The provisions, instruments, and other articles, of which I had furnished
a list by direction of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, were
embarked on board the Hudson's Bay Company's ship Prince of Wales,
appointed by the Committee to convey the Expedition to York Factory,
their principal establishment in Hudson's Bay.
It will be seen in the course of the Narrative how much reason I had to
be satisfied with, and how great my obligations are to, all the gentlemen
who were associated with me in the Expedition, whose kindness, good
conduct, and cordial cooperation have made an impression which can never
be effaced from my mind. The unfortunate death of Mr. Hood is the only
drawback which I feel from the otherwise unalloyed pleasure of reflecting
on that cordial unanimity which at all times prevailed among us in the
days of sunshine, and in those of sickness and sorrow.
To Dr. Richardson in particular the exclusive merit is due of whatever
collections and observations have been made in the department of Natural
History; and I am indebted to him in no small degree for his friendly
advice and assistance in the preparation of the present narrative.
The charts and drawings were made by Lieutenant Back and the late
Lieutenant Hood. Both these gentlemen cheerfully and ably assisted me in
making the observations and in the daily conduct of the Expedition. The
observations made by Mr. Hood on the various phenomena presented by the
Aurora Borealis* will it is presumed 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, under
Divine Providence, the preservation of the lives of some of the party.
(*Footnote. Given in the Appendix to the Quarto Edition.)
I ought perhaps to crave the reader's indulgence towards the defective
style of this work, which I trust will not be refused when it is
considered that mine has been a life of constant employment in my
profession from a very early age. I have been prompted to venture upon
the task solely by an imperious sense of duty when called upon to
undertake it.
In the ensuing Narrative the notices of the moral condition of the
Indians as influenced by the conduct of the traders towards them refer
entirely to the state in which it existed during our progress through the
country; but lest I should have been mistaken respecting the views of the
Hudson's Bay Company on these points I gladly embrace the opportunity
which a Second Edition affords me of stating that the junction of the two
Companies has enabled the Directors to put in practice the improvements
which I have reason to believe they had long contemplated.
