State of things at Repulse Bay--Determine to discontinue the survey till the spring--Reasons--Party sent to bring over the boat--Fix on a site for winter residence--Ptarmigan--Laughing geese--Eider and king ducks--Visits of natives too frequent--Return of the party sent for the boat--Report the bay more closely packed than before--Preparations for wintering--Fort Hope built--Proceed to North Pole and Christie Lakes to look out for fishing stations--Purchase dogs--Wariness of the deer--Flocks of geese pass southward--Blue-winged and snow-geese--Their habits--Snow-storm--Its effects--Return to Fort Hope--Daily routine--Signs of winter--Deer numerous--Quantity of game killed--Provision-store built of snow--Great fall of snow--Effects of the cold--Adventure with a deer--Visited by a party of natives--Their report of the ice westward of Melville Peninsula--An island said to be wooded--Produce of the chase in October--Temperature--Two observatories built of snow--Band of wolves--A party caught in a snow-storm--Esquimaux theory of the heavenly bodies--Temperature of November--Diminished supply of provisions. On our arrival at Repulse Bay we found the men all well, but getting no more fish and venison than was barely sufficient to support them. Having taken but a scanty breakfast, I fully enjoyed my dinner here, but I reversed the usual order of eating the same, taking my venison steak first (it being soonest cooked), and salmon as second course. This was to me the most anxious period during the expedition; nor will this appear strange when I mention that it was necessary to decide, and that promptly, on one of two modes of proceeding, namely, whether to leave the whole survey to be completed during the following spring and summer, or to endeavour to follow it up this autumn. After mature consideration I determined on adopting the first of these measures, and giving up all hopes of prosecuting the survey at present.