The wind continuing to blow, it was noon before they started off toward the east to reconnoitre; but, prior to this, Lockwood went up on the high ground back of the tents and saw a great deal of open water. Some time after starting, he stopped the sledges and went up on another elevation to reconnoitre, feeling that, if he went on and anything happened, his responsibility would be heavy, from his disobedience of orders. From this point could be seen a belt of open water running along shore, in both directions, for miles. In no place was it less than two hundred yards wide, and from that it increased to four and five hundred. Westward from the vicinity of Repulse Harbor, it extended in a lead, growing wider and wider, all the way across the straits, apparently to the vicinity of Lincoln Bay, where it seemed to swing round to the north. This lead was upward of five miles wide in the middle. Whether there were other leads south of it, between Newman Bay and Beechy, could not be determined. In the polar pack to the north were several small leads and a great many dark water-clouds. The ice was again noticed moving rapidly to the northeast. Beyond Cape Bryant, he supposed the ice to be intact, as in 1882, but around the cape, north of Britannia, they had then traveled on new ice, and, going out on the polar pack at Cape Dodge, just this side of the farthest, had traveled on it for several miles. The condition of this route now could not be known, of course, but what they had seen made the prospect very unfavorable. The signs of disintegration were unmistakable, and Lockwood therefore determined to turn back once again. Near this spot he remarked a very curious stratified floeberg. It was about forty feet high, and a dozen or more horizontal lines were very plain. The weather had now cleared up beautifully, and they were soon at Repulse Harbor. Here they left a short notice of their defeat in an English cairn, and, taking Beaumont’s sextant, the English flag, etc., on the sledge, continued on their way to the mouth of Gap Valley, where they went into camp, and remained long enough to take a set of tidal observations. The observations here were very satisfactory, and were kept up by Jewell for more than twelve hours. Brainard, with Ellis and the two teams and drivers, advanced the heaviest part of the loads _en route_ nine miles to the shore of Newman Bay. Lockwood and Jewell remained in camp, and the former found it extremely monotonous, having nothing to do but to prepare supper. The only way to keep warm was by constantly moving about, and, as a cold wind was blowing, this in itself was not comfortable. The observations were very trying to Jewell, continued as they were long after the rest were in their bags.