File:The voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe; with a historical review of previous journeys along the north coast of the Old World (1882) (14779814011).jpg

Identifier: voyageofvegaroun00nord (find matches)
Title: The voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe; with a historical review of previous journeys along the north coast of the Old World
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors: Nordenskiöld, A. E. (Adolf Erik), 1832-1901 Leslie, Alexander
Subjects: Vega (Ship)
Publisher: New York, Macmillan and Co.
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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land, all the landswhich in the old worVl have formed the field of research ofthe Polar explorer—Spitzbergen, Franz-Josef Land, NovayaZemlya, Vaygats Island, the Taimur Peninsula, the NewSiberian Islands, and perhaps AVrangels Land al.^o—are unin-habited. The pictures of life and variety, which the native,with his peculiar manners and customs, commonly offers to theforeigner in distant foreign lands, are not to be met with here.But, instead, the animal life, which he finds there m summer—for durinq winter almost all beings who live above the surface ofthe sea disappear from the highest North—is more vigorous andperhaps even more abundant, or, to speak more correctly, lessconcealed by the luxuriance of vegetation than in tlie south. It is not, however, the larger mammalia—whales, walruses,seals, bears and reindeer— that attract attention in the first place,but the innumerable flocks of birds that swarm around tlie Polartraveller during the long simimer day of the North. G 2
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CHAP. III.) THE LITTLE AUK. 55 Long before one enters the region of the Polar Sea proper, thevessel is surrounded by flocks of large grey birds which fly, orrather hover without moving their wings, close to the surface ofthe sea, rising and sinking with the swelling of the billows,eagerly searching for some eatable object on the surface of thewater, or swim in the wake of the vessel in order to snap upany scraps that may be thrown overboaixl. It is the Arcticstormfofjcl^ (Fulmar, Mallemuck, Hafhaest, Procellaria(jlacialis, L.). The fulmar is bold and voracious, and smellsvilianously, on wliich account it is only eaten in cases ofnecessity, altliough its flesh, if the bird has not recently devouredtoo much rotten blubber, is by no means without relish, at leastfor those who have become accustomed to the flavour of trainoil, when not too strong. It is more conimon on Bear Islandand Spitzbergen than on Novaya Zemlya, and scarcely appearsto breed in any considerable numbers on the last-na

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