e might be called a true fowl-fell. A large number of seals were
visible among the ice, and along with the cormorant a few other
birds, principally phalaropes. Fish were now seen only in
exceedingly small numbers.

[Illustration: ALGA FROM IRKAIPIJ. _Laminaria solidungula_ (J G. Ag.). ]

Even in the summer, fishing here does not appear to be specially
abundant, to judge from the fact that the Chukches had not collected
any stock for the winter. We were offered, however, a salmon or two
of small size.

[Illustration: CORMORANT FROM IRKAIPIJ. _Graculus bicristatus_
(Pallas). ]

On the 18th September[248] the state of the ice was quite unchanged.
If a wintering was to be avoided, it was, however, not advisable to
remain longer here. It had besides appeared from the hill-top which
I visited the day before that an open water channel, only
interrupted at two places by ice, was still to be found along the
coast. The anchor accordingly was weighed, and the _Vega_ steamed
on, but in a depth of only 6 to 8 metres. As the _Vegas_ draught is
from 4.8 to 5 metres, we had only a little water under the keel, and
that among ice in quite unknown waters. About twenty kilometres from
the anchorage, we met with a belt of ice through which we could make
our way though only with great difficulty, thanks to the _Vega's_
strong bow enabling her to withstand the violent concussions. Our
voyage was then continued, often in yet shallower water than before,
until the vessel, at 8 o'clock in the morning, struck on a ground
ice foot. The tide was falling, and on that account it was not until
next morning that we could get off, after a considerable portion of
the ground-ice, on whose foot the _Vega_ had run up, had been hewn
away with axes and ice-hatchets. Some attempts were made to blast
the ice with gunpowder, but they were unsuccessful. For this purpose
dynamite is much more efficacious, and this explosive ought
therefore always to form part of the equipment in voyages in which
belts of ice have to be broken through.

On the 19th we continued our voyage in the same way as before, in
still and for the most part shallow water near the coast, between
high masses of ground-ice, which frequently had the most picturesque
forms. Later in the day we again fell in with very low ice formed in
rivers and shut-in inlets of the sea, and came into slightly salt
water having a temperature above the freezing-point.

After having been moored during the ni