Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/18

 with science: and the most arduous parts of the service performed by the expedition— the completion of the survey between Mackenzie River and Point Barrow; the exploration of the country between Great Slave Lake and the Coppermine River—essential to the transport across that rugged and sterile country (well called the Barren grounds) of the boats and provisions of the expedition; and the pedestrian journey along the coast, of the summer of 1838, which opened the prospect of a clear sea to the eastward, securing the success of the expedition in summer 1839,—were performed by him alone.

The narrative contained in the following pages is so full, yet so concise, that I consider it unnecessary here to give any details in reference to the expedition and its results. I shall merely remark, that every object in view when it was first organized was attained, with the loss of only one man, who died from sickness, not from accident or fatigue.

On the return of the party to Great Slave Lake in Sept. 1839, Mr. Simpson drew up a succinct narrative, in a letter addressed to the Directors of the Hudson's Bay Company, of the operations of the season, which had been so brilliantly successful; which letter was published in most of the leading papers of the civilized world—as