iculties and dangers which the
renowned Russian navigator, Count Luetke, met with during his
repeated voyages four summers in succession (1821-1824) along the
west coast of Novaya Zemlya. A skilful walrus-hunter can now, with a
common walrus-hunting vessel, in a single summer, sail further in
this sea than formerly could an expedition, fitted out with all the
resources of a naval yard, in four times as long time.

There are four ways of passing from the Murman Sea to the Kara Sea,
viz:--

_a._ Yugor Sound--the Fretum Nassovicum of the old Dutchmen--between
Vaygats Island and the mainland.

_b._ The Kara Port, between Vaygats Island and Novaya Zemlya.

_c._ Matotschkin Sound, which between 73 deg. and 74 deg. N. Lat.
divides Novaya Zemlya into two parts, and, finally,

_d._ The course north of the double island. The course past the
northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya is not commonly clear of ice
till the beginning of the month of September, and perhaps ought,
therefore, not to be chosen for an expedition having for its object
to penetrate far to the eastward in this sea. Yugor Sound and the
Kara Port are early free of fast ice, but instead, are long rendered
difficult to navigate by considerable masses of drift ice, which are
carried backwards and forwards in the bays on both sides of the
sound by the currents which here alternate with the ebb and flow of
the tide. Besides, at least in Yugor Sound, there are no good
harbours, in consequence of which the drifting masses of ice may
greatly inconvenience the vessels, which by these routes attempt to
enter the Kara Sea. Matotschkin Sound, again, forms a channel nearly
100 kilometres long, deep and clear, with the exception of a couple
of shoals, the position of which is known, which indeed is not
usually free from fast ice until the latter half of July, but, on
the other hand, in consequence of the configuration of the coast, is
less subject to be obstructed by drift ice than the southern
straits. There are good harbours at the eastern mouth of the sound.
In 1875 and 1876 both the sound and the sea lying off it were
completely open in the end of August, but the ice was much earlier
broken up also on the eastern side, so that a vessel could without
danger make its way among the scattered pieces of drift ice.
The part of Novaya Zemlya which is first visited by the
walrus-hunters in spring is usually just the west coast off
Matotschkin.

In case unusual weather does no