I was struck with the circumstance that no land was visible to the eastward, as it would not have been difficult through such an atmosphere to distinguish land at the distance of fifty or sixty miles. It would appear, therefore, that Kennedy Channel is something wider than hitherto supposed. To the northeast the sky was dark and cloudy, and gave evidence of water; and Jensen, who watched the rapid advance of the season with solicitude, was not slow to direct my attention to the "water-sky." [Sidenote: MILDNESS OF TEMPERATURE.] The temperature of the air was strangely mild, and indeed distressingly so for traveling, although it possessed its conveniences in enabling us to sleep upon our sledges in the open air with comfort. The lowest temperature during the day was 20°; while, at one time, it rose to the freezing-point,--the sun blazing down upon us while we trudged on under our heavy load of furs. The day seemed really sultry. To discard our furs and travel in our shirt-sleeves was of course our first impulse; but to do so added to the load on the sledges, and it was of the first importance that the dogs should be spared every pound of unnecessary weight; so each one carried his own coat upon his back, and perspired after his own fashion. [Sidenote: APPEARANCE OF BIRDS.] This unseasonable warmth operated greatly to our disadvantage. The snow became slushy, and with so great a distance of ice between us and Port Foulke, Jensen, whose experience in the rapid dissolution of ice about Upernavik, at the same season of the year, had brought him into many serious difficulties, kept a sharp eye open upon our line of retreat. But danger from a general break-up I did not consider as likely to come for at least a month. Yet the spring (if such it might be called) was approaching rapidly, as was shown by the appearance of birds. As I stood upon the hill-side some little snow-buntings came chirping about me, and a burgomaster-gull flew over our heads wheeling his flight northward. He seemed to have caught the sound of tumbling seas, and was leading his mate, who came sailing along after him with modest mien, to a nuptial retreat on some wave-licked island; and he screamed as if he would inquire, were we too bound on the same errand. A raven, too, came and perched himself upon a cliff above our camp, and croaked a dismal welcome, or a warning. One of these birds had kept us company through the winter, and this one looked very much as if he was bent upon adhering to my fortunes; though, I suppose, in truth, he was only looking for crumbs. He stuck by us for several days, and always dropped down into our abandoned camp as soon as we were on our way. [Sidenote: GEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF COAST.]