g journeys in
dog-sledges in different directions.

The violent motion which took place in the ice during the night
before the 15th December, gave us a sharp warning that our position
in the open road was by no means so secure as was desirable, but
that there was a possibility that the vessel might be nipped
suddenly and without any previous warning. If such a misfortune had
happened, the crew of the _Vega_ would certainly have had no
difficulty in getting to land over the ice. But the yield of hunting
appeared to be so scanty, and the Chukches were, as almost always,
so destitute of all stock of provisions--for they literally obey
the command to take no thought for to-morrow--that there was every
probability that we, having come safe ashore, would die of hunger,
if no provisions were saved from the vessel. This again, as the
principal part of the provisions was of course down in the hold,
would have been attended with great difficulty, if the _Vega_ had
been suddenly in the night cut into by the ice at the water-line. In
order as far as possible to secure ourselves against the
consequences of such a misfortune, a depot of provisions, guns,
ammunition, &c., reckoned for 30 men and 100 days, was formed on
land. Fortunately we did not require to depend upon it. The stores
were laid up on the beach without the protection of lock or bolt,
covered only with sails and oars, and no watch was kept at the
place. Notwithstanding this, and the want of food which occasionally
prevailed among the natives, it remained untouched both by the
Chukches who lived in the neighbourhood, and by those who daily
drove past the place from distant regions. All however knew very
well the contents of the sail-covered heap, and they undoubtedly
supposed that there were to be found there treasures of immense
value, and provisions enough for the whole population of the Chukch
peninsula for a whole year.

[Illustration: THE "VEGA" IN WINTER QUARTERS. (After a photograph,
taken in the spring of 1879 by L. Palander.) ]

The Magnetical Observatory was erected, as will be told in greater
detail further on, upon the beach a kilometre and a half from the
vessel. To this house the observers had to walk to and fro at least
four times in the twenty-four hours over an ice-field, covered with
loose snow, as fine as dust, that was set in motion by the least
puff of wind, and then in a few moments completely obliterated every
footprint. When the moon did no