156 THE AMERICAN MAINLAND 



an insulated column of rock which rises about forty 

 feet above it." 



As the river above the falls appeared too rapid and 

 shallow for the large canoes they were taken to pieces, 

 and two smaller ones built from their materials. The 

 voyage in these lasted but three days, when the river 

 was abandoned as trending too far to the west, and the 

 party, carrying the canoes, proceeded overland to Point 

 Lake on their struggle of starvation across the Barren 

 Grounds. For days they had nothing to eat but lichens 

 -species of Gyrophora or Umbilicaria known as tripe- 

 de-roche a diet varied with leather, burnt bones and 

 skins, an occasional ptarmigan, and, once, a musk ox, 

 until they were so weak that when a herd of reindeer 

 went strolling past they had not strength enough to 

 shoot at them. 



The tragedy need not be lingered over. Back was 

 again sent for help, and, finding no stores at Fort 

 Enterprise, was on his way to Fort Providence when he 

 fell in with Akaitcho, who at once hurried to the rescue ; 

 and on the 14th of July, 1822, Franklin, Richardson, 

 Back, and Hepburn the seaman, who had behaved as a 

 hero all through, returned to York Factory after a 

 three years' journey, fraught with peril and horror, by 

 land and water, of over six thousand three hundred 

 statute miles. 



After he had been at home a year, Franklin suggested 

 that another attempt should be made to survey the 

 northern coast while Parry was at work in search of the 

 North- West Passage. The suggestion was accepted. 

 Accompanied by Richardson and Back, and by E. N. 

 Kendall as assistant surveyor who had been out with 



