First Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea
Time-line and Milestones

23 May

Arctic Land Expedition sails from Gravesend, England on board Hudson's Bay Company ship Prince of Wales.

30 August

Expedition arrives at York Factory on the west coast of Hudson's Bay (near the mouth of Nelson River, south of the present day port of Churchill, Manitoba).

9 September

Leave York Factory and begin the overland journey..

6-7 October

At Norway House.

23 Ocotber

Reach Cumberland House.

18 January

Franklin, Back and Hepburn leave Cumberland House, travel up Saskatchewan River, to Fort Carlton, then across country to Green Lake and Ile-a-la-Crosse.

26 March

Franklin, Back and Hepburn reach Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca.

1 - 30 May

Richardson's 'side-trip' to Fort Carlton and back to Cumberland House

13 June

Richardson, Hood and a crew of voyageurs leave Cumberland House.

12 July

Richardson and Hood rejoin Franklin and Back at Fort Chipewyan.

18 July

Augmented expedition leaves Lake Athabasca.

25 - 27 July

Stop at Fort Resolution on the South shore of Great Slave Lake.

29 July - 2 August

Stop at Fort Providence on the North shore of Great Slave Lake.

20 August

Arrive at Winter lake and start construction of Fort Enterprise which was to be the base camp for the exploration of the North.

17 March

George Back returns to Fort Enterprise having completed a 1200 mile winter trek on snow shoes to Forts Providence, Resolution and Chipewyan to purchase supplies.

4 June

Advanced party under Richardson (fifteen porters carrying a minimum of 90 pounds each) leave Fort Enterprise to establish a camp at Point Lake.

21 June

Franklin, Back and Hood arrive at Point Lake.

1 July

Expedition launch two birch bark canoes of Rocknest lake and commence their descent to the coast.

14 July

Richardson climbs a hill at the mouth of the Coppermine River and thus becomes the fourth European to view the Arctic Ocean from the mainland of North America.

15 July

Camp at Bloody Falls, the scene of a fierce battle between Indians and Esquimaux during the Hearn Expedition.

[BACK] "We were now at Massacre Rapid celebrated in Hearn's voyage for the shocking scene that occurred there - the most interesting part of which I imagine to be unfounded... The havoc that was there made was but too clearly verified - from the fractured skulls and whitened bones of those poor sufferes."

21 July

[Richardson] "[after noon] ... we began our voyage on the hyperborean sea ..."

25 July - 16 August

Exploration of Bathurst Inlet. This deep indentation of the coastline delayed the exploration and forced the expedition to abandon further progress eastwards.

16 - 21 August

Encamped at Point Turnagain, fathest east reached by the expedition.

[Richardson] "... we have reached the pitch of the Cape which is only about 15 miles to the northward of Cape Barrow. This then is the limit of our voyage along the coast which ahs occupied us nearly a month but in which we have traced the open sea only five degrees and a half to the eastward of the mouth of the Coppermine River ... but if the length of our voyage round the indented coast of Accession Gulph [sic] is considered we have sailed upwards of 550 miles..."

22 August

[Back on quitting Point Turnagain] "Thus ended the progress of our Expedition which we had fondly expected would have set at rest all future discussion on the subject of a passage into Hudson's Bay. It was now the season, not more particularly the want of food that stopped us. ... Be this as it may it must be obvious that we had incontestably proved the practicality of succeeding - and it is only to be regretted that after the time and fatigue incurred in proceeding so favourably to a distance which in a direct line would have taken us to Repulse Bay that the inclemency of the season and our own peculiar misfortunes should have obliged us to retraace our way."

20 October

Robert Hood dies of a gunshot wound presumably murdered by Michael

[Richardson] "The loss of a young officer, of such distinguished and varied talents and application, may be felt and duly appreciated by the eminent characters under whose command he had served; but the calmness with which he contemplated the probable termination of a life of uncommon promise; and the patience and fortitude with which he sustained, I may venture to say, unparalleled bodily sufferings, can only be known to the companions of his distress."

23 October

"Execution" of Michael.

[Richardson] "I determined, however, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessesity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself; and immediately upon Michael's comming up, I put and end to his life by shooting him through the head with a pistol."

29 October

Dr. Richardson and Hepburn reach Fort Enterprise to rejoin Franklin and three voyageurs.

[Richardson] "No language that I can use, being adequate to convey a just idea of the wretchedness of the abode, in which we found our commanding officer ... The hollow and sepulchral sound of their voices, produced nearly as great horror in us, as our emasiated appearance did on them ..."

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27 May

Leave Fort Resolution at Moose Deer Island after wintering there since 19th of December, 1821.

[Richardson] "at 4 a.m. the canoes were loaded ...we set out in two comparitively light canoes leaving five others behind heavily loaded with furs ..."