INTRODUCTION. KV 
Mountain chain with the Columbia, the Missouri, and the Saskatche- 
wan, or Nelson Rivers, flows under the names of Elk, Slave, or 
Mackenzie River, on a north-north-west general course, through 
fifteen degrees of latitude, until it discharges itself into the sea by a 
mouth extending from the 133d to the 137th degree of longitude. 
When the Expedition reached the 65th degree of latitude in its 
descent of the Mackenzie, it turned to the eastward for seventy miles 
up a river to Great Bear Lake, where a winter residence was erected, 
on which the appellation of Fort Franklin was bestowed. Excursions 
were made down the Mackenzie and along Bear Lake while the 
navigation continued open, but the whole party were assembled at 
their winter-quarters on the 5th of September. The extent of country 
examined this first season may be judged of by the length of the route 
of the Expedition, from its leaving Penetanguishene in the month of 
April till its assembling at Great Bear Lake in September, which, 
including Mr. Drummond's journey to the Rocky Mountains, Sir 
John Franklin’s voyage down the Mackenzie to the sea, and a voyage 
round Great Bear Lake by myself, exceeded six thousand miles. 
Towards the end of the month of June 1826, the Expedition left its 
winter-quarters, and proceeded down the Mackenzie to the sea ; 
and the Commanding Officer, turning to the westward, sailed 
along the coast until he attained the 705° of latitude, and nearly 
the 150th degree of longitude, when the lateness of the season 
prohibiting a further advance, he retraced his way to Great Bear 
Lake. In the mean time, a detachment under my charge had sailed 
from the mouth of the Mackenzie eastward, round Cape Bathurst, in 
latitude 71° 36 north, to the mouth of the Coppermine River, whence 
it travelled on foot to the north-east end of Great Bear Lake, and 
from thence, in a canoe, to Fort Franklin. The extent of sea-coast 
examined by the two branches of the Expedition exceeded twelve 
hundred miles, and the whole distance travelled by them from the 
time of their departure from Fort Franklin till their return to it again, 
was upwards of four thousand miles. <A collection of plants formed 
by Captain Back, who accompanied Sir John Franklin, is peculiarly 
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