to the time when the Russian-Finnish
Arctic voyages began (compare F. Litke, _Viermalige Reise durch das
noerdliche Eismeer_. Berlin, 1835, p. 3). ]
[Footnote 104: The voyage is described in _Hakluyt_, 1st Edition, p.
311. It is inserted in the list of contents in the following terms:
"The voyage of Steven Burrough towarde the river Ob, intending the
discoverie of the north-east passage. An. 1556." It appears from the
introduction to Hakluyt's work that the narrative was revised by
Burrough himself. In the text Burrowe is written instead of
Burrough. ]
[Footnote 105: As I have already mentioned, von Herbertstein states
that the Russians (Istoma and others) as early as 1496 sailed round
the northern extremity of Norway in boats, which when necessary
could be carried over land. North Cape, or rather Nordkyn, was
called at that time Murmanski Nos (the Norman Cape). When Hulsius in
his collection of travels gives von Herbertstein's account of
Istoma's voyage, he considers Swjatoi Nos on the Kola peninsula to
be North Cape (Harnel, _Tradescant_, St. Petersburg, 1847, p. 40). ]
[Footnote 106: This must be a slip of the pen or an error of the
press; it was probably intended to be 68 deg. 48'. Kola lies in 68 deg.
51' N.L. ]
[Footnote 107: This statement is very remarkable. For it shows that
the vessels, that were then used by the Russians and Fins, were not
very inferior as compared with those of the West-Europeans, which is
confirmed by the fact, among others, that, nowhere in accounts of
the voyages of the English or Dutch in former times to Novaya
Zemlya, do we find it stated that in respect to navigation they were
very superior to the Kola men. As the Russian-Finnish _lodjas_ of
the time were probably beyond the influence of the shipbuilding art
of Western Europe, it is of importance to collect all that is known
about the way in which these vessels were built. Several drawings of
them occur in the accounts of the Dutch voyages, but it is uncertain
how far they are accurate. According to these the _lodja_ was
klinker-built, with boards not riveted together but bound fast with
willows, as is still occasionally practised in these regions. The
form of the craft besides reminds us of that of the present
walrus-hunting sloop. ]
[Footnote 108: Cape Voronov, on the west side of the mouth of the
river Mesen. ]
[Footnote 109: Probably mountain foxes. Remains of these fox-traps
are still frequently met with along the coast of the Polar Sea,
where the Russians have carried on hunting. ]
[Footnote 110: Kanin Nos is in 68 deg. 30' N.L. ]
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