The temperature, which varied from 16 deg.

to 30 deg.

below zero, indicated that there was more or less open water to the west, from which direction the wind came.

During this march we crossed several leads covered with young ice, treacherous under the recently fallen snow.

Along the course of one of these leads we saw the fresh track of a polar bear going west, over two hundred miles from land.
[Illustration: REPAIRING SLEDGES IN CAMP] At half-past ten on the morning of the 25th I came upon Bartlett and Henson with their men, all in camp, in accordance with my instructions to wait for me at the end of their fifth march.