1134 REPORT—1885. 
FRANKLIN, RIcHARDsON, Back, AND Hoop, 1821. 
Thirty years elapsed before the Arctic coast was again visited by an overland 
Arctic expedition, one of the most disastrous and pitiable ever known, although 
commanded by one of the best and bravest of men, assisted admirably by Dr. 
Richardson, a man gifted with all kinds of scientific Inowledge and numerous 
other sterling qualities, that so peculiarly fitted him for the position of medical 
man and naturalist to the expedition. 
Leaving England in 1819, two summers’ travelling by boats and canoes through 
the Hudson’s Bay Company’s territory took the party in 1820 to winter quarters 
named Fort Enterprise, some distance north of Great Slave Lake. On opening of 
the navigation in spring 182] two canoes descended the Coppermine River and 
turned eastward, the object being to trace the coast as far as possible in that 
direction with the hope of meeting Parry, who about that date was exploring with 
two ships on the east coast of Melville peninsula, in hopes of finding a passage 
westward. 4 
For five weeks the expedition struggled gallantly on, hampered by ice, stopped 
by storms, and on ‘short commons’ for food, but making only 150 miles easting. 
Parry at the time was more than 600 miles farther east. The canoes were 
abandoned in Hood River, and two small ones (a mistake) made out of them for 
crossing streams, &c. On the last day of August they began the overland journey 
towards Fort Enterprise, which in a straight line was 170 miles distant. The suffer- 
ings and privations from cold and hunger were simply terrible ; much of their food 
was a very unpalatable lichen (tripe de roche), with short allowance of roasted 
bones and skin. The men’s loads were so heavy [ foolishly so—J. R.] that when they 
did kill large game little or none of the meat could be carried on. 
Ten of the party perished miserably, two of these being shot—the one murdered 
the other the murderer. : 
All the officers except poor Mr. Hood got back to England safe and well, after 
having been treated by the Indians—who brought them food when at death’s door 
—‘with a kindness and humanity that would have done honour to the most 
civilised of peoples.’ 
FRANKLIN AND RicHARDsON, Back, AND KernpAtt, 1826, 
This expedition was as successful as the former one (1821) was unfortunate. 
Winter quarters were at Fort Franklin, Great Bear Lake. Four boats descended 
the McKenzie in spring 1826, and separated near the mouth of the river, becoming 
actually two expeditions, Franklin and Back in two boats going to the west whilst 
Richardson and Kendall took the opposite direction, their destination being the 
Coppermine River, which they reached without difficulty, left their boats and 
walked overland to Bear Lake, where there was a boat waiting, in which they took 
passage to Fort Franklin. The western party were not so fortunate, haying been 
compelled to turn back when 160 miles short of Point Barrow, to which place the 
barge of H.M.S. ‘Blossom’? (Captain Beechey) had come from the west the same 
season. The expedition got back to England in 1827, 
Back, 1833-34, 
Tn 1832 much anxiety began to be felt for Sir J. Ross’s expedition t i 
in the little vessel Victory, which left England in 1829, and us nae 
Back was sent overland to search for them by way of the Great Fish River. Whilst 
wintering at the east end of Great Slave Lake in 1833-34 news was received that 
Sir J. Ross had got home; nevertheless, Back went down the river named after 
him, and explored more than 100 miles of the coast near its mouth, then returned 
to Fort Reliance, where another winter was spent, and returned to Eneland the 
following summer (1835). i 
Hupson’s Bay Company’s EXpepirion, UNDER DEAsE AND Srrson, 
1837, 1838, anp 1839. 
Several parts of the coast still remained untraced, and two of these gaps were 
completed in a very satisfactory manner by the above expeditions. In the first 
