SIR GEORGE BACK, 1833. 149 



river, hitherto unvisited by any European, Sir George had be- 

 come in some measure acquainted with by the accounts of the 

 Indians; and from their report it exceeded the Coppermine 

 both in exteut and volume. As it was known Sir John Ross had 

 determined to effect the North* West Passage by Prince Regent 

 Inlet, the Thlew-ee-chow-dezeth (which has now received appro- 

 priately the name of Back) was thought to be the best route for 

 affording assistance to the missing expedition. 



Accompanied by Dr. King and three men, Sir G. Back left 

 England on February 7, 1833, and passing through the United 

 States and Canada, they reached Fort William, on Lake Superior, 

 on May 20th, and left Norway House on June 28th, and arrived at 

 Fort Eesolution on the Great Slave Lake on August 8th. Passing 

 through Artillery, Clinton Colden, and Aylmer Lakes by a short 

 portages, the river which was to conduct them to the Arctic Ocean 

 was gained ; but the season was too far advanced to admit of their 

 reaching the Polar Sea this season ; the farthest point reached was 

 found to be in lat. 64° 41', long. 108° 8', and they returned to Fort 

 Reliance on September 7th. 



Second Voyage. — Leaving Fort Reliance on the 7th of June, 1833, 

 they reached the boats, which had been built on Artillery Lake, on 

 the 10th, Lake Aylmer on the 24th, and the portage on the 28th; 

 and at 1 p.m. on the same day the boat was launched on the Back 

 River, which was still encumbered with ice. On the 4th of July 

 Mr. McLeod, who had hitherto accompanied them with a hunting- 

 party, left ; and on July 8th, the ice having broken up, the boat 

 was launched on the river. Lake Beechey was reached on the 15th, 

 Lake Garry on the 21st, Lake Franklin on the 28th, at the northern 

 end of which they met the Eskimo. On the following day the 

 mouth of the river was reached. Arriving at Montreal Island on 

 August 2nd, a rise and fall of tide was found amounting to 

 12 inches, high-water being at 11.40 a.m. Parties were dispatched 

 in all directions to see if there was any possibility of creeping 

 alongshore among the grounded pieces of ice, but without success. 

 On the 5th the ice moved off a little, and enabled them to launch 

 the boat; Point Duncan was reached on the 0th, by watching their 

 opportunity; Point Ogle on the 10th; here a log of wood, 9 feet 

 long and 9 inches diameter, was found, which was considered un- 

 doubted proof of the sea being open to the westward, and thai the 

 main line of the land had been reached, in fact, Point Turnagain, 

 which had been reached by Franklin on August 21st, was only 4 

 miles north of this position. Setting out on their return on 



