Polar Explorations. 131 
the country between York Factory on the west coast of 
Hudson’s Bay to Fort Chippewyau, one of the company’s 
stations in N. lat. 59, W. long. Ba, where ners were obliged 
ters at For oo in 1820. From this ae they 
commenced their northern journey, in 1821, with seventeen 
Canadian voyageurs, two interpreters, and two English at- 
tendants, twenty eight in all, including officers. Their sup- 
plies were slender, for provisions were scarce ; but had they 
been plentiful, the expedition had no means of transporting 
them, as the only practicable mode of travelling was in bark 
canoes or on foot, over a difficult country. The _ rivers 
abounded in dangerous rapids, gs rendered the labor of 
carrying their panoes and baggage over the portages, intol- 
erably fa atiguing, and they were Saco compelled to rely 
upon Indian hu 2 or meat. 
The party arrived at the mouth of the Coppermine river, 
a distance of three hundred and thirty-four miles from Fort 
Enterprise, on the 18th of July, after suffering much from 
hardships, accidents and want of provisions. The Indian 
hunters now left them, and Capt. Franklin proceeded to nav- 
igate the sea east of the Coppermine, with his Canadian 
Polar Sea; but circumstanced as he was, he was athe to 
obtain winter quarters if possible among the Esquimaux 
near the coast, or hasten his return to F ort Enterprise. As 
they could find no sign of any Esquimaux, they had no al- 
ternative but to return, as the country was a barren desert, 
destitute of fuel, and nearly so of animals, for the men could 
not by their utmost exertions, procure half a supply of meat 
or fish. Their return to Fort Enterprise, was marked b 
: series of unparalleled distresses, Several of the people 
died of want, having often been without food for many days 
in succession, A little moss scraped. from under the snow 
was their only dependence, and large tracts occurred, where 
even that was not to be found. The shocking details of 
