Northern Waterways Reference Collection

Author: Back, George Sir

Title: Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the Mouth of the Great Fish River, Along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean, in the Years 1833, 1834, and 1835

Year: 1836

Publisher: London: John Murray, Albemarle Street

Pages: 766

Source: Google Books  

Description: An expedition led by George Back in search of Sir John Ross when he failed to return from the arctic.  After reaching Great Slave Lake, "he receive the news that Ross was safe in England.  The objective of the expedition then changed from rescue to exploration, and Back set out to explore the Great Fish River (now the Back River) and to chart the coastline" (1).

"The journey began with the party mostly walking north on the ice of the Lockhart River and its big lakes. The total weight of the boat and three months' provisions was some 5,000 pounds and had to be dragged on sledges. Once the party reached Muskox Lake on the Great Fish River, Back sent MacLeod and the Indians back to Fort Reliance and ordered them to lay in enough provisions for the following winter. Back had selected nine of the best men, including Dr. King, to descend the river. Here, Back again met with Akaicho and he recognized his 'old acquaintance and Indian belle . . . Green Stockings [who] was still the beauty of her tribe'.

"Akaicho warned Back to be careful and avoid being 'caught by the winter, and thrown into a situation like that in which you were on your return from the Coppermine, for you are alone, and the Indians cannot help you.' Akaicho's warning was a testament to the nature of the country and the difficulty of the river down which the Indians did not travel. Back and his men made good progress despite [difficult] weather. From Beechey Lake, where the river turns almost due east, the expedition's progress was remarkable. The party travelled nearly two-thirds of the length of the river, about 450 miles, in only 15 days, including more than 100 miles through seven large lakes where Back admitted getting lost. Beyond the big lakes, the river is studded with large, dangerous rapids: Rock, Escape, Sandhill, Wolf and Whirlpool Rapids. Portaging the heavy, water-logged boat was impossible, so all of them were run. On several occasions, the boat was nearly lost, but because of the skill of the steersmen, McKay and Sinclair, the boat was safely manoeuvred through the rock-filled rapids.

"It was not until the last rapid that Back and his party met with a group of Inuit who, brandishing weapons, did not seem to want contact with the white men. In spite of this, Back stepped ashore and skillfully, or perhaps foolishly, walked up the beach and shook hands with each one of them, diffusing what must have been a tense situation. The Inuit helped get the boat down the final rapid and in return, Back rewarded them with some buttons and fish hooks. Back unsuccessfully tried to learn about the local geography from the natives, but lack of a skilled Inuit interpreter made communicating difficult. On July 29, 1834, Back sailed out onto the Arctic Ocean after having successfully navigated the river that would eventually bear his name" (from Review of "The Man Who Mapped the Arctic," Paul vanPeenen).