, of which one was killed; a species of falcon, which was
hunted unsuccessfully; snow buntings, breeding very generally in the
stone mounds; a covey of snow ptarmigan, of which some young birds
were shot; six species of waders, the most common birds of the
region, of which a large number were shot; two kinds of gulls
(_Larus glaucus_ and _tridactylus_); _Lestris parasitica_ and
_Buffonii_, the latter the more common of the two; _Anser bernicla_,
very common; and finally the long-tailed duck (_Harelda glacialis_)
in great flocks swimming in the Sound. Bird life, viewed as a whole,
was still scanty here, in comparison with that which we were
accustomed to see in the northern regions west of Novaya Zemlya.

In the sea the higher animal life was somewhat more abundant. A
walrus had been seen during the passage from the Yenisej, and on the
ice drifting about in the Sound a number of seals, both _Phoca
barbata_ and _Phoca hispida_, were observed. This gave rise to the
supposition that at the sea-bottom animal life was richer, which was
also confirmed by the dredging yield. Nowhere was seen on our
arrival any trace of man, but a cairn now indicates the place, off
which the _Vega_ and the _Lena_ were anchored.

In this sea never before visited by any vessel, however, we were nearly
coming in contact with a countryman. For while we lay at anchor in
Taimur Sound, Captain Edward Johannesen came into the neighbourhood of
the same place with his sailing vessel _Nordland_ from Tromsoe. He had
left Norway on the 22nd May 1878, had come to Gooseland in Novaya Zemlya
on the 6th June, and had reached the northernmost point of that island
on the 22nd July. Here loud thunder was heard on the 26th July. On the
10th August he steered eastwards from Novaya Zemlya across the Kara Sea
between 76 deg. and 77 deg. N.L. in open water. On the 16th he had the Taimur
country in sight. Here he turned, and steered first to the west, then to
the north. In 77 deg. 31' N.L. and 86 deg. E.L. from Greenwich he discovered and
circumnavigated a new island, which was named "Ensamheten" (Solitude).
The island was free of snow, but not overgrown with grass. The animals
that were seen were some bears and bearded seals, terns, fulmars, ivory
gulls, flocks of black guillemots, and a "bird with a rounded tail and
long bill," probably some wader. On the north-east side of the island a
strong northerly current prevailed. The remote position and desolate
appearance of