INTRODUCTION. 



xiii 



vations and in the daily conduct of the Ex- 

 pedition. The observations made by Mr. 

 Hood, on the various phenomena presented 

 by the Aurora Borealis,* will, it is pre- 

 sumed, present to the reader some new 

 facts connected with this meteor. Mr. 

 Back was mostly prevented from turning 

 his attention to objects of science by the 

 many severe duties which were required of 

 him, and which obliged him to travel almost 

 constantly every winter that we passed in 

 America ; to his personal exertions, indeed, 

 our final safety is mainly to be attributed. 

 And here I must be permitted to pay the 

 tribute due to the fidelity, exertion, and 

 uniform good conduct, in the most trying 

 situations, of John Hepburn, an English 

 seaman, and our only attendant, to whom 

 in the latter part of our journey we owe, 



Given in the Appendix to the Quarto Edition. 



