_Monday, Aug. 7th._—We ran away from the wind during the night. Cape York was visible at 2 P. M. and at 7 P. M. we ran past the point of it for the Eskimo settlement beyond. The run across Melville Bay had been made in twenty-five hours. No ice or ice sky was seen, and there is evidently no ice in the bay this year. Going ashore, I found four tents at the village, and learned that some fifteen families are located to the eastward, at Meteorite Island, and other places. Among them are some of my best men. Told the natives to get their things ready to come on board on my return, and going off to the ship steamed eastward. Stopped off the first settlement and, without dropping anchor, shouted to the men to get ready to move. Then on to Meteorite Island, where I found four tents and learned that four other families were still farther east in the bay. These I shall not see, as I cannot take the time to go so far out of my way. At Meteorite Island are three of my old men, and, in an hour or two, they are all on board with their belongings, and we steam away, leaving the place deserted. Back to the next settlement and the operation is repeated. Six families move all their belongings on board and desert their village in about three hours. _Tuesday, Aug. 8th._—It was after breakfast when we finished at the last settlement, and I lay down for a short nap while crossing Cape York Bay, having been up all night. Again at Cape York the tents were quickly struck and, with all their belongings, the new men came on board. At 2 P. M. we steamed around the Cape, and headed north to join the _Erik_ at North Star Bay.[2] While passing Petowik Glacier a steamer was seen to the westward steaming south. The glasses showed her to be small and schooner-rigged. Footnote 2: NOTE.—The _Erik_ was the auxiliary, steam whaler chartered by the Peary Arctic Club to go north as a collier, replenish the _Roosevelt’s_ coal supply at Etah and deposit there a depot of coal for the _Roosevelt_ on her return voyage. _Wednesday, Aug. 9th._—On arriving at North Star Bay this morning at 2 A. M., learned from the _Erik_ that the steamer we saw was the Danish steamship _Fox_, here for the purpose of selecting a site for a settlement. The _Erik_ came alongside and I transferred to her with Marvin and “Matt,” to make a round of the settlements to the north, and to hunt walrus, while the _Roosevelt_ goes direct to Etah to overhaul machinery and prepare for the ice. [Illustration: OOMUNUI The peculiar peak at the entrance of the North Star Bay, Wolstenholm Sound ] [Illustration: COALING AT ETAH ] [Illustration: TRANSFERRING WALRUS MEAT AT ETAH ] The _Erik_ got underway soon after, and made the circuit of Wolstenholm Sound, looking for walrus, but without success. There is no ice for them to bask upon.