90 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



great forethought, Parry caused all the provisions to be landed 

 from the wreck and safely housed on Fury beach, where they 

 were subsequently found by Ross, and were the means of rescu- 

 ing his crew from starvation. 



During the time that Parry was making his important dis- 

 coveries by sea, Lieutenant John Franklin was employed in 

 tracing the northern shores of the American continent. From 

 1819 to 1822 Franklin was engaged in leading an expedition 

 overland from Hudson bay to the Arctic shores, in the vicinity 

 of the Coppermine river. The Admiralty, who planned the 

 expedition, knew practically nothing about the conditions for 

 travel through the regions that it purposed exploring, and de- 

 pended for aid solely upon the Hudson's Bay Company. 

 Unfortunately, at this time the quarrel between the Hudson's 

 Bay Company and the North-west Company Avas at its height, 

 and the resources of both were consequently greatly crippled. 

 The North-west Company were far stronger in the Mackenzie 

 river valley, and their rivals, who were to help Franklin, were 

 unable to give him very efficient aid, or to supply him with a 

 large stock of provisions ; in consequence, he started from the 

 outposts with almost no food, determining to trust to his hunters 

 for the provisions required for his party. This finally led to 

 disaster, and on the retreat from the Arctic sea, over one-half of 

 the party, including Lieutenant Hood, died of starvation. 

 Franklin left England in the Hudson's Bay Company's ship, 

 accompanied by Lieutenants Back and Hood, Dr. Richardson 

 and one seaman. They arrived at York Factory, and there met 

 four of the leading partners of the !STorth-west Company, who 

 were held prisoners by their rivals. As these men had spent a 

 number of years in the Mackenzie river country, Franklin 

 obtained much valuable information from them. After a few 

 days at York, the party proceeded by canoes from there, 650 

 miles to Cumberland House, on the Saskatchewan river, 

 where the first winter was passed. The following summer 



