, &c. _It was the most abundant yield that
the trawl-net at any one time brought up during the whole of our
voyage round the coast of Asia_, and this from the sea off the
northern extremity of that continent.

[Illustration: SEA SPIDER (PYCNOGONID) FROM THE SEA EAST OF
CAPE CHELYUSKIN. Half the normal size. ]

Among the forms collected here we may specially refer to the large
sea-spider, of which a drawing is given (p. 349); and three specimens of
small stalked crinoids. The depth varied between 60 and 100 metres. The
temperature of the water was at the surface +0 deg. to--0.6 deg.; at the
bottom--1.4 deg. to 1.6 deg.; its salinity was considerable, both at the bottom,
where it was very nearly equal to that of the other great oceans, and at
the surface, where it was indeed about a fifth-part less, but yet much
greater than that of the surface-water in the Kara Sea.

It is singular that a temperature under the freezing-point of pure
water should be advantageous for the development of an animal life
so extremely rich as that which is found here, and that this animal
life should not suffer any harm from the complete darkness, which
during the greater portion of the year prevails at the bottom of the
ice-covered sea.

When we got out of the ice we steamed towards the land, which was
sighted on the 23rd at 8.45 p.m. The land was low and free from
snow; the depth of the sea at a distance of ten kilometres from the
coast varied between thirteen and fifteen metres. The coast here
stretched from north to south. We followed it at a distance of seven
to ten kilometres. A north-westerly breeze here carried the vessel,
without the help of steam, rapidly forward over a completely smooth
sea.

On the 24th August we still sailed along the land towards the south.
The depth of the sea now increased to thirty-three metres at a
distance of ten kilometres from land. The land rose gradually, and
some distance from the coast beautiful mountain chains were seen,
which, judging by the eye, rose to a height of from 600 to 900
metres. They were, like the plains along the coast, quite free from
snow. Only in the clefts of the mountains there remained some few
collections of snow or ice, which at two places appeared to form
true glaciers, which however terminated at a considerable height
above the sea. The snow-free slopes between the foot of the mountain
and the shore bank, thirty to sixty metres high, formed an even
plain, covered by a bro