Naturally I had my definite program; but conditions or accidents might necessitate such instant and radical modifications of it that it seemed hardly worth while to make it known.

Few, if any, other explorers have had so efficient and congenial a party as mine this last time.
Every man was glad to subordinate his own personal feelings and ambitions to the ultimate success of the expedition.
Marvin made a sounding about a half mile north of the camp and got eight hundred and twenty-five fathoms, which substantiated my belief that we had crossed the "Big Lead." This lead probably follows the continental shelf which this sounding showed to be between there and Camp No.

4 (with the probability of its being between Camp Nos.

4 and 5), probably at about the 84th parallel.

The continental shelf is simply a submerged plateau surrounding all the continent, the "Big Lead" marking the northern edge of that shelf where it dips into the polar sea.
Monday, March 15, was also clear and cold, with a temperature between 45 deg.