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)
Pachtussov could not penetrate into the Kara Sea, but wintered the first
time on South Novaya Zemlya in 70 deg. 36' N.L. and 59 deg.32' E.L. (Greenwich),
in an old house which lie found there, and which according to an
inscription on a cross in its neighbourhood had been built in 1759. This
ruinous house was repaired with driftwood, which was found in great
abundance in that region. A separate bath-house was built, and was
connected with the dwelling-house by a passage formed of empty barrels
and covered with canvas. Eleven days were spent in putting the old house
into such repair that it could be occupied. It was afterwards kept so
warm that the inmates could stay there in their shirt-sleeves without
freezing. The Commander, clear-headed and specially fit for his post as
he was, did not permit his crew to fall into habits of idleness, dirt,
and laziness, but kept them to regular work, bathing and change of linen
twice a week. Every second hour meteorological observations were taken.
During the whole winter the crew remained in good health, but in spring
(March) scurvy broke out, notwithstanding the precautions that were
taken, and two men died of it in May. Many times during winter the ice
broke up, and at a short distance from the land the Kara Sea was open as
far as the eye could reach. A herd of reindeer numbering about 500 head
were seen in the end of September; a number of foxes were taken in
traps, and two Polar hears were killed. Geese were seen for the first
time in spring on the 27th/15th of May.
Next summer Pachtussov rowed up along the east coast to 71 deg. 38' N.L.
On the west bank of a river, called Savina, he found a very
good harbour. He found there the remains of a hut, with a cross
erected beside it, on which was the inscription "Savva Th----anov
9th June 1742," which he considered to belong to the time of Savva
Loschkin's voyage. After his return from this boat journey
Pachtussov went on board his vessel and sailed along the east coast
north of Matotschkin Sound from the 23rd/11th July to the 25th/13th
August without meeting with any obstacle from ice. During this
voyage he passed a very good harbour in 72 deg. 26' N.L., in a
bay, called Luetke's Bay. Pachtussov then returned through
Matotschkin Sound to the Petchora. Even along the east coast of
North Novaya Zemlya the sea was open, but the stock of provisions,
intended at their departure from Archangel for fourteen months, was
now so low, that the gallant Polar explorer could not avail himself
of this opportunity of perhaps circumnavigating the whole of Novaya
Zemlya.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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