Expedition:
An Arctic Journey Through History
on George Back’s River
An Arctic Journey Through History
on George Back’s River
Published in 1981
In 1834 Captain George Back, Royal Navy, crossed Canada's barrenlands. In 1977 the Pelly Lake Expedition retraced his explorations. Expedition is the story of both these Arctic expeditions.
Having travelled with, and saved the life of, John Franklin on previous expeditions, George Back was commissioned by the Hudson's Bay Company to lead the Arctic Land Expedition down an uncharted river, the Thlew-ee-choh, to the Polar Sea. During this trip, he and his men suffered immense hardship caused by the coldest winter any of the Indians remembered. They dragged their 30-foot boat across frozen lakes, survived the river's cascading rapids, and were finally halted by a wall of ice in the Arctic Ocean.
Nearly 150 years later, the Barrens had not changed. Four young Canadians set out to find the source of Back's River and follow its challenging course downstream to Pelly Lake. There, just 30 miles short of the Arctic Circle, they celebrated the establishment of a newly created historical site commemorating a 19th century Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, John Henry Pelly, who had supported Back's explorations.
This history of the HBC's most powerful era, the man behind it, and its influences on Canada's exploration and development are the background to a modern-day adventure in Canada's unique natural wilderness.
Having travelled with, and saved the life of, John Franklin on previous expeditions, George Back was commissioned by the Hudson's Bay Company to lead the Arctic Land Expedition down an uncharted river, the Thlew-ee-choh, to the Polar Sea. During this trip, he and his men suffered immense hardship caused by the coldest winter any of the Indians remembered. They dragged their 30-foot boat across frozen lakes, survived the river's cascading rapids, and were finally halted by a wall of ice in the Arctic Ocean.
Nearly 150 years later, the Barrens had not changed. Four young Canadians set out to find the source of Back's River and follow its challenging course downstream to Pelly Lake. There, just 30 miles short of the Arctic Circle, they celebrated the establishment of a newly created historical site commemorating a 19th century Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, John Henry Pelly, who had supported Back's explorations.
This history of the HBC's most powerful era, the man behind it, and its influences on Canada's exploration and development are the background to a modern-day adventure in Canada's unique natural wilderness.
Bibliographic data
Expedition: An Arctic Journey Through History on George Back's River
Betelgeuse Books, 1981
186 pages • 7"x 10"
Colour & B&W photos, maps
George Back’s sketches
Bibliography • Index
Hardcover: ISBN: 0-9690783-0-7
This book is out of print, but can often be found through used or rare book dealers.
Betelgeuse Books, 1981
186 pages • 7"x 10"
Colour & B&W photos, maps
George Back’s sketches
Bibliography • Index
Hardcover: ISBN: 0-9690783-0-7
This book is out of print, but can often be found through used or rare book dealers.
