westwards from Behring's Straits. The first was an American
expedition, under Captain Rodgers, in 1855. He reached, through what
appears to have been open water, the longitude of Cape Yakan
(176 deg. E. from Greenwich). The second was that of the English
steam-whaler Long, who, in 1867, in search of a new profitable
whale-fishing ground, sailed further west than any before him. By
the 10th August he had reached the longitude of Tschaun Bay (170 deg.
E. from Greenwich). He was engaged in whale-fishing, not in
an exploring expedition, and turned here; but, in the short account
he has given of his voyage, he expresses the decided conviction that
a voyage from Behring's Straits to the Atlantic belongs to the
region of possibilities, and adds that, even if this sea-route does
not come to be of any commercial importance, that between the Lena
and Behring's Straits ought to be useful for turning to account the
products of Northern Siberia.[14] Finally, last year a Russian
expedition was sent out to endeavour to reach Wrangel's Land from
Behring's Straits. According to communications in the newspapers, it
was prevented by ice from sailing thence, as well as from sailing
far to the west.

Information has been obtained through Mr. Sibiriakoff, from North
Siberia, regarding the state of the ice in the neighbouring sea. The
hunting in these regions appears to have now fallen off so
seriously, that only few persons were found who could give any
answers to the questions put.

Thus in Yakoutsk there was only one man (a priest) who had been at
the coast of the Polar Sea. He states that when the wind blows off
the land the sea becomes free of ice, but that the ice comes back
when the wind blows on to the land, and thereby exposes the vessels
which cannot reach a safe harbour to great danger.

Another correspondent states, on the ground of observations made during
Tschikanovski's expedition, that in 1875 the sea off the Olonek was
_completely_ free of ice, but adds at the same time that the year in
this respect was an exceptional one. The Arctic Ocean, not only in
summer, but also during winter, is _occasionally_ free of ice, and at a
distance of 200 versts from the coast, the sea is open even in winter,
in what direction, however, is uncertain. The latter fact is also
confirmed by Wrangel's journeys with dog-sledges on the ice in
1821-1823.

A third person says, "According to the information which I have
received, the north coast,