Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819-20-21-22, Volume 2

Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the?by John Franklin

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Title: Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819-20-21-22, Volume 2
Author: John Franklin
Release Date: August 3, 2006 [EBook #18985]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Transcriber's notes:
There are several inconsistencies in spelling and punctuation in the original. Some corrections have been made for obvious typographical errors; they have been noted individually in the text. All changes made by the transcriber are enumerated in braces, for example {1}; details of corrections and comments are listed at the end of the text. Note that many of the errors were introduced in the third edition, as cross-referencing the second edition has shown.
In the original, the "Mc" in Scottish names is given as "M" followed by what looks like a left single quotation mark (Unicode 2018). This has been changed to "Mc" throughout the text.
Specific spellings that differ from their modern versions and have been retained in this text are "Saskatchawan" (modern "Saskatchewan"), "Esquimaux" (modern "Eskimo") and "musquito" (modern "mosquito").
Text in italics in the original is shown between underlines. For this text version, the oe-ligature (Unicode 0153) has been rendered as "oe". Footnote 3 in chapter VIII contains several instances of [��0] as a transliteration of the symbol for "Sun" (Unicode 2609).
* * * * *
NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY
TO THE SHORES OF THE
POLAR SEA,
IN
THE YEARS 1819-20-21-22.
BY
JOHN FRANKLIN, Capt. R.N., F.R.S., M.W.S., AND COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION.
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL BATHURST.
THIRD EDITION.
TWO VOLS.--VOL. II.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET.
MDCCCXXIV.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES, Northumberland-Court.

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
CHAPTER VIII.
Page Transactions at Fort Enterprise--Mr. Back's Narrative of his Journey to Chipewyan, and Return 1
CHAPTER IX.
Continuation of Proceedings at Fort Enterprise--Some Account of the Copper Indians--Preparations for the Journey to the Northward 76
CHAPTER X.
Departure from Fort Enterprise--Navigation of the Copper-Mine River--Visit to the Copper Mountain--Interview with the Esquimaux--Departure of the Indian Hunters--Arrangements made with them for our Return 122
CHAPTER XI.
Navigation of the Polar Sea, in two Canoes, as far as Cape Turnagain, to the Eastward, a distance exceeding Five Hundred and Fifty Miles--Observations on the probability of a North-West Passage 193
CHAPTER XII.
Journey across the barren grounds--Difficulty and delay in crossing Copper-Mine River--Melancholy and fatal Results thereof--Extreme Misery of the whole Party--Murder of Mr. Hood--Death of several of the Canadians--Desolate State of Fort Enterprise--Distress suffered at that Place--Dr. Richardson's Narrative--Mr. Back's Narrative--Conclusion 237

JOURNEY TO THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA.
* * * * *
CHAPTER VIII.
Transactions at Fort Enterprise--Mr. Back's Narrative of his Journey to Chipewyan and Return.
1820. September.
During our little expedition to the Copper-Mine River, Mr. Wentzel had made great progress in the erection of our winter-house, having nearly roofed it in. But before proceeding to give an account of a ten months' residence at this place, henceforth designated Fort Enterprise, I may premise, that I shall omit many of the ordinary occurrences of a North American winter, as they have been already detailed in so able and interesting a manner by Ellis[1], and confine myself principally to the circumstances which had an influence on our progress in the ensuing summer. The observations on the magnetic needle, the temperature of the atmosphere, the Aurora Borealis, and other meteorological phenomena, together with the mineralogical and botanical notices, being less interesting to the general reader, are omitted in this edition.
[1] Voyage to Hudson's Bay in the Dobbs and California.
The men continued to work diligently at the house, and by the 30th of September had nearly completed it for our reception, when a heavy fall of rain washed the greater part of the mud off the roof. This rain was remarked by the Indians as unusual, after what they had deemed so decided a commencement of winter in the early part of the month. The mean temperature for the month was 33-3/4��, but the thermometer had sunk as low as 16��, and on one occasion rose to 53��.
Besides the party constantly employed at the house, two men were appointed to fish, and others were occasionally sent for meat, as the hunters procured it. This latter employment, although extremely laborious, was always relished by the Canadians, as they never failed to use a prescriptive right of helping themselves