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.
September 25th, I crossed Bache Peninsula on foot with my two men, from Bear Camp to the intersection of the northern and southern arms of Buchanan Bay. Here we found numerous walrus, and could command the southern arm to the large glacier at its head. Comparatively recent musk-ox tracks convinced me of the presence of musk-oxen on the peninsula. The next day I returned to the Windward to refit and start for Buchanan Bay via Victoria Head and Cape Albert in the quest of walrus and musk-oxen. Henson, in a reconnoissance northward during my absence, had been unable to get more than a few miles beyond Cape Louis Napoleon, the sea ice and the ice-foot being alike impracticable. A day or two after my return I started him off to try it again.
September 30th, I started for Buchanan Bay. Between Victoria Head and Cape Albert I found fresh tracks of a herd of musk-oxen, and followed them until obliterated by the wind. The walrus grounds in Buchanan Bay were reached late on October 4th, and the next day I secured a walrus and the remainder of my party arrived. The following day everyone was out after musk-oxen; but, finding it very foggy on the uplands of the peninsula, I returned to camp and went up Buchanan Bay in search of bears. While I was away one of my hunters killed a bull musk-ox.
On the 7th I sent two men to bring in the meat and skin, while I went up Buchanan Bay again. Returning to camp, I found it deserted. A little later some of the party returned, reporting a herd of fifteen musk-oxen killed. The next two days were consumed in cutting up the animals, stacking the meat and getting the skins and some of the meat out to camp.
October 10th, we started for the ship, which was reached late on the 12th. The ice in Buchanan Bay was very rough, and a snowstorm on the 11th made going very heavy. Five days later, October 17th, I went with two men to locate a direct trail for getting the meat out to the north side of the peninsula, but found the country impracticable, and returned to the ship on the 21st. The sun left us on the 20th.