f's account, two other vessels, the
steamer _Fraser_, and the sailing vessel _Express_, in order to
bring to Europe from the mouth of the Yenisej a cargo of grain, and
to carry thither a quantity of European goods. This was so much the
more advantageous, as, according to the plan of the expedition, the
_Vega_ and the _Lena_ were first to separate from the _Fraser_ and
the _Express_ at the mouth of the Yenisej. The first-named vessels
had thus an opportunity of taking on board at that place as much
coal as there was room for.

[Illustration: Alexander Sibiriakoff ]

I intend further on to give an account of the voyages of the
other three vessels, each of which deserves a place in the
history of navigation. To avoid details I shall only mention
here that, at the beginning of the voyage which is to be
described here, the following four vessels were at my disposal:--

1. The _Vega_, commanded by Lieutenant L. Palander, of the Swedish
Navy; circumnavigated Asia and Europe.

2. The _Lena_, commanded by the walrus-hunting captain, Christian
Johannesen; the first vessel that reached the river Lena from the
Atlantic.

3. The _Fraser_, commanded by the merchant captain, Emil Nilsson.

4. The _Express_, commanded by the merchant captain, Gundersen; the
first which brought cargoes of grain from the Yenisej to Europe.[2]

When the _Vega_ was bought for the expedition it was described by
the sellers as follows:--

"The steamer _Vega_ was built at Bremerhaven in 1872-73, of the best
oak, for the share-company 'Ishafvet,' and under special inspection.
It has twelve years' first class 3/3 I.I. Veritas, measures 357
register tons gross, or 299 net. It was built and used for
whale-fishing in the North Polar Sea, and strengthened in every way
necessary and commonly used for that purpose. Besides the usual
timbering of oak, the vessel has an ice-skin of greenheart, wherever
the ice may be expected to come at the vessel. The ice-skin extends
from the neighbourhood of the under chain bolts to within from 1.2
to 1.5 metres of the keel The dimensions are:--

Length of keel ... ... ... 37.6 metres.
Do. over deck ... ... ... 43.4 metres.
Beam extreme ... ... ... 8.4 metres.
Depth of hold ... ... ... 4.6 metres.

"The engine, of sixty horse-power, is on Wolff's plan, with
excellent surface condensers. It requires about ten cubic feet of
coal per hour. The vessel is fully rigged as a barque, and has pitch
pine masts, iron w