Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/31

 America. The first, Samuel Hearne, traveled northward with the Indians in 1770, and reached the mouth of a large river which was named the Coppermine, because the Indians said that large mines of copper were to be found along its banks.

The second explorer, Alexander Mackenzie, in 1789 traced to its mouth the river which now bears his name. With the exception of these two river mouths, the entire northern coast of North America was unknown. The map which is to-day covered with names of places, was then a blank.

This was the region which Franklin was to explore. Many men would dread such a journey, but Franklin liked it because of the very dangers involved. Dr. John Richardson, midshipmen Robert Hood and George Back, and a seaman, John Hepburn, were selected to go with Franklin on this trip; they were well chosen, for they were worthy companions of the young leader. On May 23, 1819, he and his men sailed on the Prince of Wales for the Arctic land. The voyage was long and stormy; several times it seemed likely that the Prince of Wales would never touch land again, but at the end of three months she anchored off York Factory, on the southern shore of Hudson bay, one of the posts built by the Hudson Bay Company for the purpose of trading in furs with the Indians.

The people at York Factory received Franklin and his companions kindly and helped them all they could. They gave Franklin a boat for his journey through the lakes and rivers on his way to the sea. The same sort of boat is still in use in that region and is called a York boat. It is forty feet in length, narrow, light, and sharp at both ends. About ten men can manage it. When on lakes or traveling down streams the men use oars, but when travel