Narrative of an Expedition in H.M.S. Terror, undertaken with a view to Geographical Discovery on The Arctic Shores, in the years 1836-7

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Author: George Back (1796-1878) Year: 1838 Publisher: John Murray Place: London Description: vii+[blank]+456 pages with frontispiece, terminal folding chart of Hudson's Strait, 12 lithographic plates, tables and appendix. Octavo (8 1/2" x 5 1/4") bound in half period purple calf over marbled sides with four raised spine bands in gilt decoration and black label lettering in gilt, all edges sprinkled red. (Arctic Bibliography 850; Hill 44; Ricks p. 30; Sabin 2617; TPL 2033) First edition. George Back left England in February 1833, reached the Great Slave Lake in August where George McLeod of the Hudson's Bay Company had built winter quarters at Fort Reliance at the eastern end of the lake. He located the river on 29 August and returned to the fort to winter. In March 1834 he received a packet of letters saying that Ross was back in England and telling him to explore the coast from Ross's King William Land to Franklin's Point Turnagain. This was the main unknown region, along with a few hundred miles eastward from Point Barrow and the area around King William Island which was completely misunderstood. He set out on 7 June 1834, passed Artillery Lake and Clinton-Colden Lake and reached the river on 28 June. He ran east down a river in the barren grounds with 83 rapids but only one portage. On 23 July he reached salt water at Chantrey Inlet. He explored the inlet, saw King William Island to the north and then unheroically but wisely turned back. He reached Fort Reliance on 27 Sept

• Binding: Hardcover

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