Hood, British Naval Exploring Expedition, 1819-1822

Scope and Content

  • MS 942A;MJ Narrative, 23 May 1819 to 26 August 1821 [Leaving England to start of return journey to Fort Enterprise] microfilm
  • MS 1099;D Narrative, 23 May 1819 to 15 September 1820, 81 leaves, transcript

Administrative / Biographical History

The British Naval Exploring Expedition, 1819-1822 (Leader John Franklin) sometimes called the first Arctic Land Expedition sent to explore the north coast of America east from the mouth of Coppermine River to Hudson Bay. The expedition made use of both the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. After wintering at Cumberland House on the Saskatchewan River in 1819, the expedition, using Indian guides travelled via Fort Providence to Winter Lake. Here they erected Fort Enterprise, which became their winter quarters for 1820. The expedition left the fort in June 1821 and reached the sea in July before turning back at Point Turnagain on Dease Strait. The return journey was best with hardships, eleven members of the coastal party died, Hood amongst them. After a final winter in the north the survivors departed for England in the autumn of 1822. This expedition carried out detailed survey work exploring and charting newly discovered coastline and made extensive collections.

Arrangement

Chronological

Alternative Form Available

MS 942A;MJ is a copy

Related Material

The Institute holds several archival collections containing material relating to this expedition, see SPRI collections GB 015 Sir John Franklin, GB 015 Sir George Back, GB 015 Sir William Edward Parry, GB 015 Sir John Richardson and GB 015 Great Britain, Admiralty and GB 015 Willard Wentzel

Location of Originals

MS 942A;MJ Original narrative held by the Provincial Archives, British Columbia (1982)

Bibliography

MS 1099;D published as To the Arctic by canoe, 1819-1821 ed. C S Houston, McGill-Queen's University Press, 1974

Geographical Names