the accounts of
the Expedition. After I had paid my respects to his Excellency, the Earl
of Dalhousie, Governor in Chief of Canada, we proceeded to New York by
the way of Lake Champlain. In our passage through the United States, we
received the same kind attentions we had before experienced; our
personal baggage, and the collections of Natural History, were forwarded
by the officers of the customs without examination, and every assistance
we required was promptly rendered.

[Sidenote: September.] Having embarked, in the packet ship, on the 1st
of September, we reached Liverpool on the 26th, after an absence of two
years, seven months and a half. Captain Back, Lieutenant Kendall, and
Mr. Drummond, with the rest of the British party, arrived at Portsmouth
on the 10th of October. I then received the distressing intelligence of
the death of two excellent men, on their homeward passage from Bear Lake
to York Factory; Archibald Stewart, who died from consumption; and
Gustavus Aird, who was drowned in consequence of his jumping out of the
boat, in his exertions to save her, when she was hurrying down the
Pelican Fall, in Slave River. Until this account reached me, I had
cherished the hope that our Expedition would have terminated without my
having to record a single casualty. The loss of these men was the more
deeply felt by me, from their uniform, steady, obedient, and meritorious
conduct, which I had repeated opportunities of observing and admiring,
while they were my companions in the Lion, during the voyage along the
coast.

I must be allowed to add, that in this long homeward journey, in which
there were no fresh discoveries to be made, nor any of those excitements
that relieve the monotony of constant labour, and in which they had to
contend with a succession of dangerous rapids, there was the same
masterly skill and exemplary conduct evinced by Captain Back and
Lieutenant Kendall; and the same patient and ready obedience by the
men[17], which had marked their whole conduct, while more immediately
under my own observation.

On my arrival in London, on the 29th of September, accompanied by Dr.
Richardson, I had the honour of laying the charts and drawings before
his Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral, and Mr. Secretary Huskisson;
and, from the latter, I received directions to publish an account of our
proceedings.

* * * * *

In concluding this Narrative, I feel it incumbent on me t