After admonishing his brother not to make his letter public until the expedition’s success has been officially announced by the commanding officer, Lieutenant Petroff, says:     “We have just discovered a continent most paradoxical in its nature. Situated in latitude 81 degrees North and in longitude 103 degrees East, this is a land of geographical puzzles. When we first saw its rocky shores with ghastly cliffs, which possessed an ominous lustre, we all felt somehow uneasy. There was something haunting and strange in the mere shadowy outlines of tbe forbidding shore, and the closer we sailed the stronger grew this peculiar feeling. The frozen peaks seemed to emanate an uncanny odor.     We sailed for days along the coast of the new land. While everything along the southeastern shore gave the impression of a land covered with everlasting snow and ice, yet, as we went farther toward the north, the climate became more moderate and we saw traces of plant and animal life.     “All our theories of scant vegetation in the Arctic regions went to pieces when we met a party of five Yakut hunters who were on their way back to Siberia. Sheitan, the leader of the party, proved to be a man of experience and considerable intellect who also spoke fluent Russian, At first he was taciturn and suspicious of us, but when he learned that we were only scientists he became quite friendly, especially to me, and told me that there was a spot on the desolate continent which was inhabited not only by various strange animals, but by what he superstitiously

termed ‘ghosts.’ He showed me a fur that he had made of white foxes and another of the plumes of what he called, ‘Arctic ostriches’ which he had shot in that region.     “Sheitan showed us shells of transparent crystal-like appearance which he said were the egg-shells of peculiar birds found on this new continent. They were as thick as the shells of an oyster and as large as swans’ eggs. These birds, he said, had no feathers, but long snow-white hair. According to his description the birds had feet like the ostrichs and very small wings which they flapped in the air when they ran. With the exception of an Arctic eagle, which he described as of an abnormally large size, he could not tell us anything further of animal life of the continent.     However, he said there were deep valleys and high mountains, some of which smoked like huge chimneys, while others had wells of boiling water. Around that region he had seen trees, flowers and high grass growing as they do in southern climes. This is what he told me of his last journey:     “‘We had seen the smoking mountains from a distance on two previous occasions. But we had never dared to approach them, for there is an old story that smoking mountains are the abodes of evil spirits. We heard a hollow rumbling from the direction of the peaks, as if the armies Of inferno were engaged in a fierce battle. We prayed and turned around. When we saw them for the third time, we did not hear any roar, and after many hours of meditation we decided to explore them.     “‘Our way was very difficult, as we had to skirt yawning precipices, climb steep rocks covered with ice and cross