Polar Explorations. 131 



the country between Yorh Factory on the west coast of 

 Hudson's Bay to Fort Chippeivyau, one of the company's 

 stations in N. lat. 59, W. long. 1 10, where they were obHged 

 to stop for the winter, in 1819; and before they could start 

 for the sea, were again compelled to take up winter quar- 

 ters at Fort Enterprise, in 1820. From this place 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 

 begn 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, which rendered the labor of 

 carrying their canoes and baggage over the portages, intol- 

 erably fatiguing, and they were therefore compelled to rely 

 upon Indian hunters for 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 

 voyageurs, to whom the scene was fearfully new, they hav- 

 ing been only fresh water navigators. After pursuing an 

 easterly course for six and a half degrees, Capt. Franklin re- 

 gretted extremely that the scarcity of provisions, and the ad- 

 vanced season of the year, would not permit his pushing on 

 towards Hudson's Bay, where, he fully believed, from the 

 trending of the coast, there was a communication with the 

 Polar Sea ; but circumstanced as he was, he was obliged to 

 obtain winter quarters if possible among the Esquimaux 

 near the coast, or hasten his return to Fort 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 by 

 a 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 



