190 THE SEA. 



May 22nd, 1819, and reached York Factory, Hudson's Bay, at the end of August. Thence 

 they proceeded to Cumberland House, whence Franklin, Back, and Hepburn, travelled to 

 Carlton House and Chipewyan, a winter journey of 857 miles; the others followed, and 

 a number of voyagenrs were engaged. In the spring they again started, reaching Fort 

 Providence on July 28th, 1820, from which place they proceeded to a point situated by 

 Winter Lake, where they determined to erect a house and pass the winter. The house, 

 or post, was named Fort Enterprise. Back and others travelled backwards and forwards 

 this winter 1,10-i miles in order to fetch up a sufficient quantity of provisions for their 

 next summer's work, and suffered severely from the intense cold and from something- 

 like starvation on many occasions. The last day of June, 1821, the party reached and 

 embarked upon the Coppermine River, and eighteen days later reached the sea-coast, 

 about 317 miles from their last winter quarters. The canoes and baggage had been dragged 

 over snow and ice for 117 miles of this distance, and they had successfully passed many 

 rapids. They were now in the country of the Esquimaux, and exposed to fresh anxieties from 

 the unfriendly feeling which existed between them and the Indians. Dr. Richardson, one 

 night, whilst on the first w r atch, had seated himself on a hill overhanging the river ; his 

 thoughts were possibly engaged with far distant scenes, when he was roused by an indistinct 

 noise behind him, and, on looking round, perceived that nine white wolves had ranged 

 themselves in the form of a crescent, and were advancing, apparently with the intention of 

 driving him into the river. On his rising up they halted, and when he advanced, they made 

 way for his passage down to the tents. He had his gun in his hand, but forbore to fire, lest 

 he should alarm any Esquimaux who might possibly be in the neighbourhood. The Canadian 

 voyageurs were delighted with their first view of the sea, and amused at the sight of the 

 seals gambolling and swimming about, but were not unnaturally terrified at the idea of 

 the voyage, through an icy sea, now proposed by Franklin. On July 21st, with only 

 fifteen days' provisions on board, they commenced an eastward trip of 550 miles, which 

 is little less than the direct distance between the Coppermine River and Repulse Bay, 

 which Franklin had at one time fondly hoped to reach. Storms arose; their canoes 

 were badly shattered and their provisions nearly exhausted, and at a position now marked 

 on the map as Point Turnagain they desisted from further attempts. He determined to 

 steer westward at once for Arctic Sound, and by Hood's River attempt to reach their old 

 quarters at Fort Enterprise. They had a somewhat chilling prospect before them, for as 

 early as August 20th the pools were frozen over, snow on the ground, and the thermometer 

 down to freezing point at noon. The hunters were unsuccessful, and they made " a scanty 

 meal off a handful of pemmican, after which only half a bag remained." Bad as were the 

 canoes, and worse as was the weather, they managed to paddle along bravely till, on the 

 26th, they reached Hood's River. " Here," says Franklin, "terminated our voyage on 

 the Arctic Sea, during which we had gone over 650 geographical miles." "Our Canadian 

 voyagers," Franklin mentions, " could not restrain their joy at having turned their backs on 

 the sea, and they spent the evening in talking over their past adventures with much humour 

 and no little exaggeration. It is due to their character to mention that they displayed much 

 courage in encountering the dangers of the sea, magnified to them by their novelty." They 

 proceeded a few miles up the river, and then encamped. 



