September 12th, one-third of my provisions, an ample year’s supply for the entire party, was landed at Cape D’Urville, my Eskimos sledging loads of 700 to 1,000 pounds over the young ice. The night of the 13th the temperature dropped to –10° F., and all hope of further advance was at an end. September 15th the boiler was blown off and preparations for winter commenced. On the 17th I broached my plans for the winter campaign, as follows: The autumn work was simple enough and outlined itself. It comprised two items: the securing of a winter’s supply of fresh meat and the survey of the Buchanan-Strait-Hayes-Sound-Princess-Marie-Bay region. In spite of the peculiarly desolate character of that part of the Grinnell Land coast immediately about the _Windward_, and the apparent utter absence of animal life, I felt confident of accomplishing the former. Various reconnoissances thus far, on the north shore of Princess Marie Bay, had given me little encouragement, but I knew that the Eskimos had killed one or two musk-oxen, in years past, on Bache Island, and that region looked favourable for them. As regarded the survey, a presentiment that I must begin it at the earliest moment had led me to make attempts to reach the head of Princess Marie Bay. As to the spring campaign, I proposed to utilise the winter moons in pushing supplies to Fort Conger, to move my party to that station early in February, and on the return of the sun start from there as a base and make my attempt on the Pole _via_ Cape Hecla. I _might_ succeed in spite of the low latitude of my starting point, and, in any event, could reach the ship again before the ice broke up, with thorough knowledge of the coast and conditions to the north. September 18th, I left the ship with two sledges and my two best Eskimos, with provisions for twelve days for a reconnoissance of Princess Marie Bay. September 20th I reached the head of a small fiord running southwest from near the head of Princess Marie Bay, and found a narrow neck of land, about three miles wide, separating it from a branch of Buchanan “Strait.” Bache “Island” of the chart is, therefore, a peninsula and not an island. From a commanding peak in the neighbourhood I could see that both arms of Buchanan “Strait” ended about south of my position; that the “strait” is in reality a bay, and that Hayes Sound does not exist. On the 21st and 22d I penetrated the arms of Princess Marie Bay, designated as Sawyer and Woodward bays on the charts, and demonstrated them to be entirely closed. September 23d, while entering a little bight about midway of the north shore of Bache Peninsula, I came upon two bears. These my dogs chased ashore and held at bay until I could come up and kill them.