h of May at my departure 150 roubles, and at the
village Bulun 250 roubles, for my payment to my companions
and pilot and other expenses. The balance shall be paid to
me after my return to Yakutsk.

13. In the month of May, at the time for starting, if I be
prevented by illness from betaking myself to Tumat Island,
I shall repay to Herr Kolesoff the sum paid to me at the
conclusion of this contract, with the exception of the
money I have paid to the interpreter as pocket-money and
for the boats. Should I not be able to repay the sum, I,
Winokuroff, shall work out the amount not repaid at Herr
Sibiriakoff's gold mines.

14. All this are we, the two contracting parties, bound to
observe in full and without infringement.

A note to the copy further informs us that to this contract the Yakut
Afonasii Feodoroff Winokuroff had, in place of his signature, attached
his own seal, which the Yakut Alexii Zassimoff Mironoff had engraved,
and that the conditions had been approved by the merchant Ivan Kolesoff,
and the whole registered at the police-office of the Yakutsk circle.

The contract had been entered into with the friendly co-operation of the
Governor and Bishop of Yakutsk, who were much interested in the proposed
voyage. The latter knew the coast of the Polar Sea from his own
experience. But notwithstanding all this, the affair was attended with
no better success than that the pilot celebrated the receipt of the
large sum of money by getting thoroughly intoxicated, and while in that
state he broke one of the bones of the fore-arm. He was thus unable ever
to reach the appointed rendezvous, and Johannesen was allowed to manage
by his own hand, as best he could, his little steamer.

[Illustration: THE STEAMER "LENA." ]

After the _Lena_ had parted with the _Vega_ during the night between
the 27th and 28th August, she steamed towards land, and came the
same day to the northernmost cape of the Lena delta, situated in 73 deg.
47' N.L.[204] It was here that the pilot's landmark was to
have been erected, but there was no pilot here, and no flagstaff was
visible. In order to fall in with this landmark Johannesen sailed
forty kilometres westward along the shore, but as his search in this
direction was not attended with success, he turned back to the
first-mentioned place and landed there. On the shore stood a very
old hut, already completely filled with earth. It probably dat