PIONEERING 
were immediately in our rear, safe across the 
lead that had so long delayed us. I was given 
instructions to govern my conduct for the fol- 
lowing five marches and I was told to be ready 
to start right after breakfast. 
Dr. Goodsell came to me, congratulated me 
and, with the best wishes for success, bade me 
good-by. He was loath to go back, but he re- 
turned to the ship with the hearty assurance 
of every one that he had done good and ef- 
fective work, equal to the best efforts of the 
more experienced members of the party. 
My boys, Ootah, Ahwatingwah, and Kool- 
ootingwah, under my command started north, 
to pioneer the route for five full marches, and 
it was with a firm resolve that I determined 
to cover a big mileage. We had been having 
extreme cold weather, as low as 59° below zero, 
and on the morning my party started the 
thermometers in the camp showed 49° below 
zero. 
An hour's travel brought us to a small lead, 
which was avoided by making a detour, and 
about four miles beyond this lead we came up 
to heavy old floes, on which the snow lay deep 
and soft. The sledges would sink to the depth 
96 
